Domotex 2005

Presse-Release

Domotex 2005
Table of contents:
1.Trade fair - motto
2.Brand strength via market-oriented and innovative products
a.Witex laminate flooring
b.Parquet floors
c.Accessories
d.”WitexPur“ the flooring innovation for contract business
3.Powerful to the top!
4.The focus is on the customer!
5.Setting goals – achieving goals!

1. Fair – motto
The Witex “summit - meeting“!
Explains in a wonderfully equivocal way what is being presented by the Witex team at the Domotex.
On one hand, the sweepstake for the pro-weekend in the Alps in March 2005 will be dissolved there. From summer 2004 on, monthly mailings in the context of the value campaign have been sent to the dealers. In the letter, the sweepstake was being advertised and it was asked to answer the question on the Alps pass.
The exciting drawing of the winners will take place during a small event on Sunday at the Witex stand. With a little bit of luck, a total number of 30 dealers can take part in the alpine enjoyment including a value and personality training. A lot of fun can be predicted, the drawing of the winners of course not!
On the other hand, the visitors who do not take part in the sweepstake do not miss out. This year, Witex again comes up with real innovations. The strength of the brand Witex will be enlarged by market-oriented laminate floor – collections, convenient accessories and last but not least by a totally new floor type. Let it be a surprise!
2. Brand strength via market-oriented and innovative products!
The high fliers from Augustdorf capture the quality pyramid and consequently stand behind their dealers.
The Witex International Flooring Ltd. from Augustdorf presents itself at the Domotex 2005 in Hanover with a further improved collection of laminate and parquet floorings.
In order to be successful in sales, Witex International Flooring Ltd. has provided a lot of powerful advantages and arguments in contrast to the “thrifty is nifty“ and the “I want it cheap” – competition.
Thus, the well proven Witex collection 2003/2004 was being improved sales-boosting for the year 2005.
2.a Witex laminate flooring
The Witex collections continue to be divided into good-better-best-segments.
The new Witex good-segment will include the collections bonita and bonita color which are already known on the market. The patterns remain unchanged. Due to the FSC-certified HDF-core board they have been awarded by Ökotest with a rating ”very good“ and can thus be called an ecological laminate flooring.
A new marena collection will be added to the Witex better-segment. This collection will be newly positioned by Witex International Flooring Ltd.
Here the slogan is: “reasonably priced instead of cheap“.
New appealing and exclusive patterns from 1-strip, 2-strip and 3-strip to tropical bamboo featuring innovative technology like antistatic equipment, classification 32 and different surface structures provide the customer with more value than he would find in the discounter or DIY-store!
The galea collection 2004 will partly be integrated into the new marena collection.
The comodo and antica collection of the Witex better segment will be upgraded to classification 32 and will be positioned more attractively in price.
The Witex best-segment will continue consisting of castilia, casa, antica authentic and comodo authentic. Due to the upgrade to classification 32 and a more attractive positioning in price, these collections will remain to be interesting for the contract business.
The special contract collection grande with classi-fication 33 that was already launched successfully in May 2004 will remain unaltered.
New, higher quality warranties for the domestic sector provide the customer with the certainty he needs for an investment in his living area and which he can expect from a Witex premium laminate flooring.
Starting off with 10 years for the bonita collection and 25 years for the grande collection, Witex now covers all segments.
Extraordinary designs and a unique variety of patterns
Within all Witex collections the demanding consumer finds the most attractive and unique patterns. This group of buyers is looking for products which express their desire for specialty and individuality. Wood species like teak, wenge, afzelia and mahogany, especially tropical woods, accommodate these desires. The Witex people from Augustdorf have noticed that in the laminate as well as in the parquet flooring segment. With these patterns, the Witex laminate flooring collection distinguishes from the monotony of DIY-stores and bargain buys.
Optics and feel of the surface = remarkably authentic!
Since a while ago, Witex offers as part of the laminate flooring segment registered embossed wood surfaces, extra-matt surfaces or authentic groove optics (V-groove) of single planked boards. These give products in reference to the original more authenticity and higher quality. They are an important decision criterion for premium laminate floorings by Witex.
Technical development as a self-perception

By standard, all collections feature the Witex LocTec-locking system, the world’s best glue-less laying method that has proven itself millions of times. Over 50% of the brand collections are equipped with the sound-protect-acoustics system, invented by Witex, that is already integrated and ready for laying.
Antibacterial, antistatic surfaces belong to the Witex product range just as well as the authentic groove optics of single planked boards.
The highly diverse surfaces like textured surfaces of wood and tile designs, wood harmony surfaces (registered wood embossment) of the antica collection and the matt, oiled surface optics of the comodo collection make Witex laminate flooring collection a specialty.
Price or quality, it is no question anymore!
According to a survey conducted by the consultancy Marketing Corporation, the ”thrifty is nifty“- era is about to ebb away and draws to a close. Apparently, the consumer has realized that cheap prices and high quality are a contradiction.
According to a survey in October 2004, the German consumers put much more emphasis on quality again than on their purse when making their buying decisions. 83% of the respondents stated that they mainly pay attention to the quality when buying a product, while only 17% named the price as the main criterion. In spring, just 51% would have stated the quality and 49% the price first. (source: German Television: ARD tele text page 706 / October 24th, 2004).
These nice results show Witex that they have chosen the right path. According to Witex, this gives the flooring industry the chance to distinguish itself self-confidently from the cheap monotony of a DIY-store.
2. b Witex parquet flooring
Starting from 01.04.2005 Witex offers to the dealers a new consumer-oriented parquet collection. Selected wood, e.g. Jatoba and Wenge, with the best technical features are united in three selected collections. From the noble single plank solo clic, over the elegant 2-strip duo clic, up to the classical 3-strip trio clic offers this collection exactly what the consumer is looking for.
All articles are matt finished with the Lifetime support lacquer system of Bona- 7 layers of varnish for strength and wear resistance.
The Witex parquet collection 2005 is equipped with the patented, million-times proven Unilin- joint system.
The new collection is at least 71 % of FSC certified wood.
For the new parquet collection Witex offers a 25 years quality guarantee.
Only high-quality timbers together with a first-class processing are the basis for the proven top quality. The Uniclic-system applied for laminate floorings serves well for the company from Augustdorf. The Witex locking system TimberLoc phases out on April 1st
The new parquet collection will be sold under the brand name "Witex – THE FLOOR BRAND".
2.c Witex Accessories
As in every year, there are several new enhancements and improvements available with the Witex accessories program to satisfy the changing market demands which resulted from technological developments.
For example, the Witex skirting board range of products, the 14/70 mm-skirting board, has been upgraded to that effect so that there is a matching skirting board available for each pattern. A demand to a brand which is a matter of course for Witex.
The number of wood pattern profiles has been increased by 7 to now totalling 11 adjustment-, transition- and end profiles. Hereby, the increasing demand for the contract business has been satisfied.
To get an optimal frictional connection for the transition area, Witex has chosen a completely new and innovative aluminium profile system. The fastening with a self-drilling screw with tapping screw thread is the decisive factor here since it allows for an especially firm and durable fastening of a cover profile with the basic profile. They will be available in the anodised colors silver, gold, Sahara (sand) and Havanna (stainless steel, dark). In addition to the high carrying capacity, the three different profile types (end-, transition- and adjustment profile) possess the advantage that they are applicable for all coatings with a strength from 7 to 17.5 mm. And due to the easy, fast and safe mounting, a lot of time and money is being saved.
Another highlight of the Witex accessories program is the acrylic joint sealant. It can be used perfectly for connecting joints in the dado, for door frames and thresholds or other component parts. It is free of silicone and solvents whereby it is made sure that no residue is left and that it is safe in respect to health. Since the new acrylic joint sealant is quickly drying, unnecessary waiting time is saved as well. It can be grinded and varnished and it as well applicable for hardwood flooring (parquet).
2.d “WitexPur“ the floor innovation for the contract business!
Witex has enhanced the system idea of “brand-quality“ for flooring and implemented it consequently with the flooring innovation WitexPur.
The 100% - polyurethane (PUR) – surface offers a number of advantages, thus the flooring innovation is designed as an exceptional flooring for your contract business.
The core material for this new type of flooring is the approved Aqua-Protect core board which results in a dimensionally stable and water-proof flooring. The LocTec- locking system which is used by Witex for years now results in a glueless, fast laying process, which is especially necessary in the contract business due to short-term laying timeframes.
The floating and at the same time glueless laying allows for a trouble-free removal of the flooring if necessary. There is no extensive gluing necessary which would complicate later renovations.
The special Witex edge impregnation additionally protects the flooring against humidity.
Due to an optimally closed molecular structure at the surface of the flooring, it resists dust, dirt and mites and is therefore unbeatably hygienic and easy to clean.
But also further advantages such as the fact that it is environmentally friendly since free of solvents, softeners, chlorine and formaldehyde; no marks from punctiform stresses; antistatic and antimicrobial, suitable for conventional underfloor heatings, resists cigarette glow and is suitable for chair casters – all of these make this novel flooring to an unbeatable flooring for your contract business.
Witex International Flooring Ltd. presents WitexPur at Domotex 2005 for the first time as a product study. If the market should evaluate this product highly positive at the trade fair, then WitexPur will be developed to reach readiness for start of production.
Powerful to the top!
Witex has introduced a new professional sales supporting instrument for the specialized trade already in 2004 with its value campaign, which will also be continued consequently in 2005.
Witex will focus all of its power on the point of sale, to the place where the end user makes his buying decision for a flooring. Thereby, Witex, as a partner of the specialized trade, will offensively continue to follow the way of quality and service also in 2005.
4. The focus is on the customer!

A customer satisfaction analysis conducted by the market research institute “GLMC, Management & Consulting“ from Bielefeld brought amazing results for Witex International Flooring Ltd.
On the one hand, these lead to the fact that the company can now feel approved in regard to support and service to the customers – the most valuable potential on the market.
On the other hand, optimizations to improve customer satisfaction have already been implemented due to the results. A new improved telephone system has been installed so that the Witex Customer Service Team is able to answer calls quicker.
Furthermore, the availability of goods was increased from 92% to 95% by optimizations of the enterprise resource planning system (ERP).
Waiting periods for the customer complaint processing are being almost eliminated due to a new customer information system, since this shows each step of a procedure and informs about delivery delays and incorrect supply.
All Witex employees are continuously being trained so that we can offer a better consultation in respect to our products and its competitive advantages.
“Customer satisfaction analyses are a self-conception for Witex. Self-criticism is an important contribution to the permanent improvement of customer satisfaction” – that’s the credo of Hermann Pooth, executive director marketing and sales. Witex is convinced to have made a further step towards customer satisfaction with its current updates.
5. Setting goals – achieving goals!
The Witex International Flooring Ltd. is now on the market as effectual successor of Witex AG and could already present good company results in the first year of 2004. The company has undergone a positive development as expected and can schedule a positive income situation as an optimistic indicator for the year 2005.
For the coming year, the company has also committed itself to a number of projects and wants to increase revenues and income as well. We carry on to aim at the high-price-segment. “Only in this segment we are positioned rightly with our high-quality products. We serve application areas for exalted demands as well as problem solving for kitchen and bathroom. Our distribution channels are the handicraft and the specialized trade. This sector sums up to a share of 17% (2004 in sqm) from a total volume of 650 to 700 million square meters. If we only reach 2% market share from there, then we have a highly profitable portion, says the executive director marketing and sales, Herrmann Pooth. The company is positioned exactly in this price segment and the trend analyses of the EPLF 2004 show three important performance features:
1.The price loses importance,
2.Impact sound insulation and glueless laying become a matter of course,
3.Design, service and application areas gain more and more in importance.
“Thus, the company is absolutely on target and we are pleased with the positive results from 2004“, so executive director human resources and finances, Jörg Freyer. “Also for 2005 we are optimistically looking forward to the future!“

Witex International Flooring GmbH

Nord-West- Ring 21

32832 Augustdorf

Tel.: ++ 49 (0) 52 37/ 609-0

Fax: ++ 49 (0) 52 37/ 609-309

E-Mail: info@witex.com

Internet: www.witex.com

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