Unilin Group invests €20 million in vinyl floor production
- Today Unilin Group is launching an ambitious growth and investment plan for its Belgian Flooring production sites. In 2023 the company is investing €20 million, on the one hand to significantly step up production of LVT (luxury vinyl tiles) at its site in Avelgem and on the other hand to build a new, state-of-the-art LVT line in Wielsbeke. With these investments Unilin Group aims to take the LVT category to a whole new level, with a special focus on recycling and an unprecedented look & feel. This investment is part of a broader investment plan that will see Unilin Group invest €155 million this year in innovation and production capacity expansion.
LVT as growth category par excellence
In addition to laminate and parquet floors, Unilin Group’s flooring division also manufactures vinyl floors. Within the vinyl floor segment, LVT (luxury vinyl tiles) are a strong growth market. With Quick-Step, Pergo and Moduleo, Unilin Group is the European market leader in the LVT category. The easy-to-install vinyl planks or tiles can be installed with or without adhesive. Within LVT floors there is a flexible and a rigid variant. The rigid variant has been booming in recent years whereas demand for flexible click LVT is declining.
€20 million invested in 2 sites
To meet the growing market demand for rigid LVT, Unilin Group is planning to ramp up the production of rigid LVT in its Avelgem plant through targeted investments.
The existing flexible LVT line in Wielsbeke will gradually be phased out during 2023. At the production site in Wielsbeke this will create opportunities to invest in new production technology for rigid LVT. After two years of intensive testing and research in a lab environment, a new LVT line will combine the latest production technology with innovations developed in-house and patented by Unilin. This results in a finer and more detailed look & feel. In addition the technology is much more energy-efficient and allows the use of 100% recycled raw materials, two major assets in the current market context. The new production line will be operational by October 2023. Through this investment, Unilin is determined to take the LVT flooring category to new heights worldwide.
The investment plan will impact our workforce on the existing LVT line in Wielsbeke. Through education and training programmes in the newly opened training centre The Dive, some of them are being prepared to work with the latest technology on the new line. Others will be presented with new opportunities within the state-of-the-art laminate production at the same company site.
Global leader in both laminate and vinyl
Unilin Group continues its investments to create fresh opportunities for the company and its employees through innovation. This investment will enable the company to consolidate its position as the European market leader in vinyl floors while resolutely opting for the continued sustainable anchoring of production in Flanders.
Sander Laridon