KBAC Flooring supplied woven vinyl floor covering by the internationally acclaimed Swedish company, Bolon, for the footwear area of the new Woolworths store in the Mall of Africa in Midrand, the largest single-phase shopping centre yet built in South Africa.

KBAC Flooring was earlier this year appointed as the sole southern African distributor of Bolon. Bolon was founded in Stockholm in 1949, and internationally pioneered the development and production of woven vinyl floor coverings. 
Shane de Beer, director of KBAC, says the company supplied and installed three Bolon ranges for the new Woolworths store: Bolon Studio Play (in hexagon format), and Bolon Studio Natural and Studio Luxury (both in triangle format). The flooring was requisitioned by Woolworths Store Design’s Piers Mansfield-Scaddan.

Piers says the Bolon specification originated from a UK-based design company that worked in conjunction with Woolworths Store Design for the design of the new outlet in the Mall of Africa.  The London company, HMKM, had informed Woolworths Store Design that Bolon was extremely popular in Europe with its durability favoured by leading retailers such as Marks & Spencer and Armani. “As Bolon had only recently appointed KBAC Flooring as its southern African distributor, we had not used the product before in a South African Woolworths outlet, but following the strong recommendation of our London associates and some local inquiries, we ordered the product from KBAC and are delighted with the end-result. I am impressed by the variety of finishes and bespoke nature of Bolon flooring. It may not be the lowest priced floor finish in South Africa but it offers exceptionally long life with a 25-year guarantee against material defect in a commercial environment. Such durability and resilience are unheard of in today’s disposable world.

“I intend specifying Bolon again and again in future and have even contemplated installing it in my own home. I particularly appreciate the fact that the backing uses 40% recycled materials and is Green Tag-certified; and that the flooring is recyclable and phthalate-free. KBAC Flooring was quick and helpful when handling the installation,” Piers added.

KBAC’s Shane de Beer says Bolon has been implementing a progressive and inclusive environmental improvement programme, Bolon Green, in all areas of its operations for many years, which has contributed to the company being certified to leading global environmental standards such as GreenTag, FloorScore, and the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method. Bolon has also complied with ISO 14001 certification for the company's Environmental Management System (EMS) since 1999. “Bolon offers a unique product, both in terms of design and production.

All Bolon products have a discernable textile appearance with strong, vivid features, and are highly functional when it comes to maintenance and long life. The range is produced for public environments with a focus on upmarket hotels and exclusive shops, and meets stringent standards for fire safety, wear and durability, and sound insulation. KBAC Flooring expects the product soon to become very popular with the local interior design fraternity, particularly because of Bolon's emphasis on sustainability at a time when Green Building has become increasingly imperative," de Beer adds.