NEWSFLASH
BALTA ANNOUNCES
WOOL CARPET FOCUS GROUP
COMPETITION The Wool Focus Carpet Focus Group (WCFG), a new organisation which was formed with the intention of concentrating the industry’s marketing efforts, has opened a competition to determine the key factors that make wool the best choice for carpets.
Last month the WCFG held a meeting with of some of the most powerful and influential people in the British carpet industry, in Bradford, the original capital city of the world’s wool trade.
Speaking at the event, Dr Mike Madden, resident scientist for the WCFG, said: "There are so many reasons it is difficult to choose which the best one or two are
A BIG MOVE FOR QA QA Flooring Solutions has moved to a
new head office with more space and better facilities to accommodate their expanding team. The move will enable the company to deal with its suppliers and worldwide customer base more efficiently.
Garry Atmore, Marketing Manager, commented: “Over the last two years, there have been some dramatic changes at QA – a brand new look, new products and new ideas, all working towards our mission to be the simply better company for everyone to work with when it comes to flooring, underlays and accessories.
“This is an exciting move for us. The smart and professional new home is a much more pleasant working environment, with better facilities, more space and attractive surroundings. All of this will help us to become more service-driven and look after our
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to focus our attention on. Wool has lots of inherent qualities which combine to make it such a wonderful fibre and all of which are equally important from a scientific point of view."
The competition is open to everyone and there are no limits to the number of entries that can be made. The winner will receive a specially embroidered real Shetland wool throw featuring the chosen unique selling point. The winning entry will be announced at the Flooring Show in Harrogate, which takes place from 20-22 September.
All entries will become the property of the Wool Carpet Focus Group Ltd and may be used in future marketing efforts.
Entry submissions should be sent for the attention of Dr Mike Madden to
mike@encoglobal.com
TAKEOVER Lone Star Funds, a global private equity firm, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Balta Group from Doughty Hanson, a European private equity firm, Filip Balcaen and Management for an undisclosed sum. The transaction is expected to close at the end of August.
Founded in 1964, Balta Group is a global market leader in mechanically- woven rugs and is the European market leader in wall-to-wall carpets. It also has a significant and growing market position in carpet tiles. The Balta Group has 3,300 employees across eight production sites worldwide, from which six are located in Belgium and two in Uşak Turkey. Furthermore the Group has distribution centres in Sint Niklaas, Belgium and Dalton, USA. Balta reported net sales of €520million and EBITDA of €65million in 2014.
Doughty Hanson and Filip Balcaen have been strong and dedicated backers of Balta Group, guiding the company’s strategy and its management team over several years, supporting the significant investments in Belgium, Turkey and the acquisition of Domo Floorcovering in 2010. Balta Group is now ideally positioned for the next stage of its development.
customers in the simply better way they deserve to be. It will also allow us to continue with our planned year-on-year growth into the future.”
QA’s new head office is now based at Unit 2, Hurricane Drive, Liverpool L24 8RL.
qaflooringsolutions.com
Hendrik Deruyck, CEO of Balta said: “We are delighted to be embarking on the next phase of our growth ambitions with Lone Star, who share our vision of driving profitable growth by delivering superior product design, creativity, quality and service for our customers. As the Company moves forward, I am confident that we will do so from a position of strength. We will continue to build on our successes by innovating, enhancing and growing our business globally through continued strategic investments in Belgium and Turkey as well as through targeted acquisitions.”
www.baltagroup.com
www.tomorrowsflooring.com
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