Global Flooring Alliance Attracts Global Interest

 

Last year, Global Flooring Alliance (GFA) predicted that awareness and quality will be the key factors to future success in the flooring trade. The trends towards a natural look, awareness and quality have proved the organization to be right. This view has attracted a lot of interest from distributors worldwide. Recently GFA welcomed Maderas Finas (Mexico) as a new member and GFA expects more to follow.

Mr Carlo Cavinato (company Cavinato S.p.A., Italy) who was recently re-elected unanimously as GFA President is not surprised. “We are a very active organization. We are here to promote hard surface flooring products in general and to exchange product, market and technical information in the broadest sense. The members also give each other mutual assistance in strategic purchasing opportunities. GFA has been the voice of the flooring trade for more than 25 years. Awareness was unanimously accepted by our members as one of the key topics for the coming years. Awareness regarding sustainability, health and environment.” Cavinato emphasizes GFA will take responsibility and the necessary steps. “Not just to the benefit of the trade, but especially the people to whom we sell the products.”

Remarkable is the interest for GFA membership expressed by Asian and Arab suppliers. Cavinato: “This exactly shows how global the trade has become. At the next summer meeting in Vicenza (Italy) we hope to welcome an Iranian candidate member. The markets and economies are in a better shape than a couple of years ago. Suppliers know this is the time to join a solid organization like GFA to lay the foundation for a strong position on the market. In GFA everyone benefits from each other’s membership.”

Global Flooring Alliance was founded in 1989. GFA membership is open to one parquet importer/distributor per country to avoid conflicting national interests. Global Flooring Alliance organizes two meetings per year. One at the Domotex trade fair in Hannover and one in the country of one of the members.

At the moment the association has 13 members worldwide from an equal number of countries: Torlys (Canada), AB Küpfer (Chile), Lincona (Estonia), Trio Floor (Finland), Chetham Timber (Ireland), Egill Árnason (Iceland), Cavinato (Italy), Maderas Finas (Mexico), Listor (Portugal), Polimpex (Russia), Alpod (Slovenia), BoDeWo (Switzerland) and Hanna Home (Turkey). GFA expects to present a new member from the Netherlands soon.

The board consists of: Carlo Cavinato (President), Matjaz Stefan (Treasurer) and Jos Krijnen (Secretary).

*Photo: Carlo Cavinato

The next GFA meeting will be in Italy, June 2016.

More information can be acquired via the website www.globalflooringalliance.com