Nood is thrilled to announce the introduction of Nexterra as a new backing system for modular products. After much deliberation, we have decided to partner with Beaulieu of America and endorse their Nexterra backing technology for all of our commercial products. We will be keeping Envirocel Modular Laminate as a viable option for future introductions of modular products for residential applications. The short term reality is that effective immediately, all modular tile orders will have Nexterra applied and will only be available in 24”x24” tiles. Briks(24”x48”) will no longer be offered on existing commercial styles.
This decision was tough because Nood participated significantly in the research and development of the EnviroCel Modular system and believe that it is a dynamic new technology that is slightly ahead of it’s time for Nood. The logic for this move really centered on the sales and marketing challenge of being forced to introduce a radical new company like Nood and all the changes we are asking the design community to embrace and then throwing a last minute curve ball of a modular product that is not really a tile because it is pliable like broadloom and light as a feather. My belief is that it was asking too much of our sales partners and the design community. I essentially thought it was a liability given the pioneering reality of introducing Nood in the competitive climate that you are operating in everyday.
Now, when you have a designer all excited about a green company that makes carpet and allows them to stop shopping and start designing and she asks if we offer tile, you fire back a simple “YES!”. We offer a NON-PVC, traditional hard back system in 24”x24” tiles called Nexterra. It is commonly used in the industry and is also endorsed by companies like Bolyu and Cambridge with years of successful installations. It is 85% recycled content using plastic bottles(PET) and goes down with a common releasable adhesive from ParaChem (M5080).
It seems appropriate for Nood to choose the greenest backing available with a proven track record. Now, there are some housekeeping challenges. We will be reprinting the backings insert for the folders and will obviously replace them in all future folders and provide you with replacements for you to manage existing books at your discretion. We will be making changes to the website in the coming weeks and will be sending all of you some technical updates via this sales blog. Another positive is that this will increase the number of products offered in tile and that list will be posted in the coming days as well. One positive timing coincidence is that the website is going to be updated with tile functionality and all relevant products will be adjusted online.
This is probably the most significant news for the second half of 2009 and sets us up well to take off in the coming months with a comprehensive, well rounded offering. I do want to clarify that while our broadloom pricing is extremely competitive with any other line, our modular tile offering is not positioned to compete where the traditional PVC commodity tile market has evolved to. We are offering a premium, non-PVC backed product with 85% recycled content on patterns that a designer can have dyed in any color. My hope is that we have created a tile offering that is unique and allows our sales partners to consistently make good money providing a compelling new option in the middle to high end tile arena. With that being said, our commitment to client collaboration and getting traction in your respective markets means that we have your collective backs and will pick a fight when necessary to make a statement.
Do you offer tile? “Absolutely!”
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