BMW and Toyota remodel with Wicanders

With the aim of creating a sophisticated atmosphere reflecting the quality and technology of the cars they market, BMW and Toyota, in Germany, have redesigned their showrooms with the new Wicanders® Woodcomfort product line in the attractive “American Walnut” wood visual

  

BMW showroom in Germany

BMW B&K, with offices in 17 different German cities, remodeled its branch in Taunusstein, a wealthy suburb of Frankfurt, with approximately 5000 square feet of the product in its offices, reception area and lounge.

Toyota showroom in Berlin, Germany

At Toyota Weller, with 10 branches throughout Germany, a first stage saw over 5000 square feet installed in the sales offices and bar of its Berlin branch.

In both cases, the excellent technical performance of the HPS surface finish was chosen for maximum resistance to wear. 

The new Wicanders® Woodcomfort product lines offer an immense range of decorative, versatile and sophisticated options, providing distinctive and customized atmospheres in accordance with the highest standards of quality and comfort.

 

 

Amorim unveils whole cork that is cheaper than synthetic

Amorim has launched a new cork stopper targeting the high-volume sectors of the global wine industry.

Named Acquamark, the closure has been developed using the latest in cork production technology to provide winemakers with a clean natural cork stopper at a highly competitive price.

The product name is derived from the innovative water-based coating that is a feature of this cork.

Carlos de Jesus

“Acquamark is an environmentally friendly closure that provides enhanced performance in sealing capacity and wine preservation,” says Amorim’s director of marketing and communications, Carlos de Jesus.

“It is a welcome addition to Amorim’s product mix as it allows us to compete aggressively with producers of alternative closures, particularly in the ‘basic’ and ‘popular premium’ sectors of the wine market.

“New technology means we can produce a cost effective natural cork closure for sectors where price competition is at its fiercest.”

As with all natural cork closures, Acquamark is made from renewable resources, is recyclable and biodegradable.

“In many instances wineries are faced with a difficult choice on closures between cost effective options and those that play a strong role in protecting the environment,” Mr de Jesus said.

“With Acquamark there no longer needs to be a compromise.”  It’s price is 30-50% cheaper than synthetic closures.

Amorim has applied innovative processes to the production of the Acquamark closure, ensuring total particle retention as well as consistent visual appearance. The safe and environmentally friendly water-based coating enhances the restructuring process.

Acquamark corks are subject to Amorim’s unique CONVEX boiling system that prevents contamination as well as stringent quality control procedures.

Amorim Flooring partners with Architectural Systems, Inc.

Amorim Flooring North America, Inc. has appointed Architectural Systems, Inc. (ASI, www.archsystems.com) as its distributor in the commercial segment of Wicanders cork flooring.   ASI will cover the  Metro New York and New Jersey areas.

Founded in 1990, ASI has been known from the start for its fresh, innovative solutions for commercial interiors.  Today, the company’s products are confidently specified by the foremost architecture & design firms and installed globally in major retail, entertainment, hospitality, corporate, healthcare, education and institutional projects.

ASI’s clients return again and again for ASI’s extensive product expertise, professionalism, commitment to service, and collective eye for what’s next®, and the ability to find it all in one place.  Founders Nancy Jackson (President) and Ron Jackson (CEO) are design advocates who help their clients materialize their vision and have worked with the most prestige clientele.  ASI’s team of experts has been recognized for their involvement in every part of the contract project process from concept to installation.  Their innovative style and established relationships in the A& D community distinguish them from the rest.  Their exceptional knowledge of the industry is known globally and sets trends before anyone recognizes them as trends.

 Architectural Systems, Inc. (ASI), a family business, is acclaimed by the industry as a leading provider of architectural materials including sustainable products.

Amorim’s international flooring portfolio is known for its unique ecological properties, aesthetic design and technical attributes. 

This new strategic partnership reinforces the demand for high quality eco-efficient flooring solutions, and will strengthen Wicanders’ presence in the New York and New Jersey markets.

We welcome ASI to our family.

Team WIcanders

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Wicanders’ Cork Oak 2009 Green Flooring Collection

It’s finally here! We’ve unveiled our gorgeous 2009 Collection at Surfaces and now nature’s pallet is in your hands, so you can enjoy exciting new patterns, finishes, textures, and design possibilities.

In this video, our very own Marketing Manager, Ronit McGuthrie, introduces you to distinctive textures and exotic contrasts that celebrate your identity, and your personal expression. Just like we promised, now you can see for yourself that whatever you’ve thought about Green flooring design has now changed.

By now you all know that cork oak is one of the greenest and most sustainable flooring options available and how a true commitment to sustainability can spark progress toward developing clean energy sources, fighting climate change, conserving our land and waters, and rebuilding a battered economy.

So, on this President’s Day, we’d like to inspire you with a quote from Barack Obama‘s inaugural address: “We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.”

Best wishes for a very green holiday, everyone…
Team Wicanders

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Recuperating from Super Bowl XLIII? What about Punxsutawney Phil?

We hope everyone enjoyed their Super Bowl weekend. We certainly did…thanks to gathering with family and friends, great food, and fantastic, edge-of-your-seat football.

Seems that in spite of all the late-night activity yesterday because of the Super Bowl, our famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, did manage to awake from his winter hibernation bright and early this morning in Pennsylvania, and take a look outside. And, as luck would have it, he saw his shadow and headed back into his cozy home for six more weeks of winter!

We thought about Phil’s Groundhog Day prediction and decided that now,  before Spring, might be a good time to think about some household projects. You could sustain yourself indoors, renew your worn out flooring, and go green all at the same time. How you wonder? By choosing our beautiful and durable cork oak flooring, you’d be helping the Montado forests‘ eco-system survive…home to abundant wildlife (friends of our Punxsutawney Phil)…while helping to make your home healthy, warm, and comfortable for the six more weeks of winter you may have to endure.

Just a thought…now that the Super Bowl is over and Phil has spoken.

Cheers!

Team Wicanders

P.S. And talking about edge-of-your seat, we can’t wait to see everyone’s faces when they lay eyes on our new collections being unveiled at Surfaces 2009 in Las Vegas. It starts today, so if you’re in the area, please stop by, we’d love to see you!

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Amorim Unveils New Flooring Portfolio at Surfaces 2009

Amorim Revestimentos, the subsidiary of Corticeira Amorim SGPS, will launch the largest and most prestigious Home and Commercial Flooring Collections in its history at Surfaces 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, February 2nd-5th. With its recent 32 million Euros (44 Million USD) investments in new, state-of-the-art technology, Amorim once again confirms the company’s commitment to the development of the American market for cork flooring. Wicanders, it’s worldwide brand, continues to be the leader in the cork oak flooring category.

Extending the range from cork oak flooring to other product categories including linoleum and vinyl, the new Wicanders Collections unveil trendy, sophisticated fashion features not currently found in the American cork oak market. Combining their eco-friendly R&D innovations of 2008 with exclusive lifestyle and eco-fashion trends, Wicanders Home Flooring Collections and Commercial Flooring Collections truly represent “Nature at your feet.”

A member of the US Green Building Council, with many of its current products certified by GREENGUARD for indoor air quality, Amorim is a leading company in the environmental and social responsibility field as well, promoting business practices for CO2 emissions reduction, management of waste and by-products, and energy efficiency.

Surfaces 2009 is where manufacturers from around the world gather with over 35,000 retailers, distributors, architects, designers, builders, and installers to see and learn about the latest innovations in the floor covering industry.

Amorim Revestimentos has business operations in 14 countries around the world, and sells its products in more than 52 countries.

We’d love to have you visit Team Wicanders in Las Vegas at Surfaces 2009, Booth #2854, Hall A. We’ll be waiting for you!

For those of you who cannot attend Surfaces, please don’t hesitate to contact us  at projects@wicanderscorkoakblog.com or leave a comment below. Anxious to hear what you think of our wonderful, new collections. Until then,

Cheers!

Team Wicanders

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New Hope for the Montado Cork Oak Forests

Happy New Year Everyone!

We hope your holidays were filled with love, joy and peace. And lots of “green” resolutions for 2009…

We thought we’d start the year off right by bringing you exciting updates about some of the efforts that are being made to preserve the Cork Oak forests of Portugal—the Montados.

Cork Oak Tree at the beautiful Alentejo region

Many people still believe that by reducing their use of cork they are helping to save the forests, when in fact it’s quite the opposite that is true.  By choosing cork wine stoppers (instead of metal or plastic) or cork flooring for example, you are creating shared value for the farmers who own the land. You are also helping protect one of the most biologically diverse habitats in the world.

The Iberian lynx, the world's rarest big cat

If you are a frequent visitor to our blog, you already know about Amorim’s (the manufacturers of our Wicanders cork oak floors) latest initiatives such as Save Miguel and ReCork America. Now, we are pleased to announce a new partnership in Portugal between WWF (World Wildlife Fund) and one of the world’s leading health and beauty specialists.

Harnn & Thann have produced a limited edition black rice soap which will sell for five Euros in their Portuguese retail stores. All proceeds are going to sponsor WWF’s work in conserving Portuguese forests and biodiversity and to the on-the-ground projects that WWF is running across Portugal.

Also, BBC’s award-winning program entitled Natural World recently focused on the wealth of natural history amongst the Cork Oak forests of Portugal’s Alentejo region. BBC’s Paul Morrison, together with fellow producer Mike Salisbury followed a year in the life of Francisco Garrett, whose family has harvested cork for five generations. They learned about the many threats to the region and how, once felled, cork woodland is very difficult to restore because a complex ecosystem such as the Montados takes knowledge and patience to recreate.

The stripping of the cork bark does not harm the tree in any way. A cork oak tree can be safely harvested up to 20 times during its life cycle, making cork a truly sustainable natural resource.

To quote Paul Morrison:
“There is […] an important reason to insist on cork. Every time you weigh up which bottle of wine to buy, you hold in your hands the fate of one of the most important wildlife areas in Europe.”

Read Paul’s full report here.

If going green in 2009 is a priority to you, cork is certainly a natural choice. So we say bring on the wine (responsibly, of course) and make your home or business healthier and much more stylish by choosing our Wicanders Cork Oak Floors.

Cheers!
Team Wicanders

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