Premium is UNIQUE, a mass coloured design flooring offering outstanding performances for very high pedestrian traffic areas (education, healthcare, hospitality...)

On February 6, 2018, Gerflor entered into a binding agreement to acquire DLW’s linoleum activities. Consummation of the transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to occur in March 2018.

 The transaction includes the take-over by Gerflor of the manufacturing plant in Delmenhorst (Germany) as well as a part of the company’s sales force and support functions.

 With this transaction, DLW’s linoleum activities will, after the past years of uncertainty, be integrated into the Gerflor SAS group.

 The Gerflor SAS group is a global leader in the floor covering industry that has successfully integrated and developed strong brands such as Taraflex and Mipolam. Gerflor’s global footprint, innovation capabilities and customer support will benefit the DLW brand and operations.

 Gerflor and DLW have been cooperating for a long time in France, where Gerflor has been distributing DLW’s linoleum products since 2011.

 This acquisition will enable Gerflor to expand its products portfolio in resilient flooring with a remarkably sustainable solution. With these linoleum activities, Gerflor will provide its customers with an even wider range of solutions in some of its key market applications such as healthcare, education, housing, sport or retail. With this transaction, Gerflor becomes one of the largest manufacturers of resilient floors in Germany.

 Following the signature, Bertrand Chammas, CEO of Gerflor SAS, has declared: “This transaction not only secures DLW’s Linoleum activity, but through the support of the Gerflor Group, provides a new dynamic that will generate long term growth. We are very pleased to welcome this historic brand and its experienced teams. Our priority in the coming months is to reassure DLW’s customers, distributors, installers and specifiers so that they continue serenely to develop their business with DLW’s solutions. Through Gerflor’s investments and transformation initiatives, we are confident that we will offer to the market an even more attractive set of products and services.”

Contact Gerflor SAS

Laurent Cicolella, Group Communication Director - Email : laurent.cicolella@gerflor.com

Gerflor in brief

Gerflor is a global leader in the production and distribution of flooring, wallcovering and finishes. With 3.700 employees, 16 manufacturing plants and 5 R&D centres, Gerflor provides its customers with design-driven, innovative and environmentally-friendly solutions in more than 100 countries.

In 2017, Gerflor has achieved a turnover of 860 M euros, with over 70% of sales in international markets. This performance is supported by a strong presence in multiple market applications (healthcare, housing, education, sport, transport, retail, industry, offices, public buildings and hospitality) and prestigious brands such as Taraflex®, Mipolam®, Taralay®, Gradus®, Romus®, Connor Sports® and Sportcourt®.

International flooring specialist Gerflor have produced a range of products aimed directly at the entry level market. Their newest collection is in a sense an ‘enabler’, allowing designers to be brave and unfettered with designs without having to delve deeply into their wallets.

The new Taralay Initial Comfort and Taralay Initial Compact ranges from Gerflor are perfectly placed to provide a broad brush for a host of differing decorative applications.

The new Taralay Initial Comfort and Compact suite of products deliver a stunning choice of 32 colour references, which includes 16 colourways which have been ‘migrated’ across from their hugely successful Taralay Impression range. However, the new Taralay Initial collection also has 7 brand-new stunningly beautiful colours added into the ‘Diversion’, Woods’ and ‘Tweedy’ groups. It’s a designer dream of textural notes and hues.

GERFLOR’S EXPERTISE FOR THE RIO OLYMPIC GAMES from 5th to 21th August 2016. The Group will be involved in the manufacture, delivery, installation, technical assistance and dismantling of flooring for 7 volleyball courts and 6 handball courts, an area of over 15,000 m2!

FLOORS MADE IN FRANCE As the leading player in flexible floor covering, Gerflor caters to both individuals and professionals with its ranges for sports, homes, healthcare, retail and offices. Gerflor is based in France and has over 70 years experience in the research and creation of sports flooring. Its TARAFLEX® brand is a recognised reference in this segment. With the expertise it has gained from some of the world’s largest sporting events, Gerflor has stood out for several years as the world leader in indoor synthetic sports flooring.

A WEALTH OF KNOW-HOW AND EXPERTS IN ACTION: A dozen Gerflor technicians will be mobilised in Brazil this April, June and July for the 2016 Olympic Games preparatory events and official competitions. This type of competition requires a specific organisation, involving Gerflor teams at various stages of the preparation:

• Before: manufacturing, assembly and quality monitoring. TARAFLEX® floors are manufactured and assembled in France, at the Gerflor Technocentre with a 1,500 m² area fully dedicated to the creation and assembly of courts.

• During: installation of floors and ongoing technical support.

• After: dismantling

GERFLOR: 40 YEARS OF OLYMPICS!

Gerflor’s TARAFLEX® sports floors have been used since 1947 at the largest international sports federations (volleyball, handball, badminton, table tennis). Through partnerships with these federations, Gerflor has been present at the Summer Olympic Games since 1976, i.e. 40 years of Olympics!

THE TARAFLEX® BRAND HAS BEEN A KEY BENCHMARK FOR INDOOR SPORTS FLOORING SINCE 1947 Safety, Comfort, Performance and Resistance, Gerflor’s TARAFLEX® sports floors offer the best immediate protection against falls and helps prevent long-term sports injuries. Floors designed to last: TARAFLEX® floors offer the same level of performance throughout the life of the product. TARAFLEX® THE CHAMPIONS’ FLOOR

• Protecsol® surface treatment: reduces the risk of friction burns when diving

• Shock-absorbing foam underlay (for enhanced safety)

• Rolled wear layer reinforced with a fibreglass grid: stability and safety with support VOLLEYBALL COLOURS: Coral, Teal, Terracotta. HANDBALL COLOURS: Mint Green (play area), Terracotta (6 m areas), Oak Design (around the edge of the court).

The TARAFLEX® range offers a wide choice of colours for sports surfaces including the colours of the most iconic events (18 colours available).

OLYMPIC GAMES: THE MOST WATCHED SPORTING EVENT IN THE WORLD! The Rio Olympics (5th to 21th August 2016) and the Paralympics (7th to 16th September) will be the first edition of the Games to be held in South America. They will bring together 65 disciplines, 16,000 athletes from 206 countries, 4,500 officials, 70,000 volunteers and... 25,000 journalists!

40 YEARS OF OLYMPICS… & A FEW ANECDOTES!

IN 2008: CHINESE DISCIPLINE! With their experience gained from previous Olympics, Gerflor technical teams were able to tackle unforeseen circumstances successfully. A case in point is what happened at the Capital Stadium, the main volleyball site, just a few days before the opening of the Games. The parquet on which TARAFLEX® Plus was installed had shifted after the air conditioning had been switched off. The organising committee followed the Gerflor team’s recommendations even whilst taking a drastic measure: one hundred Chinese soldiers were requisitioned and positioned around the 756 m2 volleyball court. These soldiers then lifted the floor, welded and secured using double-sided adhesive tape, and maintained it so that the workers could rework on the parquet. After the work, the flooring was laid down again and readjusted. A first in the history of Gerflor sports flooring!

IN 2012: TECHNICAL FEAT AT THE SERVICE OF HER MAJESTY! Handball competitions were held in a pavilion that could seat up to 6,000 spectators; after the Games, the pavilion was to be converted into a multipurpose community sports centre. The semi finals and finals were to be held in another pavilion, the Basketball Arena, which was a modular structure with a capacity of 12,000 seats. Gerflor rose to the challenge of uninstalling the handball court floor and reinstalling it in the Basketball Arena... overnight!

The Connor Sports’ brand was chosen again by FIBA for EuroBasket 2015, to be held from the 5th to the 20^th of September 2015.

"The organisers have set the highest standards for this year's EuroBasket, incorporating the latest innovations and taking the competition in a number of exciting new directions. The players on the court will feel the special performance and safety features built into the portable Connor Quick Lock™ courts," explained Connor Sport Court International Vice-President Andrew Gettig.
"One of the attractive things from the last Basketball World Championships was the perfect aesthetic of the surface," said Kamil Novak, Director of FIBA ​​Europe "It seems important to find this quality again for our European event that is EuroBasket 2015".

4 Countries, 5 cities, 5 exclusive designs!

For the first time in its history, the EuroBasket will be held in 4 countries and 5 different cities (Berlin in Germany, Zagreb in Croatia, Riga in Latvia, Montpellier and Lille in France). All the finals will take place in Lille (France).
This has given Connor Sports the opportunity to design 5 customised surfaces !
Pierre Lienhard, Director of Gerflor Sports Flooring, said he was "very proud that Connor floors will supply “EuroBasket 2015” and that all players will enjoy a premium surface, customised for each of the arenas."

Video of the courts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1BEHqV6WaA

Connor Sport Court International joined the Gerflor Group in 2014, to enable the company to offer more innovative solutions and improved services to their customers, notably to worldwide sport associations.
This move brings together three world-class sports brands – Connor Sports®, Sport Court® and Taraflex™ – under the same flagship and strengthens Gerflor position as a world leader in sports surfaces.

Chicago, IL, November 5th, 2014

Gerflor, a global leader in the design and manufacture of resilient flooring, today announced that it has acquired Connor Sport Court International, in a move that will expand the company’s global market reach and sports product range portfolio.

This move brings together three world-class sports brands – Connor, Sport Court and Taraflex – under the same flagship. The two companies’ combined resources will enhance their ability to offer more innovative solutions and improved services to their customers, notably to the sport associations worldwide.

“The acquisition of Connor Sport Court International is an extremely exciting development for Gerflor, as it brings a world class organization into the Gerflor family to strengthen our position as a world leader in sports surfaces. It is also a major step to strengthen our Group sales footprint in North America” explains Bertrand Chammas, CEO of the Gerflor Group.

“We look forward to being part of the Gerflor Group,” adds Ron Cerny, CEO of Connor Sport Court International, “It provides the unique opportunity to further expand our sales throughout the world and provide truly complementary solutions to our customers. This really is a great fit for both companies.”

The CEOs acknowledge that this move capitalizes on each company's strengths for the mutual benefit of both businesses and for their customers.


ABOUT GERFLOR
Gerflor creates, manufactures and markets innovative, design-led and sustainable solutions for flooring, wall and interior finishes.
Gerflor Group offers the most comprehensive range of resilient flooring to meet every market need : healthcare, pharmaceutical, education, sports, transportation, retail, multiliving and corporate.
The group gathers various well-recognized product brand names such as Taraflex®, Mipolam®, and Tarabus®.
With 60 years of experience in the manufacture of Taraflex Sports Flooring, Gerflor has the unique position of world leader in indoor sports flooring. 
With 2,500 employees and 8 production sites, the company has sales in more than 100 countries.

More information on gerflor.com


ABOUT CONNOR SPORT COURT INTERNATIONAL
Connor Sport Court is the US market leader in sports surfacing and has built systems for many elite associations including the NBA, NCAA, FIBA, USTA, FIVB, US Youth Futsal, and USA Volleyball. The group specializes in wood, synthetic, rubber and modular sports surfaces and has appropriate solutions for every type of athletic, park, school, arena or multi-use facility. Connor Sport Court International is proud to be the only sports surfacing company in North America that’s manufacturing facilities are independently audited and verified as “Zero Waste” and fully ISO 9001 and ISO 14001certified and the only sports flooring company in the US to have Environmental Product Declarations on all of its products.
Connor Sports Flooring® and Sport Court® are registered trademarks of Connor Sport Court International. Founded in 1872, Connor Sports is the leader in hardwood sports flooring. Founded in 1974, Sport Court is the original modular sport surface used for outdoor and indoor athletics.
With 250 employees and 2 manufacturing sites in the USA, the company has sales in more than 75 countries and installations on all 7 continents.

More information on connorsportcourt.com

1/ The Event: Handball European Championship
Dates: 12th to 26th January 2014
Place: Denmark (Aalborg, Copenhague, Aarhus and Herning)
Gerflor is proud of being part of major team successes and will support the 4 qualified teams in semi-finals on Friday 24th January: Spain, France, Denmark and Croatia.
Gerflor has supplied 4 surfaces (44m x 26m) in Taraflex™ Sport M Evolution for this event.

2/ Gerflor, the official flooring supplier to all European Handball Competitions
Thanks to its partnership with the EHF since 2004, Gerflor is the exclusive floor supplier to all official EHF competitions.
This is the recognition for:
- the Gerflor event expertise thanks to its complete solution: manufacturing, delivery, installation, technical assistance and dismantling of the courts.
- the quality of the Taraflex® Sports Flooring. Gerflor floors are the most recognized and enjoyed surface by Top Handball nations, players and coaches for their global sport performance. Gerflor guaranties the athletes the most outstanding and safest surface to let them express their best Talent during the competitions.
Gerflor also has a long and proven history in Handball.
For example, Gerflor entered a new partnership with the EHF, for the period 2011-2016. Instead of the traditional handball court, Gerflor specifically developed a Taraflex® “yellow and blue" flooring system without any lines to match the official EHF colours. The yellow and blue colours of the EHF court have been specifically designed to develop a unique trademark and to improve TV broadcasting
Gerflor, through IHF agreements, supplied courts for Handball tournaments during the Olympic Games in London in 2012.
Taraflex™ is the most widely specified sports surface in the world, it has been selected for 10 consecutive Olympic Games from Montreal in 1976 to London in 2012 for indoor surfaces like Handball, Volleyball, Badminton and Table Tennis.
On the road to Rio…

3/ Present in over 100 countries
With over 60 years of experience in the manufacture of vinyl flooring, Gerflor, manufacturer of Taraflex® Sports Flooring, has the unique position of world champion in indoor sports flooring. With over 2500 employees worldwide and significant investment in sports research and development, Gerflor always stays one step ahead of the competition.
Thanks to its Taraflex® Sport brand name and product ranges, Gerflor has supplied more than 70 000 gymnasiums and sport centres (representing more than 40 million square meters) around the world.
Professional and amateur athletes, sports enthusiasts and school children alike play on Taraflex® sports floors all around the world. Gerflor has been ensuring its users comfort, safety and performance as well as an excellent quality / price ratio for decades.

4/ Taraflex Sports Flooring, 152 solutions for all indoor sports
The Taraflex® sports floors range includes 152 solutions, all designed to reduce the risk of injury through increased comfort and shock absorption without compromising performance. The unique laminating construction provides shock absorption to cushion athletes’ pounding, and reduce stress on their joints, thus helping fight fatigue and reduce the risk of injury. The multi-layered floors provide safety and performance through a laminating process that incorporates a 100% pure vinyl, wear layer with reinforced fibreglass and patented closed-cell foam backing.
The pure vinyl nature of the wear layer protects the colour throughout the lifetime of the product. The wear layer has a surface treatment called ProtecsolÒ which reduces the likelihood of friction burns but also eases maintenance.
All Taraflex® products are ISO9001 certified and can be laid in a portable or permanent manner.

1/ Taraflex™ by Gerflor, the preferred surface of all Volleyball Competitions 
Gerflor has a long and proven history in Volleyball. Thanks to its partnership with the FIVB (International Volleyball Federation) since 2005, Gerflor is the exclusive supplier to all official FIVB competitions.

2/ Gerflor, on the road to London Gerflor,
through IHF and FIVB agreements, supplied courts for Handball and Volleyball tournaments during the Olympic Games and courts for
Sitting Volleyball during the Paralympic Games in London in 2012. Taraflex™ is the most widely specified sports surface in the world, it has been selected for ten consecutive Olympic Games from Montreal in 1976 to London in 2012 for indoor surfaces like Handball, Volleyball, Badminton and Table Tennis.
Gerflor floors are the most recognized and enjoyed surface by Top Volleyball nations, players and coaches for their global sport performance. Gerflor guaranties the athletes the most oustanding and safest surface to let them express their best Talent during two weeks time.

3/ Present in over 100 countries
With over 60 years of experience in the manufacture of vinyl flooring, Gerflor, manufacturer of Taraflex® Sports Flooring, has the unique position of world champion in indoor sports flooring. With over 2000 employees worldwide and significant investment in sports research and development, Gerflor always stays one step ahead of the competition. 
Thanks to its Taraflex® Sport brand name and product ranges, Gerflor has supplied more than 70 000 gymnasiums and sport centres (representing more than 40 million square meters) around the world. 
Professional and amateur athletes, sports enthusiasts and school children alike play on Taraflex® sports floors all around the world. Gerflor has been ensuring its users comfort, safety and performance as well as an excellent quality / price ratio for decades.

4/ Taraflex Sports Flooring, 152 solutions for all indoor sports 
The Taraflex® sports floors range includes 152 solutions, all designed to reduce the risk of injury through increased comfort and shock absorption without compromising performance. The unique laminating construction provides shock absorption to cushion athletes’ pounding, and reduce stress
on their joints, thus helping fight fatigue and reduce the risk of injury. The multi-layered floors provide safety and performance through a laminating process that incorporates a 100% pure vinyl, wear layer with reinforced fibreglass and patented closed-cell foam backing. The pure vinyl nature of the wear layer protects the colour throughout the lifetime of the product. The wear layer has a surface treatment called ProtecsolÒ which reduces the likelihood of friction burns but also eases maintenance.
All Taraflex® products are ISO9001 certified and can be laid in a portable or permanent manner.