Tarkett
| Company type | Public (S.A.) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Manufacturing |
| Predecessor | Sommer-Allibert S.A. |
| Founded | October 1997 |
| Headquarters | La Défense , France |
Area served | Worldwide (100+ countries) |
| Products | Floor and wall coverings |
| Owner | Concert Tarkett Participation (90.4%) |
Tarkett S.A., previously known as Sommer-Allibert S.A. until 2008, is a French multinational corporation that specializes in manufacturing floor and wall coverings. The company’s headquarters are located in La Défense, near Paris. It was established in October 1997 through the merger of the French firm Sommer-Allibert and the German company Tarkett AG, both of which originated from the consolidation of smaller enterprises based in Sweden, Germany, and France. The Tarkett brand name traces back to a product created by one of its Swedish predecessors.
Sommer-Allibert
Allibert, which was founded in 1913 and produced plastic components primarily for the automotive and housing sectors, merged with Sommer—established in 1880 and specializing in floor and wall coverings—in 1972 to create Sommer-Allibert. Under the leadership of CEO Bernard Deconinck, the Nanterre-based firm grew mainly through acquisitions. Its automotive segment, concentrated in France, remained a key revenue driver, while its floor and wall covering division—particularly PVC products—expanded across Europe, North America, and Asia. This included a joint venture with American company Rubbermaid between 1989 and 1992. In 1989, Deconinck took control of a holding company that owned a substantial portion of Sommer-Allibert, delegating daily operations to Mark Assa.
Throughout the 1990s, Sommer-Allibert reinforced its automotive division by increasing collaboration with manufacturers such as Volkswagen, BMW, Ford, Nissan, Peugeot, and Saab. The company also expanded its production plants for automotive parts across Europe and the United States.
Tarkett AG
Founded in Malmö, Sweden, in 1885 by Anders Martensson, the original business focused on woodworking and furniture manufacturing. By 1889, under investor R.F. Berg’s guidance, it shifted its focus toward wood flooring production, particularly parquetry, adding a second factory in Limhamn. After Berg’s death in 1907, Ernst Wehtje restructured the enterprise to specialize exclusively in wood flooring and renamed it Limhamns Snickerifabrik; later it became Limhamns Golvindustri AB under Hugo Wehtje’s management. In 1938, the company introduced the Lindemann board—a larger parquet panel designed to reduce installation expenses.
Following World War II, Tarkett broadened its product range to include laminated floorboards and launched Tarkett plastic flooring in 1946, which achieved commercial success. Under Urban Wehtje’s leadership, the firm developed an international presence and diversified its offerings to include both wood and plastic interior coverings. During the 1960s, the Wehtje family divested a major shareholding, leading to Tarkett’s public listing on the Swedish stock exchange in 1967.
In 1970, Svenska Tändsticks AB acquired Tarkett; this entity later merged with carpet manufacturer Aneplas in 1978. The company continued expanding throughout Europe and North America. In the late 1980s, CEO Lars Wisén facilitated a merger with German rival Pegulan, moving headquarters to Frankenthal, Germany, and rebranding as Tarkett-Pegulan (later known as Tarkett AG). In 1994, Stora divested Tarkett to investment groups CWB Capital Partners and Goldman Sachs Investment Bank.
Integration of Sommer-Allibert and Tarkett AG
During the late 1990s, Wisén convinced Assa to transfer Sommer-Allibert’s interior covering division to Tarkett AG, resulting in Sommer-Allibert acquiring over 60% ownership of Tarkett AG shares by October 1997. The combined organization, known as Tarkett Sommer AG, was subsequently listed on both the Paris and Frankfurt stock exchanges. Wisén oversaw operations from Germany until 1998, after which management centralized at the French headquarters. In 2000, Sommer-Allibert divested its automotive segment to Faurecia, which eventually purchased the remaining shares, prompting Sommer-Allibert’s removal from the stock market.
In 2002, Tarkett-Sommer established a joint venture with Serbian manufacturer Sintelon, creating Tarkett-Sintelon. By 2003, all business activities were unified under the Tarkett brand name. Tarkett Sports partnered with Canadian synthetic turf producer FieldTurf in 2004 and acquired full ownership in 2005. In 2006, Sommer-Allibert completed a full acquisition of Tarkett AG and took it private. The private equity firm KKR joined as a co-investor alongside the Deconinck family in 2007. Sommer-Allibert rebranded itself as Tarkett S.A. in 2008.
The company returned to public markets through an IPO in 2013, during which KKR reduced its holding to 25%, while the Deconinck family maintained majority control. In 2015, the corporate headquarters relocated from Nanterre to Tour Initiale in La Défense.
In June 2013, Tarkett’s Fiberfloor range received Asthma and Allergy Friendly Certification, strengthening its position in providing healthier indoor environment solutions.
Activities
Tarkett focuses on manufacturing flooring solutions tailored for residential homes, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, retail environments, hospitality venues, and sports complexes. The company operates across 35 manufacturing plants and serves customers in more than 100 countries worldwide. Its brand portfolio includes names such as Tarkett and Sommer.
Ownership
As of December 31, 2024, the shareholder composition of Tarkett is as follows:
Concert Tarkett Participation*: 90.4% Public float: 9.6%
- Concert Tarkett Participation encompasses Société Investissement Deconinck, Expansion 17 S.C.A., Global Performance 17 S.C.A. (both affiliated with the Wendel group), along with members of the Supervisory Board connected to the Deconinck family who have acted jointly since the simplified tender offer in 2021.