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In The News - UNC Pembroke

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT PEMBROKE SELECTS TARAFLEX SPORTS FLOORING BY GERFLOR

ATLANTA, GA, MAY 21, 2001 -- Administration officials of the University at North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP) knew they wanted a synthetic floor that looked like wood for the Jones Athletic Center's renovation. They also knew the floor had to be able to withstand up to 14 hours of nearly nonstop daily use by hundreds of students. The flooring they chose was Taraflex Maple Design Sport M by Gerflor.

The 11,300 square feet of Maple Design Sport M with a black border was installed in the auxiliary gym in mid 2000. Now, officials say the practice facility gets more hours of use than the main gym.

"We are delighted with it," says Dr. Tommy Thompson, Health, Physical Education and Recreation Department chairman. The students love it. It has a nice feel when they play on it.

Furthermore, that use is often unrelenting.

"It's used for every sport we have," says Frank Britt, facilities architect for UNC at Pembroke. "They even use it as a multipurpose room or as a temporary cafeteria when there are banquets."

Director of Athletics Dan Kenney says the gym is shared for physical education classes, intramurals, varsity team practices, and free play. Just about every sports team on the campus relies on it as a backup practice facility.

Thompson, Kenney and Britt formed a research team that studied the flooring options available. Their research included a site visit to the nearby Acme Delco Junior High School, whose Taraflex Maple Design floor was installed in mid 1999. That visit gave them the chance to see a Maple Design floor in actual use and speak directly to end users.

The construction and renovation of the Jones Athletic Center is ongoing. Britt says there are plans for more Taraflex. A multipurpose room measuring about 5,000 square feet is being designed now and he expects it will have the same flooring as the gym when it is completed in a year or so.

Founded in 1887 as a normal school to train Native American public school teachers, The University of North Carolina at Pembroke is located just off Interstate 95 in the coastal plains of North Carolina. A regional public university, UNCP offers 55 undergraduate majors and 14 master's degree programs. Enrollment is 3500 and growing. The university offers one of the most diverse student bodies in the nation, according to U.S. News. It also ranks UNCP as one of the most affordable universities in the nation. A member of the Peach Belt Athletic Conference, UNCP competes in 14 sports in the NCAA's Division II.

Taraflex synthetic floors by Gerflor are designed to combine shock absorption and other safety features without compromising performance. The multi layered floors provide safety and resilience through a laminating process that combines a 100% pure vinyl wear layer with reinforced fiberglass and a patented closed-cell foam backing. Taraflex floors meet and exceed the stringent performance standards mandated by all major flooring associations.

The International Volleyball (FIVB), Handball (IHF), Badminton (IBF), and Table Tennis (ITTF) federations, USA Team Handball and the FIBA Study Center for Basketball approve Taraflex sports floors for their official use. The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) named Taraflex Sports Flooring as its official volleyball court flooring.

Taraflex's parent company, French-based Gerflor, ranks as the third largest synthetic flooring manufacturer in the world. Its sports flooring line includes permanent indoor flooring products such as Taraflex Sport M, Taraflex Sport 3D, Taraflex Sport Performance, and Bateco protective floor covering. Founded in 1946, Gerflor employs nearly 2,000 people and has its United States sales office in Atlanta, GA. Throughout the world, more than 50,000 facilities in 80 countries have installed Taraflex PVC sports floors.

 

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