Business View Magazine | January 2020

85 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE JANUARY 2020 of taking out non-functional bath tubs and replacing them with a functional shower. And, oftentimes, that shower will tend to be, what we refer to in the industry as a ‘low threshold.’ That implies that it would be suitable for people with infirmities or difficulty in getting around – people using a walker, a cane, or even a wheelchair. That was, initially, the target market. “However, it was an underplay on our part in terms of where the product had acceptability; it was also well received by new construction people who saw the advantage in terms of not having to hire tile contractors, and that trend line is continuing to grow. As a matter of fact, my sales manager is calling on customers in Miami, and one of the reports coming back is that there is an inordinate interest in the solid surface showers we’re making. And this is particularly enlightening, because, traditionally, Florida had been known as a ceramic tile market. But that seems to be breaking and they’re looking for other options, and, of course, our product comes to market with an extraordinary durability factor; these things can last centuries if they’re maintained properly. The other beauty is: there are no grout lines to speak of; the entire shower goes together in three panels – the back wall and two sides over a shower pan. So, the solid surface business continues to grow.” “The other thing that we’re doing is we’re coming out with a new product type, made out of solid surface, again,” Clarke adds. “We’re referring to it as Clarke One. This product started out as a solid surface, walk-in bathtub. That business seems to be plateauing, maybe even declining a little bit over the last two or three years and we did not want to jump into that category, just to be in a declining market. So, we re-envisioned the product and what we ended up with was Clarke One, to imply one product performing several functions: a shower, a bath, and a doored entry for those who need that kind of assistance. “We used to think of accessibility in terms of older people. As we looked into that, we realized CLARKE PRODUCTS , INC .