Page 40 - History-of-flooringLR

CAT history, a timeline

Carpet Accessory Trims has been designing and manufacturing specialist flooring products for over 35 years
1986 April 2004
CAT is established from a home extension and borrowed space from friends in A decision is made to purchase a plastics extruder and employ an experienced
the industry. manager. C.A.T. are now in control of plastic profile production and set to
develop sections in UPVC and PVC predominantly for the commercial and
The entire product range consists of three UPVC sections and one brass section high street market.
for ceramic flooring. The focus is on brass profiles and designs are made for
solid extrusions previously unavailable in the industry. C.A.T. is now providing the industry with a wide range of UPVC sections for
the timber and ceramic sector of the industry and developing a section that can
A small 1,000sq foot warehouse is rented in Watford, finishing equipment is be formed on-site ‘Spectrum ZIP’ in a variety of colours, popular again with
cobbled together and press work is subcontracted to a friend on a farm. specifiers allowing curves on-site without the cost of fabrication and is fitter
friendly being easily installed.
1989
As expansion is required, the company rents 3,500sq feet of warehouse space in 2007/2008
Tring, Hertfordshire. CAT is still a very small business with just five employees The plastics side of the business becomes increasingly important and a factory
but becoming well known as specialists in quality brass products for flooring. in Cornwall is purchased. This also becomes the facility for R&D and
Five very busy years at Tring and more space is again needed. A 6,000sq foot production of marketing material. Just as the company fit out of the factory and
unit is available in Luton, Bedfordshire. settle into production – the UK goes into recession.

1994 CAT thrives through the recession and in 2012 acquired a further 6,000sq feet
The unit is in a tired state so the company fit it out to be workable over a six of factory space in Luton. The company now produce the largest range of brass
stair nosings in the UK as well as flooring profiles and introduce aluminium
week period whilst slowly moving over from Tring.
profiles and reach out to the middle market with high-quality designs.
Plastics are a major part of the business however the brass range is growing Heavy-duty carborundum treads are developed in Cornwall for exterior and
rapidly. C.A.T. now have the largest range of solid brass profiles in the flooring heavily trafficked environments and an industry specialist is employed to
industry.
develop new carborundum products.
C.A.T. see an opportunity for stainless steel sections (a metal popular with
architects and specifiers). A range of products is developed and this 2015
complements the brass range superbly and C.A.T. stainless is well received by Specialist machinery is purchased to increase the production of stainless steel
clients requiring a better finish than aluminium. products.

C.A.T. are the first accessory business in the UK to produce stainless steel
profiles and our reputation as specialists strengthens. 2016
C.A.T. celebrate thirty years in business and produce over five hundred products
and whilst still regarded as specialists are acknowledged as major suppliers.
1995
A fabrication and bespoke department is established and forming machinery are 2020
purchased for the curving and forming of metals. To date nobody has provided In addition to Luton and Cornwall facilities, with another factory in Tring,
a service for the forming of floor profiles, yet, architects are specifying flowing Hertfordshire. C.A.T. now supply hundreds of products to thousands of
shapes in floors, curves are in, and corners are out.
customers in the UK and export for projects throughout the world including the
USA, Australia, and the Middle East. CAT recognise and value the relationship
1999 with our customers and suppliers and the contribution they have made to the
During this period all the press work is brought in-house, and power presses are business.
purchased so C.A.T is no longer reliant upon subcontractors to press profiles.
Another polishing machine is commissioned and the company lease another 2021
6,000sq feet adjacent to the current unit which starts to fill very rapidly as On 1 July 2021, the COBA Group (COBA International Ltd) acquired C.A.T.
expansion continues.
(Carpet Accessory Trims Ltd), the highly regarded manufacturer of specialist
flooring accessories. C.A.T. now joins COBA Flooring within the Group, as two
At this time brass (the yellow metal) goes out of fashion, C.A.T. develops new well-regarded brands providing flooring and accessory products to the
colours in plastics and most importantly take a bold step to create special construction sector in the UK and beyond.
finishes on brass, designed for the commercial and residential markets.
01582 561 500
sales@cat-accs.com
www.thecatweb.com

40 The History of Flooring