Desso Sports Proud to Join Tarkett Sports, the World Leader in Sports Surfacing

As announced on January 2nd 2015, Desso, a leading carpets and sports fields company in Europe, has been acquired by Tarkett, a global leader in flooring and sports surfaces solutions. Thereby, Desso Sports is pleased to join forces with Tarkett Sports, the world leader in sports surfacing with a proven lineup of synthetic turf (FieldTurf), athletic tracks (Beynon, Renner) and sports flooring systems (Tarkett Sports).

The acquisition will enhance Desso’s presence in sports surfaces and ability to serve its customers worldwide. Desso Sports products will continue to be sold via experienced, certified civil construction and installation partners. With a strong focus on innovation, Desso Sports will continue to meet market needs, building on its expertise in monofilament sports fiber production.. Desso’s reinforced natural grass system, Grassmaster, which is featured at Lambeau Field (home of the Green Bay Packers), will continue to be available to customers in North America.

Desso Sports is confident that, under Tarkett ownership, it will be able to better serve its customers and support its construction and installation partners, providing extensive and complementary sports surfaces solutions.

About Desso Sports

Desso Sports has more than 35 years of international experience in sports surfaces and is the international specialist in innovative sports fields for football, rugby and hockey as well as tennis courts and multifunctional fields. The company has installed more than 60 million m² of artificial and reinforced natural grass worldwide at both amateur and professional clubs. Desso Sports has distinguished itself since the eighties through its readiness for permanent change and innovation and has always been at the forefront of the market, providing sustainable solutions that are beneficial for both the environment and the player.

Desso GrassMaster is the worldwide leader in reinforced natural grass. This system is a 100 % natural grass surface reinforced by 20 million artificial fibers. The ingenuity of the system lies beneath the surface. The natural grass roots grow around the fibers, thus anchoring the pitch. The system offers stability and reinforcement, ensuring a uniform and visually attractive surface in perfect condition at all times. The system enables venues to easily swap between different sports and events.

During the FIFA World Cup 2010™ in South Africa and 2014 in Brazil, the matches at the stadiums with Desso GrassMaster took place on a pitch in perfect condition. At Euro 2012, the Donbass Arena (Donetsk) and Metalist Stadium (Kharkiv) were installed with the reinforcement system. The 2012 Olympic Games (9 matches in 11 days) in Wembley also took place on Desso GrassMaster. Top clubs and stadiums such as Arsenal FC, Allianz Arena, Manchester City, Manchester United, PSG, Shaktar Donetsk, Inter and AC Milan and Gremio play/train on Desso GrassMaster.

About Tarkett

Tarkett is a global leader in innovative and sustainable solutions for flooring and sports surfaces. With a wide range of products including vinyl, linoleum, carpet, rubber, wood & laminate, synthetic turf and athletic tracks, the Group serves customers in more than 100 countries worldwide. With 12,000 employees and 34 industrial sites, Tarkett sells 1.3 million square meters of flooring every day, for hospitals, schools, housing, hotels, offices, stores and sports fields. Committed to sustainable development, the Group has implemented an eco-innovation strategy and promotes circular economy. Tarkett net sales of 2.4 billion euros in 2014 are balanced between Europe, North America and the region comprising CIS countries, APAC & LATAM. Tarkett is listed on Euronext Paris (compartment A, ticker TKTT, ISIN: FR0004188670) and is included in the following indices: SBF 120, CAC Mid 60, CAC Mid & Small, CAC All-Tradable www.tarkett.com

Contact:

Mike McGraw Sales Manager USA & Canada Desso Sports Systems (813) 835-0766 mgm@dessosportsusa.com