Our History

Background

In 1967, ARCO Chemical Company became aware that by 1977 they needed to be in a position to profitably and wisely invest the returns flowing from their North Slope oil fields. As such, they started many small business profit centers to evaluate potential areas for corporate expansion. Areas and products evaluated included architectural building products. It was in the architectural products area where PermaGrain Products, Inc. got its start.

The federal government had done research under the Eisenhower administration's "Atoms for Peace Program" in which the concept was developed for the manufacture of wood/acrylic composite materials. ARCO felt that this might be the basis for a new business venture and commissioned a marketing study to evaluate the potential for wood/acrylic flooring products. The results of the study were very positive, leading to development of a pilot plant operation, followed by full scale production in 1969 of their PermaGrain¨ 12" x 12" wood/acrylic parquet flooring. PermaGrain quickly found its place in the commercial flooring industry, allowing for the first time use of wood in such high traffic applications as shopping malls.

The GenuWood¨ line of vinyl bonded wood flooring was acquired from the General Electric Company in 1974 to broaden available product offerings to the building industry. In addition, importation of a vinyl clad cork flooring product was started.

In 1977 ARCO asked each of its start-ups that they prepare three year growth plans to achieve $100 million in sales by 1980. As the management of the PermaGrain group felt there was little possibility to attain this level of sales and at the same time meet the return on investment figure expected, ARCO determined it would liquidate the operation. At this point the management of the PermaGrain profit center and other interested parties expressed the desire to purchase the operation.

On February 8, 1978, following four months of intense work, PermaGrain Products, Inc. was formed. It is important to note that the purchase was consummated without financial assistance from ARCO, with all funds for the initial capitalization of the company being raised from the group of management employees, people indirectly associated with the PermaGrain project, along with some rep-resentatives, associates and friends. There was no outside venture capital involved.

Early Progress

At its inception, PermaGrain Products, Inc. consisted of eighteen employees. Its product lines were PermaGrain, GenuWood II and Designer Cork·. The company had many of the same manufacturer's representative agencies it has today, but in general they all had less staff.

How has PermaGrain Products, Inc. changed since 1978? Today, PermaGrain employs approximately 185 people, spread across five production facilities and its corporate office. Its sales and marketing staff has grown to include an executive vice president, a national sales manager, an international sales manager, four regional sales managers, three territory sales managers and a marketing coordinator, to oversee a national and international network of representative agencies and distributors. PermaGrain's agencies now employ over 80 outside salespeople to promote its products to the architectural and interior design communities within the U.S. and Canada. PermaGrain has developed a wholesale distributor network consisting of some one hundred twenty firms covering the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, Japan and the Pacific Rim, Mexico, Chile, Korea and China.

In 1985 PermaGrain acquired the ability to offer a cost effective pre-finished line of oak parquet tile to the ever growing residential marketplace. This line is today marketed under the FineWood¨ trademark and is available in four species and as many as thirteen colors. The company has also continued to expand the GenuWood II product offerings, doubling the number of species available, as well as developing the technology to offer two revolutionary white floors in Frost Oak and Frost Ash. President's Choice large panel flooring was also added to the GenuWood II line to bring old world patterns back to present day consumers.

Also in 1985, Dr. A. E. Witt, president of PermaGrain Products, Inc. arrived at an agreement with Mr. Guy Bourguigon, Managing Director of M.F.C., a French concern, to begin production of Permétage® Granite and Travertine Marble tile in the United States. Permétage® is a resin reinforced agglomerate marble flooring product which does not require surface sealing or finishing, thereby reducing maintenance costs to the user. Like PermaGrain's other flooring products, Permétage® is UL Classified as slip resistant.

In looking at PermaGrain's growth, one should keep in mind the goals it established for itself at the outset. These included profitability, as well as becoming a leader in the commercial hard surface flooring industry. To achieve these objectives PermaGrain has been in the forefront of offering new products and design possibilities to the Architectural & Design industry. PermaGrain today still remains the only company to produce fully impregnated bleached flooring products, as well as to offer its customers the peace of mind of Underwriters Laboratories Classified slip resistant, FSC Certified, and UL Classified fire resistant flooring products.

PermaGrain has continued to add to its lines of wood/acrylic flooring materials, including The Paragon¨ Series tongue and groove parquet, to provide a more cost effective acrylic impregnated floor for the residential and light commercial markets. It has expanded its color and specie offerings in both parquet and plank products. In 1991, PermaGrain introduced Timeless¨ Series II, a 3-ply laminated plank, offered in five species and twenty five different colors, and which received the 1991 IBD product design award.

Recent Developments

In April, 1992, PermaGrain acquired the complete assets of ArmStar, including the Armstone¨ line of cast marble floor tiles and interior wall panels. The combination of Armstone and Perm tage makes PermaGrain the largest U.S. producer of cast marble flooring materials. The acquisition of ArmStar included a state-of-the-art production facility in Lenoir City, TN which utilizes the Bretonstone¨ process for casting agglomerate marble tiles and slabs. The Armstone product has received numerous awards from the contract design community recognizing its high style palette of colors and textures.

In 1993, PermaGrain introduced the first recycled agglomerate marble tile, Confetti. Now, through an exclusive crushing and re-manufacturing process, damaged or otherwise unacceptable Armstone and Perm tage production tiles and slabs can be re-cast to create Confetti.

In May 1997, PermaGrain introduced the UltraTec¨ System, its revolutionary new line of engineered hardwood flooring. The UltraTec System offers architects and designers a choice of three wear surface options to create floors that precisely match design, installation, and performance challenges and anticipated maintenance conditions.

The key to the UltraTec System is TecCore¨, a revolutionary new material that provides unique performance characteristics across the entire range of UltraTec flooring options. It's the primary reason each of the three wear surface options carry a Class "A" Flame Spread Rating in accordance with ASTM E-84, the Steiner Tunnel Test. Each UltraTec surface is also UL- classified for slip resistance and ADA compliant.

The three products in the UltraTec System represent one of the most environmentally friendly lines of hardwood flooring on the market today. The versatility and strength of TecCore reduces the quantity of raw hardwoods needed to produce UltraTec, while thinner, veneers obtained from sustainable North American resources increase log yield. There are no glues containing formaldehyde in UltraTec products and TecCore, which is primarily a recycled material, is formulated with non-halogenated resins.

In 1998, PermaGrain introduced Timeless¨ Series 3, its third generation of acrylic impregnated hardwood plank flooring. The re-styled line features an expanded range of natural hardwood species, dynamic new colors, a new wider plank size, and the availability of PennThane·, high performance urethane factory finish.

New Timeless Series 3 is the essence of PermaGrain's SmartFlooring· concept, combining over thirty years of acrylic impregnation experience and innovation with state-of-the-art lamination technology.

The new Timeless Series 3 sample folder presents architects and designers with seven species in natural colors and an additional twenty-two colors ranging from deep, rich hues to soft, subtle tones. It is the most comprehensive palette of engineered, acrylic impregnated hardwood flooring available to the professional designer today. Choose between 3-ply, 2 7/8" (73mm) wide random length plank with 3/8" (8mm) profile and 5-ply random length Wide Plank that's 5 1/4" (134 mm) wide with a 5/12" (10mm) profile.

Several of the hardwood species in the new line are certified by Scientific Certification Systems, an international organization accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), that certifies sustainable forest management practices. It means that Timeless Series 3 products carrying the FSC symbol are produced from forests managed to sustain the timber resource and ensure the viability of the forest ecosystem.

1999 saw the expansion of the The FineWood Series into a full range of pre-finished engineered and solid plank, along with the original solid mosaic parquet. FineWood's range of engineered plank offers strip, plank and wide plank widths, in a total of seven species and over a dozen colors. Solid products are offered in both strip and plank formats, also in a wide variety of species and colors. All FineWood products come with patent-pending PennThane enhanced urethane factory sealer, which is warranted for up to 25 years in residential applications. Like Timeless Series 3, many of the FineWood products carry the FSC logo to reinforce PermaGrain's commitment to responsible forestry.

Today, PermaGrain Products, Inc. can truly say that it offers the hard surface flooring industry's widest selection of specialty flooring materials designed for high traffic commercial applications, while providing reduced maintenance costs. Its award winning products continue to be chosen by design professionals for their most prestigious projects. PermaGrain's commitment is to continue to lead its industry from a position of strength, based upon the inherent value of its products and its employees.