In August 2018, Weinheim-based rubber flooring manufacturer nora systems was acquired by global flooring manufacturer Interface, headquartered in the U.S. Interface and nora leaders have worked tirelessly toward integration since then, and expect to continue to do so through 2020.
As mentioned at the time of the transaction, the combination of the two companies pro-vides the potential for significant added value for all stakeholders. "We have found the perfect partner in Interface," says Christa Hoffmann, Managing Director of nora systems GmbH." nora’s rubber floor coverings perfectly complement Interface's existing product portfolio of carpet tile and luxury vinyl tile (LVT). The combination provides both companies leverage in untapped markets due to a new breadth of products and performance attributes. Interface is primarily specialized in the commercial office sector, while rubber floors are mainly used in the healthcare, education and industrial sectors," Hoffmann adds.
Management changes
Prior to the acquisition, Andreas Mueller and Christa Hoffman led nora systems GmbH. As part of the integration process, nora and Interface restructured its management team at the beginning of 2019. Christa Hoffmann remains managing director of the Weinheim site and al-so now serves as vice president of finance and administration for the company’s Europe, Af-rica, Asia and Australia (EAAA) region. Andreas Mueller, former CEO of nora, was appointed to the role of Chief Customer Officer, effective 1 January 2019 and is now leading customer services for the entire company worldwide.
By taking on this role, he retired from manage-ment of nora systems GmbH. Dr. Peter Schwarzenberger, previously part of the extended management team, has focused on production management in Weinheim since the beginning of the year, responsible for the production of rubber flooring. New to the management ranks is Dutch-born and long-time Interface employee Ton van Keken, vice president of supply chain. He has extensive experience in managing corporate locations. Together with Christa Hoffmann, he forms the new management of nora systems GmbH.
nora systems GmbH continues to grow
As in previous years, nora was able to look back on a solid year in 2018. Interface increased its net sales from 996 million to 1.2 billion dollars – an increase of 18 percent from the previ-ous year. nora contributed USD 113 million to the aforementioned net sales in 2018 from the time of the transaction. Investments at the Weinheim site have also continued to grow. There, the company spent about 6.2 million euros on new plants and technical innovations in 2018.
Joint sustainability journey
Interface is a recognized industry leader in sustainable manufacturing. The company has been recognized for more than 20 years in the annual Sustainability Leaders Report by GlobeScan and SustainAbility, and is the only company to maintain its position in this ranking since the report’s inception. For Interface, the key cornerstones of this topic are its Mission Zero® commitment to reducing its environmental impact and devotion to reversing global warming through the company’s Climate Take Back™ initiatives.
As part of Interface, nora systems GmbH will also work toward the same sustainability goals within its manufacturing operations. Initially, the team will focus on further reducing the carbon footprint of the entire nora product life cycle with a goal of carbon neutrality. "With this step, we are building on our previous sustainability strategy and thus making a valuable contribution to environmental and climate protection," Hoffmann concludes.
In addition, further demonstrating its commitment to achieving carbon neutrality, as of 1 January 2019, nora rubber flooring is now included in Interface’s Carbon Neutral Floors™ program. As a result, Interface’s entire product portfolio – carpet tile, LVT, and now nora rubber flooring – is carbon neutral across its product lifecycle.*
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