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INTERVIEW OF THE MONTH
AKO – A. Kolckmann, Alfdorf (Germany)
Carpet Underlays – The Next Generation
Manufacturer AKO, based in Baden-Württemberg, is a ‘hidden champion’ of the carpet industry, offering an array anti-slip underlays for floors, tables and industrial applications. The company has been a successful producer of carpet underlays for nearly 60 out of its now 75 total years in business. As a recent development at the family firm, AKO has now filed a European patent application for an innovative carpet underlay that is completely PVC-free. Carpet Home recently talked to owner and managing director Johanna Kolckmann and managing director Cornelius Sorg to get up to date on all the latest at the company.
Carpet Home: You have filed a patent applica- tion for a 100% PVC-free carpet underlay you have developed. Tell us if you would about the specifics that make this new product so interest- ing. And when might the patent be granted ?
Johanna Kolckmann: We are extremely proud of this new product we have developed. The
AKO Prima underlay is free of PVC and plasticis- ers – and this is something that customers have very clearly said they want. It is suitable for all smooth flooring of tile, natural stone, laminate or wood, thus requiring less customer advice than our other underlay products. Parquet seal- ing using a water-soluble varnish for example has to be done three months in advance in or- der to harden. It is even more reliably anti-slip and yet at the same time thinner than compara- ble underlays. My cousin, Cornelius Sorg, was instrumental in developing this product. We expect a European patent for our new anti-slip carpet underlay to be granted in the first half of 2023; we have held utility model protection since 2019. And like most of our carpet under- lays, it is Oeko-Tex Standard 100-certified.
Carpet Home: Consumers rarely give any thought to carpet underlays as a product. What are your selling points to generate additional re- tail revenue with this product ?
Cornelius Sorg: If you have ever slipped on a carpet, you will be aware that that can lead to significant injury. So it’s always doing the right thing to advise customers about having a
JOHANNA KOLCKMANN
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PHOTOS. AKO