National Floor Trends articles from August 2004

National Floor Trends archives from August 2004

Dump live by price on the doorstep; Life is so sweet on fashion's sunny side of the street.(Industry Perspectives)
August 1, 2004... The responses to my April column, "Live by Price, Die by Price; Live by Fashion, Thrive by Fashion," made it clear that there is a strong desire for the industry to emphasize fashion and de-emphasize price. Each segment of the industry can and...

Carpet in the spotlight: color and style trends emerging for 2005; Look for bolder patterns and colors, more muted metallics, long-wearing but soft-handed 'contradential' products.
August 1, 2004... As the fall season and the 2005 product introductions get closer, exciting trends in color and style are taking place in the residential floor covering industry--especially in the carpet sector. Here's a look at some of the more noteworthy...

Laminate flooring segment continues to grow market share, sales for retailers.(New NFT Market Study)
August 1, 2004... More floor covering retailers/contractors are selling laminate floors, according to the just-completed 2004 Laminate Market Study conducted by the market research department of BNP Media in conjunction with the National Floor Trends editorial...

Selling Window treatments: from the flooring retailers' perspective.
August 1, 2004... Window treatments, both hard (blinds, shutters and shades) and soft (curtains and draperies), account for a large chunk of the home-construction market. More manufacturers and buying groups are gearing up programs that offer window treatments...

Subfloor preparation: is everything on the level?(Wood or Wood Knot)
August 1, 2004... The success and longevity of any floor covering installation largely rests on an adequate subfloor and the installer's responsibility for qualifying and preparation. Any hard-surface installation depends upon the support of an approved...

Bonakemi announces 2003 distributor awards.(News)
August 1, 2004... Jacksonville, Fla.-based Custom Wholesale Floors Inc. has been named 2003 Distributor of the Year by BonaKemi USA Inc. Each year, Bona recognizes distributors for their consistent, high-quality customer service and efforts in promotion and...

White wins Nafco sweepstakes.(News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... N. White, a consumer from Huber Heights, Ill., was recently awarded Nafco's PermaStone in Lava Stone. She won through a Nafco by Tarkett sweepstakes that ran in fall issues of Woman's Day, Woman's Day Kitchens & Baths and Woman's Day Home...

Burke Industries acquires Endura Rubber Flooring.(News)
August 1, 2004... Burke Industries Inc. has acquired the Endura Rubber Flooring division of Waltham, Mass.-based Biltrite Corp. Burke's BurkeMercer Flooring Products division manufactures and markets resilient tile, wall base, stair treads, and traditional...

Unilin Decor breaks ground for Thomasville, N.C., facility.(News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Quick-Step laminate flooring producer Unilin Decor has held its official groundbreaking ceremony in Thomasville, N.C., to mark the beginning of a five-year construction product which will result in an $80 million investment and a...

David Alton is new president of WFCA board of directors.(News)(World Floor Covering Association)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... David C. Alton, CFE, has become president of the board of directors of the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA). Alton, president of DCA Enterprises Inc., Portola Hills, Calif., takes over from Wendell E. Prescott, CFE, president of Bell...

CRI launches newGreen Label Plus.(News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) has unveiled the new Green Label Plus independent testing program for carpet that meets or exceeds California's indoor environmental quality standards for low-emitting products used in commercial settings. ...

Mohawk University CD training courses available.(News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... As Mohawk University expanded its live course offerings to include more than 240 seminars in more than 80 cities, the need for training in retail stores was recognized and a series of new CD training programs were developed. The CD courses...

HIRI study confirms purchasing activities of recent home buyers.(News)(Home Improvement Research Institute)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... A new study commissioned by Reed Exhibitions and conducted by the Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI) confirms that a majority of homeowners (52 percent) make improvements to their homes within the first year of purchase. Many consumers...

Shaw Industries acquires Dixie Group's manufactured/modular housing operations.(News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Shaw Industries has acquired Dixie Group's north Georgia operations, making it the largest supplier of carpet to the RV and manufactured/modular housing industries. Phil Barlow, former president of the portion of Dixie bought by Shaw, has...

Alloc Inc.(People)
August 1, 2004... Alloc Inc. has promoted Dennis Mohn to vice president, marketing & sales, and Meghan Patterson to marketing manager. Mohn previously served as Alloc's national sales manager. Patterson has been marketing coordinator for Alloc since 2002.

Bonsal American Co.(People)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Jon Hamby has joined the Bonsal American Co. as area sales manager. His territory includes Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Hamby will work closely with Master Tile in Texas and Oklahoma, which exclusively provides the Bonsal American...

CCA Global Partners.(People)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... CCA Global Partners has appointed Randy Gum to serve as vice president, Hard Surfaces. In this role, Gum will lead the buying cooperative's hard-surface programs and will be responsible for planning, acquiring and coordinating hard-surface...

Columbia Flooring.(People)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Columbia Flooring has appointed Patrick Warren as marketing manager for the company. Warren, who is responsible for managing and implementing the company's marketing strategy, reports to Columbia Director of Business Development Steve Bunch. He...

Faus Group Inc.(People)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Faus Group Inc. has appointed Steven A. Coppenger as director of retail services. In this new role, Coppenger will be responsible for managing all merchandising and training services to support retailer customers. He will be executing strategic...

Stan McMackins.(People)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Faus has also appointed Stan McMackins as national technical director. McMackins is responsible for directing all technical aspects of the different Faus flooring programs, developing installation training programs as well as other initiatives...

Roppe Holding Co.(People)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Seneca Millwork, part of the Roppe Holding Co., has named Joe Albany to serve as the company's flooring industry sales manager, a position in which he will be responsible for managing all external sales functions. He was most recently a...

Commercial flooring cooperative StarNet has announced three new board appointments.(People)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Commercial flooring cooperative StarNet has announced three new board appointments. Jim Creamer, president and CEO of Potomac Floor Covering in Dulles, Va., and Chuck Rajner, vice president of OCP Contractors Inc. in Holland, Ohio, have been...

Wood Flooring International.(People)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Wood Flooring International has named Tom Foley its Southeast regional sales manager for the areas including North and South Carolina, southern Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. He can be contacted by telephone at...

Flexco has named Pacific Commercial Flooring.(Distributor Appointments)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Flexco has named Pacific Commercial Flooring, headquartered in Kent. Wash., as its new distributor for the Northwest market, which includes Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. The company will be marketing Flexco's full range of...

Springfield, Mo.-based C & C Floorcovering and St. Louis-based David C. Gibson Co.(Distributor Appointments)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Springfield, Mo.-based C & C Floorcovering and St. Louis-based David C. Gibson Co. have added Nafco residential luxury flooring to their existing portfolios of Tarkett products. C & C will represent Nafco products in the eastern half of Kansas...

Jaeckle Wholesale Inc. of Madison.(Distributor Appointments)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Nafco has also appointed Jaeckle Wholesale Inc. of Madison, Wis., to the Tarkett distribution family. Jaeckle now carries all Nafco products from Tarkett in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and North and South Dakota. In addition, the company...

Tarkett Commercial has added Bolick Distributors Inc. of Baton Rouge, La.(Distributor Appointments)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Tarkett Commercial has added Bolick Distributors Inc. of Baton Rouge, La., to its list of distributors. Bolick's product offering will include Tarkett Speciality linoleum, commercial sheet vinyl and commercial LVT, in the states of Louisiana...

Upcoming industry events.(Calendar)
August 1, 2004... Chicago Floorcovering Association Fall Golf Outing--Itasca, Ill. (630) 469-7199, Sept. 9. NTCA Total Solutions 2004--St. Louis. (601) 939-2071, Sept. 17-19. TCAA Convention--Lake Tahoe, Nev. (800) 655-8469, Sept. 26-30. ...

NALFA hosts ISO Flooring Conference.(News)(North American Laminate Flooring Association)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... The North American Laminate Flooring Association (NALFA) recently hosted the 2004 ISO (International Organization for Standardization) Flooring Conference in Key West, Fla. Attendees discussed updated standards and improved testing methods for...

Suddekor plans major business expansion in Massachusetts.(News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Suddekor LLC will be opening a new decor paper treating plant in East Longmeadow, Mass., the company revealed. The venture, estimated to be a $15 million investment, will create a business operation with the capacity for impregnation of the...

Masland's Toccare carpet inspired by Italian styles.(Products)
August 1, 2004... Masland recently introduced Toccare, a luxurious, gently textured carpet crafted entirely of 100 percent Stainmaster BCF nylon. Toccare's cut-and-loop construction and blend of high- and low-luster yarns produce a diffused, burnished finish,...

Tau Ceramica's Gropius available in four colors.(Products)
August 1, 2004... Tau Ceramica now offers the Gropius series of wall and floor tiles. Each piece is produced with a different mold, according to Tau, marking each one as different from the other. Gropius tiles are available in Beige, Sand, Ivory, and Marengo...

Flexco reveals new height for Base Sculptures base.(Products)
August 1, 2004... Flexco has debuted a new height for Base Sculptures, a rubber wall base that is designed to offer the same aesthetic as finely crafted woodwork. Available in 30 FlexTones colors, plus Arctic White and custom colors. Base Sculptures is now...

AAT redesigns, reformulates line of hot system seam tapes.(Products)
August 1, 2004... Advanced Adhesive Technologies (AAT) has launched a newly redesigned and reformulated line of seam-tape products. AAT's 800 Series Advanced Hot Seam System seam tapes offer new packaging, refined knitted scrims, a new high-performance...

Tarkett Wood introduces Legacy solid wood flooring.(Products)
August 1, 2004... Tarkett Wood has unveiled Legacy, a 3/8-inch-thick prefinished solid-wood floor. Legacy's precision milling creates true square edges and edges for a smooth floor right out of the box, Tarkett says. Manufactured in traditional 2 1/4-inch widths...

Congoleum gets 'Xclusive' with new stain-resistant line.(Products)
August 1, 2004... Congoleum has introduced Xclusive, a durable, stain-resistant resilient floor covering that incorporates Scotchgard Protector. Xclusive features an overall construction of 108-mils, a 20-mil natural-gloss wear surface and a range of designs,...

C & A's ethos cushion back features recycled content.(Products)
August 1, 2004... C & A Floorcoverings has unveiled ethos, a high recycled-content cushion backing for 6-foot broadloom carpet and a soon-to-be-released version for modular tiles. Ethos was developed by Tandus Technologies. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ethos...

ECOsurfaces introduces new modular tile line.(Products)
August 1, 2004... ECOsurfaces Commercial Flooring had introduced ECOmax, a modulartile product designed for a variety of uses, including rooftops, patio walkways, pool surrounds, and playground areas. The 2-by-2-foot tiles are available in two thicknesses, and...

CARPET SHIMS.(Products & Literature on Display)
August 1, 2004... CARPET SHIMS and UNIVERSAL SIDE SHIMS easily eliminate the problem of heightdifferences from carpeted floors to ceramic or hardwood floors. * No more double tack strips. * No more building ramps with cardboard or VCT and floats. *...

Seneca.(Products & Literature on Display)
August 1, 2004... Seneca Millwork, a family-owned company based in the USA, is uniquely qualified to be your preferred supplier for pre-finished hardwood flooring transitions. With strong capabilities in manufacturing, service and support for standard or custom...

Centiva's Fire & Ice line showcases bold patterns.(Products)
August 1, 2004... Centiva by International Floors of America has debuted Fire & Ice, a tile collection featuring cool azure blues played against fiery orange patterns. Fire & Ice comes in various sizes, textures and standard designs, and can be used as an accent...

Alumix Ultra finish unveiled by Mirage.(Products)
August 1, 2004... Mirage hardwood flooring, manufactured by Boa-Franc Inc., recently introduced Alumix Ultra--a high-performance polyurethane finish that ensures durability and protection while providing a matte finish, according to the company. In the...

Columbia Flooring rolls out new high-end laminate line.(Products)
August 1, 2004... Columbia Flooring has announced the introduction of Ceramica Clic glueless laminate tiles to complement the Colonial and Casual Clic glueless laminate planks the company introduced earlier this year. Together, these products fill out Columbia's...

Fastrim Multi-Transitions launched by Faus Group.(Products)
August 1, 2004... Faus Group Inc. recently introduced the Fastrim Multi-Transition System, one SKU with five transitions. The pieces can be combined to form tmoulding, a hard-surface reducer, carpet reducer, end moulding, or stair nose. Fastrim features easy...

New looks in commercial flooring highlight NeoCon Trade fair.(Showroom Management)
August 1, 2004... The 36th annual NeoCon World's Trade Fair took place at the Chicago Merchandise Mart in mid June. The event is North America's largest conference and exhibition for interior designers and facility managers. The event showcases state-of-the-art...

Something you don't want to hear: flooring products abound to control impact sound.
August 1, 2004... Development of sound-reducing technology is a continuous process that involves all components of the system--especially with regard to the sound-abatement products now being marketed to reduce the impact noise in floors within, mainly,...

Five key areas for growing your business: advertising, marketing, follow up, location, pricing.(The Journal of a Start-Up Flooring Retailer)
August 1, 2004... From a profitability and volume perspective, the ongoing battle to grow the business can be trying even in the best of times--especially when you are a start-up business. The downside of being a start-up business is that no one knows who you...