It is not often a branded and internationally recognized design finds its way into the decorative surface industry. Historically, winning décor designs emerge from the collaborative efforts of design professionals at the world’s finest printers and laminate manufacturers. But occasionally something truly unique enters the market that stirs everyone’s curiosity and sparks the imagination. The decorative surfaces market is about to be introduced to just such a design, but look carefully, it’s easy to miss. The design is called “Break Up” and it is already a best-seller in the outdoor sporting industry because of its strategic use of shadows that “break up” the surface of the pattern, making it difficult for the eye to focus on. Mossy Oak® Brand Camo, owned by the outdoor industry leader in modern camouflage design, Haas Outdoors, Inc, perfected the design. The true innovation of the “shadow” patterns is that they make “Break Up” the first camouflage design that is as difficult to see up close, as far away. Though designed to blend into nearly any background, the pattern can be seen in a multitude of products from apparel, gunstocks and all-terrain vehicles to baby clothes. If it is useful to hunters and outdoorsmen, it ought to come in camo. Now, for the first time ever, the design is available in a wide range of surface materials, and there is no visible end to the possibilities.

OUT OF THE WOODS

Arclin, a leading provider of bonding, surfacing and related products for today’s engineered materials (and natural resource markets) has been granted exclusive rights to Mossy Oak’s licensed camouflage patterns and related trademarks for use in decorative surfaces. The agreement gives Arclin access to Mossy Oak’s banded designs for use in surfacing applications for low and high -pressure laminates, edgebanding and laminated panels for all of the Americas. The new designs will bear Arclin’s E-Gen™ designation as an environmentally friendly product and will be GREENGUARD certified.

“This is a unique opportunity to bring a new, branded design to the decorative surfaces market,” says Jim Ryan, Business Director of Decorative Surfaces at Arclin. “We are excited about this alliance and the opportunity it provides Arclin and our downstream customers to offer new and unique design choices.” Arclin will be working closely with Schattdecor, who is the exclusive décor printer of the Mossy Oak designs. The current downstream customers of the alliance consist of Roseburg, Thermo Pressed Laminates (TPL) and Timber Products.

“Traditional design to market channels start with designers in the HPL venue, who identify color and pattern trends, which are often matched by other surface material suppliers,” explains Ryan. “In this channel to market, there is a branded design with instant recognition. It is established and in a way, presold. Arclin’s job is to get out in front of the brand, get it to market and facilitate the transfer.”

Roseburg Forest Products announced that it will offer Mossy Oak in its Duramine Decorative Melamine TFM panels produced at all four of its melamine production facilities. This is the first time a Mossy Oak pattern has been offered in a TFM panel, and Roseburg will also make the design available in its RediShelf line of decorative shelving. “Because Mossy Oak has been so successful branding its designs, we anticipate a very high demand,” says Tim Lewis, Director of Panel Sales for Roseburg States, “it will be available at all of our 150 distribution partners in North America.”

NOT SEEING IT EVERYWHERE

Obvious end use applications for Mossy Oak designs include store fixtures in outdoor and sporting retailers, as well as garages, storage and trailers. But the true potential of Mossy Oak as a surface material will not be known until fabricators across the country experiment with new applications. Once the product is available at the distribution level, creative ideas will undoubtedly pour in from the consumer end, where the brand is already highly recognized. Don’t be surprised if game room cabinets and home office furniture throughout the nation begins to disappear into the background.

In fact, the real measure of the success of Mossy Oak in décor panels will likely be defined at the retail level. “I think the connection to Mossy Oak has the potential really to be an outstanding opportunity for virtually everybody involved,” says Pat McNeal of Thermo Pressed Laminates. “Mossy Oak is by far the world’s number one producer of sporting (not military) camouflage, it already has a following.” Considering that outdoorenthusiasts often describe their relationships with nature as “obsessive,” providing them access to both shelving and cut-to-size panels may generate more uses than anyone within the composite panel industry ever imagined. That sort of heartfelt customer interest can quickly create “pull through” demand from consumers. Even though the real power of the “Break Up” pattern for surface materials is in its ability NOT to be seen, savvy fabricators will surely keep an eye on this design, or at least try to.