Armstrong Increases Wood Flooring Prices

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Lancaster, Pa., February 17, 2010 – Armstrong Hardwood Flooring clarified today that it will initiate a five to seven percent price increase in the United States and Canada on solid hardwood flooring products effective with shipments on April 1st, 2010.  This increase is an adjustment to the previously announced increase, originally planned to take effect March 15th, 2010.  Engineered hardwood flooring products will receive an increase in the 1-4% range.

“As we communicated in January, lumber and energy prices are rising.  Significant  saw mill capacity was taken off-line during the recession and the impact on lumber costs in the second half of 2009 have been significant.  Since our announcement in January, weather conditions in logging regions have worsened and log shortages have become severe.  This has been compounded by an increase in demand from flooring mills that have previously reduced their yard inventory levels.  We believe further raw material inflation is likely in the coming months,” commented Daniel Call, vice president, Wood Product Management.