AHF Products Wins GOOD DESIGN Award for Vinyl Based Tile

December 20, 2022

Revolutionary, low-maintenance VBT offers superior scratch, stain, and scuff resistance without polish

AHF Products, a leading manufacturer of hard surface flooring for the residential and commercial markets, announces that Expressive Ideas™, the new Vinyl Based Tile (VBT™) innovation for contract installations, has scored a prestigious 2022 GOOD DESIGN® Award, sponsored by the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.

Founded in Chicago in 1950 by Eero Saarinen and Charles and Ray Eames, GOOD DESIGN remains the oldest and the world’s most recognized program for design excellence worldwide.

“AHF Products is pleased to win this award,” said Fred Reitz , Vice President of Commercial, AHF Products. “This honor recognizes that our products and solutions continue to meet the needs of customers and that our consistent efforts in innovation have paid off. Our team continues to develop flooring solutions that meet and exceed evolving customer needs.”

The VBT product line, exclusively from AHF Products, offers lower maintenance and lifecycle costs versus traditional Vinyl Composition Tile (VCT) tile, with colors developed specifically for commercial environments. This revolutionary, low-maintenance VBT product offers superior scratch, stain, and scuff resistance without polish, reducing the total cost of ownership over the life of the floor. Education, corporate, retail and healthcare environments can resume operations far more quickly and with minimal interruption because of a simpler maintenance regimen and a variety of performance benefits that enhance efficiency, pro¬ductivity and sustainability goals.

Densely patterned tones effectively mask scuffs and soil in busy commercial spaces. From bold brights to subtle natural colors, the 28-color palette can enhance any environment. The through-pattern construction of VBT – which means the color and pattern extend throughout the thickness of the tile – ensures that the tile’s color and design will last the life of the floor.

An environmentally responsible product line, VBT is FloorScore® certified and is made with 100% virgin vinyl – no phthalates or heavy metals. Since VBT is a longer lasting product, that means it has to be replaced less often and ultimately means less waste ending up in landfills. It also doesn’t require any polishing; traditional VCT typically requires at least 2 (sometimes 5) coats of polish for regular maintenance – which means more energy and more chemicals for maintenance. VBT only needs damp mopping. Theoretically, commercial customers may have to replace their VCT up to twice as often than one installation of VBT. Health Product Declaration (HPD) is available. VBT has a 15-year limited commercial warranty, while some similar floors have a 5-10 year (based on the line).

This year, the Museum received a record number of submissions from the world’s leading manufacturers and industrial and graphic design firms representing the most important and critical mass of influential corporations in the design industry from over 55 countries, representing the best consumer design ranging from the ‘spoon to the city’ for sustainability, superior design, and unparalleled function. In November/December, the 72nd GOOD DESIGN jury convened to select over 1,100 product designs and graphics from over 50 nations worthy of the GOOD DESIGN Award for their Design Excellence.

All awards are posted on the Museum’s website at gooddesign.org and www.chi-athenaeum.org. All award-winning products and graphic designs are published in the GOOD DESIGN Yearbook for 2022-2023.

LINK TO VBT HI-RES IMAGES: https://spaces.hightail.com/space/A5MUZBLIUM

About AHF Products

AHF Products is a leading hardwood flooring manufacturer in the USA with a family of trusted brands serving the residential and commercial hardwood and vinyl flooring markets. With decades of experience in award-winning flooring design, product development, manufacturing, and service, we create quality flooring to last for generations through inspiring designs, innovation, and a deep commitment to outstanding customer service. Our residential flooring brands include Bruce®, Armstrong Flooring®, Hartco®, Robbins®, LM Flooring ®, Capella®, Homewood®, Hearthwood®, Raintree®, Autograph™, Emily Morrow Home™ and tmbr®. Our commercial brands include Bruce Contract™, Hartco Contract™, AHF Contract™, Armstrong Flooring™ and Parterre®. Headquartered in Mountville, Pennsylvania, with manufacturing operations across the United States and in Cambodia, AHF Products employs over 2,000 dedicated team members.