Norwalk manufacturer working to construct ‘one of the greenest buildings in the world’

Against the clatter of power equipment and steel girders in Norwalk, crews frame what is expected to become Connecticut’s “greenest” commercial building.

HMTX held a “topping off” ceremony Tuesday as it added the final girders for a new design center at its Norwalk headquarters, equipped to help flooring designers come up with new ideas and fabricate speedy prototypes in advance of big orders.

HMTX sells luxury vinyl tile and floor planking, which have become a hot commodity the past decade, in part for allowing designers to recreate the look of far-more-expensive alternatives or even tile designs in historic edifices. The company went on a steep growth trajectory several years ago after landing a supply deal with Home Depot, then kept up with deliveries during the COVID-19 pandemic despite disruptions at U.S. ports and factories HMTX has in China.

CEO Harlan Stone is counting on the new “house upon the hill,” as he dubs it, to make HMTX nimbler yet. The facility will include some of the most advanced 3D printers in the world to crank out flooring samples in a span of hours. The building will include small apartments for designers to use on any extended visits.

“Why did we go ahead to build this big, giant building ... during the COVID pandemic? Why didn’t we just all stay home and do everything on Zoom?” Stone said Tuesday at the Norwalk construction site. “It’s important that people are able to connect so that the creative energy flows . ... I think it’s a classic, post-COVID building.”

Light is a big part of the center’s design, with ample windows and solar panels supplying all of its electricity needs during the summer months. Rain gutters will shunt away water into a massive tank for reuse as well.

Architect Jason McLennan said on Tuesday that the building is the most significant project he has worked on yet. McLennan is viewed as a guru in the green building industry via the Living Building Challenge he created, which runs a certification program.

“This will be ... a landmark for this city as one of the greenest buildings in the world,” McLennan said. “It will feel like you’re in a tree house when you are up there.”

Stone said 20 to 40

Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media HMTX Industries employee Rick Taylor looks at a rendering as the company holds a “topping off” reception for its new design headquarters on July 20 on Oakwood Avenue in Norwalk. The building will be the state’s “greenest” commercial building when completed.