Armstrong Flooring: Strong foundations and flooring innovations

Making the product that you’ve probably walked on without knowing – Armstrong Flooring is Australia’s only manufacturer of commercial sheet vinyl flooring. With a proud legacy of over 50 years of manufacturing in Australia, Armstrong Flooring is committed to product innovation and continually improving on sustainability and performance.

The origins of Armstrong Flooring began in the early 1900s, with the Armstrong family business in Pittsburgh, USA. In 1969, the Australian branch of the business was established in Braeside, Victoria, where it was situated on a 6.5 hectare site adorned with River Red Gum trees that remain to this day. Over time, the company expanded with new acquisitions, new products, and new manufacturing practices. Today, Armstrong Flooring continues to strengthen its manufacturing capabilities in Braeside and develop new products for the Australian market and around the world.

Armstrong Flooring’s Australian Made collections are known for being low maintenance, having hygienic surfaces and slip resistance, and are suitable for areas that see a lot of foot traffic. These vinyl flooring products are used in hospitals, healthcare, aged care, education, retail, shopping centres, hospitality, offices and light industrial environments.

The latest range launched last year is the Natralis range – made with a colour palette that was inspired by Australian flora and fauna. This connection to the Australian landscape and land is continued through the business’ strong commitment to sustainability and recycling practices.

Commercial Product Manager Michael Keam said that manufacturing in Australia has greatly benefited Armstrong Flooring’s ability to be sustainable. “As Australia’s only manufacturer of sheet vinyl, we have the unique capability to locally recycle pre-consumer waste and offer a takeback program for waste generated as part of the sheet vinyl installation process. We have also transitioned from using traditional backing paper to a new reusable carrier to help reduce waste.”

“Armstrong Flooring is committed to achieving the highest standards of responsible business practice and sustainability, and to produce a positive overall impact on society. Being a local manufacturer means we can meet the demands of commercial projects with shorter lead-times, while our local technical and customer support team is available for help and advice.”

Beyond the point of sale, Armstrong’s is conscious of responsible product life cycle management, minimising manufacturing waste and waste sent to landfills, and seeking meaningful energy and carbon emission reductions through business changes and innovation.

“Another benefit of being a local manufacturer is that we can source materials locally, provide jobs to boost the Victorian and National economies,” Michael said. “We have approximately 150 dedicated employees across Australia and New Zealand, and that spans across two generations. We’re incredibly proud to support a multicultural and multigenerational workforce that embraces a strong connection to the country and the land on which Armstrong Flooring was built.”

“Our unique local manufacturing position is a source of great pride. Displaying the Australian Made logo on our products was a way of representing this quality and reliability of our products. It’s a credible way to show that our commercial vinyl sheet flooring products are genuinely made here in Australia.”

“Seeing the green and gold logo provides specifiers with the confidence,” Michael said. “Buying Australian Made is important because it creates local jobs, boosts the economy and supports the local community. The Armstrong Flooring team feels that real sense of pride in being an Australian manufacturer.”