Hills Floorings to join Flooring Brands

Press Release.

Hills Floorings to join Flooring Brands.

The flooring industry heated up this week with Auckland based flooring business Hills Floorings joining forces with the Flooring Brands group, controlled by Auckland entrepreneur Rodney Martin. With the addition of Hills Floorings the Flooring Brands group is now more than $200 million in revenue, more than one third of New Zealand’s retail flooring industry, and larger and more powerful than it has ever been before.

With $30 million of revenue Hills Floorings is by far the largest independently owned flooring business in New Zealand. Owned by brothers Willi, David and George Hill, the business was started by their father, Bill Hill, almost 50 years ago. Willi Hill, the Managing Director, is a well known patron of the arts and a prominent figure in the New Zealand retail flooring industry. Today Hills Floorings has three retail operations in Auckland and further commercial operations in Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch.

Martin’s group, Flooring Brands Limited owns the Carpet Court brand and its new brand, The Floor Store. Hills Floorings will join The Floor Store, doubling the size of that group overnight to $60 million. Willi Hill will take up the position of Chairman of the Franchise Advisory Council for The Floor Store.

Through his investment vehicle, Lincoln Capital Partners, Martin took a controlling interest in the Carpet Court group late last year, having previously acquired 32 of the 61 Carpet Court stores. He transformed the group from a cooperative structure into a franchise. He then started buying up independent stores, and formed The Floor Store group, which he has now also franchised.

“Hills Floorings is a great business that I have always admired that will add tremendous value to the Flooring Brands group” says Flooring Brands Chairman, Rodney Martin. “The Hills brothers are icons in the industry, with over 120 years of industry experience between them”, says Martin. “I am very proud they have decided to join us, and I am sure we are going to do great things together” says Martin.

“Joining forces with Flooring Brands was a decision my brothers and I thought about long and hard”, says Mr. Hill. “Rodney Martin has a great vision which has already changed the retail flooring industry. We like his plan, we are excited about being a part of it, and we believe that our experience and market presence will contribute significantly to the success of the plan.”

ENDS

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