HAVING set up a representative office in the UAE last year, nora systems, a specialist in high-quality, resilient floor coverings, has strategically positioned itself to take advantage of the upsurge in airport, education and healthcare projects in the Middle East.

With a market share of more than 80 per cent in Germany and more than 50 per cent worldwide, nora systems is the global leader in the market for rubber floor coverings, focusing on the healthcare, education, transportation, industry and public buildings markets. Its renowned floor covering ranges norament and noraplan epitomise the quality that the “Made in Germany” label is associated with worldwide.

nora systems has been active in the region for more than 20 years, operating via a network of representatives, says Steven McFadden, the company’s Dubai-based regional manager. However, the Germany-headquartered firm decided to establish a representative office in Dubai last year to boost its presence in the regional market which, McFadden believes, could double or even triple in size over the next few years as governments and private institutions invest heavily in educational, healthcare and transport infrastructure projects such as railway cars, stations and airports.

“We are already very well known to all of the international architects and consultants and we see a great opportunity to be specified by the US consultants that are now very active on high-value, prestigious projects in the region,” he says.
McFadden continues: “We want to reflect the widely held German reputation for quality in the region and emphasis our concept of value engineering. Historically, the Middle East has looked for the cheapest alternatives that do not have the staying power of our products and need refurbishment and replacement after as little as three years in some cases. In contrast, we can point to prestigious projects such as Frankfurt Airport in Germany and John F Kennedy International Airport in New York where our products have been installed more than 35 years ago and are still going strong.

“We need to change the perception in the market and show that value engineering does not mean using the cheapest materials and products; our customers should look at our lifecycle analysis data and cost-benefit ratios. We assess lifecycles over 15 years and during that time our competitors would usually have had two refurbishments and two full-scale replacements, whereas our norament product has a minimum life of 30 to 40 years while noraplan has a life of more than 20 years.”

Another key element in lifecycle analysis that McFadden is keen to highlight is the cost of cleaning the floor: unlike rival products, nora systems flooring does not need chemical cleaning – clean water works perfectly, although of course, hospital installations will need disinfectant treatment. This massively extends the life of the flooring while saving thousands on specialist cleaning costs.

nora floor coverings are based on high-quality natural and industrial rubber, which is mixed with naturally occurring minerals and other components such as environment-friendly colour pigments, drawn into blanks, pressed and then vulcanised under heat and high pressure. This process gives the coverings their permanently resilient qualities and resistant surface. These floor coverings are practically indestructible, displaying scarcely any signs of wear even after years of intensive use, he says.

With more than 300 shades of colour, different surface structures and inlays for innumerable composition possibilities, the standard nora assortment gives architects, planners and building developers prolific options for creative interior design.

The name ‘nora’ has been synonymous with innovative floor design. In the 1960s, the norament pastille covering became a cult classic. In autumn 2011, the company again brought out two products, norament crossline and noraplan unita, which are setting new standards in the market for resilient floor coverings due to their unusual surface structures and combinations of materials.

Environment

Sustainability, environmental preservation and healthy living have long formed a key element of the corporate philosophy at nora systems. Numerous certificates awarded by administrative bodies and federations are a testament to the environmental compatibility of nora floor coverings, which contain no harmful plasticisers or halogens.

As one of the world’s first manufacturers of elastic floor coverings worldwide, the company has been certified for its environmental management system (EEC 761/2001) since 1996. In addition, cradle-to-cradle examinations of the production process have been conducted by the Fresenius Institute, and the company’s products conform to the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) and Estidama rating systems as well as have Greenguard certification that confirms they have low chemical emissions, thus improving the quality of the indoor air where they are used.

nora floor coverings have been carrying the “The Blue Angel ...for low emissions” environmental label since 2006. In early 2011, the company became the first manufacturer of rubber floor coverings to receive the Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) from the Institute Construction and Environment (IBU). nora systems is also a founding member of the German Sustainable Building Council.

This apart, with its certified nora system blue installation system, the company has taken yet another step toward a healthy living environment, becoming the first manufacturer worldwide to develop an all-in-one concept for environmentally compatible floor installations, comprising three components: the floor covering itself, the installation materials such as the glue, filler and primer, and a professional installation.