Napa, CA– ReCORK America has added another partner to support its cork recycling program. SOLE, the manufacturer of premium footbeds, socks and sandals, will use a blend of recycled cork wine bottle closures in its line of 2010 footwear products.
SOLE joins the many restaurants, resorts, organizations, wine retailers, and wineries who help collect and find use for used natural corks.
To read the full article on this new partnership, please follow this link
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.
Wicanders Corkcomfort Floating Plank, Traces Spice
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
:: 
:: ::
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
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
:: :: 
:: :: :: :: :: ::
While browsing the internet the other day, we stumbled upon a little treasure! We saw a picture of the beautiful piece of artwork below, made out of cork, and just had to do a little investigating to find out more…
Allison's Cork Scrolling Project
Wood worker, artist, and fellow blogger, Allison, from www.wood-alley.com, was given a piece of leftover cork flooring from her friend, a floor installer. She had never used cork flooring in a scrolling project before, so she tried it out and as you can see, the result is gorgeous! While reading her blog and checking out her pictures, we realized that this might just be our very own Wicanders Cork Oak Flooring!
The lovely Allison was gracious enough to let us know that the piece of flooring is Wicanders! It is a piece of the Series 1000 CORKLOC with High Performance Surface finish, or HPS. Because of the HPS hard wearing surface and HDF-High Density Fibreboard with CORKLOC, this piece of flooring stayed strong. This reminds us of how our tough floors are great for kids rooms and kitchens, where they get real wear and tear. And don’t forget about that 25 year residential warranty for Series 1000!
Allison said “I plan on using more of this material as I find it fascinating…” Well Allison, we find it fascinating too! But even more, we find it inspiring that you can make something so beautiful out of cork oak from the Montado cork oak forests. And to top it all off, it is an environmentally friendly product, perfect for green building and green design!
In Allison’s blog, she gives hints and instructions on how to do it yourself! You can see other art
work on her blog, or on lumberjocks.com (an online community of supportive wood working artists). We are so proud that our flooring held up to Allison’s drill press and saws!
Thank you for your art Allison, and let us know when we can see more of your Cork Creations!
Do you have a Cork Creation? Please share with us!
Until Next time,
Team Wicanders
:: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::
As school children, one of the biggest lessons we all learned was to “save the trees!” Well, in San Jose this month, two tree hugging heroes have emerged! Camilla and Dan Cochran faced the city of San Jose in a fearless battle to save our favorite kind of tree…the Cork Oak! They are lucky enough to have one of these beautiful and historic trees in front of their home. It is flanked on each side by neighboring Cork Oak Trees.
Dan and Camilla Cochran's Home and Beautiful Cork Oak Tree
The tree, which was estimated to be 130-145 years old, was tagged and ready to be chopped down by the city, who said it caused sidewalk damage, and hung too far over the street. But after a good fight, the Cochran’s were given permission to keep their healthy tree.
Team Wicanders is so impressed by the Cochran’s determination to keep their tree. We also want to save the cork oak trees in the Montado Forests in Portugal, for a few reasons. Not only are they good for the environment, but they also supply the materials for our eco-friendly flooring.
Our planet has provided us with the gifts we need to keep it healthy, while using its resources. Cork Oak harvesting increases Carbon Dioxide retention and keeps these ancient trees alive- some, like The Whistler Tree, live up to 250 years! Harvesting also provides jobs and helps the people who have cared for these great trees, for generations and generations. You can learn more about the cork oak trees by checking out Rob Schneider’s video on our post: Save Miguel.
Wicanders Cork Oak floors offer a unique opportunity for a healthy home, and a healthy planet. Do you have any great stories about saving trees? We would love to hear them!
The Cochrans' Cork Oak Tree; Photo dated before 1896.
Until next time,
Team Wicanders
:: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::
Wicanders Cork Oak Blog 