s - Floor Covering Weekly

Transcription

No. 22
A Hearst Business Publication
November 25, 2013
FCW
Vol. 62
$4
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FLOOR COVERING WEEKLY
The Industry’s Business News & Information Resource
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11/20/13 2:28
Domotex Middle East
er.indd 1
CommercialCov
By Santiago Montero
The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey
[Istanbul] Domotex Middle East is only in its second year
at its new location here in Istanbul but it has aspirations
to become an industry draw for a region that is poised for
tremendous growth. That sensibility brings a sense of optimism to the show that seems to be reflected not only in the
words of trade fair organizers, but also of exhibitors.
The show — from its exhibiting companies and the
products they show, to the attendees themselves — reflects
the historical nature of its host city as a meeting point of
cultures: the stacks of traditional handmade rugs in contrast
to the modern stands lend the event a unique character.
“We are convinced Istanbul will become more important
for commerce, including flooring, throughout this region,”
said Alexander Kühnel, general manager, Deutsche Messe,
which hosts the Domotex shows around the world.
“In 2013, they will celebrate 100 years of the modern
republic of Turkey. This government wants to be among
the top 10 countries in the world across all industries and
with more than 60 percent of its population 26 years old
or younger, there is unbelievable potential for all consuming sectors. What they need is a platform to present their
products and a trade show is best for that purpose.”
That sense of growing opportunity was why Ibrahim
Yilmaz representing iHiB, the association of Istanbul
carpet manufacturers, likened the show “to a newborn
child” that will only grow in importance.
“The show has again proven the strong interest of the
international industry in the Turkish and Middle Eastern
markets,”said Martin Folkerts, director of global fairs at
Deutsche Messe.
“One out of two exhibitors came from abroad. In addition
to the internationality of the exhibitors, the trade visitors
found a big variety of products, from hand- and machine-
Continued on page 19
Shaw’s ‘Grand’ flooring installation
Managing the upturn at NAFCD
By Amy Joyce Rush
By Amy Joyce Rush and Brittany Walsh
[New York] Shaw Flooring rolled out the
red carpet, literally, at Grand Central Terminal here this week. As the sole sponsor of the
Holiday Fair, the company provided more
than 14,000 square feet of carpet, hardwood
and resilient flooring in the Vanderbilt Hall.
It was a tradition started in the earliest days of
the Terminal when Philadelphia Carpet, now
a Shaw division, provided the original red
carpet for visiting dignitaries and celebrities.
“Where else is better to test flooring than
the busiest place in the world,” said Randy
Merritt, president of Shaw at the Holiday
Fair’s ribbon cutting. “Just like our homes, the
floors of Grand Central Terminal are put to the
test each day with kids, messes and weather.” Shaw president Randy Merritt with Radio City
Rockettes at Grand Central Terminal.
P e r i o d i c a l
For breaking news updated each business day, visit us online at www.fcw1.com
11-25-13pages.indd 1
enough, have the labor, or have the capital.”
As demand increases, labor, technology
[Chicago] How to manage and grow in a and product supply all need to be in place.
recovering economy was the running theme “We did some planning for growth several
here at this year's NAFCD/NBMDA confer- years ago before the economy tanked out
so we were already prepared for the growth
ence this month.
spurt,” said Art Layton,
We have emerged from
vice president at CMH
the recession to a different
Space. “When business
world, said attendees here.
comes back, it is going to
And how do you manage
create challenges.”
that, they asked? “We’ve
Buddy Faircloth, Cain
weathered the storm. A lot
& Bultman, said that you
of folks handled the econeed to manage your
nomic downturn differinventory. “You've got to
ently — some pared down,
inventory the bestselling
some retained their busi- Cain & Bultman’s Kirk Sandifer
product deeply, keep the
ness, some didn’t weather and Buddy Faircloth at NAFCD.
inventory in a reasonable
it at all,” said NAFCD
turn — keep the A and B items well stocked
executive vice president Michelle Miller.
Speakers here emphasized the basic work and cut back on the C and D product.”
ethics, such as accountability. Former NBA
player Walter Bond, for example, said, “Stop Managing product
In order to meet customer demands and
selling product and start selling hopes and
dreams. Does everyone in your marketplace cover a wide range of market needs, some
distributors said that they expanded their
know you, like you and trust you?”
Expand the markets you serve, add new lines during the downturn. Ohio Valley is
product categories, be aggressive and, said one of them. According to Jeff Garber, vice
economist Brian Beaulieu, borrow money to president and general sales manager, “How
do it. “This year we have good news. I don’t see do you manage it? Retailers have four times
any derailments in 2014,” he said. “Our con- the SKUs they had 15 years ago.”
cern is that you aren’t going to be aggressive
Continued on page 8
11/20/13 3:19 PM
© 2013 Shaw
Shown: Hudson Bay, Color 340 Schoolhouse
Advanced Technology + Classic Styling = Shaw Hardwood®
We have invested in state-of-the-art manufacturing
equipment in order to produce products with higher
and more consistent quality. These investments bring
greater value to you and your customers.
carpet | area rugs | tile & stone | hardwood | laminate | resilient
TA-1182-13_HWTechnologyTradeAd_FCW.indd
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shawfloors.com
11/19/13
4:53
PMPM
11/18/13
1:56
News
Werner Braun to retire from CRI
[Dalton, Ga.] Werner Braun,
ica Recovery Effort (CARE) is
president of The Carpet and Rug
another significant achievement
Institute (CRI), will retire from
that occurred on Braun’s watch
the CRI at the end of March, 2014.
at CRI. “CARE has made a
Braun made the announcement
great progress toward a way of
at the CRI's annual meeting held
responding to the challenge of
Nov. 13 in Dalton.
extended producer responsibility
Braun came to the CRI in 2000
within the free market system in
from the Chlorine Chemistry
an economically feasible way,”
Council, where he served as the Werner Braun
Braun said. “We work hard to
senior director of international
make sure states understand
relations. Prior to that, his career included CARE’s accomplishments. There is now a
31 years in analytical chemistry at The Dow new industry to handle carpet at the end of
Chemical Company.
its life on the floor.”
According to Braun, his proudest achieveBraun hopes to help CRI make the tranment at CRI has been his role as the organiza- sition to new leadership. “My tentative plan
tion's "band director," orchestrating the talents is to leave at the end of March, but I can stay
of CRI staff and its host of member volunteers. longer to help the new president get settled,”
The establishment of the Carpet Amer- Braun said. The ideal candidate would be
Correction
Corrections
Sampling made easy
Metroflor sampling from FloorProductions
FCW
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at Shaw. “Shaw is working to create HPDs and
EPDs for all its commercial product platforms.”
According to Shaw, the company’s use of
HPDs and EPDs complements its long-term
commitment to designing to Cradle to Cradle
protocols, which it began doing a decade ago.
Shaw’s EcoWorx is Cradle to Cradle Silver Certified and contributes to LEED credits associated
with recycled content, low emitting materials,
manufacturer take back, as well as for its recently
completed HPD and EPD. FCW FCW
Correction
Corrections
FCW
tial and commercial LVT sold by IVC around
the world. The strong and consistent demand
for LVT in the marketplace has solidified
IVC’s need for a second plant investment.
“IVC US is ready to engage in its second
North American manufacturing investment
since 2011, when we opened our sheet vinyl
plant in Dalton, Ga.,” said Xavier Steyaert,
co-CEO of IVC US. “We will again demonstrate with LVT our capability to deploy
state-of-the-art manufacturing technology,
combine it with operational excellence and
create more American jobs.”
The 300,000 square foot LVT manufacturing facility is projected to create in excess of
200 jobs. In addition, building the new plant
in the United States will also mean that 100
percent of IVC US LVT will be American
made, according to the company. FCW FCW
Corrections
WWW.FCW1.COM
Correction
Shaw Industries releases HPD and EPD
Correction
November 25, 2013
Floor Covering Weekly has
named Mallory Cruise assistant managing editor.
Cruise recently worked for
kbs+ where she helped
develop web and Facebook strategies for high
profile branded clients.
Mallory Cruise
Prior to kbs+, Cruise
was assistant editor at FCW with responsibilities including hardwood coverage and online
content. She will continue to lead FCW’s coverage in hardwood while assisting in managing
the day-to-day operations of the magazine.
“I am thrilled to be bringing Mallory back
on board. She has continued to provide
content for FCW while at kbs+ and maintained her well-developed relationships
within the industry,” said managing editor
Amy Joyce Rush. “With 24 print issues per
year, weekly digital products, a robust website and a number of other growing platforms for delivering industry news and indepth coverage daily, we had a need for
someone with Mallory’s abilities, background and education.” Cruise holds her
bachelors from the University of Mary Washington and masters from CUNY Graduate
School and University Center. FCW FCW
Corrections
IVC US to build LVT plant stateside
[Dalton, Ga.] IVC US announced that
plans are underway to build a brand new
luxury vinyl plank and tile (LVT) manufacturing facility in the United States. The $80
million project is anticipated to be completed
and fully operational first quarter 2015.
“Following the success of our LVT investment in Belgium, the decision to move forward
with another major LVT investment for North
America underscores IVC Group’s position
in leading this category from both sides of the
Atlantic. It also underscores our confidence in
the North American market,” said Jan Vergote,
CEO of IVC Group. The company has not disclosed the location of the new plant.
In 2012, IVC Group opened its ultra-modern LVT manufacturing plant in Belgium,
eliminating the need to source from the Far
East. This plant currently supplies all residen-
FCW
the last four years,” said Reid Childress, president, FloorProductions.
Utilizing four large local facilities — one
for printing; another for laminate and wood
displays; a third devoted strictly to vinyl floorOne company, FloorProductions based ing; and, a warehouse — FloorProductions
here, has been handling samples and collateral has become the go-to sample and display
materials for a wide range of product categoContinued on page 20
ries. What started 20 years ago as the vinyl
floor industry’s first and only sample supplier
grew to include work for a wide range of flooring categories. As the economy
worsened and as other companies
came into the space, Floor Pro- [Dalton, Ga.] Shaw Industries Group, Inc.
ductions went back to its roots in (Shaw) announced it finalized a Health Prodthe vinyl category.
uct Declaration (HPD) and Environmental
Today, business is booming — Product Declaration (EPD) for its EcoWorx
up 300 percent over the past six carpet tile, the industry’s first fully recyclable,
years. “More than 70 percent of non-PVC carpet tile backing.
our business has been LVT. It’s
“We believe the first step in providing
the only segment that has grown healthy products is to make smart, informed
choices regarding the materials that go into
those products,” said Paul Murray, vice president of sustainability and environmental affairs
A behind the scenes look at FloorProductions
[Dalton] Samples. They’re expensive.
They’re labor intensive. Everyone needs them
right away and nobody wants to pay for them.
Yet we all know the important role they play in
positioning product for sales, whether you’re
buying flooring as a retailer or as an end-user.
Cruise named assistant
managing editor FCW
“Someone who has an understanding of the
carpet industry plus some experience with
trade organizations,” Braun added.
"Werner Braun has been a stalwart defender
and promoter of the carpet industry throughout his time at the Carpet and Rug Institute,"
said David Jolly, CRI board chairman. "His
depth of knowledge on technical issues, combined with his strengths at issues management
and consensus-building, have made him an
extremely effective leader for the CRI. Werner
has set a high bar for his successor."
The CRI board of directors has formed a
five-person search committee of CRI members to find a replacement for Braun,
according to Jolly. “We would love to find
someone with carpet industry experience
but will also look outside the industry,”
Jolly noted. FCW FCW
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Carpet One Floor & Home and
Mohawk help America’s bravest
[Manchester, N.H.] Carpet One
Floor & Home and Mohawk
announced a new partnership with
Building for America’s Bravest.
Building for America’s Bravest is
a program of The Stephen Siller
Tunnel to Towers Foundation, in
partnership with the Gary Sinise
Foundation, which was developed
to build smart homes for catastrophically injured service members.
“All of our locally owned stores will have the opportunity to help this organization in some
way — from working hands-on with a project to helping raise funds and awareness,” said
Eric Demaree, president of Carpet One Floor & Home.
The smart homes built by Building for America’s Bravest are custom designed to fit the
needs of each individual. Carpet One Floor & Home and Mohawk will be providing flooring
and installation for each smart home that Building for America’s Bravest builds. Currently
there are 49 new homes scheduled over the next 3 years, with the first home to be built
already underway. The home will go to Sgt. Michael Nicholson in Tampa, Fla.
·
11/20/13 3:25 PM
4
Credit Series
Credit options encourage flooring purchases
By Janet Herlihy
As the economy continues to slowly improve,
consumers are changing the way they use
credit for flooring purchases.
Recently, Equifax, one of the largest consumer credit reporting agencies in the U.S.
reported that retail store brand credit cards are
becoming more popular than bankcards. In a
November 5 press release, Equifax reported,
“Nationwide, new account openings for retail
credit cards has rebounded from the recession
much more so than bankcards.”
According to new National Consumer
Credit Trends Report data from Equifax, U.S.
retail card debt grew 7.05 percent while bankcard debt was up only by 0.37 percent at the
close of the third quarter of 2013 compared to
the same period in 2012.
“Consumers may be opting for retail credit
cards because of the promotions, discounts
and other perks they get at the register,”
said Trey Loughran, president of Equifax
Personal Solutions. “Other consumers are
likely compartmentalizing their purchases —
opening retail accounts to pay for larger purchases over time and using their bankcards
for everyday purchases.”
CCA Global Partners advises its members
that store credit availability can help close a sale.
GE Capital
LIKE A BANK:
We provide your customers a way to pay.
UNLIKE A BANK:
We help you share your expertise
and build lasting relationships.
“Retailers that do not offer financing options
are at a distinct disadvantage. The availability of
longer term, interest free finance plans through
our partnership with GE Capital allows our
customers to select the flooring they truly want
in their homes at a more affordable price,” said
Bill Wissler, vice president, Strategic Partners
Group for CCA Global Partners.
GE Capital reports strong year-over-year
growth across its flooring programs, especially
for residential replacement floor covering,
according to Brian Copps, vice president of
GE Capital’s Retail Finance Flooring segment.
“This growth mirrors the latest findings of our
second annual 2013 Major Purchase Shopper
Study, which revealed that more than 41 percent of flooring shoppers are more open to
making a major purchase than a year ago.
Seventy-seven percent of Capital Retail
Bank (GECRB) accountholders said that
having access to financing options drove
their choice of retailer; and even higher with
83 percent for flooring cardholders indicating financing drove retailer choice.
To give consumers the comfort of a store
brand credit card, TD Retail Card Services
offers its Renovate Credit Card program, a
revolving private label consumer credit card
that can be used for purchases of products or
services at any participating merchant. There
are now more than 500 locations of independent home furnishings retailers across the
U.S. and Canada, including floor coverings
dealers that are now using the program.
Merchants opening the individual consumer’s account can have their store’s name
embossed on the card. “Through economies
of scale, the Renovate Card delivers many of
the important advantages of a private label
credit card to independent home furnishings
retailers with single or multiple locations
who may not generate the sales volume to
justify a private label program of their own,”
said John Piotrowsky, vice president, product
manager, at TD Retail Card Services.
Wells Fargo expects consumer spending to
increase as housing and job markets continue
to recover, according to Natalie M. Brown,
APR, vice president, Consumer Lending
Communications for Wells Fargo. “As those
markets strengthen, we would expect to see
commensurate spending on home-related
purchases — like flooring,” she said. FCW FCW
Correction
At GE Capital, we understand your commitment to helping homeowners—getting the right
flooring for their project and their budget. Just as homeowners trust and respect your expertise,
you can rely on GE Capital’s special financing solutions to help you build long-term relationships.
Corrections
FCW
FCW
Together we’ll provide trusted solutions and great flooring. Because getting it right really matters.
Stop just banking. And start building. Enroll today by calling 1-866-209-4457.
imagination at work
Credit is extended by GE Capital Retail Bank
© 2013 General Electric Company. All Rights Reserved.
TD Retail Card Services offers the Renovate
private label credit card program.
021190_Flooring_FloorCoveringWeekly_LikeBankCarpet_7_735X9_125_0413.indd 1
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4/11/13 10:56 AM
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WWW.FCW1.COM
November 25, 2013
11/20/13 3:42 PM
11/19/13 4:51 PM
6
Wood
Technology lowers costs, ups design
By Mallory Cruise
The hardwood industry has made
great strides in the advancements of
manufacturing equipment and products within recent years. According
to industry executives, new tools
allow manufacturers to reduce the
costs that come with producing wood
floors without compromising the
Improved wood technology allows Mannington
style and performance of the floor. to produce floors that are on trend, like with its
And, they added, new finishing and Chelsea Birch in Flatiron, but remain cost efficient.
design technologies allow suppliers
to up the ante when it comes to providing
He added that these operations also make
quality hardwood floors that reflect the latest better, more efficient use of the raw materials
trends.
the company uses for its flooring “and also
Kevin Thompson, hardwood category allows for us to reduce waste beyond what
manager at Shaw, explained that a main has previously been capable.”
focus for the company has been on supplying
The industry has also made great progress
quality product by using quality machinery. in developing equipment that enhances the
“At Shaw, we have invested tens of millions performance capabilities of a hardwood floor,
of dollars in the last several years updating all according to Brian Greenwell, vice president
of our hardwood manufacturing operations of sales and marketing at Mullican Flooring.
with the latest generation of state-of-the-art
“Machinery has made improvements that
manufacturing equipment. This helps us pro- allow manufacturers to maintain tighter
vide for a safer work environment and allows tolerances, improving the milling of the
us to produce products with higher and more product, and therefore improving the overall
consistent quality,” he said.
performance of the flooring,” he said.
Schönox ZM
Smoothest top surface in the industry.
ZM Rapid
Install flooring in 2 hours. *
*See technical data sheet for full details.
and improved performance of the product
due to better quality,” he said.
Dan Natkin, director of wood and laminate
business at Mannington, explained that some
of the most recent advancements in
hardwood flooring are cost efficient
methods for distressing floors which
utilize less labor. “Handscraped and hand-distressed floors continue to be the
trend, however it is extremely costly
to produce this type of flooring.
As a result, new equipment has
been developed which assists in the
scraping to create a genuine hand
Mullican’s stylish Ponte Vedra is a high performing, easy
crafted look at a more affordable
to maintain product thanks to new wood technology.
price,” he said. And, Natkin added, new printing technolSignificant improvements have been made
in all areas of the production facility, such ogy has contributed to producing aesthetias automation advancements, according to cally pleasing, modern floors.
“With improvements in print technology,
Lee Safrit, hardwood floors brand manager
at Anderson Hardwood Floors. As the wood and its application on wood, we are able to
industry continues to grow, new automation create truly unique floors,” he said.
The textured surface trend continues to
techniques will provide for the efficient progrow and new technologies have allowed
duction of wood floors.
“Advancements have been made in mate- suppliers to create different design visuals,
rial handling, packaging, product inspection explained Dick Quinlan, senior director of
and quality of the product. If our advance- hardwood products at Unilin.
“We have expanded into new collections
ments in automation and production are
done properly, consumers get a better quality that offer wire brush visuals and wider/longer
made product. We will have lower costs, visuals. In wire brush looks, Columbia’s
which we will pass on to the end consumer Ashylnn Collection and Mohawk’s Atherton
collections offer beautiful styling all made in
the U.S.A. For wider, longer floors, we have
expanded into several new products to support this design trend,” he said.
Manufacturing wood floors that compete
with lower priced imports, like its American
Scrape solid and engineered products, is an
advancement that has strengthened Armstrong’s product offering, explained Milton
Goodwin, vice president of product. “Making a world class handscraped product that is competitively priced with imports
is a big accomplishment and one we are very
proud of,” he said.
Schönox AP with
dust-reducing
The company’s Performance Plus product
properties.
is also an example of strides the company,
and the industry, have made in advancing
wood products, Goodwin added. “Taking our acrylic impregnated product
and improving it through better scratch
resistance, as well as improving the visual
and lowering the cost to make it more
affordable to the masses, is another exciting
achievement,” he said.
schönox Subflooring Products- Smoother, Faster, and safer.
Schönox subfloor products allow projects to be completed faster
addressing tough subfloor issues with the most efficient use of
installation time. Our Schönox AP self-leveling compound has
special dust-reducing properties that support a cleaner, safer
project. That’s just the start of a product line up that includes
important characteristics like no VOCs, recycled product content,
faster more ergonomic application techniques, and significant
contributions to LEED credits. Let’s talk soon about the smoother,
faster, safer solutions that can assist in your next subflooring project.
Continued on page 8
HPS North America,Inc.
The Schönox Provider
Toll Free: 855.391.2649
www.hpsubfloors.com
·
·
Shaw invested millions of dollars in its stateof-the-art machinery to produce high-quality,
designer floors.
WWW.FCW1.COM
November 25, 2013
11/20/13 3:23 PM
A M E R I C A’ S H A R DW O O D
F LO O R I N G C O M PA N Y
For over 65 years, Anderson has been known
for a legacy of innovation, beauty, durability and
excellence in hardwood floors. Dedicated to
creating the highest quality wood floors,
Anderson is a leader in responsible forestry and
environmental stewardship. And best of all, virtually
all Anderson floors are Made in the USA.
Visit our mobile-friendly site!
www.andersonfloors.com
11/18/13 1:33 PM
8
Wood
Technology
Continued from page 6
Finishes evolve
New finishes, in particular, have made
some of the biggest advances in the hardwood
market. And, retailers are seeing an increase
in hardwood sales as consumers are favoring
these multipurpose floors.
Don Herndon, owner of Classic Wood
Flooring in Rockledge, Fla., said that major
advancements in finishes have allowed wood
floors to become even more versatile when it
comes to placement in the home.
“Advancements in finishes have made hardwood floors much more durable. New finishes
are also making hardwood floors easier to stand
on and easier to maintain,” he said.
Mohawk and Unilin products that feature
the ArmorMax/Scotchgard finish system
have proven popular amongst customers,
said Quinlan at Unilin, as consumers are
seeking flooring with finishing technology
that enhances the performance of the floor.
“ArmorMax offers enhanced durability
that is up to 5 times more durable than similar
products in the market,” he said. “Combining
proprietary stains and lower gloss coatings, we
have been able to offer products that have been
very well received.”
NAFCD
Advancements offer consumers advantages
Industry executives explained that new
advancements in wood technology offer consumers a number of advantages.
“Primarily, the advantages include high-end
looks at a more affordable price,” said Natkin at
Mannington. “Mannington’s new Hometown
collection is an example of this trend. We combine distressing, scraping and printing to create
a completely unique flooring choice.” FCW FCW
For Rosana Chaidez, vice president of sales
and marketing and procurement at Haines, it’s
all about being more efficient. “Distributors
lost some inventory efficiency in the downturn
due to lower volume. Now that the economy
is showing sustainable growth, we anticipate
the mix of domestic and imported products to
produce a steady flow of business.”
Correction
Corrections
FCW
American
ENGINEERED HARDWOOD
HILLSHIRE
LINCOLNSHIRE
PONTE VEDRA
SAN MARCO
Since 1985, Mullican Flooring has taken great pride in
offering the highest quality Hardwood Flooring in the
world. As a privately held American company, we are
big enough to handle all your Hardwood Flooring needs,
with no committees, no focus groups, and no corporate
red tape to hinder our decision making process; we are
quick and nimble enough to provide Real-Time Service
in your Real-Time World. And now we are proud to offer
this New Collection of four American-made 3/8-inch
Engineered Hardwood Floors.
Hillshire provides a versatile array of colors to suit
any taste, while Lincolnshire offers a beautiful selection
of Hand Sculpted colors. Ponte Vedra is America’s first
domestically-produced Engineered Hardwood Floor to
feature 6-inch widths, and San Marco offers 6-foot
lengths in a wide variety of Hand-Sculpted selections.
With four state-of-the-art U.S. Manufacturing Facilities,
Mullican Flooring is committed to the production of the
finest American-made Hardwood Floors that are perfect
for any setting, any climate and any dream.
Correction
www.mullicanflooring.com 1-800-844-6356
·
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The right people for the right job
The downturn exposed labor issues —
employee compensation as well as company needs. In 2007, Cain & Bultman, for
example, asked employees to take a 5 percent
pay cut in 2007. Management took cuts as well.
In 2010, all but top management returned to
regular pay. Management waited until this year.
“It was tough on hourly employees but they
suffered through,” said Faircloth. He added
that it revealed the strong character of Cain &
Bultman staff.
CMH expanded during the downturn and
moved into some areas that it had already
mapped out that required some “right-sizing,”
according to Layton. “We have an incredible
group of people that simply step up and take
more responsibility, take charge. Our focus
right now is how to better manage the assets
we have and the people. You have to fine tune
— make sure we are doing the right things for
our vendors and suppliers and make sure we
have the right people in the right job.”
Craig Folven, vice president of sales
and marketing for Herregan, said staffing
adjusted through “natural attrition.” He also
said that Herregan doubled its sales force six
years ago and that it is now at a number the
company is comfortable with.
Added Torrey Jaeckle, vice president of
Jaeckle Distributors, “We made good hires
during the recession but yes, harder to find, the
investment is higher and it was longer looking.”
Beaulieu noted that the cost of talent is
going up. “Talented people are going to be
poached. Figure out how to put golden handcuffs on them.” He also said that training is
more important than ever since in some cases,
you will need to “create your skilled labor.”
Garber said that Ohio Valley is training
people to move up. “We’ve analyzed that in
each market and added entry level people.”
Chaidez of Haines noted that the recession
has made them more aware of performance.
“Business discipline has been learned. There is
no room for poor performers,” she said.
Technology
Jaeckle said that his company has invested
in customer research and technology. “We
are researching what the customer’s needs
are, focusing on core customer segments.”
Jaeckle Distributors has invested in analytic
software that takes a “tremendous amount of
data and tracks trends,” he said. In addition,
a product dashboard gives better insight into
how the month is progressing. FCW FCW
®
MADE IN
THE USA
Corrections
·
FCW
WWW.FCW1.COM
FCW
November 25, 2013
11/20/13 3:24 PM
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10 Wood
World Marketplace
Imports: reputable and reliable
By Megan Salzano
Consumers in America often like to see that
Made in the U.S.A. label, but manufacturers
agreed imports can be just as reputable and
reliable as products made domestically. “I would
put the products that we source up against our
competition every day,” said Jamann Stepp, vice
president of sales and marketing, Home Legend.
For Canadian based Mercier and Lauzon,
imports are utilized simply to offer the U.S.
marketplace an exotic species. “Since we own
our forests, only the species we cannot get out
of them are imported,” said Yves Myrand,
vice president sales and marketing, Lauzon.
“We really have no choice but to offer
them to the marketplace. It’s really a species
import requirement,” added Mike McReavy,
product sourcing directing, Mercier.
There are some manufacturers like Home
Legend, Johnson, Hallmark and Pinnacle who
rely solely on imports. In addition, suppliers
said that anti-dumping and countervailing
duties are in place to protect a fair playing
field. And when it comes to quality control and
environmental factors, rigorous protocols have
been in place at overseas facilities for years. “We
have quality control procedures that we monitor quite rigidly. What we source and the factory’s we buy from are reputable,” said Stepp.
“Responsible harvesting and responsible
sourcing of lumber is something we’ve always
done,” said Bill Schollmeyer, chief executive
officer, Johnson.
Agreed Stepp, “We make sure that there’s
no labor laws being violated, there’s no illegal
harvesting of timber and we’re in compliance.”
Manufacturers also agreed that imports
can offer design, production and pizzazz to
the marketplace. “If you look at our product,
you can see that it’s kind of different and
that it’s got color and texture. We’re set up
for fashion and style and that kind of thing,
which is different,” said Schollmeyer.
The handscraped category is a tremendously popular technique that has been a
strong suit of overseas production. Imports
allow manufacturers to produce this look and
deliver it to the American market at competitive pricing. “We’ve got highly trained people
who are able to handscrape material, handscrape flooring, to really exacting standards,”
said Schollmeyer.
Lauzon, although a proponent of domestics, agreed. “We cannot produce this look
in North America at a reasonable price,”
Myrand said.
According to Schollmeyer it’s about more
than just a design. “What we get to do is we
get to add value, technique and color that we
just couldn’t do in the U.S.”
Manufacturers said production is more
flexible and much broader overseas. “When
the economy is rocking and rolling, U.S. production limits us from being able to provide
the volume of product in a handcrafted item
that the U.S. consumers are using today,” said
Brenda Cashion, vice president of marketing
and operations, Pinnacle.
According to Schollmeyer, Johnson is able
to switch production quickly and come out
with new products faster.
Pinnacle announces
brand facelift
Johnson Hardwoods, Tuscan Sienna
Ron Oliver, vice president of sales and
marketing, Hallmark Hardwoods, said the
plants in China are technologically more
advanced. “In our plants we’re able to achieve
wider and much longer average lengths,
maxing out at six or seven feet.”
Johnson also produces Forever Tough, an
anti-scratch finish. “That’s a combination of
a different chemical compound in the finish
but also a difference in the actual application
technique of the finish and that’s not available in the U.S.,” Schollmeyer said.
Cashion at Pinnacle offered that today’s
market is simply global in nature. “Across
industries, products are evolving to be international in nature. Component parts from
various areas across the globe, component
assembly in other areas, and final assembly in
even other areas. More and more we are
becoming one world,” said Cashion. FCW FCW
Correction
Corrections
FCW
ROBINSON
Change or go extinct!
I
t is said there are two things we can
count on for certain in this life: death
and taxes. Neither of which is something we look forward to. But there is
another dimension that must be added
to the mix — change – because the world
is changing constantly around us and it’s
doing so daily at a pretty fast clip.
Although resistance to change is a counterintuitive survival mindset, most folks go
to great lengths to avoid changing, mainly
because it requires a departure from the
familiar “status quo processes” and forces
us to operate outside our comfort zone.
If we consider the historical context of nature
and the long-term value associated with the
simple lessons it offers, we would realize how
resiliently adaptive nature is to change and take
the opportunity to learn from the alternatives it
can teach us. Reinvention through change is a
long-term strategic proposition.
Embrace change and have the courage to
depart from status quo, knowing change is
gaining, not losing. There are resources, tools
and processes available that can assist you in
designing a proactive roadmap as you move
forward while helping you with the challenges of navigating unchartered territory.
I am challenging you, business owner/
executive/manager, with these three
questions:
1.) Are you willing and able to evaluate
the landscape of your business and if so, do
you have the strength, desire and purpose
to proactively search for new opportunities,
roadblocks and predators?
2.) When new opportunities are brought
to light, and/or roadblocks and predators
are suspected or discovered, do you have
the courage to pursue those circumstances
as opportunities, as well as the true grit
required to seek out and stake higher ground
that will support a thriving operation into
the future?
3.) Do you know how to design and implement the requisite plans necessary to afford you
and your business the opportunities to optimally thrive and prosper going forward with
buy-in from all stakeholders?
The bottom-line message is this: Change or
go extinct! Realizing positive change means
nothing more than being courageous enough
to put one foot in front of the other and never
stop until you reach optimum performance;
and then, being willing and able to institute
a “Performance Culture” that’s always on
the lookout to continuously get better and
ultimately thrive.
Achieving positive change takes having a
keen eye on the ultimate goal (the vision) and
a ton of focus, dedication, hard work, grit and
buy-in from all stakeholders, in order to “consistently deliver” (the values and mission).
·
FCW
Corrections
Making What Matters Most Happen!
RHONDA
FCW
Correction
FCW
BY
[DALLAS] Pinnacle Flooring has new message. “To reach our potential in an incredibly dynamic economic landscape we must
innovate in all phases of our business,” said
Brenda Cashion, vice president marketing
and operations at Pinnacle.
The creative portion of the project was
launched in the fourth quarter of 2012. When
the design concept was finalized, it established a new look that also featured a new tag
line that summarized the company’s operating
philosophy: Design. Style. Innovation.
Over the past several months, the new look
translated into a new logo, new website, and
an updated display and sampling system. The
most recent focus has been Pinnacle’s web
presence. “Our objective is to be accessible to
our customers whenever they want us and in
any way they need us,” said Cashion.
Display signage, samples, and literature
updates to reflect the new look and new product introductions will be introduced throughout the first quarter of 2014. “Clear product
positioning and messaging are integral facets
of our focus,” said Cashion.“We have a clearer
sense of identity, a clearer sense of purpose
and an understanding that good isn’t enough,”
said Cashion. FCW FCW
·
Moreover, it takes stellar leadership and an
iron will to make positive change happen!
My desire is that you seek-out and
employ the requisite tools and necessary
resources available to make positive change
happen, and then stand ready, willing and
able to blaze the trail and lead your team
into tomorrow, by embracing change and
thinking different. Prepare for tomorrow
business leader, knowing that the people
who are crazy enough to think they can
actually change the world are the ones who
actually do. (e.g., Apple, Nike, etc.)
To receive a complimentary copy of my
Change Module and Leadership Disciplines
for Managing Change at no cost or obligation,
simply email your request to: [email protected].
____________________________________
Rhonda Robinson, Principal, Corporate
Strategist, “Business Coach” & Author at Robinson Enterprises, LLC, is a Transition Expert
with 36 years experience helping companies
throughout the USA & Canada navigate
the challenges of business. www.RobinsonROI.com. To reach Rhonda, call her Office:
541-383.8044 / Cell: 541-410.4258 or email
[email protected].
WWW.FCW1.COM
November 25, 2013
11/20/13 2:24 PM
FCW
Commercial
Supplement to Floor Covering Weekly
November 2013
Consolidated Carpet’s installation at
St. Mary’s Hospital for Children
in Bayside, N.Y.
Shaw design
studio makes magic
CommercialCover.indd 1
Tandus Powerbond
offers solutions
Demystifying LEED
v4 requirements
Consolidated’s
70th Anniversary
11/20/13 2:28 PM
Shaw’s design studios
make flooring magic
By Janet Herlihy
When it comes to designing carpet products for
the commercial market, Shaw Contract Group
seems to have a magic wand, turning yarn and
backings into unique, high fashion broadloom
and modular products.
Since 2002, Shaw collections introduced at
NeoCon have won a Gold or Silver award every
year. And what looks like magic is really the
result of a deliberate design process that finds
inspiration and then transforms it into products
that combine fashion and performance to serve
the needs of each commercial market segment.
In today’s commercial market, hospitality is the
most active, followed by healthcare and education,
while corporate is comparatively quiet, according
to Reesie Duncan, creative director for Shaw Contract Group. “Clients want ‘new’ products. So we
launch at different times throughout the year, so we
can always have something new to offer.”
Duncan guides four highly focused design
teams — one for corporate, another for institutional (education and healthcare), a group for
hospitality and an international team. Duncan,
an Auburn University graduate, is also Shaw’s
global brand leader.
The corporate studio’s goal is to create an
impression that supports each client’s brand identity. Participating in design organizations, studying trends and conducting research are the pillars
that support the corporate design team’s efforts.
Healthcare and education projects demand
aesthetics, safety, comfort, acoustical value and
long-term return on investment. Shaw’s team
combines style with performance features such
as its EcoWorx Performance Broadloom backing
systems to fill the needs of these environments.
The Shaw Hospitality Group creates collections of carpet, hardwood and resilient flooring
for projects that require beautiful, functional
flooring for guest rooms, corridors and lobbies
and other public spaces.
The International studio is focused on
designing new carpet tile projects for markets
around the globe.
The process
Design does not happen in a vacuum. “The
various studios work directly with the marketing
teams so that we can know what the market is
saying and respond to its needs,” Duncan said.
DyeLab, launched in 2012, was inspired
by a desire to merge organic colorations with
technology. “We experiment first,” explained
Duncan. “For DyeLab, we spent about three
months exploring natural dyeing — the colors
from sources like madder root, indigo and
cochineal — and the techniques. Then we figured out how to translate that into carpet.”
DyeLab had no sooner brought home
NeoCon Gold for carpet tile, when work began
on introductions for 2013. “We try to step back
every year to challenge ourselves to create new
products and innovations that are even better,”
Duncan stressed. “This year, we wanted to take
a step forward from DyeLab and looked at different shapes. The hexagon kept coming up and
eventually resulted in Hexagon.”
Hexagon, which won the 2013 NeoCon
Silver award for tile, is “A natural evolution
of form beyond square and rectangle. Hexagon
creates more connection points and removes the
linear path. It will change the way you move
through a space,” Duncan wrote in Shaw Contract Group’s “Design Is 2013” catalog.
Most new collections take nine months to a
year to develop. Working with a tentative plan
for the next year, Shaw’s design group manages
about 20 products in eight collections that are
organized by market segment and price point. To
keep the line manageable, each year, Shaw tries to
drop about as many SKUs as it will add.
Currently, Duncan and her team are working
on an extension of Silk, originally introduced in
2006. Then, a tour of Thailand gave the designers
an overview and sense of the way silk was made in
that country, giving the final Silk collection a feel
Correction
Corrections
Shaw’s Hexagon, inspired by six sides of
connection, won NeoCon Silver in 2013.
of the Southeast Asian artisan influence, according to Duncan. This year, a similar investment in
time and energy will be made in hopes of creating
a new collection in the Shaw tradition.
NeoCon 2014 will be the launch pad for the
first coordinated resilient and carpet collections.
“They will have been intentionally designed to
work together,” Duncan noted.
Not content to follow trends from others,
Shaw’s design staff is working on a color forecast that will be shown in February 2014. Using
those shades, “We start with research, use a
CAD system (computer aided design) to create
patterns, which are made up on a sample
machine,” Duncan said. “We focus on small
details and develop yarns for different looks.
There are subtle nuances in the thread up of a
FCW
FCW
tufting machine.”
FCW
FCW
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12
FCW Commercial November 2013
11/20/13 2:29 PM
11/18/13 1:30 PM
Powerbond provides
solutions for EIA
T
he unique characteristics of Tandus Flooring’s Powerbond made it ideal for the 2012
expansion of Edmonton International Airport (EIA), Alberta, Canada. The airport expects
10 million passengers to travel through the new terminal by 2020.
A hybrid textile/resilient sheet flooring, Powerbond consists of a tufted nylon blanket that
becomes one with a closed cell cushion through heat and pressure, resulting in flooring that is high
performance with great design potential. Once seams are welded, Powerbond forms a moisture
impermeable barrier for easy maintenance.
At EIA, Antex Western, a commercial flooring contractor based in Manitoba, Canada, installed
16,662 square yards of custom Powerbond RS and 2219 square yards of ER3 modular carpet, also
from Tandus Flooring.
Powerbond offers uncommon design opportunities as it can be cut and installed in patterns
with no concern about edge ravel. At EIA, in areas where passenger traffic flow should keep
moving, the flooring patterns are more linear and allow passengers to follow a subtle straight line.
In gathering and meeting areas, more complex patterns were chosen.
The resilient closed cell cushion supports a healthier indoor environment by absorbing impact,
improving thermal insulation and acoustical performance and providing comfort underfoot,
according to Tandus Flooring. Powerbond is also 100 percent recyclable and available with recycled content, making it an environmentally responsible choice for EIA.
In EIA waiting areas, more complex patterns
in Powerbond encourage sitting and relaxing.
Commercial Case Study
Project: Edmonton International Airport (EIA), Alberta, Canada
Contractor: Antex Western, Manitoba, Canada
Product Used: Tandus Flooring’s Powerbond RS and ER3 modular carpet
At EIA, Tandus Flooring’s Powerbond gives quiet way-finding cues in corridors.
LEEDv4: Building up performance outcomes
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
will launch the new Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) program this
month at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo.
“The purpose behind many of the changes in
LEEDv4 is to make LEED credits more closely
tied to performance outcomes along a variety
of indicators — reduction of carbon emissions,
enhancing human health and well-being,
protecting water and ecosystem resources, promoting regenerative material resource cycles,
growing a green economy, and enhancing community quality of life,” said Chrissy Macken,
assistant project manager, LEEDv4.
According to the USGBC, the flooring
industry will be impacted by the following new
credits and substantial changes to two previous
LEED 2009 credits.
associated with the manufacturing of a product.
Building Product Disclosure and Optimization — Sourcing of Raw Materials
a manufacturer inventory.
Option 2 of this credit gives an additional
point for products that have complied with
GreenScreen, are Cradle to Cradle Gold or
Platinum certified, or demonstrated compliance
with the EU’s REACH Regulation.
“For the Materials and Resources credits,
USGBC has taken a life cycle thinking approach,”
Macken said. “For new materials, project teams
are encouraged to seek out materials where environmental, human and ecological health impacts
have been reported. Finally, appropriate waste
management is rewarded to encourage sending
material back into the use stream.”
This is an expansion of the Certified Wood
credit from past versions of LEED. It now
addresses sourcing information associated with all
harvested, extracted, mined and quarried materials. It requires that products come from manufacturers that have declared sourcing information in
one of a number of possible frameworks.
Option 2 of this credit gives an additional point
for using products that demonstrate leadership
practices in extraction. Reaching the required
threshold could be met by using a combination
of the various attributes. It is not required that Low-Emitting Materials
each attribute (recycled content, reused materiThis revised credit now requires that project
als, bio-based materials, new wood, etc.) meet teams consider the materials in their space as
the threshold individually.
a system, as opposed to component by component. In an effort to make LEED credits
Building Product Disclosure and Optimiza- Building Product Disclosure and Optimi- more performance based, many credits have
shifted the metric or calculation methods. For
tion — Environmental Product Declarations zation — Material Ingredients
This new credit encourages the use of products
This new credit encourages the use of prod- Low-Emitting Materials, this means using
that have environmental product declarations ucts from manufacturers that declare the mate- volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions as
(EPD). The purposes of an EPD is to disclose rial ingredients of the finished goods. This can opposed to VOC content, and requires followthe life cycle impacts (global warming potential, be done through a number of ways, including a ing the testing methods outlined in the credit
acidification potential, ozone depletion potential) health product declaration, Cradle to Cradle, or requirements to determine VOC emissions.
14
Regional Materials
In all three Building Product Disclosure
and Optimization credits, obtaining local
materials that meet the sustainability criteria
are given “bonuses” toward reaching the
designated thresholds. The purpose of this
local bonus is to encourage project teams to
support their local economy whenever possible. There is no longer a standalone Regional
Materials Credit.
According to Macken, the application of
these changes allows for project teams (and
consumers in general) to seek labels on products that give them pertinent information necessary if they would like to use environmental, human and ecological health indications
to determine what products they purchase.
For those who may need more time adjusting
to LEEDv4, registration for LEED 2009 will be
available until June 1, 2015. This is the longest
duration USGBC has ever offered more than
one version of the LEED rating system.
“This is in direct response to feedback
USGBC received from LEED users, who
expressed their commitment to LEEDv4 but
expressed concerns about how quick the transition may be to the market when the typical
optional registration period for the new program is in place,” Macken said.
 Megan Salzano
FCW Commercial NOVEMBER 2013
11/20/13 3:44 PM
Consolidated Carpet
celebrates 70 years in business
By Brittany Walsh
When Tom and Leif Meberg immigrated to the
United States from Norway around 1920, they
were taken under the wing of a floor covering
installer and taught the trade. In November of
1943 they opened Consolidated Carpet. Now
seventy years later, this third generation family-run business has become one of the largest
commercial flooring contractor companies in
the country.
Five of the seven top executives of Consolidated Carpet still bear the Meberg name, including president and CEO David T. Meberg. Meberg
explained to FCW that in many ways, installations
have been redefined over the years and will continue to change. “The products and techniques
have changed dramatically since Consolidated
first started,” said Meberg. “Being in business for
this long, we’ve had the pleasure of being a part
of it all.”
Quality and productivity
And although a lot has changed over 70 years,
the values that are important to the company
remain the same as when it was first founded.
“What has put us in such a position of strength
in this industry is what our founders have really
pushed from the beginning, which is productivity
and quality,” said Kristine Scotto, marketing and
public relations coordinator at Consolidated Carpet.
Scotto added that it is the company’s meticulous attention to detail and close coordination with
clients that allows Consolidated Carpet to stand
apart from the rest of its competition.
project to be meaningful — high profile or not —
installations at children’s centers and hospitals
strike a different chord with the company and its
installers. “A hospital can be a scary place for a
child, but creating a space that looks friendly and
safe can make a positive impact,” Scotto said.
The installation process acts as the driving
force behind most of the company’s initiatives.
Correction
Corrections
“What we believe to be most important is the
ability to expertly service installations. Whenever I sell my client on a product, I tell them that
whatever they buy isn’t worth anything until it’s
properly installed,” said Meberg.
The present challenge, Meberg noted, is to
be proactive in having installers with the most
current certifications. Every Consolidated Carpet
installer is certified by INSTALL. “We make sure
our installers are up to date with new specialty
installation methods so that they are knowledgeable and able to solve issues on site,” he said.
Scotto added, “Every step of the process must
be focused for an installation to meet our standards, from the planning, to leveling the subfloor,
FCW
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to the installation itself.”
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FCW
Focus on the installation
Consolidated Carpet has worked on some of
the country’s top installations. Meberg noted the
recent Madison Square Garden transformation
as one key project that stands out because of the
extremely tight time frame.
Although Consolidated Carpet considers every
Installations at children’s centers are very meaningful to Consolidated Carpet.
Rivers Casino
installs designer flooring
[Pittsburgh, Pa.] Rivers Casino, located here, recently installed new flooring medallions designed
by Aalto Design, a design group for the waterjet technique which is directed by master artist
Harri Aalto along with his daughter, Annie. The casino's 34-foot rotunda medallion and the
13-foot entry medallion were produced by Creative Edge Master Shop, a waterjet design and
fabrication company, using waterjet cut and fabricated limestone, onyx and stainless steel.
According to Aalto Design, to create the flooring there is first a shop drawing, which indicates
how the floor will look. Upon customer approval, the stone and metal components are cut to size
using waterjet technology. From there, they are shop fit in Creative Edge Master Shop's facility.
Then, these waterjet pieces (which are numbered) are packaged and shipped to the jobsite,
including a schematic which shows the installer exactly where every piece is to go; a giant
jigsaw puzzle being installed by number.
“We look at every custom project not just as an installation, but as a work of decorative art
to enhance their space for years to come," said Annie Aalto.
Exceptional design deserves exceptional flooring.
Simple yet sophisticated or playful and bold, Centiva has limitless options
to complete your design vision. From ease of installation to extreme
durability, low maintenance to a great looking product, you can choose
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FCW Commercial November 2013
15
11/20/13 2:29 PM
16 Laminate
World Marketplace
Imports help laminate production in efficiency
tions are taken to make sure product meets
the highest standards. While Armstrong
produces most of its laminate in the United
States, the company, for example, has
in-house personnel in the factories manufacturing its laminate abroad to monitor quality.
“We provide the standards that we expect
our products to meet,” said Goodwin, vice
president of wood and laminate at Armstrong.
“We have our team on the ground and in the
plants to make sure our standards are met.”
George Kelley, CEO of Kronotex USA, said
that the company is receiving an ISO 9000
certification by the end of this year. “Part of
the rationale to undertake the ISO process is
to insure we have systems and
procedures in place to meet
and exceed the ever increasing
quality and environment standards our customers demand.
This includes certifying that the
materials we import also meet
those standards,” said Kelley.
Many top laminate manufacturers, such as Kronotex
USA, noted that certain
products are made overseas
because they cannot be made
Inhaus laminate, made at Classen’s factory in Berlin, Germany. as cost effectively otherwise.
Whether the reasons for producing overseas
are for innovation, design, value or other strategic purposes, many laminate suppliers have
seen tremendous benefits with imports. According to Derek Welbourne, CEO at
inhaus, the imports of laminate flooring come
in a broad range of products from low end price
point to the latest in technology and design.
“We at inhaus are part of the Classen group
based in Germany. In terms of laminate production capacity and technology, Classen is
one of the top three companies in the world
with an annual capacity rated at 860 million
square feet,” said Welbourne
Top suppliers said very serious precau-
“Kronotex USA is a 95 percent made in America manufacturer and we only import those
products that we cannot produce in the USA.
Long planks are a good example and we only
import from companies within the SwissKrono
family,” he said.
“Although we at Faus do most of our North
American laminate manufacturing here in the
U.S., some of our items we import from Spain.
Those are more European type wood looks,
which is where most of the demand for this
type of product is anyway. But because there is
some demand for that in the U.S. and Canada,
we import these products from our plants in
Spain,” added said Sergio Negre at Faus.
Goodwin at Armstrong noted that the company has developed trusting relationships with
partners in Europe and China who have the
ability to manufacture certain designs. “We’re
not playing in the commodity end of laminate.
Our dealers want unique designs and features
and we have been rewarded for that,” he said. Most laminate manufacturers agreed that
what matters most when it comes to production is efficiency. Derek Welbourne at inhaus
said the company considered constructing
a facility in North America and other parts
of the world where it has meaningful market
share, but decided against it.
Formica Flooring’s Quintessa collection
is manufactured in its European facility.
“We realized that the most efficient model
for us was to continue to invest all of our
production capital in one site and making
that site the largest and most efficient as possible,” said Welbourne. “We, by heritage, are
a logistics company. We feel that it doesn't
matter if we are shipping goods on truck, rail
or container, or we are manufacturing, it is all
about the efficient flow of goods.” FCW FCW
Correction
Corrections
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Quality service, product knowledge help laminate retailers win
When it comes to laminate flooring sales,
many specialty retailers have found that
communicating the advantages against big
box competition to the consumer has become
easier as the economy continues to strengthen.
According to Jeff Shawver, owner of Direct
Flooring in Cape Coral, Fla., it’s become
easier to compete price wise with laminate.
“The closer we are to a box store price, the
better off we are because they don’t provide
service,” he said.
As higher end laminate continues to
trend, dealers are able to offer these styles
at lower price points by purchasing in large
quantities. Mark Carroll, sales manager at
Calif-based Carpet Outlet Plus said, “We take
in products that are at a higher price point
by tens of thousands. By buying in bulk like
installations,” he said. “Even
for the DIYer, if they have
questions we tell them to feel
free and ask us and we can
give them the best practices
to install the product.”
The modern day consumer does ample amounts
of online research on
product before she buys.
One advantage that big box
stores have is the ability to Carpet Outlet Plus located in Bakersfield, Calif.
advertise. Shawver said that
while Home Depot and Lowe’s do a good big box and in a lot of ways it works to our
job of drawing customers with advertising, benefit.”
the chances are that a consumer will go
And while big box stores have largely won
into a big box store and then a specialty the sale of the do-it-yourselfer in the past,
retailer as well for comparison. “With us many retailers have experienced success
there aren’t any gimmicks. with winning over that customer as well by
We continuously win that offering better product knowledge. “We still
sale by being close to their win that customer because we can be comprice, being much more petitive with price, while also showing them
knowledgeable about our how to install the product properly as well,
products, and offering even by simply directing them to a video of
installation, he said. “Even the installation on Youtube. The product they
your high end consumer buy from us can also still be returned. I think
will go into the big box first they just like our process better,” said Carroll.
for ideas. Then she’ll come He also noted that while product knowledge
to our store where we offer goes a long way, sometimes simply having a
better service and quality, sales person on the floor can help you win the
so it’s not hard to compete. sale most of the time.
Product knowledge helps retailers win the sale.
— Brittany Walsh
We’re located right near a
that we are able to give them a better price
compared to our competition.”
Shawver agreed. “Handscraped distressed looks are in, which is more towards
the high end of laminate. But because I
buy in containers, I can still compete with
offering a low price point for a more quality
laminate product,” he said. “If you’re doing
your job as a flooring store owner you are
able to make the difference between the two
obvious.”
Todd Sweeney, president of retail for Ohiobased America’s Floor Source, said that having
a knowledgeable sales staff is the key differentiator between the specialty retailer and the
big box. “It can prove to be difficult to find
someone in a big box store who is knowledgeable and who can answer questions regarding
Having an attentive sales staff is key, said Carrol.
·
·
WWW.FCW1.COM
November 25, 2013
11/20/13 3:20 PM
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10/9/13 12:08 PM
18 Carpet & Area Rugs
World Marketplace
Imported broadloom offers unique styling, story
By Janet Herlihy
According to FCW’s Statistical Report, in 2012
and 2013, imports of carpets and rugs in 2012
— $2.17 billion in manufacturers’ sales and 2.08
billion square feet in volume — were still down
from 2007’s $2.26 billion in value but up slightly
from 2.06 billion square feet in volume. Those
statistics include roll goods, bath mats, area
rugs, auto and aircraft carpeting and artificial
turf — half is claimed by the area rug market.
Imported broadloom is estimated to be
approximately $1 billion, much smaller than
the domestic carpet market but a significant
business for companies that manufacture overseas or shop the world for unique products.
Nourison’s product philosophy is to
look for categories that are under-served.
“The U.S. mills are the best and most efficient manufacturers of synthetic carpet in
the world. There is no need for more of that
type of carpet,” said Alex Peykar, principal of
Nourison. “We manufacture wool and wool
blend carpets — both woven and tufted —
because there is still a void in that category.
Wool is best for durability and sustainability
and synthetics strive to look like wool. But
wool is not easy to work. It is also at the higher
end of the market, where consumers are still
looking for luxury goods.”
In addition to high end residential broadloom, Nourison is involved in the hospitality
market. “Four and five star hotels are looking
for wool Axminster broadloom that is not
readily available in the U.S.,” Peykar noted.
Nourison manufactures its broadloom in
China, Europe, the U.K. and other parts of Asia.
“The infrastructure we have in place enables
us to support both residential and hospitality
lines. When hospitality slows, we use the looms
for residential product. Nourison is vertically
integrated back to yarn production for about 80
percent of its products. For that other 20 percent, it buys spun yarn for tufted goods. For all
the woven products, Nourison handles everything, from raw wool through finished product.
Established as a handmade rug manufacturer, Nourison’s broadloom operation is less
than half of its total business, according to
Peykar. “But the rate of growth is higher than
the rug business. We added capacity in 2010,
2011 and 2012, so we are heavily invested in
broadloom and ready to handle any demand.”
With headquarters in the U.K., Brintons
uses British wool to manufacture its woven
broadloom. “We are close to the source,”
explained Mark Oldfield, vice president sales
for Brintons Americas. “We do make some
synthetic carpet but mostly it’s
about wool, which is luxurious
and sustainable and self-extinguishes, making it a very
good fit for casinos and cruise
ships,” Oldfield reported.
In 2011, the company
introduced High Definition
Weave technology that incorporated 24 colors. It has since
been expanded to use up to
32 colors. “High Definition Brinton’s High Definition Weave technology produced this wool
Weave is unique to Brintons Axminster for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Phoenix, Ariz.
and is especially appropriate
ing to Paolo Pegorari, vice president of Radici
for hospitality and gaming,” Oldfield said.
Brintons has three factories: U.K., Portugal USA. “Our 100 percent New Zealand Wool,
and India. “About 95 percent of Brintons’ Wilton woven Velvet available in 70 colors has
production is an 80 percent wool/20 percent been a staple in the U.S., Canada and Mexico
nylon blend that the company pioneered. “The market for the last 20 years,” Pegorari said.
Radici sales are up in 2013. Pegorari attribiggest U.S. market for us is hospitality with
four and five star hotels, the cruise industry and butes the increase to consumers valuing the
casinos. A high-end residential line is slowly “made in Italy” trademark of Radici. “In
making inroads in the U.S.,” he added. “Hospi- Europe Radici carpets are very well known in
tality took a hit starting in 2007, but it has been the best boutiques, hotels, luxury cruise liners
and more. In the U.S., Radici’s carpets are
coming back over the last 18 months.”
With headquarters near Bergamo, Italy, also in the same venues, and the goal of
Radici is most successful in the U.S. market Radici USA for 2014 is to expand the hospiwith Wilton woven and tufted carpets in wool tality division as we see potential for growth
and wool/silk and wool/linen blends, accord- in that market,” he stated. FCW FCW
Correction
Corrections
FCW
Resilient
Experience, capacity, innovation boost imports
By Brittany Walsh
As luxury vinyl tile (LVT) continues to record
substantial growth, an increased focus on the
contents and quality of products and where
they are being sourced from, said industry
insiders. And while companies such as IVC US
have made investments in new domestic LVT
facilities, imports continue to play an important role in the category. According to FCW’s
2013 Statistical Issue, imports of vinyl flooring
increased 23.6 percent in 2012 and accounted
for half of the category’s volume last year.
Russell Rogg, CEO and president of Metroflor, said the majority of LVT production is
and has been in Asia for years and its manufacturing facilities have an unparalleled level
of expertise in the field.
“There is an art to ensuring that LVT is
manufactured in such a way that when it’s
completed, it must remain dimensionally
stable, flat and provide consistent performance over time,” he said. “In addition to
experience, we have numerous factories
throughout Asia which have capacities that
have grown considerably, ensuring that we
can provide a stable and reliable stream of
product for our customers,” Rogg said.
Keith Lacognata, luxury vinyl product manager at Hallmark Floors, said that the company’s product volume has skyrocketed this year.
“Hallmark doesn’t cut corners and doesn’t do
anything half way, especially when it comes to
the products it imports,” said Lacognata.
Most leading manufacturers reported
obtaining third-party certifications to ensure
its imported products are top quality as well
as having designated U.S. employees inside
the plants abroad to oversee processes consistently meet those standards.
Rogg said that while Metroflor has infrastructure, offices and factories in Taiwan,
South Korea and China, the company utilizes
its own staff to regularly check quality standards. Additionally, the company has a lab
in China that pulls product from each of its
manufacturing facilities to conduct a separate battery of tests for items that are integral
to the product’s quality and success.
Barron Frith, vice president and general
manager at Cryntel, agreed, “We have our
own engineers, people from the U.S., in our
factories who oversee the manufacturing
process. For some of our larger customers
they are third-party certified for every shipment that goes out.”
According to Frith, there is also a distinct
price advantage between LVT produced
domestically versus imports.
David Reichwein, CEO and president of
Freefit, added, “We have facilities all over
FCW
the world, and we manufacture wherever it
makes the most sense for us to do so. There
are certain production techniques we use
in China that would be impossible and cost
prohibitive to get done in Europe or the U.S.”
Innovation continues to be at the heart of
LVT’s success, and “while there is a debate
today as to what is actually created in Asia
versus what is simply manufactured in Asia,
many new technologies or advancements
have originated in Asia,” said Rogg.
Lacognata noted that innovation for
design is more easily achieved through its
manufacturing facilities abroad. All Hallmark LVT is manufactured in China. “The
technology is really incredible. They scan our
authentic hardwood products for printing
and afterwards they’ll tweak it so that it so
closely resembles the real thing, it’s hard to
even tell the difference,” said Lacognata.
According to Reichwein, there’s no magic
solution when it comes to imports. For
Freefit, he said, it has always come down to
the comparative advantage. “There are certain things that the U.S. does very well. We
lead the world in innovation and I think there
is tremendous untapped potential with innovation in flooring. European LVT manufacturing
is extremely efficient, and in some ways it makes
sense to bring product from Europe. And if
you’re looking for small runs with unique characteristics, that’s what Asia can bring,” he said.
“That’s the point of global trade. Wherever it
makes sense to produce, we will produce.” FCW
Correction
Hallmark’s Smokey Mountain
Pine LVT is made in China.
Cryntel’s LVT is manufactured
from two facilities in China.
Corrections
·
·
FCW
WWW.FCW1.COM
FCW
FCW
November 25, 2013
11/20/13 2:24 PM
e
19
World Marketplace
Global floor coverings opportunities grow
A Catalina Research Report
Major U.S. floor coverings manufacturers are
looking to global markets for future growth
despite the recovery of U.S. floor coverings
sales. U.S. and foreign-based manufacturers are
competing for the more than 200 billion square
feet of flooring sold worldwide, according to
Catalina Research, up from 156 billion square
feet in 2006. Global demand increased at a 5.2
percent compound annual rate over this period.
The strongest gains have been in Asia-Pacific
markets led by gains in the Chinese market. The
Chinese floor coverings market surged since
2009 as government actions to stimulate the
economy led to soaring rates of nonresidential
and residential construction. The gains in world
market sales were sharpest for ceramic tile and
stone flooring since these products are heavily
used in China and other developing countries.
Conversely, U.S. sales have lost ground. In
2012, U.S. sales are estimated to have accounted
for only 9 percent of total world demand. This is
down from 17.1 percent in 2006.
As non-U.S. markets increased in importance, leading U.S. manufacturers increased
their reliance on global markets. Mohawk has
Domotex
made carpets to parquet, laminate, resilient
flooring, artificial grass and further items
related to floor coverings.”
Most exhibitors agreed the event was
effective in drawing buyers from the surrounding region.
Paul Gray, Middle East sales manager
for Forbo’s adhesive division, said it was
important to be here to serve his clients’
needs, especially in fast growing commercial
applications as the region continues to build
everything from hospitals to schools.
“Last year, traffic was a little better,” said
Gerty Joosten of CombiWood, a Dutch company and high-end supplier of hardwood
floors, “but we are seeing people from the
entire region.” Her company's customizable
floors are geared more to the architect and
design markets she expects to see here.
One entrance to the Grand Bazaar.
November 25, 2013
made a number of strategic acquisitions to sales in Europe.
Coventry, England-based Amtico InternaShaw and Mannington have expanded their tional. Amtico has manufacturing facilities in
increase its reliance on world markets including the purchase of Dal-Tile, with a signifi- foreign-based manufacturing capacity in order Atlanta and the United Kingdom.
cant manufacturing presence in Mexico, and to take advantage of growing foreign market
Based on these trends, do not be surprised if
European-based Unilin. As a result, Mohawk selling opportunities. Shaw built a carpet tile there are additional cross-border acquisitions
sales outside of North America accounted plant in Nantong, China near Shanghai. The or capacity expansions.
for 17.1 percent of total company sales in plant supplies Chinese and other Asian markets
At the same time, Tarkett, a European-based
2012. This is up from 14.6 percent of total such as Hong Kong and Singapore where Shaw company, increased its reliance on the North
company sales in 2007. This figure could has recently opened sales offices. Mannington American market with the 2012 purchase of
increase further due to its purchase of Pergo extended its global reach in the high-end LVT Tandus, a U.S.-based manufacturer of comand Marazzi Group earlier in the year. These market with the March 2012 acquisition of mercial carpet and resilient flooring. FCW FCW
acquisitions have made
FCW
FCW
Mohawk the world’s leading
manufacturer of ceramic tile
(in billions of square feet)
and laminate flooring.
Interface is another comFlooring Material
2006 Percent Total 2011 Percent Total
2012
Percent Total
pany that relies heavily on
Ceramic tile and stone1
87.0
55.8%
125.1
66.2%
133.9
66.6%
foreign market sales with
Carpet and rugs
40.4
25.9
36.0
19.0
37.9
18.8
some 55 percent of total sales
outside the United States.
Resilient flooring
15.4
9.9
15.8
8.4
17.4
8.6
Interface supplies carpet tile
Laminate flooring
7.2
4.6
7.7
4.1
7.6
3.8
from seven plants located in
Wood flooring
5.9
3.8
4.4
2.3
4.4
2.2
Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Total
155.9
100.0%
189.0
100.0%
201.2
100.0%
Armstrong makes some 20
percent of its total flooring
U.S. percent total
17.1%
—
9.3%
—
9.0%
—
sales outside North America, 1 Includes floor and wall tile
primarily resilient flooring Source: Catalina Research, Inc.
Correction
Corrections
World Floor Coverings Market by Material, 2006-2012
Classen captured a lot of attention from the
beginning with leather and industrial looks in
laminate flooring. What may end up being of
most interest was a wood plastic composite
(WPC) core for laminate floors that is PVCfree, and currently in development. Another
new attraction was a system for laminate that
allows customers to mount the product on
their walls, which is especially useful in hiding
loose wires from today’s wall-mounted TV and
entertainment systems. Classen will have even
more introductions at Domotex in Hannover,
according to Patrick Pohl, customer manager.
Wolfgang Mösenbacher, area sales manager for Neuhofer Holz, a trim and moldings
supplier, noted the decidedly Turkish nature
of the show and was hoping to see visitors
from the wider region. Technology, he said,
especially digital printing, continues to push
the capabilities and styling options that
suppliers have to offer which is important in
such a diverse market as the Middle East.
At Kronoflooring, Markus Oberbauer,
managing director, said there has
been a lot of interest both in and
from the Middle East.
Chinese bamboo supplier
Dasso came to find distribution
partners and to find that one
new customer to push its plant
expansion back home, according
to Tony Wong, overseas sales
manager. Dasso’s rustic wide
bamboo plank was a major draw.
Freek Kujpers of Esco, a
Czech Republic supplier of
wood floors, said that although
WWW.FCW1.COM
·
the Middle East is
primarily an area rug
market, there has been
a lot of interest in wood
flooring here at the show.
One exhibitor, Aray's
general manager, Atilla
Kirsan, said that Domotex Middle East already
beat out Dubai, the previous venue, for traffic
and customer interest. "I The ribbon cutting featured foreign dignitaries, industry representathink they were surprised tives and local pride.
last year with how well
the show went, and this year is even better," from the local market. Both are areas he plans
he said. He plans to keep coming back.
on expanding for the future.
“All of this brings added value to the
Growth ahead
show and these will be the things we work
Kühnel, clearly excited about the potential on,” he concluded.
for this market, expressed his satisfaction
“This is the only trade fair in the region to
with show efforts but at the same time offer this scope of flooring product,” said
demonstrated a clear willingness to look at Wolfgang Lenarz, managing director of
every opportunity for improvement.
Domotex. FCW FCW
“We recognize that our show
FCW
FCW
date is a challenge and we are looking to move to the first half of the
year which works better with local
production cycles. The problem is
with fairground capacity,” he said.
However, he noted that this
year, a program of “hosted by”
delegations have helped bring professional buyers to the show. And
certainly, Domotex hosted forums
for buyers and a design award program for architects and designers
have helped drive more interest Thousands of vendors displaying their wares.
Correction
Corrections
·
11/20/13 3:21 PM
Marketplace
Shaw
Grand Central has more than 750,000 people
coming through it each day giving the Shaw
brand tens of millions of impressions. It is the
second most visited attraction in New York
City after Times Square.
Merritt noted that the flooring used for this
installation is not just about style and design
but about durability. Shaw flooring installed
here in Vanderbilt Hall included about 11,000
square feet of Luxury Vinyl Plank, 400 square
feet of Epic hardwood, 3,480 square feet of
Anso nylon carpet and 76 4 X 3 area rugs. All
the flooring was installed by aligned dealers
and will be shown at the winter markets.
Vendors here reflect many of the core values
of Shaw, making the project even more meaningful. Most of the products being sold at the
Holiday Fair are made locally, 88 percent are
produced and designed in the U.S. According to
Grand Central executives, the fair has become
ever more environmentally minded. The fair
will run until Dec. 24. All material published
about the fair will bear the Shaw Floors name.
“We were looking for options to update what
we did with the pie fight,” said Trey Thames,
vice president of marketing. “We thought this
was perfect. We wanted to show all Shaw floors
and not just carpet. This highlights the beauty
and durability and elevates the category. All the
stories that unfold are something we can use for
a long time, there is no shelf life.”
And in true Shaw fashion — as it has with
its support of St. Jude’s and even its partnership with HGTV branded products — the
effort will be supported by marketing efforts
throughout the year. Todd Callaway, director of digital content at Shaw, noted, “We
are creating different stories to spread out
through unique methods. And they are not
all heavily branded, the content becomes the
destination.” Articles and videos will appear
on the company site as well as on Facebook
and Pinterest, for example.
The benefit to vendors at Grand Central
is simple. Not only does the flooring complement the artisan products but it provides
Shaw installed 11,000 square feet of LVP for
vendors at Grand Central’s Holiday Fair.
comfort underfoot.
Grand Central Terminal, a national landmark built in 1913, has a rich history. Shaw
Flooring treated the press to a private tour
of the facility — a fascinating walk through
its history and that of the city and country.
Among factoids gathered during the almost
three hour experience:
▶ The main concourse measures 36,000
square feet. Trains arrive every 47 seconds at
the Terminal with a 98 percent to 99 percent
on time performance rating.
▶ A secret train station below the structure
still holds a private train car belonging to
FDR. It was used to transport the president
and his limo directly to the Waldorf Astoria
in order to hide his polio from the public.
▶ In 1967, Penn Station was torn down and
Grand Central was about to face the same
destruction when Jackie O joined the fight to
save the Terminal.
▶ The Terminal’s basement sits 18 stories
below street level and was used during WWII
to house soldiers.
▶ Acorn and oak leaf clusters can be seen
throughout the Terminal as it is the symbol
of the Vanderbilt family.
Today, Grand Central is both train terminal
and shopping destination. Commented Merritt, “As you can see, they turned the whole
place into a revenue generating space.” FCW FCW
Correction
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Corrections
FCW
FloorProductions
supplier to LVT brands such as Mohawk,
Shaw, Mannington, Tarkett, EarthWerks,
Metroflor and Raskin Industries.
“Vinyl samples are what we’ve always
focused on. We’ve been doing it longer and
better and we get the market representation for
doing it right all these years,” said Childress.
With LVT still growing, the outlook for
the business is positive. “LVT is going to stay
strong for another three years at least — it’s
not going away. The best the other flooring
categories can hope for is that it levels off at
some point. LVT is even taking share from
ceramic now. Moving a container of ceramic
is not easy. There are a lot of things going in
LVT’s favor,” said Jon Hiland, vice president
of national sales, FloorProductions.
Even though vinyl and LVT are the bulk of its
FCW
business, FloorProducitons does provide sample
boards for a number of industries —all of it done
by hand. In fact, much of the work it does for
customers involves handling hundreds of small
samples, gluing them or, in the case of ceramic,
grouting them right onsite. Who do you think
puts together all those chain sets of cove base?
Chances are its FloorProductions. Same for
presentation boxes and other printed collateral.
Russ Rogg, president and CEO of Metroflor, noted, “FloorProductions is literally
a one-stop resource from printing and
assembly all the way through to fulfillment,
supporting all of our sampling needs.”
Childress acknowledges that his business is
often begrudgingly looked upon as a necessary
evil by the entire supply chain.
“We’re the most valuable supplier but
everyone hates us at the same time because
we’re dead cost. But you need us to move
product. We can help any company develop
samples boards,” he said. FCW FCW
Correction
Visit us at booths: #S5761 & #B3370
For more information go to
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Or, scan this QR tag
using your smart phone to
be directed to our website
Corrections
FCW
FCW
11/20/13 3:22 PM
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Randy's Carpets & Interiors
Seeks qualified, experienced flooring
covering installers for immediate sub-contract
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Major wood flooring manufacturer is looking
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11/20/13 3:05 PM
22 The Last Word
Domotex Istanbul: Growth ahead
I
it has served in exactly that capacity as a bridge between cultures and continents, and between empires and the rest of the
world for more than a millennia. Istanbul was the seat of the
Roman and the Ottoman Empires. It has been a stop along
the Silk Road for centuries, if not longer. It quite literally
straddles Europe and Asia. And its ethnicity is a mix of races,
peoples, cultures and religions. In fact, the only other place
that I ever experienced anywhere near that level of natural
diversity is right here in New York City, where I live.
There’s something thrilling in that. The diversity. The
cross cultural-ism. The sharing of ideas from all over the
world. (And of course the food.) For those reasons, it was a
well worthwhile trip for me.
It also reminded me of the power of trade shows to make
connections, to shape industries, to forge relationships. At
trade shows is where the lines of communication open up,
new contacts are made and growth inevitably follows.
As we approach opening market season for 2014, and
with new trade shows being added — Surfaces, which now
incorporates stone and tile, as well as a new Surfaces extension to be held in Miami Beach next October, plus a new
Domotex show in Moscow next spring — let’s remember
how global, how vibrant, how exciting the flooring industry remains. There is so much opportunity to explore at
any one — or all — of these events. We’ll see you there.
recently had the privilege of
attending Domotex Middle East,
held in Istanbul, Turkey. While
the show itself was fairly small compared to Domotex Hannover or
Shanghai, it nonetheless cast a long
shadow. For me, it highlighted one of
the fastest growing areas of the world
while at the same time reflecting the most modern and the
most traditional aspects of the flooring industry.
It was literally that way on the show floor itself — piles
of folded rugs in traditional colors and patterns displayed
in the traditional way, and, right next door a thoroughly
modern trade show stand. This great contrast, I think, tells
us a lot about this market.
As Alexander Kϋnhel, general manager, Deutsche
Messe Worldwide, told me, Istanbul has a population of
more than 14 million, 60 percent of which are under the
age of 26 years old. Turkey is a European Union aspirant,
and the government has set a goal to be a top 10 manufacturing nation within the next 25 years. As a secular
government, but also a Muslim nation, it can play a critical
role in the development of the Middle Eastern market relative to flooring. It can be a place that literally brings the
worlds of flooring together.
It is totally fitting then that Istanbul host this event because
— Santiago Montero
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J
the event — what is appropriate to the
restaurant (Aureole, for example, would
be dress pants and maybe a jacket but a
casual steak house like Uncle Jacks can
be nice jeans and a button down shirt.)
That sounds fair to me. So I’ll take a
page from the Napa vineyard — dress
according to what is appropriate to the
event, the situation. In this case, the sales person is the first
impression of the store. He or she also needs to be the voice of
authority and that authority needs to come through. A clean,
neat, organized store is imperative. Clean, neat and organized
also needs to describe the sales people working on the floor.
If I consider all that the RSA represents to the store and to
the consumer, what is “event appropriate” probably doesn’t
include t-shirts or torn jeans or any clothing for that matter
that doesn’t work to present a well-groomed individual, one
of authority and deep knowledge of what they are selling.
At the Starnet meeting last month, dress code was also
addressed — specifically the importance of creating a look
for the store and its employees that reflects its brand and
identity. Attire is an integral part of branding.
So to my dealer friend in New York and his RSAs — no
sloppy attire, no torn jeans, no sneakers, no graphic t-shirts.
Dress appropriate to your role and to your brand which is
one of authority, knowledge, quality and service.
ust a few weeks ago, I received a call from a dealer in
New York asking me to please take on the subject of
how salespeople dress when on the showroom floor. He
..said that he and his people use our “good information”
here on the FCW editorial page. He uses some topics discussed instructionally with his employees.
He said the dress code on the selling floor has become an
issue — one that he believes is costing him market share. He
went as far as saying that floor covering sales people may
be “the worst dressed people in any store in the U.S.” So he
asked that I take this topic on and shed some light on what
would be considered appropriate attire.
I consider myself to be pretty in-tuned with today’s
trends be it music, television, fashion or food. But there are
also equal parts of me that are steeped in tradition. I’ve even
been guilty of clarifying our dress down policy on Fridays
for new hires here. I ask that they consider not wearing flipflops or torn jeans. Truth be told, I frown a bit on sneakers.
Part of this comes from growing up with my Dad wearing
a suit and tie to work each day. And my own career started
in a formal work environment as welI.
A friend of mine works for a vineyard in Napa. His job is
very different than mine. Little time is spent by him in any
office — his workspace is a restaurant, wine store or at a tasting
somewhere. The directive he follows is shirt always tucked in
and no light-colored or torn jeans. Otherwise, it is dictated by
$4
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Ray Pina
3/20/13
s.indd 1
Steven R. Swartz President & Chief Executive Officer
William R. Hearst III Chairman
Frank A. Bennack Jr. Executive Vice Chairman
Richard P. Malloch Group Head & President
Steven A. Hobbs Executive VP & Deputy Group Head
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S
SURFACE2013
Entries
ed on page
flooring mar
ket
Hard surface
and secure
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compou
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floor sup—
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Continu
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1-28-13page
Ron Nash of Laticrete
Sherridan Basdeo Advertising Administrator (516) 227-1307 [email protected]
Carolyn Giroux Audience Development Director (516) 227-1376 [email protected]
Adriana Marzovilla Financial Manager (516) 227-1364 [email protected]
POST
CARE Co
to tackle nference
challenge
s
Cruise and
Business
Mohawk’s Mike Zoellner and
Elise Demboski with a retro Marilyn Monroe
10
By Mallory
1
A Hearst
No. 3
$4
11, 2013
on
Publicati
CEO, president Karel Vercruyssen
2013
Low VOCs
For breaking
fcw4813-pa
Vol. 62
Ralph Boe (right) with newly named
acquisition
Bōlyü Drift
and Brights
installed
at
carpet
tile
of Zoosk, the San Francisc
the social
o offices
dating
service.
3
Beaulieu preps for Boe’s
retirement with co-CEO
CEO
19
al tile pos
ition
$4
Inter view
Scott Hum with
WFC A phrey
Cruise
ing glob
May 6, 2013
February
[Orlan
scaled back
do, Fla.]
petsPlus
the last
Alliance
endure
built upon
Flooring
the tough three years in
strategy
/Car- the
order
financial
as it welcom its “Pillars for
industry
Success”
times plaguinto
convent
turn around, . But things are
ion here ed members to this
g
March
beginni
convent
he added.
By Janet
23-26. Underyear’s
ng to
ion theme
“We’re
Herlihy
“Drive 2”,
getting more
to its member
its
help from
s the skills, Alliance brought we had a great
Carpet
necessar
supplier
meeting
tools and
board.
y for a
s; (CARE) America Recover
with our
by the end
“Welcom successful recovery products year,” I think it’s going
y
advisory
will meet
of May.
e to the
to be a great
year.
Ron Dunn
in Wesley Effort
Fla., for
In order
Logue,
recovery,”
Chapel,
growth
its
co-CEO
said John back. Commercial said. “Retail is
head carpet to continue to
ence, April 11th Annual
of
greeting
Confercoming
spearbuilding
is
24-26. Th
members Alliance/Carpet
tively, CARErecycling efforts
has much
is up which strong. Housin
e
sPlus,
the first
at
g and
eff
to be proud organization
He added
day of conventgeneral session
is spurring
have benefi will need help. ecrecogniz
that the
reported
on
ion. The
ing its accompof. And while
“We
, is already
group hopesbusiness.” also
group, he 30-40 stores in
our board ted greatly by
evidenc
lishmen
up
acknow
upcomi
10 percent
getting
goal is more
e of better
members
ts, it
ledges
ng months to open do
this year,
it’s a constan
involved
financial
and challeng there is much
network
Accordi
, but
times ahead.
ing among . Another
The Pillars
ng
to Dr. Bob
t challeng
es to address.
CARE
ance Floorin to Ron Dunn,
Establish
members.
e to keep
Peoples
for Success
moving
vided the
ed
co-CEO
g/Carpe
carpet industryin 2002, CARE
many moving forward with
of Allistrategy
convent
tsPlus,
ing on
ion foundat
prorepresen
the compan
and is
parts demand so
people,
marketattentio
ts the
ion, focusdedicate
y
based
perception,
n,” Peoples
CARE now
ing
out of landfi solutions for keepingd to finding
noted.
plannin
number
g, and
lls. In Septemb
Continu
s 80 certifi
used carpet and another 20
returned
ed on page
ed
processo
er,
national
as
Dr. Bob
executiv
rs of PCC, recyclers
21
network
Peoples
e director
CARE’s
making
“We’re looking to facilitate
of CARE.
carpet recyclinup
CARE was agenda is full.
at big shift
recycling,”
In
preparin
g.
s and trends
ter review
Peoples
g the 2012 mid-March,
in
are
said.
carpet
for Cal
Fourth
influenced
“Some of
Recycle,
Survey,
by the macro
the factors
the CARE Quar- and how
the 2012
CARE
it affects
econom
Annual
ning for
ic climate
small business
the Annual Annual Report,
Peoples
working
es everywh
pointed
plan- market
Meeting
on the fi
out that
ere.”
in April
rebound
nal plan
as the
and sold
s,
due to Cal
which will more new carpet housing
Recycle
eventua
is being
lly be available
Continu
for
Mohawk fina
Gains lead lizes Marazzi
No. 9
Vol. 62
Networki
optimismng, new products
,
drives All
iance
By Mallory
hot prodvery, very
LVT is a
to grow
continue
uct and we
ial and residenare
our commerc
Rush
lines. We
By Amy Joyce
tial LVT product ns at this
Rusprojectio
A year ago, of
ahead of
[Salem, N.J.]
helm
said.
took the
point,” he
he has invested
sell Grizzle Mills, a familySince then,
g the
ton
old
Manning
in overseein
easier
his time
nearly 100-yeardeeply
owned
n, a job made dilithat was
integratio
due
and
company
of careful
and
in tradition
because
the purchase
grounded
industry,
Mangence before
Russell Grizzle
rest of the
the
slow
like
aligned with a big
in a painfully and
values that
at’s been
was mired
then
that company from the start. “Th
His job
for the future
recovery.
d
while nington’s
plot a path
said.
to
announce
he
is
markets
now
new
com- help,” October, the company Commercial
growth in
true to the
In
ton
includes
time to stay
the Manning will carry both
at the same
that both
forces
values.
, includthe Amtico and the Amtico sales
pany’s core
ial products
points to
the
allows
s’ commerc
tile, using
Today, Grizzle
move that
companie
and carpet
n as a strategic its global reach
cial “Choices
LVT, sheet
acquisitio
ton Commer
coming
ton to expand
Manning
on page 47
its LVT
d
Manning
current
bring
Continue
it to3-25-13Co
while enabling n onshore.mmercial.indd 18 n.
mercial productio with the acquisitio
pleased
“We are
at www.fcw1.c
s Publica
March 2013
PINNACLE
4
PRACTICE
& PROCESS
5
PRODUC
T 10
PROMOT
ION &
COMMUN
ICATION
1/18/13
For breaking
— Amy Joyce Rush
Busines
Coverin
g Weekly
Grizz
Mannington’s
Great Floo
wide and rs goes
deep
A Hearst
tion
, product
Acquisition t advantage
heat up
bring markele sets course for future
OklaRoger Voge,
a,” said
Floorin Oklahom president for Star
homa division ng.
& Marble,
ing & Decoratiowner of Paris Tile
up.
casual,
By Janet Herlihy
is picking
re was
Jinx Yoder,
said, “Business after the first
] The atmosphein hotels located
[Dallas
Paris, Texas,
to wait ‘til
s scattered
and the
who wanted buy now.”
the showroom Grapevine, Texas,
the People
in
and
are back to
Fine Floors
in Irvine
small, attending were of the year
t
of Adair’s
large and
is importan
markets
Susan Adair,
retailers,
flooring
c.
“Winter market Surfaces in
Dallas regional products and optimistiwith Dallas, said,
better than
it’s
the
.”
along
us. I think
pleased with
Beaulieu
are not distracted Valley
T&L to
Shaw, Mohawk,
Swiff-Train,
that the suppliers owner of Brazos
in
rs including see a wide range of
Chuck Moreau,with three locations
distributo
.
dealers to
been
programs
has
Design,
drew
area,
the latest
and BPI
Floor &
hear about
Station, Texas d on page 12
g in the
product and
recoverin
the College
Continue
tion is
better retail
Construc
reported
strong
retailers
is
and
market
region
“The builder
sales as well.
No. 7
s Publica
19
Great Floors, No. 9 on FCW’s Top 50
list, boasts an expansive showroom
in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
e
” them h
Max boot
sor
ic of
Mag
Wind
Max
variety.
Haleys Flooring & Interiors offers
ABC Carpet & Home’s 6th floor rug
department
Sergenian’s grows in
Wisconsin and Florida
Separate retail brands, expanded commercial
ces and distribution
sales, administrative offi
three
in Madison. In Florida, there are now
— Tampa,
of G. Fried Flooring America stores
The merger of Sergenian’s Floor Coverings
told, sales tallied
G. Fried Sarasota and Jupiter. All
Madison, Wisc. with Florida-based
to Jim
has $25.8 million in 2012, according
Flooring America in November of 2011,
Sergethat Garner, CEO of the parent company
resulted in a vital, diversified business
and the majority
50 U.S. nian’s Floor Coverings, Inc.
is ranked No. 40 in FCW’s 2013 Top
shareholder of the business.
Specialty Retailers report.
In 2008, when the recession hit in Wisconsin,
SergeA member of Flooring America,
onethe builder business accounted for about
nian’s operates a retail store and maintains
a second facility that houses commercial
By Janet Herlihy
For breaking news updated each business
19
11:25 AM
day, visit us online at www.fcw1.com
location
My Flooring America’s Denton, Texas
Sergenian’s showroom features stylish
Hard surface carries
retail out of slump
The
12:15 PM
gates
open
at Surfa
.
2013
about Stainmaster
brand.
coverage
*Surfaces page 4
begins on
Flooring
Newton,
said Ian
put the program
101, who
group.
for the
together
this as a
r, we see
Gavin
“Howeve
”
ent opporBy Kimberly
and
year run,” said Bruce Zwicker, president
in your business.Merritt
margin enhancemadded, not
The National
to invest
when
By Raymond Pina
CEO, Haines. “Housing is rising and
right for you and president Randy a better [L V]
Alliance
. He
tunity,” Newton
disrupter
ering
be
be like throwing
Rush
Both Bell
Floorcov
of more
signifi- interest rates go up it will
definitively
as a market the program
Amy Joyce
offered
Specialty flooring dealers are reporting
collective
2013 will
people trying
that if
Cruise and
for all of us,”
(NFA), a
said that
traf- rocket fuel on a fire with more
nation’s
also said
group
By Mallory
right here
convencant and sustained increases in both store
our number than 40 of the
still relatively low.
support, the
“It starts
Network
success is
Growth, to buy in while rates are
.
gets good
met prior
Flooring
on the year.
fic and store sales across all categories.
growth and
additions
into a
] Shaw
a spotlight
largest retailers, for a midBell. “Your
[O
new We’re coming out of a depression
would pursue
2013 — put
2013
they said, is being fueled by rejuvenated
in January,
dakis, incomlaser sharp
Surfaces
and
one priority.”
Phil Koufi
“Every year
tion — Insight to create targeted,
busi- pretty strong recovery.”
year to
con, said that
meeting
Merritt,
better
home construction, residential remodel
deep
on
comability
a
president
be
g its
Explained
Construction and renovation of
company’s
was
ing NFA
going to
that conventireview. The positive
while expressin and the causes
ness and Main Street commercial.
g program
y says it’s
facilities,
to support
vendor
at last
everybod
business plans
said mercial spaces such as healthcare
the Armstron cant because
their families
have the statistics
informam reported
“I haven’t been this busy in years,”
signifi
ces continue to cern for its dealers,
s.
but we didn’t year we have concrete
especially
owner schools and government offi
group
continue
vely momentu
30-year industry veteran Jeff Kaspin,
more than
. This
ed the first
space on Main it believes in.
to be progressi
fall’s meeting group disintention
crowd of
it represent
Carpet. rise but the return of retail
it. It’s going
told the
), “Shaw
of Monroe Township, N.J.-based A.B.
of carpet.
while the
opportunity.
a new
attendees
proVance Bell
to four years.”
tion to support
his
my Street is proving to be the latest
of And
examine
buy outside
.
potential
(some 3,800 to insure future
officiated
“The amount of traffic coming through
the next three
retail
and CEO
from Armstrong
cussed some closed doors, NFA members
better for
“With new housing comes new
Koufidakis
1,000 dealers
the
together
program
et, chairman
. “My job
Hathafocused
Buff
pieces
wood
door is reminiscent of the good days before
behind
principal
been
the
g
president
Borders,
Berkshire
Warren
have
has put
amazing construction,” said Diana
12 grams publicly embracin
as the new
company
service
best opporsuccess. We
economy went bad. And what’s really
d on page
flooring, Armbuy
first meeting p is to bring the
one it is
quality and
Shaw’s parent
growth and
Continue
January, designer for commercial
during
wood group
to me is how strong business was in
leadershi
Our product made major capital
g.
retail environment
he told FCW
is a new
to with
on you.
that kind strong. “We’re seeing the
and we’ve
e time is
to the group,” en they can choose
ity from Armstron d, introduced
February and March. Usually we get
Th
But
business.
improved
tunities
“Th
opportun
have
$1 billion.
already driving a lot of commercial
So far, we
Scrape Hardwoon, is a collection
of push in April through June. I’m
nts — over
vendor meeting.
American
best for them. participainvestme
conventio
we’re also seeing a lot of hospitals renovating.
in 3/8 the
lly what is
at the fall
ahead of last year. That’s very encouraging.”
available
individua
the NFA
getting mass
dip, America is building again.”
scraped products
adding that
success in
in 10 colors
With the exception of an occasional
had
said,
charge
the
led
high-end
have
have
Available
dakis
of
categories
es.
Hard surface
Koufi
and
with four:
thickness
that success
monthly increases in new home sales
8 percent the first
is starting
tion in carpet,” group can spread
and ½-inch
property of increased sales, up some
the
Grain and
goal as presiNFA program
a trend among homeowners and
to the first quartotal, the
Blaze, Amber
p he believed d and beyond. His on page 7
quality quarter of 2013 in comparison
d
Nest, Autumn
is a direct-shi
managers to remodel with better
hardwoo
Research.
into
Catalina
Continue
to
Eagles
according
program
ter of 2012,
use. The
ve pricing.
goods is driving sales growth residentially. Smokeho
competiti
ble,”
three
members
“We think we’re set up to have a good
is considera
that offers
advantage
1:14 PM
2/8/13
“The price
5/1/13 3:47 PM
4/4/13
Drumline makes noise
first
ong: NFA’s
: Armstrgroup buy option
ight 2013
Shaw’s Ins better future wood
a
ing
Build
ces
“The
the
displays.at
a l
o d i c
P e r i
FLOOR
Business
P e r i o d i c a l
A Hearst
P e r
i o d i
c a l
No. 2
FCW
January
Vol. 62
Administration
For breaking
5613-pages.indd 1
s.indd 1
2-11-13page
news updated
each business
day, visit
us online
To subscribe: call (866) 813-3752 or go to fcw1.com/subscribe
For reprints of articles: Wright’s Media (877) 652-5295
om
at www.fcw1.c
11/20/13 2:31 PM
Mary Bishop* worked
in her family’s
flooring business and
devoted herself to
her family. When a
Christmas Eve seizure
led to the discovery
of a grade III brain
tumor, Mary suddenly
had to focus on an
intense treatment plan which included
radiation, chemotherapy and
fighting
the tumor.
Good thing someone told
her about the Floor
Covering Industry
Foundation
g
in
lp
he
u,
o
y
c
am lp
i
f
nd
or
d
he
e.
a
h
n
e
s
p
s
a
er
op
s
eu
u
t
g
s
n
a
yo
nd
e
a
o
e
y
r
t
r
i
l
pl
t
u,
e
r
s
t
u
o
f
g
o
y
tr
n
n
r
pe
an
a
e
e
s
ry
w
’
k
t
r
h
v
t
t
a
u
n
e
I
w
s
u
M
“
n
t
t
bo
ha
yo
s
u
a
T
he
r
b
s
w
fi
,
e
ll
u
a
k
e
a
’s
yo
th
m
it
g
t
e.”
,
i
l
u
e
p
h
m
eo
r
p
Fo
ng
i
lp
e
h
l
e
fe
y
il
s
ines
Bus
ng
p*
i
o
r
h
e
s
v
rco
y Bi
lo o
Mar
F
ily
Fam
Do you know someone who could use our assistance? Let them know there’s hope.
For information or to make a donation, please call 714.634.0302 or visit FCIF.org.
*The FCIF treats all of its grant recipients confidentially. Mary wanted to share her story with the public but asked that we keep their identity veiled. Her name has been changed
FCIF_ad_2011_FCW_2.indd 3
9/26/11 2:41 PM
#UnShameYourPet
Pets will be pe
ets. And with the new STAINMASTER® PetProtectt™ carpet and
d
cushion
n system, they don’t have to be ashamed of doing what they do.
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ASTE
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om/petprotect for details.
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Applies to domestic dogs and cats only.
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11/12/13 3:56 PM
11/18/13 1:39 PM

s - Floor Covering Weekly

Transcription

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