Jade Patel, CEO of Project Floors New Zealand, reflects on the company's impressive growth over the last 12 months, which she attributes to their collaborative approach at their NEW premises, the Design Hub in Takapuna. Rather than simply opening a flooring showroom, “we partnered with design experts to align with their vision and offer complementary products such as Autex acoustic solutions, Novii lighting, Laminex, Statement ID, Frameless Glass Company, Fisher Painting Services, Nomad Tika, Resene, and New Zealand's leading tile providers, and Tile Depot.”

The Design Hub is just one example of Project Floors’ two decades of innovation. Before starting the company, Jade had worked for an international distributor and “became frustrated with the stagnated designs that didn't cater to the New Zealand market”. She and her husband and business partner, Dipak, started the New Zealand chapter of global entity Project Floors, but initially struggled to gain traction until they hit upon the idea of whitewash plank floors. “At the time, Trelise Cooper had just opened their Nuffield store and, with fashion and flooring having a close synergy, it was my ‘Aha’ moment.  All the other global directors didn’t get it. They couldn’t see why someone would want white floors, but I knew it made sense for New Zealand.”

Jade emphasises the importance of tailoring designs to the local market, noting the close synergy between fashion and flooring. She views the success of Project Floors as a testament to the power of innovation and collaboration in meeting customer needs.

Jade and Dipak began their entrepreneurial journey by converting their lifestyle barn into a warehouse where they would receive materials from overseas, chop samples and prepare them to go out to potential clients. Initially, they followed the global vision for Project Floors and focused on LVT luxury vinyl flooring solutions. However, during a factory tour overseas 15 years ago, Jade discovered a soft-back carpet tile that she believed could be their point of difference. Despite resistance from others in the industry, Jade persevered and “fought tooth and nail for that product to find a manufacturer and work with a New Zealand adhesive supplier.” Her persistence paid off and ProTile with EcoTX™ backing was born, which ultimately evolved into an acoustic solution that revolutionized the industry.

Today, Project Floors remains the market leader of integrated, acoustic-backed carpet tiles in New Zealand, with products that boast impressive acoustic performance results, achieved through rigorous testing at accredited facilities in New Zealand and Australia. Moreover, 90% of their carpet tile stocks are now EcoTX™ backed, setting a new standard for the industry. Project Floors is now prioritizing a pathway to becoming Carbon Neutral, with a focus on ECONYL® as a key material in their product line: “On an overseas trip around 2016, I found ECONYL®, which turned out to be an amazingly positive step away from those historically extractive manufacturing processes.  It is made by regenerating synthetic waste plastic, waste fabric and lost and discarded fishing nets.

You take that material back to its original new nylon yarn form and then repurpose it into first-grade nylon, keeping it out of any downward cycle where it would end up in our oceans or in a lazy landfill.  We were the first manufacturer in New Zealand to use and stock ECONYL® Carpet Tiles, which is something I feel really proud of.”

Project Floors has since incorporated other sustainable products into its portfolio, such as wineo PURline®, an organic, cradle-to-cradle-certified alternative flooring solution. The company's goal is to ensure that within five years, 97% of all Project Floors products will be regenerated or renewable. Jade's vision for the future of Project Floors is one that prioritizes sustainability and innovation, setting a new standard for the industry while reducing their environmental impact.

To learn more visit www.projectfloors.co.nz, add our socials @ProjectFloorsNZ and give our friendly team a call on 09 444 4165. 
As Jade says, “we love talking to people!  Old-fashioned great customer service is our ethos, and we will walk over hot coals to complete your project, issue free with ease.