After swapping an internship for a webshop and an official business registration in 2015, 2016 became a true learning curve for Floer. What started as a promising online store quickly turned out to be a lot more challenging than expected. This was the year of trial and error, of learning, adjusting, and finding out what really works in the world of flooring. But that is not all. It was also the year Floer started shaping its foundation for the brand’s core values that still define it today.
The reality of entrepreneurship
With a name, a live webshop, and a few suppliers on board, Floer’s second year officially began. But as the company took its real first steps, the flooring world was quickly changing. The laminate market was crowded with competitors and driven almost entirely by price. Lennart noticed this too when talking to customers. Everybody was chasing the lowest price leaving barely any room for healthy margins. For a new player like Floer, it was tough to stand out in a market built on price and volume. Yet, despite all that, Lennart spotted a different trend emerging: a growing interest in oak parquet floors. The most stylish floor looks for the year were represented by wide oak planks in light tones, white or natural oil finishes, with a beautifully natural texture.
Floors from Dutch soil
Lennart realised that his passion isn’t in following the crowd, but rather in building something of his own: a brand that stands out through quality, style, and character. “Creating my own brand, with its own strategy and identity, sounded much more exciting and meaningful. Instead of becoming just another dealer for a big manufacturer, I wanted to find producers who were willing to create a collection for me, for Floer,” Lennart explains in an interview with Vloeren Business Magazine.
He put that vision into action by developing a full oak parquet collection, offering customers endless possibilities. Different lengths, widths, wood grades, finishes, and oils to completely customise floors. At Floer, anything is possible. When it comes to production, Lennart also chooses quality close to home. The oak parquet floors are produced in the north of the Netherlands, using sustainably sources European oak. This way, Floer remains not only a brand from Dutch soil, but one that also delivers products of Dutch soil.
Two brothers, one mission
During this period, Matthijs, Lennart’s younger brother, also joined Floer, Their collaboration laid the foundation for growth, shaping the way in which Floer operates to this day: with commitment, a family feel, and a no-nonsense mindset. While Lennart focuses on the website, suppliers, and product development, Matthijs takes care of customer service, packing orders, and processing shipments. Together, they spent long days in the small office they were temporarily allowed to use through Lennart’s old internship company. Lennart visited various international suppliers, bringing the Floer DNA to life. “Then it’s a matter of waiting to see if a manufacturer is willing to take a chance on a beginner in the industry,” he explains. Using solely persuasion, he convinced a few producers to give Floer exclusive rights to sell their products in the Netherlands, without any guarantees or proof of revenue. Step by step, the Floer brothers built the company, laying the groundwork for something big: partnerships that would shape the brand for years to come.
Introducing Country House Laminate
The launch of the Country House Laminate floors was proof of this shift. What had started as a lesson in entrepreneurship evolved in 2016 into a clear vision for the future. It was no longer just about selling as much as possible, it became about building a brand that would last. During a visit to a German manufacturer, Lennart came across a remarkable laminate floor with extra-wide planks, measuring 32.8 cm.
“I came across this floor and told the manufacturer: ‘This is great, but it needs to come in lighter colors for the Dutch market,’” Lennart recalled. “From the very beginning, I wanted Floer to offer unique floors that other suppliers didn’t have yet.”
The extra-wide 32.8 cm laminate floors became a hit. The product continued to sell and still ranks among the top three best-selling floors since the brand’s inception. By combining custom oak parquet floors with distinctive laminate collections, Floer started to take shape. The year didn’t end with record-breaking sales, but with something far more important: direction. And that would lay the foundation for the big leap in 2017.
Floer celebrates 10 years
Every week, you can follow how Floer gradually developed into the brand you know today. Next week: 2017: The Leap into Wholesale. Can’t wait? Explore Floer’s 10-year story.
