National Floor Trends articles from June 2004

National Floor Trends archives from June 2004

Strong response to 'Live by Price, Die by Price; Live By Fashion, Thrive By Fashion'.(Industry Perspectives)
June 1, 2004... April's Industry Perspectives column, entitled "Live by Price, Die by Price, Live By Fashion, Thrive By Fashion," drew a heavy response from all segments of the industry. It is important to note that there is a strong and growing desire to put...

'Green' is a go for many firms: commercial market seeing a surge in eco-friendly interiors.(Cover Story)
June 1, 2004... Recyclable materials, green products and sustainable floors have become the watchwords for most commercial interiors. With the U.S. Green Building Council and its LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification paving the...

New NFT Market Study shows ... vinyl flooring sales driven by product reliability, quality, design, styling, distributor support.(National Floor Trends)
June 1, 2004... Product reliability and quality, product design and styling, and distributor service/support are the top three attributes (aside from price) that affect the retailer/contractor's decision to sell/promote a particular brand or manufacturer of...

The journal of a start-up flooring retailer; Refining the system: keeping the execution of your business plan on track.
June 1, 2004... Once your retail business model has been established, and you have begun to execute the steps critical for success, comes the time to learn from your mistakes. Not long after the start up of my flooring store, I realized that my plan and its...

Step-by-step: replacing boards in existing hardwood floors.
June 1, 2004... I recently had some work done on my wood floors, including resanding and refinishing. A few boards needed to be replaced, and the installer who put in the original flooring was going to replace them. As I watched him prepare to replace a...

Sustainable flooring.(Editorial)
June 1, 2004... As the sustainable design movement continues to grow, architects, designers, specifiers and contractors face an increased environmental emphasis on the production methods, material content and disposal of floor coverings. Programs such as...

Manufacturers read the writing on the wall: recycled content, renewable raw materials; No longer strangers to resilient floor coverings.(Editorial)
June 1, 2004... Increasingly, the flooring industry's resilient segment--which includes linoleum, rubber and vinyl products--is embracing the concept of sustainability and bringing to market an advanced generation of floor coverings that feature recycled...

From reduced environmental impact to enhanced indoor air quality: carpet sets the pace in floor coverings.
June 1, 2004... More than ever, we have the power to avoid hazardous surface choices and opt for sustainability. Architects, interior designers and facility managers can select materials and products for the buildings they design and manage with greater...

No turning back the wheel of progress: today's flooring adhesives are green and getting greener.(Negative impact of adhesives on indoor air quality)
June 1, 2004... In today's marketplace, the collateral effect of floor covering adhesives and their byproducts are a primary concern. Over the years, these products have attracted critical scrutiny due to their potentially negative impact on indoor air quality...

Hardwood flooring is nature's renewable flooring resource.
June 1, 2004... During the past few years, a significant buzz about utilizing sustainable natural resources has been generated within the building and construction industry. Everywhere you turn these days, it seems we are inundated with talk of green building,...

Researching the vinyl debate.(Editorial)
June 1, 2004... The jury is still out on the environmental impacts of vinyl. Polyvinyl chloride, also known as PVC or vinyl, is a synthetic material used in a variety of applications, including flooring, which has caused an ongoing debate: is vinyl a suitable...

The art of upselling: practical techniques from the hardwood flooring world.
June 1, 2004... "Would you like to supersize that?" This phrase may be losing its popularity, but it remains a great example of upselling. A well-trained salesperson always offers something extra to add value to the product he or she is selling. It may be a...

Roppe lauds 2003 Salesman and Distributor of the Year.(People/Places/Events)(Bixco Inc. awarded the distributor of the year by Roppe corp.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Bixco Inc. was named Roppe's 2003 Distributor of the Year on the basis of the company's strong, consistent sales growth and continuing support of Roppe's entire line of products. Bixco maintains locations in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, La....

Alloc salutes Armstrong on Tour de Georgia win.(People/Places/Events)(Lance Armstrong)(U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Alloc Inc. and its parent the Berry Group have congratulated Lance Armstrong and the U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team for his individual win of the Tour de Georgia in Atlanta and the team's second-place overall rank in the competition. ...

Irvin Kahn & Son hosts Louisville warehouse sale.(People/Places/Events)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... More than 300 retailers turned out at Irvin Kahn & Son's recent annual warehouse sale at the distributor's Louisville, Ky., location. Dealers came to see product offerings from companies including Mannington, Classen and Alloc. ...

Surfaces and Hanley Wood to donate $100,000 to FCIF.(People/Places/Events)(Floor Covering Industry Foundation)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Surfaces and Hanley Wood will donate $100,000 to the Floor Covering Industry Foundation (FCIF) over the next five years. FCIF financially assists floor covering industry personnel who face catastrophic illness and extreme financial hardship....

Johnson's Premium Hardwood completes relocation to new facility.(People/Places/Events)(Johnson's Premium Hardwood Flooring)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Hardwood flooring distributor Johnson's Premium Hardwood Flooring has relocated its main offices to a larger facility at 825 Sentous St. in the City of Industry, Calif. The company's new phone numbers are (626) 323-9000 and (800) 910-3047....

Alloc has appointed Louisville.(Distributor Appointments)(Irvin Kahn & Son)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Alloc has appointed Louisville, Ky.-based Irvin Kahn & Son to represent the company's laminate flooring products throughout southwestern Ohio, southern Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia. Kahn & Son Sales Manager Walt Marquardt will be...

Flexco has added C & F Distributors and Design Materials to its distribution network.(Distributor Appointments)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Flexco has added C & F Distributors and Design Materials to its distribution network. C & F Distributors, based in Oklahoma City, will distribute Flexco products in Oklahoma. Design Materials, located in Pasadena, Calif., will offer Flexco...

Metroflor has appointed J.J. Haines & Co. and Ohio Valley Flooring as distributors.(Distributor Appointments)(Ohio Valley Flooring)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Metroflor has appointed J.J. Haines & Co. and Ohio Valley Flooring as distributors. J.J. Haines & Co. now handles Metroflor products throughout central and south New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and...

Pergo has welcomed PTS to its distribution network.(Distributor Appointments)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Pergo has welcomed PTS to its distribution network. PTS is now the exclusive distributor for Pergo products in Colorado, southern Wyoming, and northern New Mexico. Retailers can contact the PTS Denver facility at (800) 332-6477 and the...

VPI has appointed General Distributors Inc.(Distributor Appointments)(VPI Floor Products Div.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... VPI has appointed General Distributors Inc. to represent the VPI product line in Oklahoma. Based in Wichita, Kan., General Distributors will sell VPI's full line of flooring products. For more information, telephone (800) 777-4456. ...

Armstrong World Industries.(People)(Stephen J. Senkowski)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Longtime Armstrong Holdings executive Stephen J. Senkowski has been elected an executive vice president of Armstrong World Industries. In addition to serving as president and CEO of Armstrong Building Products, Senkowski is responsible for...

CCA Global Partners.(People)(Jim Gould)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... CCA Global Partners has appointed Jim Gould, an industry veteran and former top executive of the venerable Misco Shawnee flooring distributorship, to the role of chief product officer, a newly created position.

Mullican Flooring.(People)(Scott Lithgow)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Scott Lithgow has accepted the position of northeast regional sales manager for Mullican Flooring. Lithgow most recently served as regional sales manager for Lauzon Flooring. He will work out of offices in Freehold, N.J. [ILLUSTRATION...

Pergo.(People)(Pergo Inc.)(Staffan Soderqvist)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Staffan Soderqvist will take up the position of senior vice president of finance and CFO for Pergo. Soderqvist started up the company's activities in Asia in 1994 and was manager there until 1998.

Shaw Industries.(People)(Shaw Industries Inc. (Dalton, Georgia))(Kathy Young)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Shaw Industries has named Kathy Young as creative director, a newly created position. Young, formerly Shaw's director of brand licensing, has been with Shaw since the company's 1992 acquisition of Salem Carpets, where she was product manager...

Tarkett Commercial.(People)(William Chapman)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... William Chapman has joined Tarkett Commercial as vice president of manufacturing. Previously, he served as general manager for Patrick Industries in Joy, Pa. Prior to that, Chapman spent more than 15 years at Armstrong World Industries working...

Mohawk names Carpet Barn ColorCenter dealer of the year.(News)(Mohawk Industries Inc. (Calhoun, Georgia))(Carpet Barn Inc.)(2004 Mohawk ColorCenter Dealer of the Year)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Mohawk Industries has selected the Carpet Barn, headquartered in Pine Bluff, Ark., as the 2004 Mohawk ColorCenter Dealer of the Year. The Carpet Barn was singled out for the award based on a number of criteria set up by Mohawk, including...

Koch subsidiaries complete buy of former DuPont Fibers Unit.(News)(Invista)(Koch Industries Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... DuPont and subsidiaries of Koch Industries Inc. have finalized the sale of Invista, formerly DuPont Textiles & Interiors, for $4.2 billion, including the assumption of debt and certain joint venture and equity interests covered under a...

Metroflor's Solidity wins design excellence award.(News)(2003 ADEX silver award)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Solidity, the heavy-duty solid vinyl tile from Metroflor, has won a 2003 ADEX silver award for Design Excellence. The flooring comes in largeformat 16-by-16-inch ceramic--and stone-look tiles, with deep embossing to give the floor a realistic...

Faus laminate flooring earns the GreenGuard certification.(News)(Faus Group Inc)(GreenGuard Environmental Institute)(GreenGuard Indoor Air Quality Certification)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The GreenGuard Environmental Institute (GEI) has awarded GreenGuard Indoor Air Quality Certification to the laminate flooring products of Faus Group Inc. The flooring was tested according to stringent GreenGuard standards for low-emitting...

Upcoming industry events.(Calendar)
June 1, 2004... American Institute of Architects 2004 National Convention -- Chicago. (800) 242-3837, June 10-12. NeoCon 2004 -- Chicago. (800) 677-7278, June 14-16. Ceramics China 2004 -- Guangzhou, China. 86-20-83355868-83355898, June...

Caution your clients! Causes and prevention of resilient floor discoloration.(The Resilient Answer Man)
June 1, 2004... The new resilient floor was installed perfectly. The required maintenance program was explained to the customer in full detail. The customer, in turn, conscientiously performed preventative maintenance such as applying proper floor protectors...

Wilsonart debuts new commercial laminate.(Products)
June 1, 2004... Contact from Wilsonart Commercial Flooring is a premium laminate line created specifically for commercial installations constrained by fixed improvement budgets. Contact's high-pressure laminate construction is designed to offer high impact and...

Beaulieu offers enhanced luxury in Hollytex Stainmaster carpet.(Products)
June 1, 2004... In its Hollytex Stainmaster Luxury carpet collection, Beaulieu Residential has introduced a new line of 16 residential products crafted from Stainmaster Xtra Life fiber. Nine products feature Tactesse fiber and all products feature the new...

SunTouch introduces floor-warming system.(Products)
June 1, 2004... SunTouch recently launched Warm Wire, an electric floor-warming system that is wire-applied. The heating elements are installed with 2-, 2 1/2-or 3-inch spacing formats and snapped into the WireStrap. WarmWire is available in 120- and 240-VAC...

New MAPEI tools developed for tile, stone and soft floors.(Products)
June 1, 2004... MAPEI has created a new division called MAPEI Tool Systems. The division's new tool line includes 160 products designed for tile, stone and soft-floor installations. Tools vary in grade from easy-to-use, do-it-yourself products to...

Spectrum Imports unveils line of cleaners and sealers.(Products)
June 1, 2004... Spectrum Imports now offers OrganiTech "green" cleaning products which are formulated to clean and protect tile and grout while removing harmful bacteria. OrganiTech products include ceramic/porcelain grout and tile cleaner; marble,...

Azrock publishes its latest commercial product catalog.(Products)
June 1, 2004... Azrock by Tarkett has published "Solutions," a full-color, 67-page product catalog that details the company's latest commercial offerings, from flooring and adhesives to wall base and floorcare maintenance systems. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Mohawk offers its dealers consumer finance program.(Products)
June 1, 2004... The Mohawk private-label store card is designed to enable consumers to pay for their floor covering purchases and, by extension, to help dealers finalize sales. The card features the names of both the dealer and Mohawk. Administered by a...

Laufen unveils Stone Evolution double-pressed porcelain line.(Products)
June 1, 2004... Laufen has launched a new line of double-pressed porcelain tile products called Stone Evolution. The tile is pressed, glazed and then pressed for a second time before going to the kiln. This results in a sealed surface with a natural stone...

Shaw Living rug collection leaves a lasting 'Impression'.(Products)
June 1, 2004... Impressions, the newest area rug collection from Shaw Living, includes 17 designs with sophisticated patterns and distinctive motifs embellished with a "carving" effect. The actual weaving technique gives the rugs a visual and tactile contour...

Norament 925 strada inspired by cubist art.(Products)
June 1, 2004... Freudenberg Building Systems has developed norament 925 strada, the first in a series of new commercial rubber flooring products the company will unveil in this month at the NeoCon trade show in Chicago. The styling of norament strada is...

Dixie Home carpet collection expands broadloom selection.(Products)
June 1, 2004... The Dixie Home collection has added five cut- and loop-broad-loom carpet styles. All five designs--namely, Ellsworth, Cornucopia, Movado, Nantucket, and Tempting--are offered in 30 colorways, from traditional neutrals to organic greens, soft...

Johnsonite unveils Replay sports floor.(Products)
June 1, 2004... Johnsonite recently unveiled Replay, a fully functional floor resistant to golf spikes, ice skate blades, barbells, baseball cleats, and other sports equipment. Molded from recycled rubber tires, Replay is impact resistant, shock absorbent and...

InterfaceFLOR unveils 14 lines and 6 new colorways.(Products)
June 1, 2004... InterfaceFLOR, manufacturer of modular, residential floor coverings, has introduced 14 new lines and six new colorways. The 2004 spring collections can be mixed and matched with each other or existing lines, the company says. [ILLUSTRATION...

The finer points of bonding to gypsum concrete underlayment.
June 1, 2004... Before you begin to install ceramic tile or natural stone over gypsum concrete underlayment, you need to know a few things about the underlayment itself. Ignorance of these facts ultimately can result in an expensive installation failure. ...

Weyerhaeuser.(Products & Literature on Display)
June 1, 2004... Lyptus[R] premium hardwood is a new environmentally responsible alternative to oak or cherry. Ideal for high-end flooring, cabinetry and furniture applications, Lyptus has a beautiful grain variance, superb finishing characteristics and...

Mullican Flooring.(Products & Literature on Display)
June 1, 2004... Mullican offers hand-sculpted Chatelaine Collection Mullican Flooring's new Chatelaine Collection is hand-sculpted from solid, 3/4-inch hardwood and is available in 4- and 5-inch widths of autumn maple, provincial hickory, golden maple,...

All American Wood Register.(Products & Literature on Display)
June 1, 2004... Flush & Surface Mount Registers Solid wood All American Wood Registers finish easily and have a longer service life. Over 50 species available. Stock orders shipped within 24 hours, custom orders within 48. Visit www.allamericanwood.com....

Basic coatings.(Products & Literature on Display)
June 1, 2004... Basic introduces WoodTones, a line of premium oil based stains formulated to apply easily, dry quickly. Choose from 10 colors that can be mixed for an endless color palette. With ideal drying conditions, you can apply a recommended Basic finish...

Artistic Finishes.(Products & Literature on Display)
June 1, 2004... Artistic Finishes intros 8-foot nosings with Tri-Guard finish Artistic Finishes has introduced a full line of 8-foot stair nosings designed to accommodate most 3/4-inch floors. The new stair nosings are 3 1/2-inches wide, with a full 1...

E-Z CUT.(Products & Literature on Display)
June 1, 2004... E-Z CUT machines allow just one person to measure, re-roll, inspect, cut and wrap all orders with speed, accuracy, and cleanliness! E-Z CUT is the proven industry leader with well over 5,000 machines sold in almost 20 years of manufacturing....

Noblehouse.(Products & Literature on Display)
June 1, 2004... www.noblehousefloors.com Review our solids, engineered, tropical, cork and sports floor products (available in a printable version). Review our species, colors, specifications and technical data on each. Product distribution, floor care,...

Laser Products.(Products & Literature on Display)
June 1, 2004... Laser Products unveils FR-16 100-foot laser square Laser Products' new FR-16 100-foot laser square extends squaring 100-plus feet instantly, according to the company. The square uses two 1-milliwatt Class II lasers mounted to an aluminum...

Wilsonart.(Products & Literature on Display)
June 1, 2004... Wilsonart Commercial Flooring Introduces Contact[TM] Contact[TM] is a premium line created specifically for commercial installations with fixed improvement budgets. Contact's High-Pressure Laminate construction delivers higher wear- and...

Tembec.(Products & Literature on Display)
June 1, 2004... The Muskoka Architectural Collection was launched at Surfaces 2004 and is available now. This new collection consists of a 7-ply engineered product that is being offered in Maple, Ash, Oak, Brazilian Cherry, Merbau, and Doussier. The flooring...

Carpet Shims.(Products & Literature on Display)
June 1, 2004... CARPET SHIMS and UNIVERSAL SIDE SHIMS easily eliminate all your transition problems when installing carpet next to ceramic tile or hardwood. There is no need for double tack strip, building ramps out of VCT, shake shingles, or floating. CARPET...

DuraSeal.(Products & Literature on Display)
June 1, 2004... DuraSeal[R] Introduces QuickCoat Penetrating Finish for Wood Floors DuraSeal now offers QuickCoat Penetrating Finish, an oil-based stain that provides exceptional durability and a 2-hour recoat time. Available in all existing DuraSeal...