National Floor Trends articles from April 2002

National Floor Trends archives from April 2002

Murray Hall, a man who made a difference, retires. (Industry Perspectives).
April 1, 2002... Last month, Murray Hall retired, ending more than 50 years in the floor covering industry. Throughout our industry's long history, many have left a mark on this business and its people. Among their ranks, an even smaller number truly made...

Flooring retailers look up to the windows to boost the bottom line.
April 1, 2002... Most floor covering retailers who are intent on staying in business over the long haul have soberly considered the exhortations of today's management consultants and marketing gurus. They've heard repeatedly that the consumer demands a one-stop...

Rug suppliers see big potential in specialty retail channel.
April 1, 2002... After nearly a decade of double-digit sales increases, the recession of 2001 caught the rug business by surprise. Industrywide, sales advanced only an estimated 3% to 4% for the year. But instead of running scared, rug people got even more...

Industry members vote for the companies they deem best. (People / Place
April 1, 2002... The results of the third annual National Floor Trends Supplier Service Awards are in! More than 65,000 ballots were distributed in NFT's January and February issues and visitors to the magazine's website, NFT Online...

Beaulieu exits hard surfaces as LDBrinkman is reborn. (People / Place
April 1, 2002... As part of the company's continuing restructuring initiatives, Beaulieu Residential says it will exit the hard-surface flooring and general distribution business in the West and Southwest United States by returning those facets of its operation...

Witex to open Georgia facility. (People / Place / Events).
April 1, 2002... On March 15, Witex. USA Inc. opened a new 50,000-square-foot facility to support its newest lines of ceramic tile and wood flooring. The new structure sits adjacent to company headquarters in Kennesaw, Ga. The facility will house a sales...

Mohawk completes Dal-Tile acquisition. (News).
April 1, 2002... Mohawk Industries Inc. has completed its previously announced acquisition of Dal-Tile International Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, Mohawk paid $11 in cash and .2213 shares of Mohawk common stock for each outstanding share of...

No-Muv applauds Sound's Excellence. (News).
April 1, 2002... No-Muv Corp. recently honored Seattle-based Sound Floor Coverings Inc. with the company's Award for Sales Excellence at The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. No-Muv National Sales Manager John Morgan presented the award to Sound Floor Coverings...

Formica files for voluntary Chapter 11. (News).
April 1, 2002... Formica Corp. announced that it has reached agreement with its secured lender bank group on a credit facility to support its ongoing business operations. To facilitate the restructuring, the company and its U.S. subsidiaries and patent...

Honeywell. (People).
April 1, 2002... Honeywell has named David M. Cote to serve as president, CEO and member of the board effective immediately. He succeeds Lawrence A. Bossidy, 66, who will remain chairman and a member of the company's board of directors until he retires on June...

Custom Building Products. (People).
April 1, 2002... Mark Longfellow was promoted to serve as Custom Building Products' director of marketing and market development. In his new role, Longfellow will oversee the development of the company's backerboard, adhesive and grout product lines. He joined...

Armstrong World Industries. (People).
April 1, 2002... Armstrong World Industries has appointed Michael J. Badar vice president of Wood Flooring, a division that was recently integrated into Armstrong Floor Products (AFP). Since August 2000, Badar served as chief commercial officer and co-CEO of...

VPI Floor Products Division. (People).
April 1, 2002... VPI Floor Products Division has made changes to its national and international executive positions. Dale Tucker has been appointed to the new position of manager, business development and international sales. In his new position, Tucker is...

Witex USA Inc. (People).
April 1, 2002... Witex USA Inc. has named President Stephen Newman to also serve as company CEO. Newman began his career in the banking industry and later moved into information technology. After a stint at Mohawk Industries, he assumed the presidency of Witex...

Laticrete International Inc. (People).
April 1, 2002... Sean Boyle recently joined Laticrete International Inc. as product manager. In his new position, Boyle will manage the research, development and commercialization of various projects and will expand the company's underlayment product line.

Mannington Awards 'Burn Rubber'. (News).
April 1, 2002... Mannington presented two lucky winners with a 2002 Ford Thunderbird and a Harley Davidson VROD at Surfaces 2002 in Las Vegas. Mannington Chairman Keith Campbell and CEO Tom Davis presented Nancy Haley of Carpet Systems of Huntsville, Ala....

Crossville expands its distribution. (News).
April 1, 2002... Crossville Porcelain Stone/USA has expanded its reach across the Western United States with the addition of three distributorships. Houston-based Master Tile has signed on with the company to service Texas. Butler-Johnson will service...

Lauzon honors its 'Million Dollar' salespeople. (News).
April 1, 2002... David Lauzon, president of Lauzon Distinctive Hardwood, and company Vice President of Sales Robert Conveney presented Million Dollar Awards to three Galleher Hardwood sales representatives during Surfaces 2002 in Las Vegas. Galleher's...

Laticrete taps new sales rep. (News).
April 1, 2002... Laticrete International. Inc. recently appointed Rick Alvarado as its sales representative for the Southwest Texas sales territory. Alvarado is responsible for servicing existing accounts by providing them with information to increase use...

Roane Co. promotes Anderson Appalachian. (News).
April 1, 2002... The Roane Co. recently celebrated the launch of Anderson's expanded Appalachian Hardwood Flooring line by raffling off a 41-inch Plasma television worth $7,500. Gary and Linda Thorp, owners of De/Mar Flooring in Anaheim, Calif., won the...

Oscar's new home turns to Laticrete. (News).
April 1, 2002... Laticrete International Inc. products were used throughout the $615 million Hollywood & Highland entertainment and retail complex in Hollywood, Calif. The Kodak Theater inside the 50,000-square-foot space serves as the new home to the annual...

Loxcreen acquires Kohler line. (News).
April 1, 2002... Loxcreen Co. Inc. recently acquired the Kinkead line of flooring products from Kohler Co. Loxcreen is a major supplier of custom aluminum and vinyl extrusions. Kohler is a market leader in kitchen and bath products.

Solutia, FloorExpo combine forces. (News).
April 1, 2002... Solutia Inc. and FloorExpo have established a marketing partnership to increase awareness of both brands among residential builders. To this end, the companies will combine a national advertising campaign with local, marketing efforts. The...

Pergo expands distributorship. (News).
April 1, 2002... Pergo Inc. has expanded its presence in the Southeast with the addition of CMH Flooring Products Inc. to its network of distributors. CMH will service Pergo specialty retailers in northern Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina,...

Electro Plastics intros radiant heat mats. (Products).
April 1, 2002... Electro Plastics has introduced STEP Warmfloor Under Rug Heaters, a line of low-voltage radiant heat mats for placement under area rugs. The heat-regulated mats are available in a variety of sizes. The company recommends the product for use...

Gayafores covers walls and floors. (Products).
April 1, 2002... Gayafores has released Petra, a wall and floor tile series with a natural stone appearance. The 3-by-8-inch tile collection is available in bone, beige and teja colorations. Petra also comes with a range of special pieces, including listellos,...

Eliane falls into 'Autumn'.
April 1, 2002... Eliane Ceramic Tiles has developed the Autumn White Series of floor and wall tiles. The tiles are available in 12and 16-inch-square floor tiles, 8-by-l0-inch wall tiles and inserts, 3-by-8-inch listellos, and 3-by-8-inch wall bullnoses. The...

Dens-Shield backer gets an improved warranty. (Products).
April 1, 2002... Georgia-Pacific now offers a Lifetime Limited Warranty for any installation applied over Dens-Shield tile backer. According to Georgia-Pacific, the warranty guarantees that the company will reimburse the owner for the cost of repair or...

USG underlayment made for radiant systems. (Products).
April 1, 2002... The United States Gypsum Co. has introduced Levelrock Brand Floor Underlayment RH (Radiant Heat). The underlayment, which was developed for use with radiant heat systems, delivers compressive strengths between. 2,500 and 3,200 psi and is...

Witex launches spring dealer spiff program. (Products).
April 1, 2002... Witex USA Inc. will offer its "Spring Spectacular" spiff program through its distributor network through April 30 to promote its brand of laminate flooring. The program provides bonuses for selling specific products. Dealers will be...

Omega grinds floors. (Products).
April 1, 2002... The Omega, a 12-inch floor grinder, features a floating head, a disc-leveling feature, an adjustable skirt, and a 5.5-hp gas engine. The unit can be used as close as a half inch from the wall. It is designed for use on concrete, coatings,...

Shaw expands R2x applications. (Products).
April 1, 2002... Shaw Industries has adapted its stainresist. R2x system for use with polypropylene and polypropylene/nylon carpet styles in its 4- and 5-Star categories. According to the company, tests show that polypropylene carpets treated with R2x resist...

Ilva honors Klimt with tile series. (Products).
April 1, 2002... Ilva SA has released its Pietre Eleganti Series, a new ceramic tile collection inspired by the work of Austrian painter Gustavfa Klimt. Klimt was renowned for using abstract, geometric motifs in his work. The tile series combines field tiles...

Mirage launches new look. (Products).
April 1, 2002... Boa-Franc Inc. has mounted a special program to showcase the new look of Mirage prefinished hardwood floors. The company designed the new look to reflect a high-end image. The recasting of Mirage's image includes new brochures, pamphlets,...

Species, colors meet in new Crossroads. (Products).
April 1, 2002... New from Harris Tarkett is the Crossroads collection of distressed wood flooring available in longstrip, engineered plank and solid strip. The two-species longstrip line is produced in three colors: oak walnut, oak burnt umber and maple...

Domco Tarkett slates 'Get R.E.A.L.' promo. (Products).
April 1, 2002... Domco Tarkett Residential will support its new Domco Vintage and Tarkett Contours lines of resilient sheet flooring with its Get R.E.A.L. spring promotion. The promotion offers cash and prizes for both salespeople and retail store owners. Cash...

cmi line wins design award. (Products).
April 1, 2002... The seascape collection from cmi (Colonial Mills Inc.) recently won a Design Journal 2001 Awards for Design Excellence (ADEX) Platinum Award in the Residential Rugs - Area, Textured or Braided Category. The seascape collection is a series of...

Lauzon develops floor sun block. (Products).
April 1, 2002... Lauzon Distinctive Hardwood Flooring has introduced Polynium+ with Sunshield, a new wood treatment formulated to offer protection from the negative effects of sun exposure. All Lauzon product lines will eventually carry the Polynium+ with...

Nafco box logo travels to cartons. (Products).
April 1, 2002... The Nafco signature box logo will now be printed, on the company's packaging' cartons. The new look reflects Domco Tarkett Commercial's aggressive marketing campaign for Nafco products. For details, circle 164 on the Free Information Card.

Poliface launches Club Poliface. (Products).
April 1, 2002... Poliface North America has launched its Club Poliface customized retailer program. Club Poliface provides retailers with merchandising support, marketing programs, and dealer rewards and incentives -- including in-store displays, product...

Witex expands into new product segments. (Products).
April 1, 2002... Witex USA Inc. has introduced four new flooring products: glueless laminate flooring tiles, glueless wood flooring planks, glueless floating longstrip wood flooring, and ceramic tiles. The company's laminate tiles from the Casa Collection are...

Janus debuts rack for 'IMaGES' display. (Products).
April 1, 2002... Janus Flooring Corp. has released a new builder display rack to present the company's "IMaGES" product line. The rack holds as many as eight sample panels and allows the consumer to view all the available styles and colors. The rack can also be...

Calendar.
April 1, 2002... APRIL 2002 2002 INDUSTRY EVENTS NWFA Annual Meeting--Orlando, Fla. (800) 422-4556, April 17-20. Coverings 2002--Orlando, Fla. (561) 776-0600, May 6-9. American Institute of Architects Convention and Expo--Charlotte, N.C, (800)...

Mapei develops new fast-drying technology. (Products).
April 1, 2002... Mapei has developed HCT (High-Hydrated Cement Technology), a proprietary component formulated to make cement set ultra quickly. HCT can be found in Mapei's Ultratop and Ultraplan series underlayments, in the company's full-contact mortars...

Slate-look Toscano is Tau's latest tile. (Products).
April 1, 2002... Tau has introduced Toscano, a tile series that imitates the look of natural slate. The series comes in rile sizes of 10-by-10-centimerers, 20-by-20-centimeters and 30by-30-cenrimeters. The series is complemented with special pieces such as...

DuPont Stainmaster unveils rug collection in 20 styles. (Products).
April 1, 2002... DuPont Nylon Flooring has unveiled the DuPont Stainmaster Rug Collection, a series of stain- and soil-resistant area rugs. Available in 20 styles, this collection is currently manufactured by Beaulieu, Crossly, Masland, Mohawk, Shaw, and Soho....

Milliken promotes a colorful spring. (Products).
April 1, 2002... Milliken Carpet Retail Division is promoting its Pattern Mates and Rock Stratta broadloom collections with its new spring "It's About Color!" campaign. The promotion, which will run through May 17, features a cash incentive program for...

APAC Outsider hits the market. (Products).
April 1, 2002... All Purpose Adhesive Co. (APAC) recently released 630 Outsider II All Weather Outdoor Carper Adhesive. Outsider II is a high-strength, solvent rubber-based adhesive formulated for the permanent installation of outdoor carper and artificial...

Product Directory. (A-W).
April 1, 2002... ADDITIVES--Grouts, Mortars and Latex Amco Tool, Div. of Color Caulk Beaulieu of America Boiardi Products Corporation W.R. Bonsal Co. Bostik Findley Flooring Group Chapco Adhesives Co. Color Caulk Custom...

Manufacturers. (A-H).
April 1, 2002... If you are a manufacturer and would like to be listed in our directory next year; please let us know. A AB COLORS PLUS 90 Matheson Bled. W., #202 Mississauga, ON L5R 3R3 Canada (800) 479-0190 Fax: (905) 507-2388 ...

Manufacturers. (I-Z).
April 1, 2002... I IBERIA TILES CORP. 2975 N.W. 77th Ave. Miami, FL 33122 (305) 591-3880 Fax: (305) 591-4341 E-Mail Address/URL: frvila@iberlatiles.com Pres.: Fernando Rodriguez-Vila. Branch Offices FL Coral...

Distributors. (Alabama-Montana).
April 1, 2002... The distributors in this section are those from whom we have received forms, or who have been identified by manufacturers as their distributors. This list by no means represents all the distributors in our industry and should not be interpreted...

Distributors. (Nebraska-Wyoming).
April 1, 2002... NEBRASKA * CUBS DISTRIBUTING, INC.-- Lincoln: 3333 N. 20th. P.O. Box 81829 68521 (402) 477-4411 Fax: (402) 477-4078. Pres.: Henry G. Wassenberg. Omaha: 8505 K St. 68127 (402) 592-0113. Sales...

Sales Agents. (Arizona-Wisconsin).
April 1, 2002... The sales agents in this section are those from whom we have received forms or who have been identified by manufacturers in our industry. If you are a sales agent and would like to be listed in our directory next year, please let us know. ...

Retail Buying Groups/Franchises. (A-T).
April 1, 2002... The Retail Buying Groups and Franchises in this section responded to a special questionnaire. This by no means represents all of the industry's buying groups and should not be interpreted as such. If you are a Buying Group or Franchise...

Installation & Technical Training Schools. (A-W).
April 1, 2002... The Installation and technical training schools in this section are those from whom we received information or were otherwise able to identify. This list by no means includes all installation and technical training schools and should not be...

Associations/Markets. (A-W).(Directory)
April 1, 2002... ALLIANCE FOR FLEXIBLE POLYURETHANE FOAM 1300 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22209 (800) 696-AFPF Fax: (703) 253-0658 info@afpf.com www.afpf.com Neeva-Gayle Candelori AMERICAN FLOOR COVERING ALLIANCE, INC. ...

Certified Floor Covering Inspection Services. (Arizona-Washington).(Directory)
April 1, 2002... Following are paid listings of Certified Floor Covering Inspection Services individuals/firms. This list is by no means all of the certified firms in our industry and should not be interpreted that way. If you are a certified floor covering...