Columbia Flooring Wins Laura Ashley Award

Danville, VA, February 5, 2007--Columbia Flooring has received Laura Ashley Inc.’s “Best Marketing” award at Laura Ashley’s Annual Licensing Meeting, held January 25 at Ballantyne Resort, Charlotte, North Carolina.

"We are proud to recognize Columbia Flooring for outstanding marketing performance," Laura Ashley senior vice president Ivy Tan said. "Through merchandising, print collateral and online vehicles, the company does an exceptional job of interpreting the brand and maintaining corporate standards. In addition, we can count on Columbia to sell the brand and not just its products." Laura Ashley maintains a stringent set of criteria for licensees of the brand. Tan added that Columbia excels in maintaining the Laura Ashley Home brand image consistently across all media, and selling Laura Ashley as a lifestyle.

Columbia Marketing Manager Patrick Warren said, “Our team developed each element of the Laura Ashley marketing collateral to represent the integrity of the brand and, in doing so, launched an exciting and appealing collection of tools for the distributor, retailer and consumer.”

Laura Ashley Inc., headquartered in Fort Mill, S.C., concentrates on licensing the Laura Ashley brand name in North America. The company strives to be the ultimate destination brand for home products, women's wear, and children's wear. License categories include furniture, wall coverings, flooring, dinnerware, clothing, bedding, costume jewelry and many others. In addition to Columbia, current licenses include Russell-Newman, Inc., Kincaid Furniture, Hollander Home, Kravet Fabrics, and Town & Country Living.

A wholly owned subsidiary of Columbia Forest Products, Columbia Flooring is a leading manufacturer and marketer of hardwood and laminate flooring. For more information on Columbia Flooring products and warranties, call 1-800-654-8796 or visit www.columbiaflooring.com.