- New Identity Is All About The Business Of Design -

TEMPLE, Texas, Summer 2007 – Wilsonart® International, a leading manufacturer of decorative surfacing products, including Wilsonart® Laminate, announced the launch of Wilsonart® Contract, a new identity that focuses on the business of design.

“We created this new identity specifically for interior designers, architects and contractors who put laminate into offices, stores, hotels, restaurants, hospitals and clinics,” says Ron Gagnon, Vice President of Design and Marketing at Wilsonart. “With Wilsonart Contract, we are focusing our efforts on how designers work – offering them a wide range of options that meet both their needs and help to inspire.”

At the heart of the Wilsonart Contract launch is the introduction of 44 new commercially focused high pressure laminate designs. These new designs focus on small scaled patterns including, subtle prints, fibers and optical solids, abstractions, and implied material influences such as metals, fibers, leathers and woodgrains. A brief description of these new design series may be found below.

In addition to offering fresh, new designs, Wilsonart Contract is also providing the trade with valuable resources that will help professionals meet the challenges of their Work, their Needs and their Inspirations.  Beyond products, Wilsonart Contract provides:

• www.wilsonartcontract.com, the online resource for the contract market
• Technical data available anytime, online
• Specifications specialists to provide solutions
• Smartline – live operators to assist you
• CEU courses to meet the demands of the profession
• A wide array of performance and specialty laminate options for special needs projects
• Student Scholarship Program that provides students with opportunities and invests in the future of design
• Sponsorship of the Metropolis “History of Design” Site Specific Tour in 2007

While Wilsonart has been providing the trades with quality products for many years, the launch of Wilsonart Contract formalizes an identity that is backed by more than 50 years of industry experience. Through Wilsonart Contract, the company is using its experience as an industry leader to uniquely position itself to provide its commercial customers with creative designs of the highest quality and serve as an industry resource for advice on design, application and technical information.

New Design Series for 2007

• Alchemy - This new series abstracts bamboo and metal for a stunning visual that complements Asian design elements.
• Eastern Accents - The new Eastern Accents Series features the quiet lines, sophisticated shapes and color patterns of Asia.
• Mesh - Inspired by recent tone-on-tone design trends in weaving and detailing, the new Mesh Series provides seamless eye-catching designs with a modern and minimal feel.
• Metallics – The new Wilsonart® HD™ Metallic Series reflects the visual temperance and effects of time that make metal an inspiring design trend. 
• Mission – The Mission Series is an ambiguous visual resembling the look of handcrafted surfaces that contain both organic and man-made qualities.
• Soapstone - Rustic beauty and clean, modern design combine brilliantly in new high pressure laminate Soapstone Series.
• Western - The Western Series reflects natural geometric pattern effects inspired by leathers and other skins.
• Woods - The new Architectural Woodgrain collection is designed to provide alternatives to exotic woods and hardwoods and offers a diverse range of color, grain and style from various regions throughout the world.
• Zephyr - The Zephyr Series creates the perfect harmony between color and space leaving a breezy, soft finish.

-More-

Wilsonart Contract, a division of Wilsonart® International, was created specifically with interior designers, architects and contractors who put laminate into offices, stores, hotels, restaurants, hospitals and clinics, and schools in mind. The new Wilsonart Contract collection offers these customers a choice between stocked designs that are available from our distributors and factory-order designs. In 2007, the division launched 44 new commercial designs extending the range of options designed specifically for design.

Wilsonart® International, based in Temple, Texas, is a leading manufacturer of decorative surfacing products, including Wilsonart® Laminate, Wilsonart® Solid Surface, Wilsonart® Flooring and Wilsonart® Adhesives. Wilsonart Laminate designs have been recognized for design leadership by Cooper-Hewitt, Interior Design and Architectural Record.  For more information about Wilsonart Laminate or any Wilsonart product, please call the Customer Service Hotline at 800.433.3222. Consumers can also visit www.countertop.com and professionals can visit www.wilsonartcontract.com.

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