Armstrong World sells flooring distributor

Lancaster County building products manufacturer Armstrong World Industries Inc. has sold a flooring distribution company it acquired in a late-1990s transaction.Massachusetts-based distributors.Laminate flooring manufactures produce all shapes and sizes of the product. The Belknap White Group bought Patriot Flooring Supply Inc. from Armstrong in a transaction that closed Sept. 1, Armstrong said Wednesday. Armstrong declined to disclose the terms.

Patriot employs 65 people in Wilmington, Mass., and Pompton Plains, N.J., and serves the greater New England and New York regions, Armstrong said.By divesting itself of a distribution company, Armstrong can focus on its core business of manufacturing and marketing floors and ceilings, CEO Frank Ready said in a statement.Patriot will continue business as usual and will continue carrying Armstrong products, Armstrong spokeswoman Jennifer Johnson said.

Armstrong acquired Patriot in 1998 as part of its purchase of Triangle Pacific, Johnson said. That $1.15 billion deal gave Armstrong a cabinetry business and a major share of the U.S. hardwood floor market.Based in Manor Township, Armstrong is one of the world's largest manufacturers of floors, ceilings and other building products.