If you want to turn a profit in the laminate flooring industry, you need provide your customers with one of the following:
- A better home-flooring product.
- A lower price.
- A quicker turnaround time in installation.
Fortunately, such an opportunity exists, but the quality, warranty and cost of laminate flooring products run the gamut from top-notch and high cost to flimsy and flawed.
Before you throw your hat in the ring, compare manufacturers of laminate floors, their products and the benefits their wholesale account members receive. Prior to signing on with any laminate floor manufacturers, find out:
- Who the major players in the laminate flooring industry are.
- The different kinds of laminate flooring, their ratings and their installation specs.
- The time and skills needed to install the product.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Start at the top of the laminate flooring pile
One of the reasons the big names in laminate flooring survive is because their products withstand the test of time and they stand behind their warranties. Unreliable manufacturers with too-good-to-be-true deals close their doors and disappear into thin air, leaving distributors and flooring installers to deal with unhappy customers. There are, of course, new names in the laminate flooring industry with superior quality products, so do your homework.
I recommend: Pergo flooring, a major presence in laminate flooring, offers
certification training for your installation team.
Register with Wilsonart or
contact Formica for potential distributorship information.
Compare popular laminate flooring products
Not all laminate floors are equal and different products exist for home flooring, office flooring and commercial flooring. Knowing the needs of your local market and the quality of the different laminate flooring solutions will help you choose which flooring lines to carry.
I recommend: Understand the
universal rating system for laminate flooring products. Determine what customers are saying about their experiences with laminated flooring and compare prices and customer ratings at
NexTag.
Determine your labor costs to install laminate floors
Obviously, the more detailed the installation process, the more time you'll invest in the each flooring project. Choosing to carry high quality laminate flooring with easy installation will provide you with a larger profit margin. Ask to read a copy of the warranty before you carry a product. Many warranties are void if the manufacturer's installation specs deviate during installation.
I recommend: Consumer Reports offers a detailed rundown of the laminate flooring installation process and details the
different types of laminate flooring and their relative cost.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Look for pre-attached padding on laminate flooring sections for quicker installation.
- Contact a distributor about customer satisfaction and problems with a specific laminate flooring line before you place an order.
- Consider sub-contracting the installation process to avoid callbacks.
The official source of Laminate Floor Manufacturers is
the Laminate Floor Manufacturers page at Business.com
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