Gerflor CEO Bertrand Chammas (left) and Connor Sport Court International CEO Ron Cerny (right) shake hands following Gerflor's acquisition of Connor Sport Court International.
The acquisition will allow Connor to tap into the resources Gerflor has, including its engineering staff and global sales network, Connor CEO Ron Cerny told Hardwood Floors. He estimated that 80 percent of Gerflor's business is based internationally, compared with only 20 percent of Connor's business.
"Even though we're providing these top-of-the-line products, we're a small company with limited resources," Cerny said. "Because Gerflor is such a large company with a culture of innovation that matches our own, we'll be able to move ahead with these innovations."
Cerny said that beyond an bolstered international reach and quicker development, Connor won't undergo any major changes because of the acquisition, and Connor will run autonomously.
With the acquisition, Gerflor also gets access to Connor's domestic networks, which Cerny said are the strongest in the U.S.
Connor's management team vetted Gerflor prior to the acquisition and saw a company with shared values, Cerny said.
"The more I've worked with them, the happier I am about the union," Cerny said.
