Bursting onto the scene in 2024, International Flooring Co. (IFC) has carved out a niche within the hard surface sector—particularly in the WPC resilient category—with an emphasis on design innovation and a strategic approach to retail partnerships. For the coming year, IFC is poised to make waves as it doubles down on that mission.
Here’s how:
A unique approach to partnership
Retailers who have already partnered with IFC tout many of the company’s defining attributes—a big one being its go-to-market strategy. One part of that approach is product exclusivity. While some resilient suppliers make their product available to any and all who wish to sell it, IFC takes a more selective approach in order to give its partners a powerful point of differentiation within their markets.
“We are focused on limited distribution opportunities and will focus on going deeper with our retail partners to help bring them total flooring solutions,” Julian Dossche, IFC president, told FCNews. “We know that we are competing for wallet share within all aspects of the home and so we will be steadfast in driving awareness, opportunities and bringing joy to the flooring purchase process.”
For PJ Horseman, owner, Floors To Go in Hilton Head Island, S.C., the strategy is working. “They don’t offer their products to everybody,” he said. “That’s what is really attractive to us. We want to be exclusive; I think that’s what separates us. So if they’re willing to give you a chance to get on board, it only makes sense.”
Paving the way with WPC
Another unique aspect of IFC’s market strategy is its focus on WPC flooring. As part of the fastest growing flooring product segment—rigid core—WPC is experiencing a resurgence of late after taking a brief backseat to its sister subsegment, SPC, in recent years. However, IFC never took its eye off the prize, touting WPC as the superior choice for homeowners and the retail community at large.
It should come as no surprise that IFC is dedicated to WPC as the company is led by Julian and William Dossche, sons of WPC icon Piet Dossche, whose guidance and expertise IFC still retains. “Piet Dossche is the original founder and inventor of the WPC product line, and with him as a strong advisor and leader to IFC it is only right for us to continue on his legacy,” Julian Dossche stated.
With that experience in its arsenal, IFC has launched several products into the market, including its Canopy brand available to exclusive dealers throughout the country. The line features 40 SKUs of WPC flooring.
According to Julian Dossche, that focus on WPC is not wavering. “We believe WPC will take back some share and cement itself as a product that will continue to provide value to the overall resilient category. We know the product from its origin and will continue to focus on lifting the WPC category up.”
Designing with retail in mind
When it comes to product design, the focus, according to the company, is “attainable luxury.”
“With that we want our design and product to help the retailer sell better-end goods, and the residential consumer to feel that they are elevating their space,” Julian Dossche explained. “Most consumers today want to be in charge of their design decisions and with the amount of design ideas available on social media and other media platforms it is important for us to help guide the retailer and consumer with very focused and curated options.”
In order to achieve that goal, the company leans heavily on its experience in the category but that’s not all—the designs are not done is a silo, as its retail partners attest.
“They offer a little bit of something for everyone in their styling and their coloring, and they’re always looking to enhance the line—it doesn’t get stale,” said Bubba Browning, owner, Shelley Carpets, Sarasota, Fla. “And then when I call them and say, ‘Listen, in our market we could really use some lighter colors,’ they say, ‘OK, we’re on it.’ They’re willing to listen, and they really listen from day one. Sometimes in business, especially with the bigger companies, it takes them a while to hear what’s going on at that ground level before they initiate a plan, but IFC does it right out the gate.”
Floors To Go’s Horseman agreed, noting simply: “Everybody’s in the vinyl segment now, but there’s only a couple of real leaders. IFC is one of them. I know everybody sells it, but I don’t think many people do it as well as they do.”
The company’s service, too, is a key differentiator that keeps the retail community clamoring for more. “You get that small company feel with them but with the benefits of a large company,” Browning said. “And they really work with us as retailers from start to finish—whatever it takes to get the job.”
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