The Ultimate Bonding Experience

Taylor
Written by Karen Hawthorne

People are more concerned than ever before with clean living and the health of the materials and products in their homes and workplaces. And that includes what’s underneath their feet.
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What good would a floor be if it didn’t stay in place? You might not stop to think about it much, but there’s a whole lot of innovation that comes into play to make that beautiful bamboo, cork or luxury vinyl stay where it belongs.

The right adhesive product to glue down any type of flooring or carpet – from high-end ceramic tiles in home bathrooms to industrial-strength vinyl sheet-goods in hospitals – can make all the difference in how secure that floor covering really is and the ease with which it’s installed. That adhesive is also going to impact the environmental health of the building and the people who spend time there. No one wants harmful toxins in their home, their office, their child’s classroom or even in their local community hospital.

That’s where adhesives from Taylor have stood the test of time and are leading the curve. Based in Dalton, Georgia, Taylor has more than four decades of experience in developing, testing and manufacturing key products for the flooring industry. It has a reputation and a commitment to clean, green technology and safety, underpinned by sound and progressive environmental practices.

After all, flooring is underfoot every day. “It’s all about human health, environmental consciousness and ensuring that we’re moving in that direction,” Taylor CEO Dan Pelton says.

What started as a family-owned business was sold and developed by a private equity firm three years ago to advance the business and expand operations and sales with its nationwide distribution and private label accounts. This September, Taylor was acquired by Meridian Adhesives Group to lead the platform’s flooring arm of operations.

Meridian will now be on the lookout for solid, small companies in need of growth capital to plug into its key sectors of adhesives, including flooring and construction, medical, pharmaceutical, packaging, electronics, aerospace and others. But Taylor’s own product testing and development will remain laser-focused on flooring adhesives – its specialty and what it does best, Pelton says.

“Right now we’re taking it to the next level by using bio-based technology that allows us to have products that decompose and are more earth-friendly. These products start with materials that come from the earth,” he explains. “So instead of our starting point being crude oil, it is plant-based.”

That’s good news for installers on the job as well as people who frequent the buildings, as traditional adhesives can off-gas volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants that have been linked to breathing problems and eye irritation.

With Taylor products, you don’t have to close your business or vacate your home for a couple of days to allow new flooring to set properly and fumes to subside. And of course, time and efficiency in construction means saving big dollars, Pelton says. With the company’s products, “You can begin flooring demolition at seven o’clock at night and by using our fast-cure adhesives, install floor covering and turn the space back over for use immediately.”

Taylor products are isocyanate-free, solvent-free, non-flammable and, essentially, healthy in a sector where providing nontoxic flooring and materials has become an important business driver and top of mind for clients, project architects and designers.

As Pelton is proud to point out, Taylor is well ahead of the curve on this in terms of both customer demand and regulatory compliance. “Our water-based technology and in some cases 100 percent solids technology is falling into line with where all the rules and regulations will end up at some point.”

Which all makes the sales side of the business a truly feel-good process for Seth Gladden, Director of A&D/OEM Sales, and the team. Having great products is a solid foundation to build on, he says, highlighting one of Taylor’s bestselling adhesives, aptly called Dynamic.

“Dynamic is one of the best flooring adhesive products on the market. It’s extremely multi-functional with different application methods for different types of flooring. And it has ColorReady technology, which improves installation accuracy.”

Have you ever had someone put the flooring down too early before the adhesive was ready, and the flooring slid out of place or showed some bubbling or indentations? Taylor’s ColorReady feature means it goes on one color when applied and literally changes color when it’s ready to have flooring installed on top. Some of the other adhesives in the lineup also help reduce sound, such as footsteps and sounds from other rooms while also protecting flooring from moisture damage.

With a staff of 75, Taylor boasts nationwide distribution channels, a manufacturing and distribution center in California and its headquarters and manufacturing center in Dalton, Georgia. Dalton is also home to the company’s high-level technology and training center with classrooms, installation rooms and environmental chambers.

“We test products under all conditions, whether that’s mimicking Florida in the summertime or the upper Midwest in the winter, Seattle year-round, or even deserts in the Southwest,” Pelton explains. “Hot or cold, high or low humidity – we do it with a focus on environmental, topical and subterranean impacts, as well as how our products perform under various conditions, change of season and water tables. Other challenges we test for include different mixtures of concrete and a wide range of things that can happen out in the field,” he says.

“We are bringing products to market that are more robust than our competitors,” Pelton adds. More than half of Taylor’s products are also independently tested by certified third parties at the company’s expense and have been awarded environmental certifications. Taylor was also recognized as the Powerhold 2017 Manufacturer of the Year and as a Shaw Industries 2018 Small Business Subcontractor of the Year Nominee.

Another thing that sets Taylor apart is the testing done for original equipment manufacturer (OEM) customers such as Shaw and Armstrong who bring in their prototype flooring and materials for Taylor to evaluate. Says Pelton, “We’re an extension of our customers’ R&D operations and marketing as well as how they go to market – and we’re working with our customers on next-generation products for the future.”

Now that’s a strong leg to stand on.

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