Bostik, Inc., a world leader in specialty adhesives and installation systems for building construction, recognized the growing potential throughout Mexico regarding installation of hardwood flooring. Bostik also recognized that a major, ongoing educational program was needed to help wood flooring professionals become even more professional.
Scott Banda, Bostik’s Director of Marketing and Business Development stated, “Bostik had a very successful event last year in Mexico in tandem with the National Wood Flooring Association. We knew if we were to commit to an ongoing program, it would be win-win for all involved.”
Recently, Bostik organized a state-of-the-art training three-day event in Guadalajara. Daniel Sanchez, National Sales Manager of Bostik Mexicana said, “Together with NWFA instructors Lenny Hall and Jon Namba, we had a successful, intensive training session, the first of its kind ever in Guadalajara. A great many of the attendees were from Grupo Tenerife, a major source for hardwood flooring with warehouses and showrooms in 25 cities across Mexico.
“Our Modus Operandi was very simple. Along with our partners from NWFA, we wanted to teach everyone in the room the most up-to-date techniques to install hardwood flooring. And we encouraged not just installation pros to attend, but sales representatives as well. After all, the more everyone knows about this category of flooring, the better they can educate their consumers,” commented Eric Kurtz – Market Manager for Bostik’s Hardwood, Resilient & Surface Preparation product categories.
Sanchez mentioned that a good portion of the initial training focused on the importance of measuring moisture within the hardwood material and in concrete subfloors. “From there, we got really specific about total floor prep techniques – and after that, ultimately focused on the benefits offered by Ultra-Set® SingleStep2™, Bostik’s highest-performing wood flooring adhesive containing the company’s proprietary Axios® technology.”
Ultra-Set® SingleStep2™ is a high-performance adhesive, moisture control, and sound reduction membrane all-in-one. It also maintains the superior long-term durability, moisture control and sound abatement properties of high-end urethane adhesives. Additionally, Ultra-Set® SingleStep2™ contains recycled rubber material for additional self-leveling and, it has zero VOC’s.
“I’m proud to state that most of the attendee-participants were women, many of whom being salespeople. Our belief, and theirs, was that in order to best sell the material, one most know it inside and out. 70% of the training was hands-on. We were delighted on how involved everyone was!” continued Sanchez. “Everyone got their hands dirty! The remaining 30% of the sessions consisted of classroom training, with strong engagement taking place between instructors and students.”
Sanchez mentioned that a similar event, but with mostly installation contractors, took place earlier this spring in Mexico City. “During the last 12 months,” concluded Sanchez, “we organized three of these events in Mexico, allowing us to educate nearly 400 installers, sales reps and managers from all over the country about the latest installation techniques and benefits of using Bostik's high-performance, life-lasting solutions for hardwood flooring. Our commitment to education and improvement continues, as next month we will host another new training event in Guadalajara. We know how important this is!”
About Bostik, an Arkema company
Bostik, a subsidiary of the Arkema Group and a global player in specialty adhesives for the construction, consumer and industrial markets, develops innovative and multifunctional sealing and bonding solutions that have been shaping our daily lives for over 130 years. With an annual sales of 2.1 billion euros in 2019 and a presence in more than 40 countries 6,000 employees, the company is committed to meeting the major ecological, energy and technological challenges through its innovations. It is focused on continuous improvement and operational excellence to meet the expectations of its customers and partners. www.bostik.com .
About Arkema
Building on its unique set of expertise in materials science, Arkema offers a world-leading technology portfolio to address ever-growing demand for new and sustainable materials. With the ambition to become in 2024 a pure player in Specialty Materials, the Group is structured into three complementary, resilient and highly innovative segments dedicated to Specialty Materials – Adhesive Solutions, Advanced Materials and Coating Solutions – accounting for some 80% of Group sales, and a well-positioned and competitive Intermediates segment. Arkema offers cutting-edge technological solutions to meet the challenges of, inter alia, new energies, access to water, recycling, urbanization and mobility, and fosters a permanent dialogue with all its stakeholders. The Group reported sales of €8.7 billion in 2019, and operates in some 55 countries with 20,500 employees worldwide. www.arkema.com.