Tarkett

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Tarkett factory in Narni (Italy) : linoleum floorings.

Tarkett is one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of resilient and hardwood floorings worldwide.

With a global workforce of approximately 7,000 employees, Tarkett produces more than 245 million square meters of floor and wall coverings every year. In 2005 Tarkett's sales amounted to more than 1,622 million Euros.

Its corporate headquarters (Google Maps view) is based in Nanterre (France).

Tarkett with its more than 100 years of experience in the production of floorings focuses on resilient floorings (plastic floorings, linoleum), hardwood floorings (pre-finished parquet), laminate floorings and a small segment of the textile flooring (needle-felt and tufting) market. Tarkett operates with more than 100 trade names. The following traditional brands represent not only products but also companies or divisions: Azrock, Domco, Harris-Tarkett, Nafco and Sommer.

Today, the Tarkett Group is a global company, present in more than 50 countries and operating 25 production centers in 10 countries, 16 in Europe alone. World-wide, Tarkett operates more than 30 sales companies. Today, Tarkett products have a world-wide reputation in the flooring industry.

In October 2006, KKR bought a 50% stake in Tarkett in a deal valued at about €1.4 billion ($1.8 billion).

[edit] History

In Europe the company started as a single sawmill operation in Sweden in 1886. There they produced oak parquet flooring.

Now a multinational company the firm was started in 1872 as the Dominion Oil Cloth Company later Domco in Farnham, Quebec. The present day company is the result of numerous mergers and acquisitions across Europe and North America. Brand names under the Tarkett umbrella in North America include AZROCK, NAFCO & DOMCO.

The manufacturing mill in Farnham Quebec houses the largest machine dedicated to making their newest floor named the "Fibre Floor". It is made from fibreglass among other things, and is much thicker and more durable than regular vinyl flooring. The machine is close to 1.5 kilometres long.