Shinmyung Maru: “Providing diverse selection solutions for consumers who have struggled to choose flooring”
Shinmyung Maru Co., Ltd., the sole official importer in Korea of ‘Quick-Step,’ a leading brand of Belgium’s UNILIN, announced that it recently opened a showroom in Suwon so that more consumers can experience Quick-Step’s diverse range of samples firsthand. This is Shinmyung Maru’s second Quick-Step showroom, following the one in Banpo, Seoul.
At the Suwon showroom, where various types of flooring can be viewed at a glance, both interior industry professionals and general consumers can see for themselves the atmosphere that a particular flooring choice can create—something that has previously been difficult to encounter in person. The opening of the Suwon showroom was arranged to make it easier for a wide range of customers to view and experience actual flooring with their own eyes. Visitors can not only get a real sense of how the flooring looks once installed, but also experience its waterproofing performance and its reaction to stains directly through various sample tests.
Equipped with innovative technologies such as the fully waterproof Hydro-Seal function and the Uniclic system, Quick-Step minimizes the weaknesses of flooring that are vulnerable to moisture and scratches while retaining the aesthetic value that captures the feel of natural wood. It is an eco-friendly flooring that has had its environmental excellence recognized through the EU Ecolabel certification, which is granted only to products that meet high environmental standards across their entire life cycle—from raw material extraction, production and distribution to household use and disposal at the end of their service life. Beyond the EU Ecolabel, Quick-Step has obtained numerous global eco-friendly certifications including M1, PEFC, LEED-points, EPD Available, A+, Nordic Ecolabel and Floorscore, proving that it is a product with very high environmental credentials.
Among these, the ‘Quick-Step HYBRID’ product is the world’s first to apply the Hydro-Seal function to both the surface and the joints of the flooring, giving it 100% waterproofing. It also applies the Uniclic System to prevent gaps from forming between the planks and offers outstanding dimensional stability. In addition, when a special Underlay product is used during installation, inter-floor noise can be dramatically reduced.
The ‘Quick-Step PARQUET’ product also applies the state-of-the-art Uniclic and Multifit System to prevent gaps from forming at the flooring joints in advance, and applies Surface & Edge Protect + Technology and Easy to Clean technology so that contaminants including mud and chemical substances can be easily removed from both the surface and the joints of the flooring. Furthermore, it features the world’s first Water Repellent surface protection technology on the flooring surface, ensuring there are no issues with everyday water resistance.
The recently launched ‘Quick-Step Silent Walk’ is an underlay product made from eco-friendly materials with outstanding capabilities to resolve noise problems occurring inside buildings. When Silent Walk is installed together with Quick-Step floor coverings (Hybrid, Parquet, Alpha Vinyl), it reduces impact and airborne noise by up to 17–18 dB. Even at a mere 2 mm thickness, it markedly reduces everyday living noise from routine activities and various noises that can be caused by pet dogs. Its higher thermal conductivity compared to ordinary flooring also makes it highly suitable for use with underfloor heating and cooling systems.
Kwon Hyeok-tae, CEO of Shinmyung Maru, explained, “As interest in eco-friendly flooring grows, customers’ demands for flooring that satisfies not only durability but also functionality and design are becoming increasingly diverse,” adding, “Many consumers often have to choose flooring based only on a small sample book or photos taken after installation, but to identify their own requirements more clearly, they need to see it in person and check the texture and functionality with their own eyes.” He continued, “The showroom is intended to showcase the diverse images of Quick-Step, which does not overlook even the smallest details that customers want,” and added, “Following Banpo and Suwon, we plan to continue expanding our showrooms to other regions in the future.”
