Liam Flood, head of product for QEP with brands including Roberts, Kraus, Tile Rite and Vitrex, talks about innovation, quality tools and flooring solutions driving industry growth
Tell me a little about the history of your company?
Founded in 1979, our vision is to bring excellence and first-to-market innovation, equipping trade professionals with the flooring, accessories and tools to do their best work. We design and manufacture products that deliver lasting performance, precision and pride. Through our brand family, we support every step of the installation journey. That brand family includes flooring brands Roberts, Kraus and XPS Foam Underlays, and tiling brands such as Homelux, Tile Rite and Vitrex.
When and why did you join the company?
I came to QEP, which also manufactures underlay in the UK under the XPS Foam brand, in 2013, as part of the Homelux acquisition, a similar company selling tiling products and accessories. I guess you could say I fitted straight in. I’m now responsible for new product development across all our brands, working closely with the category managers.
What’s the secret to a successful flooring installation?
Preparation. Much grief can be saved by proper planning and making sure that everything has been considered. Then, there’s the tools and products you use. Quality makes a real difference, so don’t shortcut on cheaper imitations. You’ll likely pay the price at some point, whether that’s a call-back or things just taking longer.
Who, outside your company, do you most admire in the industry?
I admire companies that consistently innovate. At QEP, we know just what it takes to keep raising the bar. There’s an enormous amount of work even in the small, incremental changes so consistently delivering products that keep pushing the industry forward is impressive stuff.
What three challenges do you feel the industry is facing and what are you doing to overcome these (sustainability, supply, consumer confidence, etc)?
I think the industry is facing strong economic headwinds and must continue to build resilience. Certainly, it seems a transient place to be now, with some of the large operators looking fragile. The weakening in the construction sector could mean another difficult time for the industry. That said, our independence and resolute focus on delivering quality with great value for money has built us a solid place in the market. We’re determined to build on that with growth driven by products that offer quality and value.
Can you give an outline of your most popular product ranges and explain a bit about them?
In the flooring sector, our most popular brands are Roberts, XPS Foam and Kraus. Over the last 12 months, one of our major product focuses has been expanding the range of Roberts tools. We’re so excited about this innovation in this range, building our fitter community and how the tools are the fitter’s brand of choice. XPS Foam Underlay is made in the UK from recycled plastics so meets the sustainability requirements we are seeing from customers, and offers a range packed full of performance. And in Kraus, we have expanded the LVT range this year to introduce a glue down range. It’s been an exciting year and there is more to come over the next 12 months.
How important do you feel offering a bespoke and unique flooring solution is to a business?
I think uniqueness in this market is becoming ever more important. Competition is fierce and competitive edge through genuine difference arguably shields you from getting scars in price wars. We’re keen to find new routes into the market, a good example of this is how we have partnered with Laura Ashley to launch a licensed LVT range, that is proving very popular. Unique solutions have been a part of our success. In fact, it’s been the largest growth area, so I see no reason to move from that trajectory.
What innovation can your clients expect from you in the future?
Well, that would be telling! Seriously, we’re always developing products. This month alone we’ve launched a new laser level in the Roberts brand and a new range of Floorwarm XPS Foam underlays for use with laminate flooring and underfloor heating. At the same time, we’re working on the expansion of our Kraus flooring range into new finishes and new flooring types. We’re also looking at the potential in new materials that may help to improve performance, address environmental issues or achieve both!
How robust is your supply chain in the face of global issues such as war?
Our supply chain is made of strong stuff, and we’re well serviced by a bank of suppliers across the globe. This gives us the flexibility to somewhat ride the waves of global political uncertainty, fluctuating prices, shipping and more. It’s a proven model and I’m sure it will continue to serve us into the future.
What flooring trends are you seeing at the moment, and how do these influence your product development?
Our Roberts flooring tools have always been popular with carpet fitters. However, what was interesting last year is that there was significant growth in demand for hard flooring installation tools, suggesting the demand for hard flooring remains strong.
Combined with this increased demand on tools, our XPS Foam Underlay continues to perform well, particularly our ever-popular 5mm, also now available in the Roberts brand. As always with Roberts, we have also thought about the fitter by selling this in a larger metre squared pack and also introducing a 2.5mm fanfold variant.
Combined with our quality tools, these make the fitters’ jobs easier when laying hard flooring.
What is your major selling point with contractors? What do your products offer them that others don’t?
Contractors trust our Roberts tools implicitly and we are probably best known in the trade for this brand. However, with plans to launch over 60 new products this year, we’ll be making sure our other brands become just as familiar and just as trusted because of their quality, durability and value.
Where do you see the company in five years?
Continuing to be the brand of choice for fitters with tools, accessories and Underlay with Roberts, but also expanding our Kraus range to offer other hard flooring options as well as LVT – roll-on 2031!
01283 243450
sales@qepuk.com
www.qep.com