National Floor Trends articles from August 2003

National Floor Trends archives from August 2003

A dream comes true: united effort launched to solve concrete and moisture problems.(Industry Perspectives)
August 1, 2003... We have come along way in solving concrete and moisture problems. We now have the floor covering and concrete industries joining forces to seek solutions--faster than many of us hoped. In the June 2000 issue of NFT, this column carried the...

Drawing a bead on today's residential flooring design trends.
August 1, 2003... The floor covering industry is an upswing, with more and more people buying new homes or renovating their existing living spaces. Many are still "cocooning," wanting to surround themselves in comfort, inviting friends over and not traveling as...

Despite shifts in consumer perceptions and preference, laminate sales outlook remains strong.(New NFT Survey Dissects The Current Market)
August 1, 2003... In the aggregate, the growth outlook for laminate flooring remains strong, with more than half of the dealers who participated in National Floor Trends' just-released 2003 Laminate Flooring Market Study projecting increases for residential...

Alloc offers stone-look commercial laminate.(What's New In Laminate Flooring)
August 1, 2003... Alloc's recently introduced Alloc Commercial laminate flooring line is, as its name indicates, designed for commercial applications. The line features Alloc's patented locking mechanism, which was developed to speed installation. Fifteen...

Mohawk's Heritage laminate features a pre-glued option.(What's New In Laminate Flooring)
August 1, 2003... Mohawk's Heritage laminate provides a 13-by-52-inch wide plank for a design-driven look. Heritage features the Mohawk DuraLoc Plus installation system, a horizontal locking configuration designed to virtually eliminate seams. Planks are...

Wilsonart launches Contact commercial laminate flooring.(What's New In Laminate Flooring)
August 1, 2003... Contact, Wilsonart Commercial Flooring's newly unveiled premium commercial laminate line, features the company's Tap-N-Lock glueless installation system. The value-priced collection is designed specifically to fit the needs of smaller...

BHK intros eight new laminate flooring colors.(What's New In Laminate Flooring)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... BHK of America has introduced eight new colors to its It's a Snap 8mm glueless laminate flooring line. New colors are: Classic Oak, Winchester Oak, Golden Oak, White Oak, Northern Maple, Natural Cherry, Honey Maple, and Oregon Pine. Oregon Pine...

StarNet hosts fifth annual Design Awards.(People/Places/Events)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... StarNet Commercial Flooring Cooperative recently hosted its fifth annual Design Awards competition. Entries were judged on creative use of floor covering, flooring design concept and the design's ability to meet client objectives and special...

National Trade Productions named to manage Coverings trade event.(People/Places/Events)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The board of governors of Coverings has announced the appointment of National Trade Productions (NTP) as the new management company for Coverings. The board's five sponsoring associations--ASCER (Spain's Ceramic Tile Manufacturers...

FIANA to host annual convention and trade show in September.(People/Places/Events)(Floor Installation Association of North America)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The Floor Installation Association of North America (FIANA) will conduct its 9th annual convention and trade show Sept. 11-14 at the Hyatt Regency Dallas at Reunion, in Dallas. Three registration configurations are available. Attendees may...

Atlanta retailer tapped to lead WFCA; new exective committee, board elected.(People/Places/Events)(World Floor Covering Association)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Wendell E. Prescott Jr. has been elected president of the board of directors of the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA). Prescott, of Atlanta-based Bell Carpet Galleries, takes the reins from Tom Jennings of Bud Jennings Carpet One in...

Upcoming industry events.(People/Places/Events)
August 1, 2003... CFI 10th Anniversary Convention--Kansas City, Mo. (816) 231-4646, Aug. 14-16. NAFCD 32nd Annual Meeting--Chicago. (312) 321-6836, Sept. 5-7. FIANA 9th Annual Convention and Trade Show--Dallas. (817) 326-2615, Sept. 11-14. North...

North American Carpet & Flooring Expo set to come to Pennsylvania Sept. 12-13.(People/Places/Events)
August 1, 2003... Shows For Pros will present the North American Carpet & Flooring Expo, Sept. 12-13, at the Fort Washington Expo Center in Fort Washington, Pa. The venue may be accessed via Exit 339 (formerly Exit 26) of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, near...

FlorStar fires up the barbecue to celebrate its 15th anniversary.(People/Places/Events)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Wood Dale, Ill.-based FlorStar Sales recently celebrated its 15th anniversary with an old-fashioned barbecue. Forty-five 15-year employees were presented with a check and a plaque in honor of their contribution to FlorStar's success. ...

Shaw, Columbia, Congoleum bow out of Surfaces 2004 to focus on regional events.(People/Places/Events)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Shaw Industries, Columbia Flooring and Congoleum Corp. have separately announced that they will not participate in the upcoming Surfaces 2004 Floor covering exposition in Las Vegas. Randy Merritt, Shaw's executive vice president of sales...

Formica reaches pact on new infusion of funds.(People/Places/Events)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Formica Corp. has signed a stock purchase agreement with an investment group sponsored by Cerberus Capital Management L.P. and Oaktree Capital Management LLC, under which they have committed to invest $175 million in the company. This step is...

Quick-Step's parent corporation changes name to Unilin Flooring.(People/Places/Events)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Unilin Decor, the Belgium-based parent company of Quick-Step glueless laminate flooring, has changed its name to Unilin Flooring. This shift was made to reflect the company's focus on flooring products as well as its growth in the industry....

Foam Products receives patent.(People/Places/Events)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Foam Products Corp. has received a patent on its acoustical underlayment. The underlayment has been sold under several different brand names, including The Silencer. Foam Products Corp. says it has sold more than 200 million square feet of...

Brintons U.S. Axminster.(People)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Tracy Brookes has joined Brintons U.S. Axminster as field designer in the Las Vegas trading area. Brookes has relocated to Las Vegas from the United Kingdom, where she worked with Couristan Carpets for the past eight years. In her new role with...

Diamond W Floor Covering.(People)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Diamond W Floor Covering, a distributor with seven locations in California, Nevada and Arizona, recently announced additions to its management team. They are: Kris Kollenda and Mal Wilk, hard surface regional sales managers--Southern...

Junckers Hardwood Inc.(People)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Anaheim, Calif.-based Junckers Hardwood Inc. has added Karen Gerdes and Marge Redmond to its commercial sales team. Gerdes has been promoted to cover all Northern California commercially related sales, in addition to her current residential...

TSI to launch new stone and tile expo.(People/Places/Events)(Trade Show International)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Trade Show International's Skip Mason and Michael Coburn plan to inaugurate a new marketing event, the PanAmerican Stone and Tile Expo, that will be held March 30-April 1, 2004, at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The expo will be an annual...

NWFA moves to new headquarters.(People/Places/Events)(National Wood Flooring Association)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) has moved into its new International Training Center and Headquarters in a suburb of St. Louis. The 20,000-square-foot facility features a spacious hands-on training center, classroom and...

Mark Mukosiej garners BonaKemi's Carl-Gustav Edner Memorial Award.(People/Places/Events)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Mark Mukosiej, a southeast regional contractor manager covering North and South Carolina, has been named a winner of the first annual international BonaKemi Carl-Gustav Edner Memorial Award. The award, given by BonaKemi's Swedish parent...

Anderson restructures its West Coast distribution.(People/Places/Events)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Anderson Hardwood Floors has restructured the company's West Coast distribution to capitalize on new market opportunities. The changes are effective immediately. The Tom Duffy Co., headquartered in Fairfield, Calif., will distribute...

New study reveals that carpet cushion improves maintenance and performance.(People/Places/Events)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... A new study of soil removal from commercial carpet demonstrates that carpet cushion improves vacuuming results and performance of the surface. The study was conducted at Professional Testing in Dalton, Ga., and was co-sponsored by the Alliance...

Jeff Sills parts ways with Brinkman for executive role at Anderson Hardwood.(People/Places/Events)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Jeff Sills has resigned as president of LDBrinkman to accept the position of chief operating officer for Anderson Hardwood Floors. In that role, he will be responsible for sales, marketing and logistical support. He will also become part of the...

Azuvi S.A., Spain has announced the appointment of East Brunswick, N.J.-based Classic Ceramic Tile, a division of East Coast Tile Imports, as the master distributor of Azuvi products for the Northeastern United States.(Distributor Appointments)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Azuvi S.A., Spain has announced the appointment of East Brunswick, N.J.-based Classic Ceramic Tile, a division of East Coast Tile Imports, as the master distributor of Azuvi products for the Northeastern United States. East Coast Tile Imports...

Domco Tarkett Commercial has signed CDC Distributors Inc. as a Nafco and Tarkett brand distributor.(Distributor Appointments)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Domco Tarkett Commercial has signed CDC Distributors Inc. as a Nafco and Tarkett brand distributor. CDC Distributors will offer Nafco and Tarkett products in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, and West Virginia. CDC Distributors Inc. can be...

Mannington Commercial has announced that Home Acres Building Supply will now feature Mannington Hard Surface products at 15 locations in Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin.(Distributor Appointments)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Mannington Commercial has announced that Home Acres Building Supply will now feature Mannington Hard Surface products at 15 locations in Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin. For additional information, visit www.mannington.com on the Internet or...

Pergo recently welcomed BPI of Memphis, Tenn., as its newest distributor responsible for servicing retailers in Texas (excluding El Paso), Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee (west of the Tennessee River).(Distributor Appointments)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Pergo recently welcomed BPI of Memphis, Tenn., as its newest distributor responsible for servicing retailers in Texas (excluding El Paso), Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee (west of the Tennessee River). BPI will carry a full...

Mannington Mills: 2003 NFT Supplier Service Awards recipient speaks out about its success.(National Floor Trends Supplier Service Awards 2003)
August 1, 2003... The key ingredients for Mannington Mill's success as the top awarded manufacturer in the 2003 National Floor Tends' Supplier Service Award program are commitment and hard work at both the manufacturer and distributor levels. Mannington...

Chicago in June: it must be NeoCon!(NeoCon World's Trade Fair)
August 1, 2003... A deluge of interior designers, architects and facility managers headed for the NeoCon World's Trade Fair at the Merchandise Mart greets anyone traveling in downtown Chicago during the third week of June. These folks spend three days combing...

Fabrica introduces new Savoy broadloom carpet.(Products)
August 1, 2003... Fabrica International recently unveiled Savoy, its latest broadloom carpet offering. Manufactured using a five-ply yarn tufted in a concise, loop-pile texture, Savoy is intended to present a subtle texture for a variety of design themes. ...

Artistic Finishes launches new prefinished hardwood vent program.(Products)
August 1, 2003... Artistic Finishes Inc., a manufacturer of prefinished hardwood mouldings, has debuted Artistic Vents, a new hardwood vent product developed to parallel the company's existing prefinished moulding program. Artistic Vents offers a range of...

Villa Terme from Eliane reflects natural, earthy tones.(Products)
August 1, 2003... Part of Eliane Ceramic Tiles' porcelain Villas Collection, the Villa Terme series is designed to reflect the earthy tones of nature, offering a feel of the outdoors in an 18-by-18-inch floor tile format. Villa Terme is specified for...

Authentic Pine Floors launches antique engineered hardwood.(Products)
August 1, 2003... Authentic Pine Floors Inc. has announced the availability of its new antique engineered collection called American Spirits. This collection is available in widths from 3 1/2 to 7 inches and random lengths ranging from 2 to 6 feet. All sizes are...

Custom intros new and improved mortar systems.(Products)
August 1, 2003... Custom Building Products has added RapidSetting and CustomFlex Premium Flexible Mortar Systems to its portfolio of installation products. The RapidSetting Mortar System is a two-part formulation that utilizes Custom's exclusive CCT, a...

BP brings to market PolyBac Stitch Lock carpet backing.(Products)
August 1, 2003... The BP Carpet Backings line now includes PolyBac Stitch Lock, a primary backing for high-end loop carpets that demand stitch-holding performance through wet processing. PolyBac Stitch Lock is designed to improve greige goods stitch lock by...

Tau's Regio Collection available in three colors.(Products)
August 1, 2003... Tau Ceramica's Regio Collection is available in three colors/models. They are Borgona (beige), Orleans (black) and Anjou (gray). The porcelain tile collection is offered in polished, natural and relief finishes. Regio is suitable for walls...

Grespania's Forest wall tile replicates wood veneer look.(Products)
August 1, 2003... Grespania produces Forest, a cosmopolitan, urban and modern wall tile series meant to replicate the look of veneer wood. Forest features rectified edges and a satin finish, and is produced in 11-by-23-inch formats. Forest is available in...

Cerypsa Ceramicas unveils its Baltimore series white-body tile.(Products)
August 1, 2003... Unveiled at Coverings 2003, Cerypsa Ceramicas S.A.'s Baltimore series is a white-body porcelain tile. The Baltimore series is part of Cerypsa's Solid Porcelanic line. Baltimore is available in 18-by-18-inch paving formats, in colors of...

Congoleum's DuraCeramic captures the look of ceramic.(Products)
August 1, 2003... With its introduction of DuraCeramic, Congoleum now offers consumers the aesthetic advantages of ceramic, stone and marble in a product with the option of a grouted or ungrouted edge-to-edge installation. DuraCeramic is manufactured in a...

Halcon's Jade series is styled to imitate natural stone looks.(Products)
August 1, 2003... Halcon Ceramicas S.A.'s Jade is a 16-inch-square porcelain tile series that incorporates the technical characteristics of porcelain clay (low water absorption, resistance to frost, stains, chemicals, and breakage) with carefully selected colors...

Recent updates to ceramic installation-related guidelines.(Ceramic & Stone Close-Up)
August 1, 2003... The Tile Council of America (TCA), National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) and Ceramic Tile Institute of America (CTIOA) are responsible for a number of advances in our industry. Together, these organizations have done much to standardize...