History

Merging Success Stories

Introducing Tarkett as the corporate brand of the group opens a new chapter in our company's history which has been land marked by innovation and product breakthroughs. Our history merges with the flooring industry history since the names from which the company is constituted are those which have shaped the flooring world for more than 100 years: Azrock, Domco, Harris Tarkett, Sintelon, Sommer and Tarkett.

We will continue this success story.

> The origins

1872 The history of Domco dates back to the company Dominion Oil Cloth, that started producing linoleum.
1880 The history of the Sommer Allibert Group dates back to Alfred Sommer who opened a felt-
producing plant in Mouzon (France) and Joseph Allibert who founded a factory for the shoe
industry in 1910.
1884 Foundation of the later Sintelon AD as Mihel Hemp Soaking and Rope factory.
1886 Tarkett AB is founded in Ronneby (Sweden) and quickly establishes a reputation as a high quality flooring manufacturer for Europe.
1898 Harris Hardwood Company Inc. is founded by William Pond Harris in Johnson City (USA).

> The development: Growth on domestic markets

1942 Bernard Deconinck takes over the management of Allibert.
1959 Sommer is the largest French producer of modern floorcoverings.
1962 Sintelon: Start up of Resilient Business
1967 Tarkett is the largest flooring manufacturer in the Nordic countries. The company is taken over by Swedish Match AB in 1970.
1972 Sommer and Allibert merge to create Sommer Allibert which carries on strong development
and growth for two decades.

> International development and acquisitions

1986 Sommer Allibert takes over a share in Domco.
1987 Swedish Match AB acquires a majority share in German Pegulan-Werke AG. Both companies merge to Tarkett Pegulan AG.
1988-90 Sintelon: Privatization and joint stock company.
1991-94 Domco acquires Azrock and resilient manufacturer Nafco.
1995 Sintelon starts production with Russian company "Roof and Polymers" under the brand "Sinteros".
1997 Tarkett and flooring activities of Sommer Allibert merge and become Tarkett Sommer AG, listed at the German stock exchange.
1999 Domco acquires Tarkett and Harris Tarkett and becomes Domco Tarkett Inc.

> The latest steps

2002 Joint venture Tarkett Sommer and Sintelon
2003 The group and partners operate worldwide as Tarkett.