Floor Coverings 2000 in Beijing and Flooring Companies in China

Floor Coverings 2000
and Flooring Companies in China

Article: Floor Coverings 2000 and Flooring Companies in China
By Dave Spreen
July 2001

Floor Coverings 2000, the First China International Floor Coverings and Carpet Fair, drew 82 exhibitors from China, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iran, Korea, Norway, Spain, Taiwan, and the United States. The event was sponsored by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), the China International Exhibition Corporation (CIEC) and the Chinese Flooring Committee. Additional support is provided by the Association of Architecture Decoration of China, China Stone Material Industry Association, China Building Sanitary Ceramics Association, and the Beijing Carpet Association.

The 4-day event, held Sept. 12-15, 2000, attracted almost 6,000 buyers to see a wide range of flooring products displayed in the 4,400 sq. meters of Building 8B in the China International Exhibition Centre in Beijing. Laid out in typical trade show fashion including red carpet in the aisles, the big players commanded large floor space and strategic locations. But niche companies had some unique offerings as well in the exhibition. Arranged by the CIEC, my interpreter Zhang Yan was indispensable for communicating with many of the 72 Chinese exhibitors.

The show was dominated by 16 pre-finished hardwood (20%) and 30 laminate (37%) exhibitors, of which about one-third are based in European and other foreign countries. Chinese or Belgium carpets were represented in 5 booths (6%). There were 4 bamboo flooring and 11 publication and Internet services exhibitors. Stone, vinyl tile, adhesive, tool, sundry, equipment, trading, and consulting firms rounded out the offerings.

Attendees were categorized and counted by the CIEC as: manufacturer/producer, 1,244 (21.4%); distributor/dealer/wholesaler, 924 (15.9%); importer/exporter, 203 (3.5%); interior design, 1,575 (27.1%); architecture, 320 (5.5%); retailer/home improvement center, 895 (15.4%); contractor/installer, 453 (7.8%); others, 198 (3.4%).

Business and technical seminars were held in the nearby Radisson SAS Hotel Beijing. Session topics included a discussion of the views of foreign buyers of Chinese flooring products, a presentation on the technology and machinery of laminate flooring, a workshop on DYNO adhesive and its use in flooring, and an ecommerce roundtable with an international panel.

Publishers included Building Review Publishing Co. of Hong Kong. The company's Building Review magazine has been distributed for free to trade professionals since 1976. The TLP Corp. in Hong Kong, a member of the Times Publishing Group, publishes four trade magazines: Architects & Designers Catalogue, Builder Directory (Hong Kong and Chinese editions), and Contractors Plant & Equipment Catalogue. Also represented were China Inform Communication (Buildmat) Ltd., China Forest Products Industry Magazine, China Decoration News, Interior Design + Construction, and Building Materials Products & Application.

Exhibit styles ranged from loud and brassy Power Dekor stage presentations to the elegantly understated and open spaced Shanghai Huili Flooring Product Company display. German laminate producers Kronospan GmbH, Witex AG, and Euro-Home Germany had extensive showings in multi-booth layouts. Not to be outdone, Espace Production International (EPI) from France introduced their new laminate product lines "Pronto" and "Dolfy".

The Ningbo Yunlong Technical Carpet Company employs over 200 in its mill located in prosperous Hangzhouwan Town. Featuring 25 styles in their "Cloud Dragon" line of area rugs, designs encompassed traditional dragon, classic oriental, modern art, country, geometric patterns, flowered, and designs for kids. The company has also invented and produces a new electric patterning shears that create distinct lines with a conical notch.

Flambo Enterprises showed its extensive and diversified line of nylon printed and carved acrylic hooked rugs. Flambo's "Royal Carving" wool hooked rugs are offered in 10 multi-colored flowered oriental patterns featuring a rich texture and deeply carved outlines.

The Huari Natural Fibre Products Company is a joint-venture enterprise located in Shunde City, Guangdong Province, not far from Hong Kong. The mill went into operation in 1993 using fiber-processing machinery from Mackie International in the UK and latex backcoating equipment from Sellers. Dyeing, spinning, weaving and coating are done under one roof. Products include sisal yarn, sisal buffing cloth, and an exquisite line of seagrass and sisal carpets that are exported around the world.

The SIHE Decor Company has operations in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. Imported from Belgium manufacturers, the SIHE Carpet Collection 2000 offers a full range of designs, sizes, and qualities in style names: Trendy, Fiesta, Laila de Luxe, Navajo, and Fantasy World.

Faraz Stone Co. based in Tehran, Iran displayed lovely marble, travertine, and granite tiles and slabs. Bahar Granite Co., also from Tehran, showed their elegant line.

The Shanghai Huili Flooring Product Company deals in hardwood, laminate, PVC, and tools. The beautiful exhibit was constructed from their products and made a very effective presentation. Using equipment imported from Olbrich Co., Germany in 1989, the PVC is manufactured in 25m and 40m rolls, 1.83m or 4.0m wide with a thickness of 1.30mm to 3.50mm, and meets GB/T19002:94-ISO9002:94 international standards. Huili's Raised Steel Access Panel Company subsidiary displayed its system for computer rooms and other commercial applications. Panels are available in several sizes and load capacities. Installed at a height of 100 mm or more, the panels can be covered with PVC, HPL, or PVC conductive tile.

Not only was Power Dekor's display flashy, including an elevated stage and large screen for presentations, but at one point visitors were enticed with a glamorous fashion show accompanied by loud music which did draw a crowd. Laminate products "Borry Floorer" and "MobiFLOOR" were shown along with matching panels, mouldings, skirtings, transitions, polyethylene underlay, PVC foil, and repair kits.

The Guangdong PACO Decorative Material Company products are distributed in over 30 locations in central and western China. The PACO Decoration Series, also utilizing German manufacturing technology, offers an extensive line of laminate colors including some unique shades of blue and green wood grain patterns.

Imported from Germany's Hamberger Industriewerke and distributed via the Taibu Sales Group is the "HARO Tritty with Clic Connect" laminate series shown in 12 wood grains. The product uses "aquaResist" coreboard and "aquaTec" edge impregnation. The floor can be taken apart and reassembled several times, however gluing is recommended for commercial applications. In that case, D3 white glue goes in the lower lock slot only, so it does not ooze along the surface joints.

Chishui, located on edge of Shichuan Basin in southwest China, is regarded as "bamboo county in China". This is where the Guizhou Xinjin Bamboo & Wooden Products Company manufacturers bamboo flooring in a ten step process using a production line from Taiwan. Twenty-five operating units use the high-quality Nanzhu species to produce 3 style ranges and wall-base ribbon. The company's "Zhu Wang Bamboard", winner of an "Excellent Item Certification" in the eighth 5-Year Plan, made a beautiful display. There is an old saying in China, "prefer living in bamboo eating no meat to eating meat but no bamboo around".

The Hangzhou Dazhuang Floor Co., Ltd. introduced its Dazhuang Bamboo Flooring manufactured from what is called Mao bamboo. Mature canes can be harvested in 4 years and then the groves will rejuvenate within a few years. Offered in several types: Natural and Carbonized, UV Lacquered and lower profile Tapic.

Jilin Newco Wood Industries Co. is a manufacturer of engineered wood flooring with a monthly capacity of 60,000 sq. meters located in northeast China. The company's 3-layer pre-finished parquet available in oak, maple, and birch has been exported to France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the UK.

For hardwood medallions, the products from the Rofun & May Wood Flooring company combine a number of species in sizes from 240 x 240 x 14mm to 960 x 960 x 14mm. Matching borders, including corner pieces, completed a very attractive line.

Other laminate and/or wood flooring companies (foreign and domestic) represented included Haomai Flooring, Xinshiji, Lisheng, Happy Floor, Golden Butterfly, BNBM's Dragon Brand, Wellux, Dongwha Maruart, Plantation Timber Products Group, Hornitex, SNAP!, Isilock, Nanjing Green Wooden Products Co., Shengda Company of Shanghai, Suzhou Xinzu Wood Co. and the Henry Timber Industry (Kunshan) Co., Ltd.

The Chinese wood floor market is experiencing a 15-20% annual growth rate and the Dalian Qiansen Forest Products Co. hopes to take advantage of that trend. Founded in 1997 as a joint venture between the China Sports Industry Co., the Dalian Feng Xiang Forest Products Group, and Japan, sales have gone from 7 million RMB to 12 million RMB in 1999 and projected to hit 20 million RMB ($2.35 million US) this year. The company has successfully focused on the sports floor market. The company's new "antibiosis floorboard" uses a patented inorganic salt antibiosis chemical. They are also importing technology from Taiwan to produce PVC sliding rail and "self-installment" solid floorboard.

DYNO ASA is a global company based in Norway and a leading manufacturer of explosives, industrial resins, wood and specialty adhesives. The company recently partnered with the Beijing Building Materials Group to establish Beijing DYNO Chemical Ind. Co. and plans to build a second plant in south China. Dr. Robert Wei Han, Chief Representative of DYNO's Shanghai office said, "DYNO will try its best to assist China in its economic taking off. We also believe that the products of DYNO will win its share of the Chinese market with its good quality."

The Chinese invented paper and are now a major producer of decorative paper for laminate. The Tan Cheng Yong Paper Products Co.,Ltd. is one of several large manufacturers, but the largest producer is the Shandong Lunan Paper Industrial Group. The group encompasses five enterprises, employs 1500 and produces 120,000 tons of paper annually. Board Chairman and General Manager Tong Keben remarked, "As a large transnational paper group company, Lunan Paper Industrial Group has been established, developed and expanded in the tide of reform and opening to the outside. Our every step of advancement is closely bound up with the support of the leaders at different levels and friends at home and abroad." The group has established partnerships with customers in the US, Germany, Korea, Australia, and Thailand. The company's motto is "Let us march forward hand in hand to create a prosperous future."

Expenditures for home furnishings in China are growing 33% annually from only 10 billion RMB ($1.17 billion US) in the early 1990s to an estimate of over 200 billion RMB ($23.5 billion US) in 2000. Some 2900 million sq. meters of new construction is planned. The growth rate of modernization in the commercial sector is just as impressive. Office buildings, sport and cultural buildings, and trade centers are being built on a large scale. It is estimated that one out of every four construction cranes operating in the world today is in Shanghai alone!

With the passage of Permanent Normal Trade Relations by the US and its highly probable entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), China is poised to expand its global market ties substantially. There is no other single country in the world at moment that is changing so rapidly and creating opportunities so abundantly, yet many misconceptions based on outdated information about doing business in China exists in the US flooring industry. It may be the right time to seriously re-evaluate how to establish mutually beneficial relationships with Chinese colleagues in the flooring industry.

Floor Coverings 2001 will be held in Beijing, Sept. 10-13, 2001.

Photos from Floor Coverings 2000 in Beijing, PR China, Sept. 12-15, 2000 at the China International Exhibition Center: www.humboldt1.com/~dspreen/china/chinashow.html

Floor Coverings 2001 in Beijing Exhibition Update - EPLF Logo Added to Publications: www.humboldt1.com/~dspreen/news/news.html#n5

The floor space has been doubled for the 2001 exhibition. Click here for floor plan as of 6/1/01 including booths already assigned: www.humboldt1.com/~dspreen/news/china01.html

Trade Logos of Some 2000 Participants:

Copyright 2001. All rights reserved. Dave Spreen's Flooring Resources

Dave's business card in Chinese

Tours and Side Streets of Beijing

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