Turnhout, Belgium–i4F, a group of companies providing patents and technologies to the global flooring industry, and Unilin Technologies today announced the implementation of a non-assert agreement on their water-repellent coating patents for laminate and wood flooring.
Both technology licensing companies are offering a different coating technology designed to enhance the water-repellent performance of wood-based flooring products. i4F offers its technology under the AquaProtect brand; Unilin’s technology is marketed under the Unicoat brand.
The agreement means that i4F AquaProtect licensees benefit from additional protection on Unilin’s patent portfolio, and enables flooring manufacturers to gain access to multiple water-repellent edge-coating technologies.
Being the first to bring DLVT (Digital Luxury Vinyl Tile) process to the U.S. has allowed EF to iterate faster and provide higher-end visuals without the supply delays.
Digital printing has transformed the flooring industry over the past decade—even longer for categories like tile—redefining what is possible in both design and manufacturing. Once limited to basic visuals and repetitive patterns, today’s digitally printed floors offer next-gen realism, deeper color variation and far greater plank diversity than earlier generations.
As Céline Quervel, managing director, Classen, put it: “Digital printing fundamentally changed what is possible in decorative surfaces.”
So what can today’s LVT and laminate flooring manufacturing achieve that traditional methods could not? In a word: realism. “Traditional printing methods rely on engraved cylinders and repeating patterns, which limits design flexibility and often results in visible repeats across the floor. Digital printing removes those constraints,” Quervel explained.
Eric Ruppert, senior director of product marketing and category management at Engineered Floors, agreed, noting, “Because we use digital files rather than physical print cylinders, we offer 35 unique planks per style. This means a consumer can lay down over 100 square feet of flooring before ever seeing a repeated plank. Compare that to the average film product, which repeats every 15–20 square feet, and you can see why digital printing is the only way to achieve a truly natural, non-mechanical look.”
Those large, non-repeating visuals—combined with color variation—creates much more natural-looking materials than was previously possible. “For flooring, that means we can replicate wood, stone or abstract visuals with a level of authenticity that simply wasn’t achievable before,” Quervel explained.
Schattdecor digitally prints laminate and may soon add luxury vinyl to its repertoire.
Benefits to the customer
For the end consumer, digital printing has transformed both the look and availability of today’s flooring. The technology enables highly realistic visuals that closely mimic natural materials—as is the demand today—while also allowing manufacturers to create a far wider range of designs.
What’s more, because patterns are developed digitally rather than through traditional printing cylinders, new visuals can reach the market much faster. It also allows designs to be tested more effectively. “You could use it from the standpoint of early prototype development,” said David Sheehan, CEO, Schattdecor. “Let’s say you come up with a design concept and you want to see if it resonates with the end customer. In this instance you could leverage the digital capability and actually produce product, show finished goods to get customer reactions. So your speed to market is greatly enhanced.”
With that dramatically shortened development cycle is the ability for more experimentation and customization. “Digital printing has given us a lot more creative flexibility, especially when it comes to offering tailored options,” said Leigh Wright, Tarkett’s director of design, LVT. “Digitally printed patterns can be adjusted to match a customer’s specific color selections. We’ve also had customers send us completely custom visuals for their LVT or wall base. It’s also making a huge difference in renovation projects. If you need to match an existing terrazzo trim, for example, we can digitally print Masquerade wall base to look just like that sample. It makes your whole project more sustainable and cost-effective.”
Even more enhanced visuals
While it has been widely used in the ceramics industry for years (see story on page 10), non-ceramic flooring traditionally relied on analog décor techniques. Today, digital printing enables manufacturers of vinyl and laminate to produce unprecedented levels of realism. “Wood, stone or other natural materials can be reproduced with remarkable visual accuracy without compromising on the quality and performance of the overall product,” said Floris Koopmans, sales and marketing director, Unilin Technologies.
These innovations have developed even further of late, providing for what some suppliers call full “sensory experiences.” As a result, digitally printed flooring has moved beyond imitation to become a powerful design tool, helping elevate both performance-driven products and style-forward spaces. “In the last year, the focus has shifted from just ‘printing an image’ to achieving a complete ‘4D experience’ (depth, dimension, durability and design) through the integration of digital embossing and domestic speed,” Ruppert said.
He also noted EF’s Precision Digital Embossing. “We’ve refined the synchronization between the digital print and the texture. Using digital embossing, we build structure on the surface that creates an exact texture match to the wood grain. If you see a knot, you feel a knot—perfectly aligned.”
Classen has been using digital printing for more than 15 years. Today, around 30% of its laminate production is digitally printed.
At Classen, which has been digitally printing for 15-plus years, the most significant developments have taken place in the printing of PP flooring. “Due to the growing demand in the commercial segment, we have seen a need for completely new design directions, which required new machine settings and the development of additional color profiles,” Quervel explained. “To further improve color consistency, production control and automation—and to speed up the sampling and adjustment process—Classen worked last year on a new production support tool called Color Control Pro. This is a system that allows inline adjustments to the print file directly in production, helping operators fine-tune color and design parameters more quickly and reliably. Our goal is not only to use this internally but also to make the solution available to the wider industry and other manufacturers in the future.”
In addition, Classen is expanding its digital ecosystem with the introduction of DLE+, which further enhances its digital design and production capabilities and supports faster, more flexible product development.
Unilin’s Koopmans added that digital printing is also set to play a crucial role in PET-based products, as it provides the solution to produce these flooring products. “As the benefits of digital printing become increasingly clear, more manufacturers and distributors are recognizing its value and embracing this innovation as a future of high-quality flooring production.”
Alliance Flooring co-CEO’s Ryan Dunn and Kevin Logue welcome members to the opening session.
San Antonio, Texas–FCNews is here for the start of Alliance Flooring’s annual convention, which is being held at the JW Marriott Hill Country. “Innovate” is the theme of this year’s conference, and to that end Alliance Flooring laid out several new programs and initiatives designed to build on the success of the buying group.
During the opening general session Monday, Ryan Dunn and Kevin Logue (co-CEOs) hailed the success of its Perfect Home selling system, which is entering its final phase of rollout, with new hardwood displays being added this year. To date, hardwood represents just 4% of Alliance’s product mix but is an area of emphasis for the group. “That low number (4%) shocked me,” Logue told members. “There is definitely room for growth with hardwood.”
Carpet (40%) and resilient (37%) represents the lion’s share of Alliance Flooring’s portfolio, and both segments fared well in 2025—both categories buoyed by Perfect Home. According to Logue the group’s resilient sales were up 15% in 2025 over 2024 while carpet was up 4.5% year-over-year; Logue said Alliance Flooring enjoyed an overall increase of 5.68% in sales in 2025, compared with the industry being down 7%. “We’re outpacing and outselling the rest of the industry,” Logue said. “We’re definitely selling more better goods.”
Karndean CEO Bill Anderson delivers remarks during his keynote address.
Its top supplier on the hard surface side is Karndean Designflooring. The Export, Pa.-based resilient supplier has long been a favorite of the group. During Monday’s session, Bill Anderson, CEO of Karndean, spoke about the special bond his company has with Alliance Flooring.
New initiative
For 2026, Alliance is launching a program called Member Experience, which is intended to ensure that every member receives maximum value from Alliance Flooring.
The program is spearheaded by Rachel Stanley, vice president of member experience (she is Ryan’s younger sister), who is new to the organization. “When I come to your stores, I am going to ask why you joined Alliance Flooring and why are you still here, and I’m going to double down on that,” she told members. “It’s all about getting to know each and every one of you.”
Alliance welcomed seven new suppliers and/or brands: Artistic Finishes, Denali Hardwood Floor, Fabrica Wood, GalleherDuffy (part of Artivo Surfaces), Hallmark Home,
Intermountain Wood Products and Revolution Mills, which replaced Phenix.
Full coverage of the event will be featured in the March 30/April 6 of FCNews.
Decocer is taking part in Coverings 2026, which opens today in Las Vegas, within the Spanish Pavilion. The company will unveil “Echoes of the Earth,” a space conceived by Héctor Ruiz Velázquez, featuring a curated selection of collections that reinforce the company’s international positioning in the field of small-format ceramics.
Ceramics as a spatial experience
According to the company, the Decocer booth is conceived as an installation that goes beyond its exhibition function to become an architectural experience. Through a material-driven and contemporary language, the space explores the ability of ceramics to shape atmospheres, generate movement and activate the visitor’s sensory perception.
The new collections aim to highlight the expressive potential of small formats, demonstrating how repetition, relief and texture can transform the material into an architectural resource of great formal richness.
Featured collections
Decocer’s new collections shown at Coverings bring together a selection of collections defined by their material character, tactile richness and compositional versatility.
The collections include:
Eterea: A reinterpretation of marble through lightness. Available in 23 x 23cm, 5 x 20cm and 8 x 21.5cm formats, its surfaces balance matte and gloss to create depth.
Lythos: A stone-look tile with sizes available in 20 x 20cm, 21 x 21cm and 15 x 15cm. This collection creates mineral surfaces where modular repetition reinforces its architectural and timeless character.
Mood: An elongated 7.5 x 30cm format allows compositions where relief organizes the surface while color accents introduce controlled vibrancy.
Sienna: The warmth of fired clay reinterpreted in a contemporary visual. Its 5 x 45cm format elongates spatial perception and enhances continuity, ideal for interiors seeking an enveloping and natural atmosphere.
Talya: In 5 x 15cm and 10 x 10cm formats, its irregular, glossy surfaces evoke zellige, enabling rich compositions where imperfection becomes a language.
Vibe: The combination of 6.5 x 20cm pieces with 15 x15cm decorative tiles introduces contrast and dynamism, opening the door to more expressive solutions within small formats.
Cubik: Geometry, relief and color in a 7.5 x 30cm format. It combines pieces with geometric reliefs in matte and gloss finishes with plain bases. Its color palette—from neutrals to intense tones such as Wine, Forest or Black—enables dynamic and sophisticated compositions.
Plus many more.
With over 35 years of experience, Decocer has established itself as an international reference in the design and manufacturing of custom small-format ceramics. Its ability to tailor shapes, colors, finishes and reliefs positions the company as a strategic partner for manufacturers, distributors and specifiers in more than 20 countries.
Ceramic and porcelain tile enter 2026 at a pivotal moment — one defined by reinvention. Long valued for durability, performance and design flexibility, tile now meets today’s shifting consumer expectations around wellness, sustainability, indoor-outdoor living and long-term value. For retailers, that evolution presents both opportunity and challenge: Selling tile can be a powerful differentiator on the sales floor — but only if it’s done with confidence, clarity and intention.
Today’s tile shopper is more educated than ever. They arrive with inspiration pulled from social media and design sites, today drawn to large-format visuals, natural stone aesthetics and tactile surfaces that blur the line between function and luxury. At the same time, higher interest rates and tighter budgets mean consumers are scrutinizing every purchase. Tile must earn its place in the home not only through beauty but through performance, longevity and lifestyle relevance as well.
That puts pressure on retailers to rethink how tile is presented, positioned and sold. The days of relying solely on racks of samples and broad product claims are fading. Success in 2026 hinges on storytelling — explaining why a surface performs better, installs smarter or supports the way consumers actually live today. It also requires sharper alignment between product selection and application, from residential kitchens and baths to commercial spaces, outdoor environments and whole-home solutions.
In this environment, suppliers play a critical role. From innovations in surface technology and finishes to coordinated collections and digital tools that support selling process, manufacturers are equipping retailers with new ways to make tile relevant, accessible and profitable. Here, the top tile flooring suppliers share their most practical insights on how retailers can elevate the tile sale in 2026 — and turn a complex category into a competitive advantage.
“Product knowledge is essential, and the solutions tile can bring a project long-term. This goes well beyond price, color and shape. Rather, what does tile do in a space long term?”
“Assortment from vendor experts — balancing both physical and digital visualization — will bring them the greatest results and close rates with consumers who are coming to their store prepared and knowledgeable about the products they need. Embrace it!”
—Patrick Warren,vice president of dealer sales & showrooms,DAL-TILE
“Look beyond the floor. There are so many tile options today that look great on the wall. Take market share away from paint and create a visually stunning vertical application.”
“Bigger is better. Large-format tile is here to stay. If you haven’t embraced large format, you are late to the party. Large-format tile offers the cleaner aesthetic today’s consumers are looking for with fewer grout lines and a high-end appearance.”
—Raj Shah,CEO,MSI
“Tile designs, colors, patterns and finishes have come a long way in recent years, which means designers and consumers have far more options to create the spaces they’ve dreamed of. One of the critical keys to selling tile is ensuring customers feel comfortable and confident in what they are selecting. Digital tools help customers feel confident that the finished result will match their vision. That said, customers still want to touch and feel the product, and maintaining a strong selection of physical samples remains an essential part of the process, even as our industry continues its digital transformation.”
“Be thoughtful with your approach. Give customers the look they want without immediately discouraging them with price points in the showroom. When a customer sees a $30-per-square-foot product next to a $4 option, it can quickly shift their mindset from design to cost. They may not realize that only a few square feet are needed for certain applications, which makes context and guidance especially important.”
Tacoma, Wash.—The Floor Trader of Tacoma, part of the broader CCA Global group, has been named a 2025 Pierce County Volunteer Group Award Winner, recognizing the company’s outstanding commitment to volunteer service and community support throughout the past year.
The award, presented by the Pierce County Volunteer Recognition Committee, honors organizations that demonstrate exceptional dedication to improving the lives of residents across the county. The locally owned flooring retailer, led by Dean Paulson, owner, and his team, was nominated by a Pierce County agency that highlighted the group’s volunteer efforts and meaningful contributions to the community.
“Our team has always believed that being a local business means being part of the community,” Paulson said. “We’re honored to receive this recognition and grateful for the opportunity to give back to the people and organizations that make Pierce County such a special place.”
The Floor Trader team has a long-standing tradition of community involvement, supporting local initiatives, volunteering time and partnering with organizations throughout the region.
“We’re incredibly proud to see Dean and the entire team at The Floor Trader of Tacoma recognized for their service to the community,” said Steve Sieracki, president of The Floor Trader cooperative. “Our cooperative is built on locally-owned businesses that are deeply
invested in the communities they serve, and Dean exemplifies that spirit. This recognition from Pierce County reflects the leadership, generosity and community commitment that
independent retailers bring to their markets every day.”
The recognition underscores the company’s broader mission: to serve not only as a trusted flooring retailer for homeowners across Tacoma and Pierce County, but also as an engaged and active community partner.
Award winners will be formally recognized by Pierce County during an upcoming volunteer recognition event celebrating individuals and organizations making a meaningful difference in the region.
Atlanta—Interface has launched 17 new color palettes for its norament kivo nora rubber collection.
Norament kivo combines the contemporary look of concrete with the resilience and comfort of rubber. The result is a high-performance, low-maintenance solution built for long-term use.
Originally launched in 2021, norament kivo now features an expanded palette of 17 colors. The update introduces both bold accents and classic neutrals. Designers can now explore more ways to balance personality and performance in a space.
The expansion targets K-12 environments, where durability and ease of maintenance are essential. The product maintains its concrete-inspired visuals while adding new color options suited for learning spaces. However, norament kivo extends beyond education. It is designed for any environment where budget, aesthetics and performance are key considerations.
Key features include:
Expanded color line — A mix of subtle grays and bold accents provides greater design flexibility.
Affordable performance — A durable rubber flooring option designed to balance cost and quality.
Comfort and acoustics — Rubber construction helps absorb sound and improve underfoot comfort in high-traffic areas.
Concrete-inspired design — An irregular granulate pattern softens the look of traditional concrete.
Broad application — Suitable for schools, public spaces and other high-use environments.
The collection offers a range of tones, from neutral to bold, helping create spaces that feel both functional and inviting. The product is designed to deliver lasting performance with minimal maintenance.
Turnhout, Belgium–i4F, a group of companies providing patents and technologies to the global flooring industry, and Unilin Technologies today announced the implementation of a non-assert agreement on their water-repellent coating patents for laminate and wood flooring.
Ceramic and porcelain tile enter 2026 at a pivotal moment — one defined by reinvention. 
Tacoma, Wash.—The Floor Trader of Tacoma, part of the broader 
Atlanta—Interface has