National Floor Trends articles from March 2004

National Floor Trends archives from March 2004

Win-win for Surfaces show and industry.(Editorial Comment)(Royalty Carpet Mills)
March 1, 2004... Even with lower attendance than last year's show, the just-completed Surfaces 2004 show was a success for Hanley-Wood Exhibitions, its exhibitors and show attendees. The show showed its strength and importance to the industry. ...

New laminates for 2004 focus on perfecting the visual formula; radical innovations take a back seat to ongoing decor refinements.
March 1, 2004... In past years, the flooring industry's laminate segment has distinguished itself as a bastion of continuous technical innovation. Consider the abrupt sea change the product category made as manufacturers moved, almost overnight, from...

Surfaces proves it's still a must-attend industry event: hard Surfaces get a push at this year's show.(Sand Expo and Convention Center)
March 1, 2004... Despite the absence of some major industry players--such as Shaw, Mohawk, Armstrong and Congoleum--the Surfaces 2004 show in Las Vegas included a broad range of companies spotlighting ceramic products, exotic woods, bamboos and other...

Who is TCA and why are they telling me what to do?(Tile Council of America)
March 1, 2004... Throughout most of my working life in this industry, I never truly understood who the Tile Council of America (TCA) was nor how their documents came about. Although over the course of the many commercial tile jobs I performed earlier in my...

AmericasMart Atlanta honored with Nebraska Furniture Mart Award.(People/Places/Events)(Robert Batt presented the award to John C. Portman Jr.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... AmericasMart Atlanta has been awarded Nebraska Furniture Mart's inaugural Think Big Award. Commissioned by Robert Batt, vice president of Nebraska Furniture Mart, the Think Big Award recognizes AmericasMart as the country's No. 1 market center...

Carpet Cushion Council elects Jack Lens president.(People/Places/Events)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The Carpet Cushion Council has elected Jack Lens as its president. Lens is president of Mohawk Industries Inc., based in Torrington, N.J. The council also elected Steve Drap of Foamex as vice president, Ernest Schorsch of Scottdel as secretary...

Parterre launches new identity, promotes Roche to president.(People/Places/Events)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Parterre Flooring Systems has launched a new corporate identity. The company partnered with The Branding Firm marketing agency to develop a new logo, architect folder, stationery suite and collateral materials. The new logo was designed to...

NFT columnist Randy Prewitt launches Flortek Consulting.(People/Places/Events)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Longtime NFT columnist Randy Prewitt has launched Flortek Consulting, a firm dedicated to training both new and existing sales personnel in all technical aspects of the wood flooring industry. Flortek also provides marketing services for...

Millstone Industries to buy key divisions of Morelock Enterprises.(People/Places/Events)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Millstone Industries recently announced that it has signed a letter of intent for the purchase of certain assets of Morelock Enterprises Inc. A second-generation, family owned company based in Oregon, Morelock Wood Products specializes in...

Stainmaster Sales Skills Online training available to retailers.(People/Places/Events)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Invista, formerly DuPont Textiles & Interiors, has unveiled a new online training tool for retailers to help sales-people increase sales and meet evolving consumer needs. A version of this training already exists for Stainmaster Flooring...

Key leaders confirmed for Invista management team.(People/Places/Events)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... William Ghitis, David Trerotola, Kenneth Wall and Alan Wolk have accepted key leadership roles in the new Invista organization. Each of the four will report directly to Jeff Walker, who is slated to be Invista's chairman and CEO. Ghitis,...

Denver Hardwood acquires Misco Shawnee.(People/Places/Events)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Denver Hardwood Co. and its affiliated group of flooring distributors under the Hamar Group of companies will acquire the assets of the Midwest's largest flooring distributor, Misco Shawnee. The two companies have been in discussion since...

Distributor appointments.(People/Places/Events)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Armstrong has added Elkhart, Ind.-based Cast Products, a nationwide distributor of building products and components to the recreation vehicle and manufactured home industries, to its roster of distributors that handle Armstrong flooring...

Anderson-Tully intends to sell its engineered wood division.(People/Places/Events)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Chip Dickinson, CEO of Anderson-Tully, officially announced that an investment group headed by Richard M. Lingle and affiliated with the acquisition of hardwood timber and other hardwood products has signed a letter of intent to acquire the...

ConestogaTile opens new Virginia distribution branch.(People/Places/Events)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Conestoga Tile recently opened a new distribution center in Troy, Va. The 25,000-square-foot distribution center--which is the company's fourth such facility--is located 12 miles east of Charlotteville, Va., and serves the central Virginia...

Formica to sell equipment to Shaw and withdraw from laminate sector.(People/Places/Events)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Formica Corp. has reached an agreement to sell the equipment assets of its Formica Flooring business to the Shaw Diversified Services unit of Shaw Industries Group Inc. The equipment, which is located in a leased manufacturing facility in...

Advanced Adhesives Technologies (AAT).(People)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Advanced Adhesives Technologies (AAT) has named Wade R. Verble to serve as the company's vice president of sales. Verble comes to ATT after amassing more than a decade of experience in the adhesives industry. His resume includes managerial and...

Burlington Rugs and Monticello Floors.(People)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Burlington Rugs and Monticello Floors have appointed two new executives, Bob Pfautz and Larry Jeffers, to lead its manufacturing facilities in Monticello, Ark. Pfautz has been named vice president--general manager. Jeffers has been named the...

Columbia Flooring.(People)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Columbia Flooring has appointed Shane Calloway as business unit manager for laminate flooring products. Calloway will be responsible for the development, coordination and implementation of all aspects of Columbia's business strategy relative to...

Eliane Ceramic Tiles.(People)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Eliane Ceramic Tiles has appointed James Mayo as United States marketing manager. Mayo, previously marketing/account manager for an information services company, will be analyzing, planning, implementing and controlling marketing activities...

Nafco by Tarkett.(People)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Nafco by Tarkett has announced that John Bonney has been promoted to national sales manager. Previously, Bonney had served the company as business development manager. He now will be responsible for nurturing relationships with key accounts and...

NTP's Tamara Christian discusses changes in store for the ultimate tile, stone & flooring expo.(Q & A Coverings 2004)(National Trade Productions)(Interview)
March 1, 2004... The Coverings 2004 tile, stone and flooring expo will take place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., March 23 - 26. More than 26,000 attendees from around the world will travel to the event to meet with the 1,000 exhibitors...

Laticrete SpectraLock Grout includes Microban protection.(What's New to see at Coverings 2004)
March 1, 2004... Laticrete has developed Laticrete SpectraLock Grout with Microban, an additive designed to lock in color and block out stains. The grout is engineered to be as easy to use as a Portland cement grout, but designed to perform at the optimal...

Emilceramica's new series is available in three sizes.(What's New to see at Coverings 2004)
March 1, 2004... Il Cotto del Vignola is a new tile series from Emilceramica that offers the appeal of traditional terracotta in an advanced production technology. The series is available in three sizes and four warm, varied-shade colors based on the...

Pietre Travertine tile is Ilva's newest porcelain.(What's New to see at Coverings 2004)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Ilva SA now offers the Pietre Travertine series of rectified porcelain tile with the look of cross-cut travertine marble. The tile is available in shades of bianco, beige, noce and rosso. Pietre Travertine is offered in 14-by-14-and...

Plaza releases Indian Slate tile.(What's New to see at Coverings 2004)
March 1, 2004... Plaza recently introduced Indian Slate tile, available in 1-by-2-, 6-by-6-, 13-by-13-and 18-by-18-inch sizes. Plaza will be exhibiting its new porcelain lines, especially tailored to the needs of the North American market, in booth 2520 at...

Gainey Tile available in 45 colors.(What's New to see at Coverings 2004)
March 1, 2004... Gainey Tile, a manufacturer of handcrafted ceramic tile, offers tile in sizes ranging from 2-by-2 to 8-by-8 inches, as well as hexagon and rhomboid shapes, in 45 colors. Gainey tiles are available in gloss, matte and crackle finishes. For...

American Florim introduces Copper Ridge ceramic line.(What's New to see at Coverings 2004)
March 1, 2004... American Florim, A Florim USA brand, has introduced Copper Ridge, a Bianco Forte wall and floor tile collection designed to emulate the look of authentic sandstone. Copper Ridge is strong enough for all residential and light commercial use, the...

Cerdisa presents new Sandstone porcelain tile.(What's New to see at Coverings 2004)
March 1, 2004... Cerdisa's Sandstone porcelain tile collection features a tactile, textured appearance, a softly irregular surface with quartzite inclusions and the look of a slab hewn from large boclosk, all typical features of sedimentary sandstone. For...

USG debuts new Fiberock Panels.(What's New to see at Coverings 2004)
March 1, 2004... Fiberock Brand Aqua-Tough Interior Panels from the United States Gypsum Co. (USG) are engineered to provide increased resistance to abuse. Because Aqua-Tough's formulation provides water resistance through the core, the panels are approved for...

Bostik Findley introduces new Duraguard Membrane.(What's New to see at Coverings 2004)
March 1, 2004... The Bostik Findley Flooring Group has developed Durabond D-222 Duraguard Membrane, a ready-to-use, latex-based, anti-fracture and waterproofing membrane specifically designed for use beneath thin-set ceramic tile and stone installations on...

Crossville's WeatherStone for indoor and outdoor use.(What's New to see at Coverings 2004)
March 1, 2004... Designed to emulate natural slate, Crossville's newly launched WeatherStone series of porcelain tile was developed for both residential and commercial settings. WeatherStone is available in two surface textures. XT is slip-resistant and...

BR-111 debuts thick-faced Casanova Engineered exotics.(Products)
March 1, 2004... BR-111 has unveiled its new Casanova Engineered exotic hardwood flooring line featuring a thick-sawn wear layer, durability and flexible installation options. A collection of exotic species from around the world, Casanova Engineered is a...

Shaw's Sutton Division unveils Five-Star Studio Collection.(Products)
March 1, 2004... The Sutton Division of Shaw Industries recently debuted its Five-Star Studio Collection. The collection was developed to represent the finest in carpet styling, tufting technology and functionality, Sutton says. Crafted from two of Shaw...

Carpenter introduces Stainmaster cushion.(Products)
March 1, 2004... Carpenter recently introduced Stainmaster carpet cushion featuring the Hytrel breathable moisture barrier designed to catch spills that soak through carpet backing. This patented barrier protection also promotes moisture vapor transfer. ...

TileLab OneStep is Custom's latest.(Products)
March 1, 2004... Custom Building Products has added OneStep Tile Cleaner and Resealer to the company's TileLab line of tile and stone-care products. OneStep Tile Cleaner and Resealer is engineered to clean and protect tile in a single, easy-to-use spray and...

New Sphinx rug collection inspired by Andy Warhol.(Products)
March 1, 2004... Sphinx by Oriental Weavers recently introduced the Andy Warhol Home rug collection. It consists of four design lines--Simply Andy, Factory, Pop Abstracts and Signature--that span the different themes of Warhol's extensive artistic portfolio....

Parterre Flooring launches Compete Sports Floor line.(Products)
March 1, 2004... Parterre Flooring Systems recently introduced its Compete Sports Floor line. The primary application for the product includes all wood and solid-color visual resilient gym floors. Compete Sports Floor offers superior shock absorption and...

Artistic Finishes intros 8-foot nosings with Tri-Guard Finish.(Products)
March 1, 2004... 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 1/16-inch-thick nosing. They initially will be available in eight...

Tarkett unveils new Infinity resilient line.(Products)
March 1, 2004... Tarkett has expanded its collection of residential resilient products with Infinity, its new flagship line. Infinity's increased thickness, natural styling, TruTex Innovative Surfacing and WearGuard wearlayer offers homeowners designs that...

Honeywell Nylon intros new color technology.(Products)
March 1, 2004... Honeywell Nylon has developed a new color technology advancement that enables carpets with Anso nylon to achieve a more sophisticated look. The new Monet color process technology is exclusive to the Blueridge Home collection of residential...

Lauzon's NextStep engineered is available with Micro-V bevel.(Products)
March 1, 2004... Lauzon Distinctive Hardwood Flooring's popular NextStep fusion engineered flooring is now available with Micro-V bevel. Both offerings--NextStep's square edge and new Micro-V bevel--feature a dry, solid-sawn surface that ensures a beautiful...

VPI launches new rubber floor line.(Products)
March 1, 2004... VPI's new resilient rubber flooring is available in more than 40 colors and seven product families, including Decorative Slate, Decorative Hammered, Sports, Harsh Environment, Classic Raised Round and Square, Decorative Rolled and Deck Point....

Moisture Measuring Reference in CD format is new from Wagner.(Products)
March 1, 2004... Wagner Electronics has published a convenient Moisture Measuring Reference Library on CD. This comprehensive CD will be included with all of Wagner's professional moisture meters except for the C575 Concrete Meter and MMI1100 Data Collection...

Tarkett Wood Floors expands engineered hardwood offerings.(Products)
March 1, 2004... Tarkett Wood Floors recently introduced Galleria, a five-ply engineered wood floor product created for use in premium new construction and residential remodel applications. Galleria's full 9/16-inch-thick planks offer excellent dimension...

Amtico International debuts the 'Jewel' of their collection.(Products)
March 1, 2004... Frosted Jewel, Amtico International's latest tile collection, was inspired by fine jewels found around the world. Available in a variety of colors, these opulent tiles are highly suitable for residential spaces. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Dependable offers full line of floor covering adhesives.(Products)
March 1, 2004... Dependable Chemical Co.'s full line of floor covering adhesives is designed to work with most floor coverings. Dependable adhesives are formulated to be versatile and durable, and provide fast-grabbing characteristics. [ILLUSTRATION...

Armstrong's Designer Solarian incorporates InlaidColor process.(Products)
March 1, 2004... The Designer Solarian Collection, Armstrong's newly launched next-generation resilient sheet flooring, features unprecedented visual depth, texture and design character, according to the company. The new collection employs Armstrong's exclusive...

Handcrafted distressed floors: one of the hottest trends in hardwood.
March 1, 2004... The sales trend in distressed wood floors is nothing short of phenomenal. Demand for this texture and classical look has prompted many producers to handcraft distressed flooring products in their business locations. The resulting products are...

Calcium Chloride Testing by the book.(The Resilient Answer Man)
March 1, 2004... During the seminars I conduct--whether my audience consists of installers, architects or salespeople--I speak about the importance of testing all concrete before floor coverings are installed, regardless of its age or grade level. My very...