Kinetex, J+J Flooring Group’s innovative textile composite flooring, has received the Excellence in Product Development Award from the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM). Kinetex and the other 2014 BIFM award winners were announced during a ceremony Oct. 13 at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.
Taking the top spot in the category, BIFM sited the product’s ability to meet a long-standing need for a soft-surface flooring product that performs more like a hard surface flooring covering. In addition, its ability to meet the rigorous maintenance requirements of educational and healthcare facilities was specifically noted.
According to BIFM: “In the healthcare and education markets, people who use the facility can be highly affected by the chosen finishes – even as far as their healing progress and learning abilities.” Kinetex “meets a need particularly high in educational and healthcare facilities that have much higher standards for cleaning, durability, moisture management, acoustics, indoor air quality, resistance to slips and falls and sustainability.”
Judges viewed and evaluated the product through a real-world installation at Coca-Cola’s new London headquarters in Central London. One of the premier Kinetex products, Accelerate, was installed in May at the facility. The product was selected for three floors of the building, equating to more than 27,000 square feet. BIFM judges toured the office in July to evaluate product integration and effectiveness.
Constructed of knitted polyester fabric and cushioned polyester felt backing, facility managers appreciate Kinetex’s ease of maintenance, durability, cost saving advantages and sustainable attributes, most notably:
• Kinetex is virtually unaffected by many common stains including blood, hand sanitizers and copier toners.
• It offers minimal resistance to rolling traffic and resists crushing, withstanding more than 5 million foot traffics.
• Its lifecycle cost of ownership (flooring materials, installation and maintenance over 7-10 years) is approximately 30 percent less than rubber flooring, 35 percent less than LVT flooring and almost 50 percent less than VCT flooring.
• Made with more than 55 percent post-consumer content, it has a 50 percent lower environmental impact than traditional hard or soft surface flooring. In fact, it is the only flooring that can be recycled back into itself much like a plastic soda bottle.
“We are extremely honored to be recognized for this prestigious award,” said J+J Flooring Group’s Director of Product Innovation Keith Gray. “It’s gratifying to be selected by British facility managers and know that our product is viewed as an innovative flooring solution across the globe.”
Since it’s introduction in 2013, Kinetex has won several awards for its innovation and has been named an Environmental Building News Top 10 Green Building Products of 2014.