National Floor Trends articles from April 2006

National Floor Trends archives from April 2006

No. 1 talent shortage: sales reps where have all the good ones gone?(Industry Perspectives)
April 1, 2006... Manpower, Inc., a Milwaukee-based staffing/employment firm, conducted an eye-opening survey earlier this year. Remarkably, it showed that 40 percent of nearly 33,000 employers surveyed across 23 countries are struggling to find qualified job...

NFT market trends study: solid as an oak; Retailers predict continued growth in residential, but less optimistic about commercial sales.
April 1, 2006... Wood flooring continues to tower high above the hard surface landscape and is expected to continue its steady climb over the next year and beyond. Still, National Floor Trends' market study on hardwood flooring indicates that there is...

The Seven Deadly Sins of Retailing.(Retail Management)(Company overview)
April 1, 2006... Most businesses that fail do so because of their owners' "sins." Usually it's not for lack of hard work. On the contrary, most store owners put in long hours. (There is an old saying: "Observe a retailer. See an indentured servant.") The...

The new indoor/outdoor carpets: tough, durable and not just green anymore.
April 1, 2006... Maybe it's the influence of TV home improvement shows or maybe it's a byproduct of the Internet's reach, but consumers now seem compelled to spruce up areas in their house that have received scarce attention in the past. And that has been good...

Flooring's creative talent showcased in NFT's annual competition.(National Floor Trends)
April 1, 2006... Mannington Mills was the winner in six of the 10 categories included in National Floor Trends 2006 Styling Excellence awards. Also gaining top honors this year were Mohawk Industries and Roppe, which both finished first in two categories....

Carpet One updates its logo, sharpens its focus and looks ahead.(News)
April 1, 2006... While acknowledging that the new logo looks pretty much like the old logo, Carpet One officials said the addition of the words "floor" and "home" will widen the retailer's image and help forge a stronger national identity. At the co-op's first...

ElkCorp enters market with VersaShield product.(Specialty Fabric Technologies)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Dallas-based ElkCorp, a division of Elk Specialty Fabric Technologies, has entered the flooring market with a new underlayment that is designed to eliminate moisture and the possibility of mold under carpet and carpet tile. The company's...

Mohawk buys Propex carpet backing plant.(News)
April 1, 2006... Mohawk Industries said it has agreed to purchase a Propex Fabrics Inc. plant in Roanoke, Ala. that produces secondary carpet backing. The facility employs approximately 470 staff members. Commenting on the proposed deal, Mohawk chairman and...

Q & A: the new flooring combo from Edge: laminate topped with (real) tile.(News)(Interview)
April 1, 2006... It is a marriage many years in the making: The beauty and sophistication of tile, coupled with the easy-to-install efficiency of laminate. Edge Flooring, a three year-old company in Dalton, Ga., calls it Genuine Tile Laminate (or GTL) and says...

Abbey's new road: stepped up ad effort, more private label.(News)
April 1, 2006... A stronger presence on the Web, a stepped up private label program and a new ad campaign tied to style and fashion are among the tools Abbey Carpet Co. says it will use to heighten its visibility in the coming months. The more than 850...

Edgy new Wilsonart campaign focuses on drawing women.(News)
April 1, 2006... How nice are Wilsonart's new floors? A new ad from the company says: "Be that couple that actually makes love on the kitchen floor." The attention-getting ad is included in a new consumer advertising effort tied to 28 new laminate offerings...

MP Global resumes operations following 2005 plant fire.(News)
April 1, 2006... MP Global Products (formerly Midwest Padding) has resumed manufacturing in a new facility at their corporate headquarters in Norfolk, Neb. Reconstruction began almost immediately after a fire destroyed their fiber pad factory in March 2005. The...

"Our thanks, our appreciation": Mosoff recognized by Utah FCA.(News)
April 1, 2006... In recognition of his 40 years in the industry, Stu Mosoff was honored by the Utah Floor Covering Association with the first Lifetime Achievement Award ever given by the group. His work in flooring began in 1966, at a Sears & Roebuck store in...

Upcoming industry events.(News)(Calendar)
April 1, 2006... Coverings 2006 -- Orlando, Fla. (866) 285-3691, April 4-7. Stonetech 2006 -- Shanghai, China. 86 10 84600319, April 10-13. NWFA 2006 Conference & Wood Expo -- Baltimore. (800) 422-4556, April 26-29. AIA 2006 National Convention --...

New hardwood looks top Armstrong 2006 products.(wooden flooring)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The launch of an advanced hardwood adhesive system as well as new hardwood collections for the Bruce, Hartco and Robbins lines highlighted a recent product preview at Armstrong's headquarters in Lancaster, Pa. CEO Frank Ready used the occasion...

Green River changes name; Stertmeyer appointed CEO.(News)
April 1, 2006... Green River Lumber Inc, a Great Barrington, Mass.-based manufacturer of high-end unfinished hardwood flooring since 1974, has trimmed its name to Green River and incorporated the tagline "American Hardwood" in its logo. The brand relaunch aims...

Shaw converting former carpet plant to prefinished wood facility.(transformation of a plant)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Shaw Industries has nearly completely the transformation of a plant that once made carpet material into an operation that will produce prefinished engineered hardwood flooring. The facility in South Pittsburgh, Tenn. had produced yarn for the...

Florida Tile vows "more to offer" after acquisition by Italian concern.(Florida Tile Industries)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The publicly traded Italian company Panariagroup Industrie Ceramiche S.P.A. has acquired the assets of Florida Tile Industries, one of the top producers, marketers, and distributors of tile and accessories in the U.S. Panariagroup noted that it...

Mannington awards program recognizes singular women.(News)
April 1, 2006... Mannington is seeking nominations for the 2006 Stand on a Better World Awards. The annual award recognizes outstanding women who are committed to humanitarian projects in three distinct areas: Social, Economic and Environmental. The grand...

R.A. Siegel, Maddox accept Flexco honors.(News)
April 1, 2006... R.A. Siegel Co. has been named Distributor of the Year by rubber and vinyl flooring maker Flexco. Based in Atlanta with a branch in Groveland, Fla., R.A. Siegel serves the Alabama, Georgia and Florida markets and has been a full-line...

Quick-Step.(Distributor Appointments)
April 1, 2006... Quick-Step has announced that it has more than doubled the territory of one of its key distributors, Herregan Distributors Inc. of Eagen, Minn. The expanded territory includes Minnesota, the Dakotas, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Oklahoma. These...

Custom sells patch and repair line; renews focus on installation products.(tile and stone installation market)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Moving to sharpen its focus in the tile and stone installation market, Custom Building Products said it has sold its pre-mixed patch and repair products business to DAP Inc., a Baltimore-based marketer of caulks, sealants and patch and repair...

Correction.(News)(Correction notice)
April 1, 2006... In the February issue of National Floor Trends, a story on hardwood flooring maker GrandForest incorrectly identified the company's website address. The correct address is www.grandforestfloors.com. NFT regrets the error.

Alloc Inc.(People)
April 1, 2006... Alloc Inc. has elevated Kevin True to national key account manager. He will be responsible for the development and management of sales to key accounts and specialty customers. True was previously regional sales manager of the Mid-Atlantic...

Crossville Inc.(Mikeal Jensen joined as a residential design director)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Crossville Inc. has hired Mikeal Jensen to the newly created position of residential design director. In this role, he will head the company's Residential Advisory Council and work with the Crossville team on all aspects of design for the...

DFS Commercial Inc.(People)
April 1, 2006... DFS Commercial Inc. has appointed Tim Raftery as president. He will be responsible for the continued development of the company's infrastructure to support a planned expansion. A veteran of more than 20 years in the industry, Raftery formerly...

Mullican Flooring.(People)
April 1, 2006... Mullican Flooring has promoted Pat Oakley to national sales manager. Oakley has more than 18 years of sales management and product marketing experience in the industry, including five years as regional sales manager for Mullican. ...

Quick-Step.(People)
April 1, 2006... Quick-Step has named Tim Tipton national buying group sales manager. He will be responsible for overseeing the specialty retail market as well as Quick-Step's builder division. Tipton, a 15-year veteran of the industry, has been director of...

Roppe honors distributor, salesman of the year.(People)
April 1, 2006... Roppe named Professional Flooring Supply as its distributor of the year. Pictured (left to right) are: Dan, DJ, Cory and Debbie Lee of PFS; Don Gillett, Roppe president/CEO; Mike Tierney, Roppe national sales manager; Vance and Karen Haas of...

Elias Wilf honored by Capella Wood (again).(Elias Wilf Corp)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... For the second consecutive year, Elias Wilf Corp. of Owings Mills, Md., has been named distributor of the year by Capella Wood Flooring. "Elias Wilf has consistently represented our product in the marketplace with intelligence, enthusiasm and...

Stonexpress launches Laura Ashley Home tile.(News)
April 1, 2006... Stonexpress has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with the Laura Ashley brand to market a line of stone, porcelain and ceramic tiles under the Laura Ashley Home name. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Our Laura Ashley Home collection of...

Revamped R.C.A. Rubber site includes a new resource center.(News)
April 1, 2006... Rubber flooring and stair tread maker R.C.A. Rubber has redesigned its website at www.rcarubber.com. New features include separate homepages for the company's transit and commercial divisions, an easier navigation interface, a detailed listing...

Weyerhaeuser expands Lyptus with Wheat and Garnet colors.(Products)
April 1, 2006... Weyerhaeuser has added two colors to its pre-finished Lyptus Premium Hardwood Flooring line using eucalyptus hybrid wood. The new colors, Wheat and Garnet, join the existing designs: Fire, Earth and Stone for a range of options. Lyptus flooring...

DriTac 7600 adhesive can be used for exotics.(Products)
April 1, 2006... New from DriTac Adhesive Group is DriTac 7600, a premium urethane adhesive. DriTac 7600 can be used to install bamboo, exotic woods, multi-ply engineered plank, solid plank flat-milled up to 1/2" thick, 3/4" solid shorts, acrylic impregnated...

Preverco's floor cleaning kit aims to keep wood spotless.(Preverco cleaning solution)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Preverco has rolled out a maintenance kit to help clean and protect Preverco hardwood floors. The kit includes a 700 ml spray bottle of Preverco cleaning solution, as well as a mop with a foam-backed cotton/polyester cover. The cleaning...

Castle Flooring highlights National Hardwood products.(Products)
April 1, 2006... National Hardwood Flooring and Moulding manufactures and distributes a full line of flooring, moldings and related products. The company's Castle Flooring features exotic, custom, domestic and engineered lines, along with a wide range of...

Pedross' Clipstar system offered in over 100 woods.(Products)
April 1, 2006... European floor molding maker Pedross introduces Clipstar, a wall base clip system. Clipstar is designed to eliminate problems in wall base installation and features the company's signature natural wood veneer surface in more than 100 species....

Centiva's Mineral Chip features random patterns.(Products)
April 1, 2006... New from Centiva is Mineral Chip, a high-end resilient look with no pattern repeats. Rich, mineral colored chips are peppered through the tile, offering a distinctive design. Mineral Chip is part of Centiva's Victory series. For details, circle...

Moderna by BHK adds hardwood flooring line.(Products)
April 1, 2006... Moderna by BHK has launched a line of solid and engineered exotic wood flooring. Solid woods are offered in the species Pyinkado and Burma Teak exotic. Engineered selections include Pyinkado, Burma Teak, Doussie and Myanmar Walnut. Moderna by...

Custom Building ProLite mortar with CustomLite Technology.(Products)
April 1, 2006... Custom Building Products has taken the wraps off of ProLite Tile and Stone Mortar. The lightweight mortar features Custom's proprietary CustomLite Technology, providing a creamy consistency and supreme trowelability. ProLite can be used to bond...

Shaw Living adds 18 rugs to Tommy Bahama range.(Products)
April 1, 2006... Shaw Living has expanded its Tommy Bahama rug collection with 18 new designs inspired by Persian rug designs, ancient tapestries and coastal textiles of the West Indies. The designs feature a new palette drawn from antiquity, including rich...

"Feel Amtico" catalog details newest products.(Products)
April 1, 2006... Amtico's latest product catalog, called "Feel Amtico," is designed to provoke an emotional response to flooring. It is available in an oversized format and showcases products with inviting vignettes showing the day to day use of the flooring....

USCT's Palermo tile offers rustic visuals.(Products)
April 1, 2006... United States Ceramic Tile Co. presents Palermo, a glazed porcelain tile that emulates the look of tumbled stone. Available in four colors, Palermo is offered in 12 1/4" and 17 1/2" square formats. Decorative pieces including inserts, borders...

True-Screed, Dyna-Screed new Hacker underlayments.(Products)
April 1, 2006... Hacker Industries unveils True-Screed CLU (Cementitious Leveling Underlayment) and Dyna-Screed SLU (Self-Leveling Underlayment). Both products are designed to offer superior compressive strengths, smooth surfaces and quality performance....

NMC intros Floorstyl decorative baseboards.(Products)
April 1, 2006... NMC America Inc. introduces Floorstyl, an assortment of baseboards designed to add elegance to any room. Designed to be installed using NMC's exclusive adhesive and cutting accessories, Floorstyl baseboards can be paired with the company's...

Quick-Step 3-in-1 profile made in one solid piece.(Products)
April 1, 2006... New from Quick-Step is a multifunctional profile featuring Incizo technology. The profile is available in one solid piece. A special cutter is provided with the product. Depending on where the user scores the profile, the resulting piece can be...

MAPEI's Ultrabond 980 stays flexible after install.(Products)
April 1, 2006... MAPEI's Ultrabond 980 is a solvent-free wood flooring adhesive. Designed for installation of both solid and engineered floors, Ultrabond 980 remains flexible enough to move with the floor, the company says. The adhesive is for both residential...

Porta-Nails beefs up Hammerhead tool line.(Products)
April 1, 2006... Porta-Nails Inc. has expanded its PNI Hammerhead family of tools. New to the line are the Portamatic Hammerhead TL and S. The Hammerhead TL is a hammer-actuated pneumatic nailer, designed for nailing 1/2" and 3/4" tongue and groove wood floors....

Mailbag: what's new, what's hot ... and should I use commercial flooring in my kitchen?(Resilient Answer Man)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2006... This marks the start of my third year contributing "Resilient Answer Man." In that span of time, I have, indeed, been called on to provide answers to people working in all aspects of the resilient business. I regularly receive e-mails asking me...

Carpet Shims.(Products & Literature on display)
April 1, 2006... Carpet Shims releases free DVD Carpet Shims, Ltd., is proud to announce the release of their NEW, "Discover The Underlying Difference!" DVD. This 13-minute DVD will explain the use of Carpet Shims[TM] and Universal Side Shims[TM] as well as...

Carpet Shims.(Products & Literature on display)
April 1, 2006... Many shims available from Carpet Shims Carpet Shims are available in 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" x 8" x 32", and 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" x 12" x 48". Add a Universal Side Shim to each end of the installed Carpet Shim to eliminate the drop off, which...

Starline.(Products & Literature on display)
April 1, 2006... Starline Associates, Inc. delivers the best value for the money with SILENT BLUE[TM] Laminate Underlayment. SILENT BLUE[TM] combines closed cell construction, IIC 72, STC 73 Ratings and Waterproof Technology, eliminating the need for film and...

Duraseal.(DuraSeal[R])(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... DuraSeal[R] Introduces System for Pre-Finished Floors DuraSeal[R] now offers its Pre-Treat System--the quick and easy solution for refinishing pre-finished floors. This new product is designed to optimize adhesion to prefinished flooring and...

Feeling hounded by competition? Then unleash your store's potential.(Guest Column)
April 1, 2006... If you are like many specialty flooring retailers, you have watched with great concern the opening of new "big-box" stores in your market area. No doubt you can't help but wonder what impact they will have on your flooring sales--and your...

Nailing your hardwood floor: "every which way but loose".(Wood or Wood Knot)
April 1, 2006... Our industry continues to promote "custom installations" of the ever-increasing number of hardwood flooring products and species now available. Whatever the complexities involved, this particular aspect of flooring installation offers us an...