Mohawk Hardwood Intros Target High and Low Price P

Dalton, GA, January 5, 2006--Mohawk Hardwood launches for 2006 cover the spectrum. In addition to its new premium products featuring Scotchgard Advanced Repel Finish Technology, the company has rolled out a new line of exotic solid hardwood floors. It has also created a new value-engineered wood line and placed more emphasis on an entry level hand-scraped line that offers plenty of style for its price point. Four new products in the Continental Exotics line head the list. These include finishes in Malaccan, Tigerwood, and Brazilian Walnut. The 3/4” thick product is available in 4” and 3 1/4” widths, and features a microbevel on all four sides. Installation is staple or nail down. The new Mohawk Continental Exotics feature Mohawk’s CrystalShield Aluminum Oxide finish and come with a 25-year warranty. They will be promoted at “better” price points. “These products give us some very unique looks at an attractive price point,” said Ed Williams, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Mohawk. “For the consumer who wants something different, the Continental Exotics line provides an excellent choice, and it’s merchandised so that it’s easy for the salesperson to move a shopper either to or from this product group.” Mohawk’s Santa Barbara hardwood gives dealers an entry-level price point for the rapidly growing hand scraped category, and provides consumers with exceptional value. This multi-layered engineered product is ½ inch thick, 5 inches wide and 48 inches in length. It features an eased edge and a true hand-scraped finish for a rustic look. “Hand-scraped products are still on a strong upswing,” said Williams. “Santa Barbara allows our dealers to reach this market segment with a very attractive price point. Santa Barbara also provides dealers with the opportunity to step up customers to other hand-scraped products in Mohawk’s Heirloom Collection. Santa Barbara has Mohawk’s Crystal Shield Aluminum Oxide finish and comes with a 15-year finish warranty, plus lifetime structure and moisture warranties. Santa Barbara can be installed below, on, or above grade, with either glue, staple, or floating installation. Another high-value product is Sheridan Plank, a 5/16” thick, eased-edge, 3” plank that is designed to sell at very attractive price points. It is offered in five popular colors cut from three species, White Oak, Maple, and Jatoba. It features Mohawk’s CrystalShield Aluminum Oxide finish with a 10-year warranty. “This is perhaps our strongest new product introduction ever for hardwood,” Williams said. “We’re offering a very high-visibility new line with our Scotchgard Advanced Repel products, and we’re giving consumers high-value choices across a range of price points. This provides the Mohawk Hardwood dealer with some exciting new options for promotion and merchandising, and it gives him new flexibility in the hardwood category.”