National Floor Trends articles from July 2006

National Floor Trends archives from July 2006

Our panel agrees: when costs go up, so does your chance to succeed.(Editorial Perspective)(Discussion)
July 1, 2006... A big objective for us at National Floor Trends has always been to take the pulse of the flooring industry. We fix our gaze on issues that are likely to shape and influence the business, and seek the input of people who are truly plugged in. In...

Product knowledge & training: too crucial to overlook.(Industry Perspectives)
July 1, 2006... If you get caught up in the hustle and bustle of business you can actually overlook the products and services your consumers and clients truly demand. People buying flooring expect the people who sell it to have product knowledge and be...

Roundtable: pressures mount but opportunity still knocks.
July 1, 2006... National Floor Trends asked flooring industry leaders to discuss some of the issues that are topping their agenda these days--and how they are dealing with them. Although they agree that the spike in fuel prices is a major challenge, they make...

Mailbag: from the long list of ways to ruin a tile job ... here's three.(Tile & Stone)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... One thing you can count on as an educator is questions and more questions. The reason one chooses to teach a given subject is hopefully their love of that discipline. As a tile installer and now educator I can tell you: If you love the tile...

Success is there for the taking so, why are there so few takers?(High-Impact Retailing)
July 1, 2006... Hundreds of full service retail floor covering stores provide their managers and employees with an excellent income, health insurance, retirement and other benefits while building substantial equity for their owners. Most successful dealers own...

Looking for a good wood partner? Here are the keys to remember.(Guest Column)
July 1, 2006... If you're a retailer looking for a hardwood manufacturer/distributor, it's best to start on the ground floor. There are six key criteria you should use to evaluate the category. The bottom line: start with the basics. Consider the qualities...

Stand on a Better World U: Mannington starts scholarship.(News)
July 1, 2006... Mannington has expanded its Stand on a Better World Awards program to include a scholarship fund. The company plans to award $500 scholarships to five qualifying students from high schools in the Salem County, N.J. area where Mannington is...

Different stripes: Zebra Tile adopts a zebra from local zoo.(News)
July 1, 2006... In a touch of whimsy aimed at raising awareness for both a local zoo and its own store, Zebra Tile of York, Penn., has adopted an animal from the Maryland Zoo based on its namesake. The zebra--named "Tanzie"--will not actually be moved to the...

Hardwood Pro honored by Green River; receives Distributor of the year award.(News)
July 1, 2006... Hardwood Pro, based in Winterset, Iowa, was recently recognized by hardwood maker Green River as the company's 2005 Distributor of the Year. Jason Beebee, owner of Hardwood Pro, said he was "thrilled" to receive the honor. [ILLUSTRATION...

Avalon's 'Grande' opening: cuts ribbon on huge unit in N.J.(News)
July 1, 2006... The retailer Avalon Carpet Tile and Flooring has opened a new store, in Rio Grande, N.J. The newly built store features a 25,000 square foot showroom and 5,000 square feet of warehouse space. "We are very excited to offer Rio Grande and the...

Atlanta Rug Market: ORIA silent auction, ROY Awards to highlight summer event.(News)
July 1, 2006... A silent auction conducted by the Oriental Rug Importers Association (ORIA) will highlight the Atlanta International Area Rug Market. Slated to run the first two days of the July 16-19 meeting at AmericasMart, the auction is expected to...

MAPEI co-sponsors race team, logo to adorn NASCAR car #7.(News)
July 1, 2006... MAPEI Corp. has pulled into the NASCAR ring: the installation systems maker said it will co-sponsor the Robby Gordon Motorsports team (car No. 7) in the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. Nick Di Tempora, MAPEI Americas president, said the move...

Possible LEED changes: USGBC to decide if bamboo & cork cut it.(News)(U.S. Green Building Council)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Moving to address the use of wood as an environmentally friendly building material, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), said it will weigh two proposed changes to the LEED rating system it has established. Specifically, the council will...

Laticrete's golden anniversary celebrated at tile and stone show.(News)
July 1, 2006... Pictured left to right: David Rothberg, president of Laticrete; and Michael and Manny Magallanes of Aqua Mix were some of the partygoers on hand at Laticrete's 50th anniversary celebration. The gala event was held in April at Coverings 2006,...

Tarkett nails it: says resilient intro 'accurately depicts' hand scraped hardwood.
July 1, 2006... Although an extensive tour of Tarkett's manufacturing facility in Florence, Ala., revealed no workers chiseling away at wood beams, the company's new line of luxury resilient flooring may have some consumers guessing otherwise. New entries...

American Standard Co.(People)
July 1, 2006... John Rietveldt, president of Tarkett's residential division for three years, is leaving to join American Standard Co. The Piscataway, N.J.-based bath and kitchen products giant announced that Rietveldt has been named vp and gm for its European...

Eliane Ceramic Tiles.(People)
July 1, 2006... Edson Gaidzinski Jr. has been elevated to president of Eliane Ceramic Tiles. He was most recently vp/general manager of Eliane USA. Marcio Muller will succeed as general manager.

StarNet.(Lori Dowling to retire)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Lori Dowling, president and ceo of the StarNet commercial flooring co-op, plans to retire in April 2007. She has been with the organization for the past eight years, and is credited with expanding StarNet's reach in both the U.S. and Canada....

Invista.(People)
July 1, 2006... Henning Bloech has joined Invista as manager, Environmental Initiatives for the commercial division. He will be responsible for developing programs for Invista's Antron carpet fiber that are consistent with the company's commitment to...

Robina Floors.(Matt Murray appointed to the sales team )(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Matt Murray, who once pitched in Major League Baseball, has been signed to the Robina Floors sales team as territory manager for Georgia. Apart from his tenure as a pitcher for the Atlanta Braves, Murray has worked for four years in carpet...

Sam L. Green has been appointed director of sales, Kaindl One distribution.(People)
July 1, 2006... Sam L. Green has been appointed director of sales, Kaindl One distribution. Kaindl One is the exclusive laminate flooring brand from laminate maker Kaindl USA. Previously, Green was director of sales for Kronotex.

U.S. Green Building Council.(People)
July 1, 2006... Judy Schwartz of commercial flooring specifier Task Floors has been elected to the board of the Long Island chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, developers of LEED. Schwartz represents Task Floors, based in New York City, throughout Long...

Color Marketing Group.(People)
July 1, 2006... Sharon Folliard, Johsonite's vp of design development, has been re-elected for a second term as vp of strategic planning for Color Marketing Group. She has sat on the board for the past three years. Color Marketing Group aims to forecast color...

Color Marketing Group.(People)
July 1, 2006... Additionally, Stewart A. Mathie, vp of sales and marketing for Loxcreen Flooring Group, has been named to Color Marketing Group as a member. Admittance into the group is based on stringent criteria which includes career accomplishments that...

Manufacturing Staff Operations Group.(People)
July 1, 2006... Russ DeLozier has been promoted by Shaw to Post Consumer Carpet collection manager as part of the company's Manufacturing Staff Operations Group. He will be responsible for implementing and managing the collection and preprocessing of carpet...

Shaw Fibers Division.(People)
July 1, 2006... Additionally, David Harless has been named special project/process engineer withing the Shaw Fibers Division. He will work as Shaw's technical manager for the Evergreen plant, and is credited with already beginning to streamline Evergreen's...

Cinderella, Goldilocks and ... Mohawk? Flooring maker remakes website.(News)
July 1, 2006... Mohawk's consumer website at www.mohawk-flooring.com has adopted a fairytale theme and now includes appearances from Cinderella, Goldilocks and the Evil Queen from Snow White. Tying in with the flooring maker's "What If?" fairytale-themed...

Beaulieu launches 'Rewards': debit card incentive program.(News)
July 1, 2006... Beaulieu is offering retailers the opportunity to participate in the Beaulieu Rewards debit card program by registering at www.mybeaulieurewards.com. The incentive program will initially include four of Beaulieu's most popular residential...

Upcoming industry events.(News)(Calendar)
July 1, 2006... Atlanta International Area Rug Market -- Atlanta. (800) ATL-MART, July 16-19. WSFCA Annual Golf Tournament -- Federal Way, Wash. (425) 885-0012, July 27. CFI 13th Annual Convention -- Arlington, Texas. (816) 231-4646, Aug. 9-12. ...

Rodeo Carpet Mills to 'Sparkle' in HGTV's Designer's Challenge.(News)
July 1, 2006... A remodeled condominium in Scottsdale, Ariz. will be the focus of an upcoming episode of HGTV's home improvement show Designer's Challenge. Pictured here, the redesigned space pairs terrazzo flooring with Rodeo Carpet Mills Carpet to offer a...

Foresbec opens new Quebec plant, will manufacture ForesFloor lines.(News)
July 1, 2006... Foresbec Inc., a hardwood lumber manufacturer and distributor based in Drummondville, Quebec, recently celebrated the opening of its newest ForesFloor flooring plant in St-Eugene, Quebec. The facility includes a two band saw sawmill, a 150,000...

Roppe, Flexco plan regional focus with '07 meetings.(News)
July 1, 2006... Roppe Holding Co., the parent company of resilient flooring makers Roppe and Flexco, said it will focus on supporting both brands with a full run of regional events in 2007. The company said one of the highlights of the regional meetings will...

Faus Group Inc.(Distributor appointments)
July 1, 2006... Faus Group Inc. has added two distributors to its roster: Hoboken/SPI Floors and Butler Johnson. Hoboken/SPI will offer Fausfloor Masterpieces, Essentials and Classic Americana lines to the Florida, Georgia and Alabama markets. Butler-Johnson...

Preverco.(Distributor appointments)
July 1, 2006... Preverco has welcomed four companies to its family of distributors. Southeast Hardwood Flooring Distributor Inc. will serve Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama south of Birmingham, and the Florida Panhandle. Gulfstream Flooring Distributors will...

Teragren.(Distributor appointments)
July 1, 2006... Teragren has signed an exclusive agreement with Kent, Wash.-based distributor T & A Supply to market the company's bamboo flooring in the Northwest. T & A is a leading area distributor operating 19 branches across Washington, Oregon, Idaho,...

Survey: builders, contractors believe mold and mildew linked.(News)
July 1, 2006... The Responsible Solutions to Mold Coalition (RSMC), a group of construction trade associations formed through a grant from USG Corp. and dedicated to educating the industry on mold control, has reported that the link between moisture and mold...

Pennsylvania retailer wins Hummer after Pergo tour.(News)
July 1, 2006... Larry Sacco, sales manager for Ted Smith Flooring Products in Sinking Spring, Pa., recently won a fully loaded Hummer H3 for his store as part of the summer "Go Ahead, It's Pergo!" Truck Tour and retailer sales contest. [ILLUSTRATION...

Alcorp and U.S. Gypsum cement their partnership.(News)
July 1, 2006... The Specialty Products Division of United States Gypsum Co. has extended its partnership with Alcorp Marketing. Alcorp has been involved in all areas of the division, aiding in product development, application recruiting, training, field...

Congoleum's DuraCeramic includes modular 'Options'.(Products)
July 1, 2006... Congoleum presents DuraCeramic Options, a new line of resilient flooring in 16" tiles that can be scored to create 8" tiles. According to Congoleum, the tiles can be mixed and matched to create custom floor and wall designs--including...

Johnsonite expands rePLACE: three new looks for wall base.(Products)
July 1, 2006... Johnsonite has added three profiles to the rePLACE collection of reusable and recyclable wall base: Prominent, Tempo and Gepetto. Prominent and Tempo offer contemporary looks, and Gepetto showcases the look of premium wood base, Johnsonite...

MAPEI's Ultrabond 980 designed for wood installs.(Products)
July 1, 2006... MAPEI introduces Ultrabond 980 adhesive created specifically for engineered and solid wood flooring. Ultrabond 980 applies easily and offers superior initial grab, MAPEI says. The adhesive is designed for use in both residential and commercial...

Eliane goes to the 'Street' with new porcelain range.(Products)
July 1, 2006... Eliane has rolled out Street, a porcelain tile offered in Black, Cement and Sand urban looks. The series features a highly textured surface and a natural finish, the company says. Street is available for walls and floors in 18" by 36" and 24"...

BonaKemi's 2006 product catalog highlights Bona machines, finishes.
July 1, 2006... BonaKemi USA has published the "Bona 2006 Product Catalog." The product guide includes information on Bona's full line of floor machines, abrasives, fillers, stains, sealers, finishes, floor care products, tools, as well as summaries of...

Quick-Step expands Elegance line with exotic and oak laminate looks.(Products)
July 1, 2006... Quick-Step has added five decors to its Elegance line of laminate flooring. The new styles are Merbau, Wenge, Vintage Oak in natural and dark colorations, and Cinnamon Red Oak. The Elegance line features narrow planks in three lengths outfitted...

Made in the shade: Hunter Douglas adds 4" Quartette to Silhouette line.(Products)
July 1, 2006... Window coverings maker Hunter Douglas has expanded its Silhouette window shadings with the new Quartette 4" vane size. Joining the 2" and 3" vane Silhouette shades, Quartette is offered in 24 colors in Originale and light-dimming Bon Soir...

National's Panther machine offers random orbital action.(Products)
July 1, 2006... National Carpet Equipment has pulled the wraps off of its latest floor removal machine, the #6280-HD Hydraulic Panther. The self-propelled unit features exclusive random orbital action, instant forward and reserve, adjustable speed control from...

Brintons presents new Vive carpet: 10 paisley looks for commercial use.(Products)
July 1, 2006... Brintons has expanded its Studio Influence designer carpet collection with Vive, offering a retro look. The ten patterns in Vive use free-flowing paisley shapes in a range of scales from large to small. Vive is made for use in commercial...

TOLI intros Eco Spirit initiative for products that meet LEED code.(Products)
July 1, 2006... TOLI International has launched Eco Spirit, a communications initiative aimed at informing specifiers about TOLI resilient products that contribute to LEED credits for "green" commercial interiors. The initiative includes a new media...

Florida Tile's new Pinecrest available in 4 sandstone looks.(Products)
July 1, 2006... Florida Tile debuts Pinecrest, a glazed porcelain tile designed to mimic the look and feel of natural sandstone. Offered in 13" by 13" and 17" by 17" tiles, Pinecrest is available in the colors of Pine, Cedar, Palm and African Ebony....

It's Showtime: Jaunty display helps showcase unique rugs.(Products)
July 1, 2006... New from Jaunty Co. is the Showtime Area Rug Marketing System. This display can showcase up to 62 hand-tufted 18-inch rug samples, Jaunty says. The 66-inch wide, 90-inch high Showtime system is available in a black or almond finish. The display...

TEC's AccuColor XT grout protects against dirt, mildew.(Products)
July 1, 2006... AccuColor XT grout, new from TEC, is designed to resist staining and cracking, as well as mold and mildew. The cement-based grout also repels dirt, the company says. AccuColor XT is engineered for all types of ceramic and natural stone tile...

Capel Festival of Flowers rugs added to Biltmore Estate line.(Products)
July 1, 2006... New from Capel is the Festival of Flowers tapestry rug collection, part of the Biltmore Estate For Your Home collection. Festival of Flowers rugs are woven in Belgium on jacquard looms, and the designs are drawn from Biltmore House antique...

Domco's 2006 product catalog showcases FiberFloor flooring.(Products)
July 1, 2006... Domco has published its 2006 product catalog, "Welcome Home!" The 40-page product guide highlights 50 new designs in the Habitat, Urbana and Influence ranges of FiberFloor resilient flooring. The catalog includes room scene photographs,...

Carpet Shims.(Products & Literature on display)
July 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...

Regupol-QT.(Products & Literature on display)
July 1, 2006... The Regupol QT line of products for impact sound insulation are engineered to provide better performance than any other sound control product available. Made from 100% resilient recycled rubber and backed by over 90 independent and laboratory...

Synteko.(Products & Literature on display)
July 1, 2006... Synteko offers an array of exceptional, high-quality waterborne wood floor finishes created for quality-minded professionals. Now manufactured in the U.S. Synteko Sealmaster is a one-component, fast drying, waterborne sealer; Synteko Extra is a...

Amorim Floors N.A,/Wicanders.(Products & Literature on display)
July 1, 2006... Wicanders Exotic Cork Oak Floors. Natural warmth, peaceful silence, health and environmental sustainability. Behold the beautiful benefits of Cork. Offered in a fresh breadth of colors and cuts. View our stunning exotic collections of WicCork &...

Swiff-Train (Earthwerks).(Products & Literature on display)
July 1, 2006... EarthWerks' Chesapeake planks feature luxury hand-scraped looks EarthWerks has taken the wraps off of Chesapeake Luxury Vinyl Plank, which is designed to offer the look of natural hand-scraped wood. The 4" x 36" x 1/8" planks depict the...