Interface in Asia-Pacific is now InterfaceFLOR™ plus Modular Flooring Leader Unveils New Company Name "Mission Zero™" Gives a New Voice to Company's Sustainability Heritage

Interface, the world's largest producer of carpet tile, announces a new name for its Asia-Pacific modular flooring business, InterfaceFLOR™. The new name is part of a worldwide re-branding effort, where Interface becomes the master brand of all associated companies (carpet and textiles), to establish clarity and unity across all the organisation's businesses.

In addition, all of the Interface companies have adopted Mission Zero™ as their brand promise-- a revitalization of the company's mission statement to become sustainable and leave zero environmental footprint by the year 2020. Mission Zero succinctly expresses the company's current environmental position as well as what it is striving for in the future. The launch date coincided with NeoCon 2006 -- the world's leading conference for architecture, interior design and facilities management professionals.

"The new business name in Asia-Pacific, InterfaceFLOR, has more relevance to our products to clarify what we do, while Mission Zero reaffirms our promise to the environment," said Rob Coombs, President of the Asia-Pacific region.

Accompanying the name change is the release of a new company logo and accompanying graphics, which will begin appearing on products, facilities and sales and marketing materials this June. This includes representing the many "faces" of the company: design leadership, research and innovation, quality, service and, of course, sustainability.

"A key objective in launching Mission Zero will be to engage in a conversation with the design community and the community at large, illustrating what sustainability is in all its dimensions," said Mr. Coombs. "Consequently, this conversation will be graphically represented as speech bubbles that express the company's thoughts on leaving nothing behind but a legacy of 'doing well by doing good'."

"Mission Zero gives voice to the company's commitment to consider the environmental impact of every creative, manufacturing and building decision it makes."

Rather than a new campaign or program, Mr. Coombs explains that Mission Zero is simply a new way of talking about the journey Interface pioneered in 1994, when Interface founder Ray Anderson had his now-legendary epiphany that transformed the course of his company and an entire industry.

"Ray Anderson, our founder and the person who pioneered sustainability in our industry, is synonymous with the vision," explained Mr. Coombs. "Mission Zero is a way for every Interface associate in the world to own a piece of Ray's vision via their own mission. We have talked for 12 years about our journey to sustainability. What Mission Zero does is give us a platform to better describe our journey and our goal."

Mr. Coombs concluded, "Since 1994, worldwide the organisation has achieved an 80% reduction in waste, 78% reduction in water intake, a 46% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, has reduced energy consumption by 31% and has reduced the use of petroleum-based materials by 28%. Mission Zero helps us crystalise what is still to be achieved."

Background

InterfaceFLOR in Australia has introduced a variety of products and programs as part of the organisation's on-going commitment to sustainability, some of which are outlined below:

• InterfaceFLOR offers GlasBac® RE recycled vinyl backing products and ReEntry™ program. InterfaceFLOR was the first organisation in Australia to offer recycled vinyl-backed modular carpet. Its accompanying ReEntry program makes it hassle-free to recycle used vinyl-backed carpet at the end of its life.
• InterfaceFLOR's Cool Carpet™ 100% greenhouse gas (GHG) offset program. While every effort is made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across every function of the InterfaceFLOR organisation, the Cool Carpet program calculates the remaining GHG emissions over the entire lifecycle of InterfaceFLOR product - raw material extraction, transportation, manufacturing, and even maintenance of the product. These emissions are then offset through the support of projects that reduce GHG's, such as the Te Apiti wind farm in New Zealand. Cool Carpet is standard on all Interface i2™ products and available across the entire range.
• Introduction of polylactic acid (PLA)/nylon hybrid fibre products. PLA is a bio-based, renewable resource made from non food grade #2 corn and potentially other starch containing agricultural plant materials. The starch portion of these agricultural products is converted to sugar and fermented to produce lactic acid. This is then processed and polymerised to produce PLA. By using PLA fibre in carpet, InterfaceFLOR is minimising its reliance on non-renewable materials whilst simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The PLA component can return to "natural" cycles at the end of the product's life.