Gerflor Again Supplying Flooring at Olympic Games

Chicago, IL, May 13, 2008--Gerflor Taraflex, a supplier of PVC-based synthetic indoor sports flooring, is bringing its expertise to the Olympics in Bejing, China this summer.

Gerflor, through agreements with the International Table Tennis Federation and International Volleyball Federation, will supply courts for volleyball and table tennis competitions.

With 14 volleyball courts in seven different locations and two table-tennis sites, there will be over 15,000 square meters (about 160,000 square feet) of Gerflor Sports Flooring at these key events.

Gerflor products have been featured at the Summer Olympics since Montreal in 1976.

In response to the needs formulated by the Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games, Gerflor presented a partnership solution specifying its responsibilities in terms of manufacturing, delivery, installation, full technical assistance, and subsequent dismantling of the prestigious volleyball and table-tennis courts.

Before each Olympiad, the Olympic Games organizing committees carry out test events, which serve as a general rehearsal for each sport. To assist, the Gerflor team went to Beijing to carry out a complete technical inspection of each site. These visits uncovered several problems with accessing some of the sites, which needed to be addressed to ensure the proper handling and installation of the floors.

Table-tennis test event last December was at the University of Beijing. There were two halls dedicated to competition and training with a surface area of 2,175 square meters. Courts were installed in two days by the Gerflor team consisting of two technicians and six assistants. Two Chinese technicians trained to properly maintain and remove the floor after the event.

Volleyball test event was held in April at the Beijing Institute of Technology and Beijing Stadium. There were four halls dedicated to competition and training. It included two competition courts and four training courts. The Gerflor team, made up of two technicians and six assistants, installed the court in nine days.

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