National Floor Trends articles from March 2003

National Floor Trends archives from March 2003

Surfaces 2003 enters with a roar! Attendance soars, doom & gloom get swift kick in the pants! (Industry Perspectives).
March 1, 2003... From the opening bell, those of us who have closely observed Surfaces from its founding knew this was going to be a real winner, a true barn burner. While the figures aren't in as I write this, I firmly believe they will prove that if this...

Laminate secures its place as flooring's new 'feel good' product.
March 1, 2003... When the product category launched in the United States during the mid 1990s, laminate flooring generally was positioned as a less expensive, easier-to-install alternative to wood flooring. Since then, laminate styling has moved on to rather...

Merchandising and advertising go hand-in-hand. (Showroom Management).
March 1, 2003... The notion of simultaneously planning merchandising and advertising strategies is a matter of common sense to marketing folks. But to some in the retail business, that message just hasn't hit home yet. That's not too surprising because,...

Vision 2003 to offer expanded education program for coverings attendees.(highlights of Vision 2003 program)
March 1, 2003... Vision 2003, the annual program of seminars held concurrently with Coverings 2003, will feature more than 100 free workshops and courses. Scheduled for March 24-27 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., Vision 2003 is expected...

Halcon introduces Liberia coordinated bathroom tile. (Coverings Products).
March 1, 2003... Halcon Ceramicas has debuted Liberia, a coordinated wall and floor tile series for bathroom installations. The wall tiles come in 12 1/2-by-24-inch format and are complemented by a full range of decorative inserts, borders and listellos. The...

Diago Aspen emulates the look of natural stone. (Coverings Products).
March 1, 2003... Diago now offers its Aspen series made with Ligeramica. The Aspen series is meant to reproduce the look and texture of natural stone. Aspen is available in 13-by-13-inch format in beige, black and red/brown. Tiles in the series are complemented...

Tau Ceramica rolls out glazed porcelain in modular formats. (Coverings Products).
March 1, 2003... Tau Ceramica's Wisconsin is a glazed porcelain tile series which comes in three modular formats--18-by-18, 9-by-18, and 9-by-9 inches. Wisconsin is available in black, gray and taupe, and is complemented by a selection of decorative borders....

New mosaic wall system proves Keraben's 'Concept'. (Coverings Products).
March 1, 2003... Concept by Keraben is a mosaic wall system. The collection is available 13-by-17- and 3 1/2-by-17-inch formats. For details, circle 150 on the Reader Inquiry Card.

Plaza debuts coordinated wall and floor tiles. (Coverings Products).
March 1, 2003... Plaza manufactures Athenas wall tile and Rialto floor tile, which are designed to coordinate with each other. The wall tile is available in 10-by-16- and 12-by-12-inch formats, and the floor tile comes in 13 inch-square size. Both Athenas and...

Gayafores unveils large-format tile series with satin finish. (Coverings Products).
March 1, 2003... Gayafores has released Alabastro, a 16-by-16-inch glazed porcelain tile. The series features a satin finish and comes in beige, ivory and pearl colorations. Alabastro floor tiles coordinate with two different Gayafores wall collections. For...

Porcelanatto debuts Matter unglazed porcelain collection. (Coverings Products).
March 1, 2003... Matter by Porcelanatto is an unglazed, polished porcelain collection offered in 16-inch-square and 12-by-24-inch formats. The collection is available in white and black. For details, circle 148 on the Reader Inquiry Card.

Roca's Afrodita offers through-body colors. (Coverings Products).
March 1, 2003... Afrodita from Roca's Leo Collection incorporates the mixing of special glazes and powders at the press to create striking colors and patterns in through-body porcelain tile. The collection includes travertine patterns with rectified edges;...

Novabell launches new rustic series. (Coverings Products).
March 1, 2003... Terra di Siena is the newest Novabell series of rustic tile featuring a combination of delicate shades and bold colors. Available in five sizes and seven color tones, Terra di Siena is complemented by original decorations and a wide range of...

Avantagarde is Refin's latest through-body porcelain line. (Coverings Products).
March 1, 2003... Refin's Avantgarde series consists of lapped and edge-ground floor tiles in 12-by-12- and 18-by-18-inch formats, in seven colors and monoporosa wall tiles in three colors. The series features a wide range of styles. For details, circle 145 on...

Sant'Agostino II Borgo developed for interior, exterior applications. (Coverings Products).
March 1, 2003... II Borgo by Sant' Agostino is a through-body porcelain series designed for interior and exterior flooring applications. II Borgo is available in six colors in polished and natural versions, and is complemented by a full range of accents and...

Floor Gres' Natural series echoes natural materials. (Coverings Products).
March 1, 2003... Italian porcelain stoneware manufacturer Floor Gres recently launched its Natural tile series featuring three colors, four sizes and two contrasting finishes. Natural's three colors--wood, stone and coal--were developed to echo the hues of...

U.S. Ceramic Tile Co. intros new chip chest. (Coverings Products).
March 1, 2003... United States Ceramic Tile Co. has introduced its new US-02C Chip Chest for architects, interior designers and other design professionals. Each of the newly designed compact chests comes with two metal clasps on the front which allow the...

Esquire's Cochise porcelain expands Florim USA offerings. (Coverings Products).
March 1, 2003... Esquire, a Florim USA brand, has introduced Cochise, a new line of porcelain tile suitable for commercial and residential installations. Manufactured in three earthen colors, Cochise is available in 6-, 12- and 18-inch square field tiles,...

Custom Building Products updates its line of mortars. (Coverings Products).
March 1, 2003... Custom Building Products has introduced VersaBond Flex and OptiCure Stone Setting Thin-Set Mortar, and has made improvements to its Marble & Granite Premium Mortar Mix. VersaBond Flex is a polymer-modified mortar designed for setting...

USG manufactures Fiberock tile backerboard for walls. (Coverings Products).
March 1, 2003... United States Gypsum Co. (USG) has developed Fiberock Brand Ceramic Tile Backerboard for Wails. The product is designed to create a superior substrate for ceramic tile installations that features uniform composition, attachment strength...

Ilva presents its new natural stone-look series. (Coverings Products).
March 1, 2003... Argentine ceramic tile manufacturer Ilva SA has launched its new Pietre Travertine porcelain tile series featuring the look of cross-cut travertine marble. Peitre Travertine is offered in shades of bianco, beige, noce, and rosso. Available...

Eliane's Saturn designed for kitchens and baths. (Coverings Products).
March 1, 2003... Brazilian tile exporter/manufacturer Eliane Ceramic Tiles has introduced its Saturn series, a tile collection designed for kitchen and bath applications. The series is styled to offes a natural feeling with its colors of noce, beige and almond....

F/X Laser Series developed for cost effective engraving. (Coverings Products).
March 1, 2003... Vytek Industrial Laser Systems' F/X Laser Series is designed to offer cost-effective laser cutting and engraving, according to the company. The series will work areas of 36-by-51 and 51-by-51 inches in fully enclosed systems that can...

Coverings 2003 exhibitor list. (A-Z).
March 1, 2003... Coverings 2003 Exhibitor List Company Booth Number 3 Score Inc. 1592 3B Srl 4180 A...

Mind your PKs properties of various tile types. (Ceramic & Stone Close-Up).(product knowledge (PK) )
March 1, 2003... Increasingly, we are being asked to do PKs--an acronym for "product knowledge"--as an aid not only for distributor salespeople, but for contractors and architects as well. This is a good sign backed by good intentions. After all, the joke about...

Gayafores plans expansion. (News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Gayafores intends to expand its production plant, as well as a number of formats in existing product lines, this year. For the beginning of 2003, an estimated investment of 4.2 million euros will be used to complete a new glazing line,...

Tau Ceramica project wins Tile of Spain award. (News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Tau Ceramica's Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, a research structure used to study new and innovative ceramic applications, won the Tile of Spain Award of Architecture and Interior Design 2002. The use of next-generation ceramic...

Grogan named president of Monterey Carpets. (News).(Ralph Grogan)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Tandus Group Inc. recently announced the appointment of Ralph Grogan as president of Monterey Carpets. Grogan will be responsible for all business operations at Santa Ana, Calif.-based Monterey. Prior to his new appointment, Grogan served...

Corrections and clarifications.(Correction Notice)
March 1, 2003... The caption for the lead photo accompanying "Cevisama 2003 to Showcase Expanding Ceramic Tile Industry" (February 2003 NFT) misidentified the featured ceramic tile product. In fact, the photo depicted Grespania Venecia, a 12-inch-square scored...

Florim's U.S. operation gets leadership changes, boosted funding. (News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... As Florim USA launches its fourth year of operation, its parent corporation, the Florim Group, is projecting continued growth and making additional investments in its U.S. subsidiary. Florim has invested more than $25 million in its United...

Wanke Cascade to host installation fairs. (News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... In March, Pacific Northwest flooring distributor Wanke Cascade will host daylong flooring installation fairs in Portland and Seattle. The Portland event is scheduled for Tues., March 4, in the Rose Quarter's Coliseum Exhibit Hall. The...

NWFA announces 2002 FOY Members' Choice winner. (News).(National Wood Flooring Association, Floor of the Year)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) has announced the Floor of the Year Members' Choice Master Division winner in its 2002 Floor of the Year contest. The winning entry was submitted by DM Hardwood Designs in Mission Viejo, Calif. The...

Boa-Franc Inc. (Distributor Appointments).(William M. Bird & Co. is firm's newest distributor of Mirage Classic and Mirage Engineered collections of prefinished hardwood flooring)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Boa-Franc Inc. has added William M. Bird & Co. as the company's newest distributor of the Mirage Classic and Mirage Engineered collections of prefinished hardwood flooring. William M. Bird & Co. distributes hardwood flooring, tile, laminates,...

Orders Distributing Co. (Distributor Appointments).(Domco Tarkett Commercial welcomes Design Solutions and Orders Distributing Co.as Tarkett Sommer distributors Distributing Co. as s )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Domco Tarkett Commercial has welcomed Design Solutions as a Tarkett Sommer distributor. The company now features Tarkett Sommer Linosom in its product line. Based in Alexandria, Va., Design Solutions serves Maryland, Washington D.C. and...

Royal Scot Flooring. (Distributor Appointments).(added to Vitromex USA'S distributor network)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Royal Scot Flooring has been added to Vitromex USA'S distributor network. Royal Scot will represent Vitromex product lines in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and Missouri. Royal Scot's corporate office and main warehouse is located in Lemont,...

Berkshire Hathaway to acquire Burlington Industries. (News).(Burlington Industries Inc. )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Burlington Industries Inc. and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. have executed a definitive agreement for Berkshire Hathaway to acquire Burlington Industries. The amount payable in the transaction to creditors of Burlington, which began Chapter 11...

Upcoming industry events.
March 1, 2003... FCICA Conference 2003--Scottsdale Ariz. (877) 863-2422, March 13-15. Restoration & Renovation Baltimore 2003--Baltimore. (800) 982-6247, March 19-22. Coverings 2003--Orlando, Fla. (800) 881-9400, March 24-27. NWFA 18th Annual...

Roppe Corp. lauded as environmentally friendly. (News).(commercial rubber and vinyl flooring producer recognized by Ohio state Senate for its environmental efforts )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Commercial rubber and vinyl flooring manufacturer Roppe Corp. has been recognized by the Ohio state Senate for the company's environmental efforts. State Senate President Pro Tempore Randy Gardner, whose district is home to the Roppe...

Domco Tarkett taps von Kantzow for identity, branding program. (News).(Lars von Kantzow, president of TriCrown Consulting, to spearhead corporate identity and branding program)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Domco Tarkett has selected Lars von Kantzow, former president and CEO of Pergo and now president of TriCrown Consulting of Cary, N.C., to spearhead a corporate identity and branding program for the company. In his new role, von Kantzow is...

Congoleum seeks to resolve asbestos liability. (News).(Congoleum Corp. has strategy for resolving current and future asbestos claims liability )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Congoleum Corp. recently announced a strategy for resolving current and future asbestos claims liability that involves negotiating a global settlement with current asbestos plaintiffs. To this end, Congoleum has begun preliminary settlement...

Pergo to acquire Witex stock. (News).(Pergo AB to acquire all shares in Witex AG from HW Industries GmbH & Co. KG)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Pergo AB and the main shareholder of Witex AG, HW Industries GmbH & Co. KG, have concluded negotiations concerning an acquisition of stock between Pergo and Witex. Currently, Pergo owns 25.1 percent of Witex AG, while HW Industries owns...

Swiff-Train's Houston warehouse hit by fire. (News).(Swiff-Train Co.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... On Jan. 18, Swiff-Train Co.'s Houston warehouse suffered a major fire that damaged much of the goods and equipment at the Texas distributor's branch. It is estimated that 35 Houston Fire Department engines and more than 115 firefighters...

Bennytex Carpet Mills. (People).(Celia Blum to the role of sales/marketing consultant)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Bennytex Carpet Mills has appointed Celia Blum to the role of sales/marketing consultant. Blum is the president of Celia Inc., a design and sales consulting company that specializes in floor coverings. She previously served as Fabrica's...

Boa-Franc Inc. (People).(adds Frank Hargadon)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Boa-Franc Inc., manufacturer of Mirage prefinished hardwood flooring, has added Frank Hargadon to the sales team. Hargadon previously worked for Hartco Flooring for five years, and most recently was in charge of prefinished sales for Zickgraf....

Vitromex USA. (People).(Mickey Trammel to serve as the company's new regional sales manager of the Northeast Region)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Vitromex USA has named Mickey Trammel to serve as the company's new regional sales manager of the Northeast Region. Trammel will work with distributors in Wisconsin, Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Indiana,...

Oriental Weavers of America. (People).(selects Steve Stultz)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Oriental Weavers of America has selected Steve Stultz to serve as senior vice president of OWA, a position previously held by Paul D'huyvetter, who passed away Nov. 15, 2002. A three-year veteran of the company, Stultz previously served as vice...

Tile Fashions. (People).(Greg Howard recently became the owner of Tile Fashions)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Greg Howard, an independent agent for Gayafores, recently became the owner of Raleigh, N.C-based Tile Fashions. The company provides backup stock of Gayafores products to dealers throughout the United States. Howard started Tile Fashions in...

Impronta Italgraniti USA Inc. (People).(Jerry Joyce was recently appointed sales manager )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Jerry Joyce was recently appointed sales manager for Impronta Italgraniti USA Inc. Joyce previously spent two years as the company's Midwestern Region sales representative. Joyce, who is based in Madison, Wis., has worked in the tile industry...

DuPont Antron marketing effort, personnel reconfigured. (News).(Georgina Sikorski was promoted to marketing manager for DuPont Commercial Flooring )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... DuPont Textiles & Interiors (DTI) recently implemented internal changes to DuPont Antron, including reorganization of the existing marketing team, the creation of new segment manager positions, and the expansion of the DuPont Antron Design...

John Gallo. (In Memoriam).
March 1, 2003... John Gallo, senior vice president of manufacturing for Amtico Inrernational, passed away suddenly on Jan. 24. During the two years he was with Amtico, Gallo pulled together manufacturing teams in the United States and United Kingdom into...

Surfaces 2003: a show packed with people and business opportunities.(floor covering industry event)
March 1, 2003... The motto for Surfaces 2003 was "Where NEW happens" and, indeed, many new products and programs were launched at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas, Jan. 29-31. More than 35,000 attendees and 900 exhibitors were in force on two...

Artistic Finishes. (Products & Literature).
March 1, 2003... Artistic Finishes is pleased to introduce the newest profile in our premium line of prefinished hardwood moldings...the hi-level reducer. This reducer provides a visually appealing, new look to any hardwood floor when transitioning to a carpet,...

Carpet Shim. (Products & Literature).
March 1, 2003... New from Carpet Shims, Ltd Side Shims finishes transitions easily! Side Shims are used in conjunction with the Original 32" x 8" Carpet Shims to solve the height difference between carpet and ceramic or hardwood floors. Made of the same...

Zimair. (Products & Literature).
March 1, 2003... Zimair Display Systems introduced a new display at the National Wood Flooring Association's Education Conference and 2002 Wood Flooring Expo in April. The unit displays 12 planks 24 x 6 x 3/4 and is invertoried in black (Blank sign included)...

Midwest padding. (Products & Literature).
March 1, 2003... Create an environment that is comfortable and visually exciting with NaturStone natural flooring. We're proud to offer a large selection of stunning Granite, elegant Marble and old-world Slate tiles. Made by Mother Nature, and brought to you by...

NAC products. (Products & Literature).
March 1, 2003... ECB for Full Floor Coverage or strip application on Concrete and Wood Floors prevents cracks in new ceramic or stone floors. Strataflex for Waterproofing, [SAM.sup.3] and Super SAM for Sound Abatement of multi-level buildings. All products can...

Beaulieu of America rolls out Laura Ashley Tapestry Collection. (Products).
March 1, 2003... Beaulieu of America now offers the Laura Ashley Tapestry Collection of carpets created to evoke the charm and appeal of old-world woven tapestries. Every Tapestry Collection carper is crafted from PermaSoft Plus solution-dyed nylon. Selections...

New parquet collections are Witex's latest. (Products).
March 1, 2003... Witex now offers three new parquet collections: Marena, Galea and Castilla. Marena offers a real-wood surface in maple, beech, oak, red oak, jatoba, cherry, and walnut. Galea features a new anti-bacterial surface coating to promote...

Amtico delves into wood and stone looks. (Products).
March 1, 2003... Resilient flooring manufacturer Amtico International unveiled new wood- and stone-look surfaces at Surfaces 2003. These floors feature digital remastering technology to give the floors a natural appearance, the company says. As with the...

Royal Court VCT new from Spectrum. (Products).
March 1, 2003... Spectrum Imports, a division of Gardner Industries, is now offering the Spectrum Signature Collection Royal Court line. All natural flooring styles are merchandised in easy to view, hands-on formats, according to the company. The Royal...

Capella Classic Oak debuts at Surfaces. (Products).
March 1, 2003... Capella, the engineered hardwood flooring from Anderson-Tully, introduced its new Classic Oak line at Surfaces 2003 in Las Vegas. Classic Oak joins an extensive line of Capella Hardwood Flooring offerings that include Classic Cherry and Classic...

Powernail launches its latest pneumatic stapler. (Products).
March 1, 2003... Powernail Co. recently announced the addition of its new Model 445FS Mallet Activated Pneumatic T&G PowerStapler. The stapler is designed for 1/2-, 3/4- and 33/32-inch tongue-and-groove flooring. The PowerStapler can accommodate 15 gauge,...

Tarkett adds new pattern, surface texturing to lines. (Products).
March 1, 2003... Tarkett has added a new pattern in four colors to its Contours line with the TruTex Surface, and augmented its Preference Plus line with new surface texturing. New to the Contours line is Medina, a 9-inch slate design in colorations of...

Nourison unveils two broadloom collections. (Products).
March 1, 2003... Nourison continues the expansion of its broadloom and roll runner program with the introduction of two new collections, Ashton House and Hamilton House. Ashton House and Hamilton House both feature a dense face-to-face construction of...

Johnsonite introduces replaceable wall base. (Products).
March 1, 2003... Johnsonite's rePLACE is a replaceable wall base line. A user installs a track (with no adhesive required) and snaps rePLACE onto the track. When repairs or renovations are needed, the user can unsnap the base from the track and reapply or...

Roppe offers 'Highlights' in new rubber collection. (Products).
March 1, 2003... Roppe Corp. has introduced its new Highlights color collection for rubber products. The collection of 16 sharp colors is meant to accentuate the effects of color in any design, Roppe says. Highlights is available for Roppe rubber tile, treads...

Daltonian Flooring Inc. readies its Grand Floor. (Products).
March 1, 2003... Daltonian Flooring Inc. has announced the introduction of Grand Floor carper manufactured with the exclusive FiberLoc process. Products made with FiberLoc feature a lifetime, no-delamination and no-edge-ravel warranty. Grand Floor is...

Winton Tile, Earthwerks announce new program. (Products).
March 1, 2003... Winton Tile and Earthwerks launched new dealer and distributor programs at Surfaces 2003 in Las Vegas. New luxury tile and vinyl plank were featured along with a new merchandising program, whereby both Winton Tile and Earthwerks are marketed in...

Artistic Finishes unveils distressed finish mouldings. (Products).
March 1, 2003... Artistic Finishes has unveiled a new line of hardwood mouldings with rugged, distressed finishes. The company offers 39 different colors of hardwood mouldings with a distressed finish in a variety of species and profiles. The mouldings are...

Flexco redesigns its product album package. (Products).
March 1, 2003... Flexco's redesigned album package debuted at Surfaces 2003 in Las Vegas along with the company's color selector chip box. The album package features samples and colors from all of Flexco's product lines in a single kit thqat covers rubber and...

Nafco introduces its 'new generation' floor. (Products).
March 1, 2003... Nafco has launched its New Generation line of luxury vinyl flooring. With four designs and 22 colors, the newest addition to the Nafco product family depicts not only the look, but the feel of natural clay, stone and wood, the company says. ...

Globaltex carpet collection with Anso Caress nylon premieres. (Products).
March 1, 2003... Globaltex has recently released a new carpet collection featuring Anso Caress nylon--Concho with CrossBond Technology, Sandorra with CrossBond Technology, Pima with CrossBond Technology, and Rococco. Concho with CrossBond Technology is a...

Sound reduction underlayment newly released by Custom. (Products).
March 1, 2003... Custom Building Products has added SoundGard Sound Reduction Mat Underlayment to its line of surface-preparation products. Developed to reduce impact sound in interior spaces, SoundGard meets a range of installation requirements and...