Resilient flooring—including rigid core—remains a heavily imported category, but over the past five years the industry has seen an influx of manufacturers begin to put down roots here in the states. In fact, in just those few short years the U.S. has gone from housing practically zero resilient manufacturers to about 13 domestic producers of vinyl flooring and about eight that specialize in rigid core.
That surge in production came after the resilient category struggled with several hurdles to supply over that same amount of time. First there was the 2019 tariffs enacted by the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on all vinyl flooring made in China. Grumbling continued in 2020 when the decision was made not to include floor covering in the list of items granted exemption from the Section 301 tariff.
What’s more, just two years ago U.S. Customs began enforcing the Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act (UFLPA). UFLPA prohibits the importation of all goods that are produced in or contain any content from the Uyghur region in China—an area believed to house forced labor operations and is a major supplier of PVC and raw materials to China and the greater Asian region. While supplier didn’t begrudge the sharp attention the government brought to unfair and unlawful labor practices, it did force them to acknowledge the vulnerability of their supply chains—especially as it related to vinyl.
Producers up the ante
One of the first resilient manufacturers to begin producing rigid core flooring in the U.S. was Shaw. Shaw’s rigid core/SPC facility, located in Ringgold, Ga., commenced official production in the fourth quarter of 2020. At this facility Shaw has the capability to produce multiple constructions including long and wide planks and thicker platforms with multiple embossing options.
Shaw has continued to enhance its offering, manufacturing capabilities and performance attributes over the years. “In the last year we have expanded our capabilities into longer and wider planks, increased scratch performance technologies, and continued vertical integration of raw materials,” said Roderick Macleod, resilient director, Shaw.
According to Macleod, Shaw’s investment of more than $250 million in Plant RP, and itsposition as the largest modular resilient manufacturer in North America, is a clear signal of itslong-term commitment to U.S. manufacturing. “This facility gives us more control, improves lead times and helps ensure the consistency our customers expect. But domestic production is just one part of our strategy. We’ve built what we believe is the most robust supply chain in the industry—with a flexible make-and-source model that combines U.S. manufacturing with trusted global partnerships. That approach gives us the ability to move faster, expand into new product categories, and respond to customer needs with more agility.”
Around the same time, Q4 2020, United Surface Solutions’ Chatsworth, Ga., operation—a 400,000-square-foot vertically integrated manufacturing facility located on 150-acres—officially opened. The facility manufactures hybrid composite rigid core (CRC). The company manufactures traditional film products along with its ClarityMax HD digitally printed products with both mechanical emboss, along with digital print EIR embossing. It has added additional extrusion capacity to support its digital print production along with the continued efforts to source its raw materials domestically, according to Nick Brown, vice president of sales.
“With the continued import challenges and current tariff uncertainties, this is a great time to partner with an American family-owned-and-operated manufacturer that strives to offer our customers a reliable, proven domestic source, which allows them to go to market with confidenceand to build their brands more successfully in the fastest growing segment of the American flooring market,” Brown noted. “Partnering with USS allows our customers to capitalize on our leading service-focused model to carry less inventory and to allow greater turn velocity of their inventories with our less than four-week lead times, rather than 12 to 15-week lead times on imports. We build confidence with our customers with our domestic manufacturing so they have less risk from the many concerning global matters.”
The following year another leader in resilient flooring production opened its domestic manufacturing facility—Novalis Innovative Flooring. When the facility first opened in Dalton in 2021 it was equipped with state-of-the-art machinery and automation technologies. The Novalis Innovation Center specializes in SPC production and is also the North American headquarters and hub for training, marketing and innovation.
“In a world of economic uncertainty, especially with regards to the ever-changing tariff situation, domestic production brings peace of mind and a sense of stability to our customers,” said Kimberly Hill, vice president, product and marketing. “In addition, this location has allowed us to better service our customers through speed to market while also supporting a community that is rich in history of flooring manufacturing.”
Huali Floors, a China-based manufacturer of resilient flooring, established its first U.S. headquarters and manufacturing facility in 2021 as well. The Chatsworth, Ga., produces high-quality SPC flooring in a variety of sizes, specs and enhanced features such as XL sizes, EIR and enhanced anti-micro scratch coating, to name a few.
“In the last year, we added a superior cork-attaching line, additional extrusion, coating and profiling lines, growing superstar teams in all departments and added warehousing and shipping space,” Summer Turner, vp of sales, told FCNews. “We have plans to continue adding more EIR options, more operating extrusion lines and adding Ultra-Matte technology to our premium product offering.”
Made in North America, Mohawk’s Mexicali, Mexico facility opened with true SPC-style machinery in 2022. In 2023, those lines were added to its Dalton facility, which now has the same machinery to produce rigid core flooring.
“At our Dalton facility, we produce flex, sheet and rigid products,” explained Erica Breazeale, vice president of marketing, resilient. “Mexicali’s rigid production capabilities are expanding annually. Both of our North American facilities offer manufacturing flexibility, and we continue to invest in them to enhance efficiency and supply chain control. Domestic production enables us to meet customer needs promptly. We can quickly adjust to align with market demand and design trends, ensuring shorter lead times and rapid adaptation.”
One of the newest kids on the block in rigid core is Engineered Floors, which started 100% production of its PureGrain DLVT at its Seretean Plant in Dalton in 2023. The company made a large upfront investment to repurpose a section of its Seretean Plant to produce DLVT and continues to invest in its capabilities. “We are planning to expand our capabilities at the plant sometime in Q4 or early Q1,” said Eric Ruppert, XYZ. “From a product improvement standpoint, we’re able now to do longer, wider boards if we want to. Our initial offerings were 7 x 48, and now we’re doing 7 x 60, and we’re going to be expanding into even longer, wider than that. We’re going to have a whole product series that’s going to come out in Q4 that has all those benefits.”
What’s more, not only is the product made in the USA but also 100% sourced in the states as well, giving EF obvious benefits. “We are able to control our own destiny,” Ruppert explained. “If we want to source a product, we can do that, too. But in this case, we have the tariff-free version, we have the made in USA version, which allows us to produce whatever we want. The beauty of being able to make product on demand is that we don’t have to wait 16 weeks to get a container from overseas. I could produce what I need because our digital printer is just like the one at your office. We don’t have to tie up money in inventory either.”
A somewhat new entrant to the rigid core field is US Mills, which manufacturers its EcoDense—a PVC-free and carbon negative rigid core product with more than 90% renewable organic content—in the U.S. In fact, most of the raw materials are sourced from forests located within 100 miles of the factory, according to Karel Vercruyssen, president of the Dalton-based company. What’s more, the product is free of phthalates and softeners and is ultra-low in VOC emissions. EcoDense also scores high marks in the performance department, boasting a high-density core that delivers optimal strength and flexibility.
CFL also provides rigid core flooring via its Calhoun, Ga., facility, which opened in 2022.
Mohawk’s Preferred Stocking Program is right on time
While Mohawk may be a household name among the flooring retail community, it’s Preferred Stocking Program may be less well-known. And during a time when supply chains and pricing are in question due to economic uncertainty, having a consistent and dependable source of domestic product couldn’t be more important or more timely.
The innovative program provides access to a range of resilient products with enhanced stock levels—ensuring retailers can provide customers with the flooring they need on time and on budget. Plus, this program includes the most popular styles and colors, offering a curated selection of products to meet any need—including a selection of the most popular styles and colors from Mohawk’s UltimateFlex Essentials, SolidTech Essentials, SolidTech Select, SolidTech Plus and Pergo Extreme Originals lines.
What’s more, now retailers can also promote this enhanced stocking program in store. A dedicated fixture allows retailers to display rigid products on sample boards and flex products on a convenient strap set. If a fixture won’t work in the existing floor plan, Mohawk also offers kits that enable retailers to add stickers to existing samples. No matter the choice, Mohawk has made the program convenient for its retail partners and their customers alike.
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