Page 67 - History-of-flooringLR

Having commercial flooring that’s durable and designed to last is crucial to all After the success of Iron Duke, came the arrival of the company’s best-selling
businesses. But with many design features and product standards now available, product – Supacord. Developed in 1973, Supacord was launched the same year
there’s no doubt that the commercial flooring landscape has changed that Britain joined the European Union. Unlike this relationship, the Supacord
significantly over the years. range has withstood the test of time and has been used throughout educational
facilities for the last 40 years. Similarly, to Iron Duke, Supacord will not ravel or
Heckmondwike is one of the UK’s leading specialists in fibre-bonded fray and comes in a wide range of colourways to match any branding, as well as
commercial carpets and carpet tiles. They offer a wide range of hard-wearing having class leading acoustic properties.
carpets which are ideal for a multitude of sectors like education, retail, leisure,
offices and apartments.

This article will explore the past, present, and future of Heckmondwike, as well
as offer insight into their products and innovations.

Heckmondwike through the years
Heckmondwike is part of the National Floorcoverings Group, and has sister
companies including Paragon Carpet Tiles, Mat.Works Entrance Solutions and
Playrite – all of whom supply quality commercial flooring for a range of uses.

Heckmondwike has been manufacturing their renowned fibre bonded carpets
ever since the launch of their Iron Duke collection in 1967, which is still just as
popular today.

However, where Heckmondwike has made significant strides is in the education
sector. They were the first company to introduce fibre bonded carpets into
schools around the UK, which ultimately provided a better learning
environment for students and teachers. From there, they’ve gone from strength
to strength and are now considered one of the education sector’s number one
carpet providers, with Heckmondwike products installed in educational
buildings from nurseries and primary schools, to colleges and universities.

Where is Heckmondwike today?
In more recent years, Heckmondwike has expanded its product range to offer
new designs which are stylish yet functional. With the arrival of the Odyssey and
Array ranges, they are now able to offer customers a commercial fibre bonded
carpet with a design-led edge. Both of these collections can be used alongside
other products in the range, such as Broadrib and Supacord, for a creative and
eye-catching finish, working best in multi-use classrooms or break out areas.
Heckmondwike has also brought out several entrance and transition products
such as the Battleship/Hippo and Dreadnought ranges. All of these are
functional, highly durable and a popular choice for use in heavy traffic areas.

Not only are the products made to an unparalleled standard, but their customer
support is no exception to this too. Their focus is on ensuring that they meet the
requirements of their customers, providing top-class technical support, quality
assurance and customer service, right through from order to installation and
Made in the UK, made to last beyond.
Whilst time has moved on since 1967, and carpet designs and customers’ needs
have changed, Heckmondwike’s ethos remains the same. They’re still What’s next for Heckmondwike?
manufacturing only the highest quality, durable carpets direct from their factory Being a local manufacturer is something that the company values, particularly
in West Yorkshire. Being a Yorkshire business is something the company is in current times. They aim to use only local suppliers for raw materials to give
incredibly proud of. In fact, they’re so proud of their heritage that their brand is the local economy a much-needed boost, as well as reduce carbon emissions.
even named after the local area where they are based – Heckmondwike.
They’re also constantly looking for new ways to innovate products and become
So, in typical Yorkshire fashion, quality, durability and reliability are at the more sustainable. They already use rubber crumb backing made from recycled
forefront of the business. Their commercial carpets are designed to withstand car tyres for some carpet tile collections, with the rest of the carpet tile range
the test of time and are perfect for areas with heavy footfall like entranceways, being backed with a polymer modified bitumen, which contains a minimum of
offices, classrooms, and corridors. at least 72% recycled content. Heckmondwike also uses other recycled materials
where possible throughout their manufacturing process.
Dates to remember
The Iron Duke fibre bonded range was launched along with the company in Heckmondwike is a leading supplier of durable commercial flooring solutions
1967. It’s Heckmondwike’s original fibre bonded product and has a flat finish and has specialised in the education sector for over 40 years.
making it easy to cut into multi-directional shapes and patterns – a feature that
is particularly useful in schools. It goes without saying that this classic 01924 410544
fibre-bonded carpet is as durable as they come thanks to the anti-ravel and sales@heckmondwike-fb.co.uk
anti-fraying technology. www.heckmondwike-fb.co.uk

The History of Flooring 67