Meet Lincoln Macintyre, Product Director at Advance Flooring.

“When we approach a new project, our goal is to offer a coordinated bundle of commercial flooring products, providing a complete solution for our customers,” says Lincoln Macintyre, Product Director at Advance Flooring.

Since joining the family business in 1992, Lincoln has had a hands-on role in most aspects of Advance Flooring’s operations. “I started off working for my father and grandfather in the factory, went on to warehouse management, and then on the road covering sales for most of the North Island for nearly 13 years. Now I lead the product and technical side of the business and oversee sales management and strategy.”

Founded in 1976, Advance Flooring quickly became known for commercial entrance matting systems, which they have been designing and manufacturing in New Zealand ever since. “Those are products we’re still known for, but we have grown a lot since those early days, with a bigger, multi-generational team and a comprehensive product range.”

Advance Flooring benefits from long-standing relationships with customers, some of whom Lincoln has been working with since he started with the business nearly 35 years ago. “We work with specifiers and commercial flooring companies continuously with new products and trends coming in from overseas. We actively find opportunities to learn what their needs and frustrations might be and align product solutions into a bundle that works for them. These can be very complex and could include everything from entrance systems to carpet tiles to vinyl to recycled rubber. It’s important to understand their vision and align that with available budget and lead times.”

The new, bold Stitches & Gauge carpet tile range out of Singapore has been a big hit with both designers and end users, Lincoln says. “It’s a really interesting, design-forward collection, with each pattern having an inspirational story behind it, which designers really like. One of the patterns, for instance, is called Gelato, and it’s inspired by the swirling you see in the bowl or tub when you get a scoop of gelato at a shop. Across the range, there are some really great colours that work well in commercial office spaces and educational environments. Some of the stronger feature designs are finding their way into hospitality, hotel and boardroom environments that you want to accentuate with some bright colour in the flooring.”

2026 has been a year of high-profile project delivery for the Advance Flooring team, with both the One NZ Stadium in Christchurch and the award-winning New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) in Auckland opening this year. “The stadium had pretty established design guidelines which required a balance of durability and sustainability,” Lincoln says. “We customised a tile for the main corporate spaces and function rooms, with a unique and variable pattern that we developed with them and then manufactured with printed tiles with no repeats. In the changing rooms and tunnels, we used a 100% recycled EPDM rubber 8mm floor made from window and door seal waste, so it does not have car tyre smell; it’s very durable with extremely good fire code compliance.

“The NZICC project was also quite notable, as it was a long time in the making. We first met with architects almost 10 years ago to explore ways to match their design intent. The resulting flooring has bronze, anodised finishes in tones that match the natural colour patterns there. It’s all been custom-made to size and shape to fit around each architectural element, with quite a complex installation. The overall design won the Tourism and Leisure Property Award at the 2026 Property Industry Awards.”

This year also marks a huge milestone for Advance Flooring: 50 years in business. Over five decades, their team has learned a lot, Lincoln says, and there’s plenty to celebrate. “We have a long track record of strong values behind us and a team that we’re really proud of; some of them have been here virtually all of their working lives. I have three of my own children working here now, which is an interesting challenge. It’s made me reflect a lot on my father and how he gave us space to grow. It’s important to me to build on that legacy and allow the next generation to grow as well.

“One of the driving motivators throughout our time in business has been customer satisfaction and how we can make things easy for them, so we’re always looking for ways to streamline the flooring process. The supply chain is much better connected now than when I started out, which means we have many more opportunities to connect with our customers and their finished projects. A big commitment we make to them is having a large portfolio of core stock here in New Zealand. This reduces uncertainty and frustration around bringing product in from overseas, eliminates the need for deposits and minimum quantities, and reduces lead times. With so much change in the industry and the global outlook in 2026, we really want to smooth that process, and we work with suppliers who are supportive of that approach as well.”

Looking ahead, Lincoln is excited to grow the business internationally and expand the Advance Flooring product line. “We have already moved into Australia, and we have a team on the ground there now delivering some key products that we know will offer real value to the market. Our entrance matting, in particular, is giving us a point of difference in that huge market with different designs and styles. For me personally, this continuous growth could mean that I get more focused on product development and global opportunities. We are going to keep growing, and we’re innovating all the time. We’ve got some exciting new products in the pipeline that we can’t wait to share.”

To learn more and connect with Lincoln, visit https://www.advanceflooring.co.nz/ or email their customer service team directly at sales@advanceflooring.co.nz.