The world’s largest laminate flooring association EPLF is 20 years old!
Recently the EPLF has celebrated its 20th year with a series of event held in Bad Oeynhausen, Germany. Apart from the constructional working groups and the general assembly, this year as the part of ceremony the organization has presented prominent speakers and a fantastic show performance of the latest GOP show “Je t’aime”.
Two days events started with working groups focused on “Markets and Image”, “Technics”. After the lunch break separate meetings continued until the reception at the Foyer Variete GOP Kaiserpalais. During the festive event performers of the GOP put an impressive stage show together. Later on the participants enjoyed a delicious meal along with sweet opera melodies. The next day started with a bistro at the GOP Kaiserpalais. During General Assembly, an interesting speech about the internet made by Sanjay Sauldie was very impressive.
The EPLF regards itself as an international platform for the exchange of views and experience among manufacturers of laminate flooring and their supplier industries. In 1994, eight well-known European manufacturing companies – Alsapan (France), Hamberger (Germany), Kaindl (Austria), Meister Leisten (Germany, now MeisterWerke Schulte GmbH), Dekaply (Belgium), Unilin (Belgium), Vesterby (Denmark) and Witex (Germany, now Windmöller Flooring) – gathered in Bonn, Germany, and founded the Association of European Producers of Laminate Flooring. Since then, the laminate flooring industry has experienced many exciting developments, with the EPLF and its members consistently in the driving seat.
The EPLF’s members currently consist of 21 manufacturers from 11 European countries and 33 suppliers and service providers for the laminate flooring industry. The EPLF manufacturers currently supply approximately 55% of the global laminate flooring market and over 80% of the European market. The EPLF president Ludger Schindler has been successfully leading the association since 2002, following in the footsteps of Roland Elbracht (Witex), Göran Dannborg (Perstorp) and Ulrich Windmöller (Witex).
Dr. Theo Smet (Unilin) has been active for the same length of time; in 2002, he took over the role of convenor of the EPLF Technical Committee from Bengt Almquist (Perstorp), and since then has invested a great deal of skill and passion for international parquet flooring in the development of important standardisation work. In 2008, Volkmar Halbe (Parador) became convenor of the EPLF Market and Image Committee, following on from Ralf Eisermann (Akzenta). Since then, Halbe has worked not only to maintain the EPLF’s good public image, but also to provide impetus in terms of market observation and strategy development. The newest member of the board is Max von Tippelskirch (Kronotex), who followed on from Didier Stumpf (Alsapan) and Martin Prager (Kronotex) as deputy president in 2012 and who actively contributes to the EPLF’s strategy planning. In 1998, Peter H. Meyer replaced Berthold Heuser as managing director of EPLF e.V. Since that time, the EPLF association headquarters have been located in Bielefeld, Germany.
