“I set up the company in 1986 at the age of 18 and we began trading in Brecon, under the name, Functional Foam – ironic, or possibly apt really, as I’d been expelled from college for setting off a fire extinguisher in the library so I suppose people can make of that what they will!

It’s still slightly difficult to believe that that was all 20 years ago – we’ve since moved to a Merthyr base employing 22 staff - but, looking back, what pleases me most is that, after two decades in business - during which I’ve witnessed many key competitors come and go - we continue to enjoy sustained growth and lead the way in recognising the issues that affect both our industry and product.

At the moment, for example, I think there’s a real job of education to be undertaken but the messages are ones that the retailers are beginning to take on board.

Key to my business is the fact that such retailers are really starting to wake up to the fact that substandard underlays will invariably affect the quality and sustainability of the products they’re attempting to sell and that this will ultimately have a negative effect on their own future sustainability – ultimately, the ones that discount its importance in the overall quality of the finished product will probably not stay the course.

I think we can particularly see this with the case of laminate flooring - sales of which have notably declined in the last couple of years.  While this can, in some part, obviously be attributed to changing trends in home interiors, it would seem that the many laminate ranges have come to be thought of as substandard and not particularly durable, often unfairly so, I feel.  It’s not actually the end product that’s the problem – the one that is ultimately getting the reputation of being of generally poor quality – but actually what lies beneath it.

The problem is that there is no official British Standard for wood and laminate underlay, like there is for carpet.  New build homes are a classic example – underlay is required to be fitted under any laminate or floating floor covering but there are absolutely no regulations relating to the quality of that underlay and its main function as a spot leveller – all other benefits are fruitless without the main function being maintained.

With our fully tested and certified Acoustalay range, what we’ve done is taken into consideration the fact that one size simply does not fit all – something most of our competitors seem reluctant to do - and that different rooms/environments will have very different levels of footfall and loading and therefore, different requirements. 

Acoustalay is manufactured from a special blend of Cross-Linked Polyolefin foam, a process that transforms the cells, making them rounder and more resilient and there’s simply not a range like it at the at the moment that meets the standard more completely, so obviously, we’re excited about its development.

Our range is neither over nor under spec – we meet the requirement exactly.  It includes options of fire retardant, grades, DPM laminates for floor areas where damp problems have not been resolved, high load bearing and thermally efficient grades, as well as underlays suitable for underfloor heating.

Customers are spending good money on their flooring and they need to be confident that their investment is protected  - if the underlay fails, ultimately, the floor fails and I want the consumer to be made aware of this when parting with their money so we offer a 10 year guarantee.

The only way customers will be able to get the information they need is if retailers are clued up and understand individual requirements and, to that end, we’re supporting the Acoustalay range with a new product guide – detailing sales and technical information - and point of sale packaging that makes it easier to match the underlay to the floor.

We’re also introducing an interactive service via our new website, which should make things even easier.

It’s certainly an exciting time for the business – we’re serving some of the UK’s leading companies and, aided by the launch of a complete range, my aim is to double the turnover of the underlay division by the end of 2008 - there’s definitely work to be done!”