National Floor Trends articles from March 2005

National Floor Trends archives from March 2005

Ohio landfill report, "What's in Our Garbage" is misleading; Failure to clarify facts jeopardizes carpet.(Industry Perspectives)
March 1, 2005... A recent article posted on Toledoblade.com noted that the Ohio Department of Natural Resources conducted the first ever statewide trash inventory. It's titled, "What's in Our Garbage? Ohio's Waste Management Characterization Study." The purpose...

Laminate flooring: high-end looks gain momentum as new manufacturers step into the fray.
March 1, 2005... Laminate flooring continues to be a fashion-forward option as evidenced by the number of Surfaces 2005 exhibitors showcasing hand-scraped, exotic and other high-end looks. Laminate floor manufacturers reported that customers are trading up to...

Quick-Step launches hand-scraped plank collection.(Gallery: Laminate)
March 1, 2005... Quick-Step introduces the Eligna Country Collection, a hand-scraped plank collection with an artisan-inspired finish. Each plank has recessed edges, and offers a 9.5 mil thickness. The Eligna Country Collection comprises Scraped Oak Dark,...

Kronopol releases Sonic Floor laminate with felted rubber underpad.(Gallery: Laminate)
March 1, 2005... The Sonic Floor, from Kronopol's Perfect Floor collection integrates an underpad of felted rubber to buffer noisy footsteps and help provide increased moisture resistance. The Sonic Floor comes in 54-inch lengths and a 7.8 mil thickness. For...

BHK rolls out hand-scraped patterns in Moderna Vision line.(Gallery: Laminate)
March 1, 2005... BHK of America introduces hand-scraped patterns to its Moderna Vision line, incorporating four-sided microbevel technology. The hand-scraped flooring is available in Jatoba and Pecan exotic colors. In addition, Atlantic Oak and Legacy Oak...

Mannington brings out new laminate decors with NatureForm Optix.(Gallery: Laminate)
March 1, 2005... Mannington introduces the next generation of its Revolutions laminate line, using NatureForm Optix technology, allowing for precise matching of embossing and visual design. Planks have foiled beveled edges, for exacting pattern matching between...

Luxfloor introduces Silk Oiled laminate flooring.(Gallery: Laminate)
March 1, 2005... Luxfloor premiers Silk Oiled, a laminate flooring product using exclusive Silk Oiled technology designed to give laminate an authentic oiled surface. Silk Oiled laminate is available in several decors in a 7 mil thickness. For details, circle...

Tarkett Laminate introduces Tropical laminate collection with textured finish.(Gallery: Laminate)
March 1, 2005... Tarkett Laminate has released its Tropical collection of exotic laminates, geared toward the design conscious consumer. The collection includes Sydney Blue, Pacific Coconut, Florida Seagrass and Japanese Seagrass decors. Tarkett Laminate's...

Berry Floor Group unveils Chateau laminate pattern.(Gallery: Laminate)
March 1, 2005... Berry Floor Group presents the Chateau ship-deck pattern to its Berry Floor laminate line. Chateau comprises short and long boards which are laid in the same direction and randomly alternated, a configuration designed to provide an...

Faus launches its LongStrip technology.(Gallery: Laminate)
March 1, 2005... Faus rolls out its LongStrip laminate flooring technology. Based on Faus' existing InterPlank design technology, LongStrip combines more than two planks to complete one, long, continuous wood grain strip. Featuring the company's Self Alignment...

Country Cottage is Mohawk's latest laminate floor offering.(Gallery: Laminate)
March 1, 2005... Mohawk presents Country Cottage laminate flooring. The product is both embossed-in-register and random-embossed, with a special four-sided bevel for a realistic wood look, according to Mohawk. For details, circle 172 on the Reader Inquiry Card....

Alloc includes new exotic and rustic patterns in its Classics category.(Gallery: Laminate)
March 1, 2005... Alloc Inc. introduces six new finishes to its Classics product category. These options are designed to replicate exotic and rustic wood looks. They include Carbonized Bamboo, Santos Mahogany, Rustic Pear, Walnut Allure, Country Maple and Tavern...

Witex debuts new looks in Laura Ashley laminate line.(Gallery: Laminate)
March 1, 2005... Witex has introduced several new looks to its Laura Ashley laminate line. These additions feature a 12 mil thickness, an attached sound-reduction backing, registered-embossed texturing, an antimicrobial wearlayer and a lifetime warranty. For...

Exotics collection new from Robina.(Gallery: Laminate)
March 1, 2005... Robina Inc. introduces the Exotics collection, a 12 mil laminate floor inspired by rare woods from around the world. Available colors include Honduran Teak, Brazilian Walnut, New Zealand Fir, Peruvian Gingerwood, Patagonian Cherry and Caribbean...

Pergo updates two lines with nearly 30 decors.(Gallery: Laminate)
March 1, 2005... Pergo has updated two of its product lines with nearly 30 new decors. The additions to the Pergo Paradigm and Pergo Accolade lines feature sharp, crisp patterns, high-gloss finishes and enhanced wood looks. Pergo Paradigm will be expanded to...

Shaw Hard Surfaces offers new laminate collections.(Gallery: Laminate)
March 1, 2005... Shaw Hard Surfaces will be debuting six 8 mil SKUs in the company's new collection of Exotics Species Touchable Texture registered embossed laminates. The Coastal Collection is a new 3-Star product offering with six colors including cherry,...

Kronotex unveils Engineered Flooring laminate flooring collection.(Gallery: Laminate)
March 1, 2005... Kronotex debuts its Engineered Flooring collection of laminate floors. Featuring a registered-embossed surface with micro-bevel edging on all four sides, the result is an authentic finish that looks similar to solid wood, but with a back side...

Quality Craft debuts Urbanwood flooring with micro bevel edges.(Gallery: Laminate)
March 1, 2005... Quality Craft introduces Urbanwood, a laminate flooring product available in 8.3 and 12.3 mil thicknesses. Featuring microbeveled edges, a narrow width, random lengths and a flat finish, Urbanwood laminate flooring is rated for heavy...

Armstrong launches Nature's Gallery Exotics collection laminate line.(Gallery: Laminate)
March 1, 2005... Armstrong presents its latest introduction to the company's Nature's Gallery line, with the new Exotics collection. Four SKUs are available: Tiger Maple; Jatoba Select; the dark, fine-grained Iroko Tawny; and the medium-shade, fine-grained...

Bevy of new entries at Surfaces 2005 bring opportunities and questions.(floor covering industry)
March 1, 2005... Taken as a whole, the 1,054 exhibits seen at this year's Surfaces meeting suggested an industry being tugged in two distinct directions. Amid a wave of stylish new flooring products that reflect technological advances and creative innovation,...

Resilient flooring manufacturers say the spring is back in their step: stepped up technology leads to better ceramic, stone and wood styles.
March 1, 2005... Resilient flooring has been nudged forward in recent years by a number of factors. Steady advances in the manufacturing process have yielded significant improvements in thickness, gloss levels and wearlayers. At the same time the housing market...

NFT Market Trends Study: commercial segment turning brighter for industry.(floor covering industry)
March 1, 2005... The commercial side of the floor covering business is finally starting to move nicely, according to results of the just-completed Market Trends Study. This month's portion of the study of specialty retailers reviews the various commercial...

MAPEI becomes "Californian" with opening of new plant.(News)(MAPEI Corp. (Garland, Texas))(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... After burrowing through a thicket of red tape, MAPEI Americas officials cut the ribbon on a 111,000 square foot plant in San Bernardino, Calif. The new facility will serve California, Nevada, Utah, southern Idaho, Colorado and Wyoming and is...

Conference spotlights the "greening" of schools and hospitals.(News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Green design solutions for hospitals and k-12 schools will be on the agenda during an educational conference set for May 4-6 at Chicago's Westin River North hotel. The three day meeting will include a keynote address by U.S. Green Building...

Hacker Industries adds two new licensed applicators.(News)(Bajko Gypsum Concrete)(Gypsum Floors )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Hacker Industries Inc. has named Bajko Gypsum Concrete, based in Boyne City Mich., and Gypsum Floors of Denver as new members of its nationwide network of certified and trained licensed applicators. Both companies will now offer Hacker...

Shaw donates floor coverings for 'Extreme Makeover'.(News)("Extreme Makeover: Home Edition")(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Shaw joined with Centex Homes in the ABC program "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" to help the Dore family of Kingston, Wash., receive a new home, as featured on the Jan. 9 episode. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Shaw donated carpet, laminate...

DriTac Adhesive Group.(Distributor Appointments)(T & L Distributing )(William M Bird & Co. Inc)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... DriTac Adhesive Group has added T & L Distributing and William M Bird & Co. Inc. to its roster of distributors. The two companies will stock DriTac adhesives and installation products. T & L Distributing serves Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana....

Tarkett Commercial.(Distributor Appointments)(Hank's Specialties Inc)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Tarkett Commercial welcomes Hank's Specialties Inc. of New Brighton, Minn., as a new distributor. Hank's Specialties will distribute Azrock by Tarkett commercial flooring throughout Minnesota, the Dakotas, Iowa, Nebraska, and parts of...

Chicago Assn. named WFCA Affiliate of the Year.(News)(Chicago Floorcovering Association )(World Floor Covering Association )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Cecil Treadway, executive director of the Chicago Floorcovering Association, (left) is awarded the World Floor Covering Association Affiliate of the Year, Large Association Category award by Jeff Golden, publisher & editorial director of...

Lauzon lauds Distributors of the Year.(News)
March 1, 2005... Lauzon named Elias Wilf and Armak Resilient Floor as its U.S. and Canada 2004 Distributor of the Year, respectively. (Pictured left to right) Janet Sobus, Elias Wilf product manager; Todd Lyons, Elias Wilf vp sales, Southern; Robert Coveney,...

CCA Global purchases Flooring Canada.(News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Winnipeg-based franchise operator Flooring Canada has been acquired by retail giant CCA Global Partners and will operate as a fully integrated subsidiary of the company. Acquisition of the 10-year old master franchise is expected to increase...

Invironmentalists network merges with StarNet co-op.(News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The Invironmentalists Commercial Services Network has merged with StarNet Commercial Flooring Cooperative. The combined group will hold 137 firms and 230 locations nationwide and continue to be known as StarNet Commercial Flooring Cooperative....

Upcoming industry events.(Floor covering industry)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
March 1, 2005... International Tile and Stone Show -- Miami Beach, Fla. (800) 564-5975, March 31-April 2. NWFA 2005 -- Honolulu. (800) 422-4556, April 13-16. China Wood Flooring Export & Import Conference -- Shanghai. (86-10) 8235 7166, April 20-23....

MeadWestvaco sells papers business to Cerberus Capital Management.(News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... MeadWestvaco has sold its papers business and related assets for $2.3 billion to Cerberus Capital Management, a New York-based private equity firm. Cerebus said it plans to create a privately held company based in Dayton, Ohio. The papers...

In Memoriam: A.L. "Bud" Greenbaum, Jr.(News)(Cloud Carpets)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
March 1, 2005... Las Vegas pioneer distributor A.L. "Bud" Greenbaum, Jr. passed away after a long illness Jan. 31. He was 76 years old. Born Aug. 28, 1928, in Los Angeles, Greenbaum was the son of A.L. Greenbaum, a distributor of metal moldings, plastic...

Beaulieu of America recognizes top territory managers.(News)(awards)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Beaulieu of America recently awarded its top territory managers at Surfaces 2005. Pete Ciganovich, exec. vp of sales and marketing, presented achievement awards and cash bonuses to Joe Mascari, Eastern div.; Bobby Childres, Central div.; and...

Basking in the glow -- BNP Media.(News)(achievements and awards)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... BASKING IN THE GLOW -- BNP Media's Tim Fausch, publishing director, Architecture & Construction Group, (second from left) accepts Warmly Yours' Golden Toe Award from Georges Selvais, general manager of Warmly Yours. BNP Media was awarded Best...

Alloc.(People)(Sales Manager Chris Gilbert has been promoted to commercial project manager)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Alloc's West Coast Regional Sales Manager Chris Gilbert has been promoted to commercial project manager. He will be involved in multiple facets of the commercial side of Alloc's business, including conducting seminars, organizing for special...

Columbia Flooring.(People)(named Steve Bunch director of sales)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Columbia Flooring has named Steve Bunch director of sales. Bunch joined the company in 2001 from Alloc Inc., where he was vice president of sales and marketing. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Couristan.(People)(appointments)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Couristan has made three personnel appointments. Len Andolino has been named Western Region residential sales manager. He was previously Stanton Carpet vp of sales and marketing. Lynn Dunn has been appointed eastern Massachusetts and Rhode...

Domco.(People)(appointed Gina Fleury as marketing manager)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Domco has appointed Gina Fleury as marketing manager. She will be responsible for design and production of sales, marketing and merchandising materials. Fleury has been with Domco for 10 years.

828 International Trading Co.(People)(named Cesar Pagan as director of styling and design)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... 828 International Trading Co. has named Cesar Pagan as director of styling and design. Formerly Karastan vp of styling and design Pagan holds 40 years' experience in the industry.

Gilford Flooring.(People)(Sean Reeves and Gary Kade as field sales managers)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Gilford Flooring has added Sean Reeves and Gary Kade as field sales managers. Reeves will work the Northeast Ohio territory. He has 23 years' experience, including past chairman and board member of the Northeast Ohio Floor Covering Assn. Kade...

Pergo.(People)(appointed Paul Duval as vp of sales)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Pergo has appointed Paul Duval as vp of sales. Duval has spent the last nine years with the Scotts Co., leading the North American sales division.

Orders Distributing Co. Inc.(People)(promotions)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Orders Distributing Co. Inc. has promoted Wiley H. Johnson, Donald L. Odom and Thomas B. Gardner. Johnson has been named sr. vp of operations and administration. Odom has been appointed as vp of product management. Gardner will assume the role...

Color commentary: want to see more green? Start singing the blues ... and the reds and the pinks and the yellows ...(Showroom Management)
March 1, 2005... We've all seen the customer that falls in love with the aqua blue glass mosaic tiles. Or maybe it's the butter-yellow painted cabinetry in a kitchen display. Or how about that wonderful rose carpet you have on display? Color is what attracts a...

Questions answered: ASTM standards at work.(Resilient Answer Man)(American Society for Testing and Materials)(Column)
March 1, 2005... Some years ago, when I worked in technical support management for a resilient flooring manufacturer, I was asked to serve on ASTM Committee F.06 on resilient flooring. Nearly 12 years later I went back into retailing, but I continue to stay...

Often underappreciated, cleaning products add polish to the bottom line.
March 1, 2005... Ask a floor covering retailer about cleaners and other sundries and you are likely to hear two responses: Yes, they'll agree, the products bring in an impressive profit margin. But no, they'll admit sometimes a bit sheepishly, they do not do...

Counter intelligence: countertop opportunities for floor covering retailers.
March 1, 2005... There is a growing trend among floor covering retailers to expand their product offering to include laminate and solid surface countertops. Several important factors fuel this phenomenon: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] One-Stop Shopping....

Max Windsor floors.(Products & Literature on display)
March 1, 2005... Max Windsor is the timeless masterpiece of a classic natural hardwood floor. Produced with European cutting-edge technology, every piece of wood is milled singularly to achieve a flawless look. Max Windsor is a fashion statement. It elevates...

All American Wood Register.(Products & Literature on display)
March 1, 2005... Flush & Surface [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 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....

Carpet Shims.(Products & Literature on display)
March 1, 2005... CARPET SHIMS and UNIVERSAL SIDE SHIMS easily eliminate the problem of height differences from carpeted floors to ceramic or hardwood floors. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * No more double tack strips. * No more building ramps with...

Weyerhaeuser adds 24 options to its engineered wood flooring line.(Products)
March 1, 2005... Weyerhaeuser has recently released additional configurations to its engineered wood flooring line. The product is now available in nine strip, nine plank, and six distressed configurations, for a total of 24 options. Weyerhaeuser engineered...

MAPEI releases its new Ultralite mortar.(Products)
March 1, 2005... MAPEI introduces its latest tile and stone installation product with Ultralite mortar, designed to replace mastics as well as thin set, medium-bed and non-sag mortars. Ultralite mortar uses Easy Glide Technology for superior troweling and...

Anderson Hardwood unveils Cimarron 3/4-inch solid hardwood flooring.(Products)
March 1, 2005... Anderson Hardwood presents Cimarron 3/4-inch solid hardwood flooring. Cimarron is hand-scraped and not a machine-scraped product, according to Anderson. The floor comes in 5-inch-wide planks, finished with hand-rubbed stains to give the floor a...

Noraplan astro offers a non-glare finish.(Products)
March 1, 2005... Noraplan astro from Nora rubber flooring is a high-performance resilient floor covering in a three-color-component design, topped with a non-glare finish. Available in both rolls and tiles, the product comes in 16 colors and complements other...

Arizona Tile debuts Elements glass tile line.(Products)
March 1, 2005... Arizona Tile has released its new glass tile line Elements, manufactured by Oceanside Glasstile, and co-branded by both companies. Elements includes cast 1 1/4-inch mosaic tile, 4-inch field tile and decorative liners created from carved...

Decor Grates presents Decor Art Craft-Tiles.(Products)
March 1, 2005... Decor Grates introduces Decor Art Craft-Tiles, a collection of decorative tiles cast from aluminum and brass available in hundreds of designs and 4 1/4-inch square formats. Decor Art Craft-Tiles can be custom-designed with company logos and...

New EpicStone ceramic modular collection from Florida Tile.(Products)
March 1, 2005... Florida Tile debuts EpicStone, a modular collection featuring a natural handcrafted look and deep, rich beauty, according to the company. Available in 6 1/2-by-6 1/2, 6 1/2-by-13-, and 13-by-13 inches, EpicStone is available in multiple formats...

Programmable FloorStat control new from SunTouch.(Products)
March 1, 2005... SunTouch introduces its Programmable FloorStat control, incorporating a two-part control face and power base design. A built-in capacitor holds about two hours of power, giving an installer time to remove the face, program the control, then...

DriTac 9200 FasTac adhesive for wood flooring installations.(Products)
March 1, 2005... DriTac 9200 FasTac adhesive is designed for the installation of multi-ply engineered plank, plain-back parquet, 3/4-inch solid shorts, and acrylic impregnated plank and parquet. The adhesive is formulated to be fast-grabbing, low in odor, VOC...

Armstrong Natural Creations Woods Collection luxury vinyl plank.(Products)
March 1, 2005... Armstrong introduces its Natural Creations Woods Collection of luxury vinyl plank, the first in a series of nature-inspired commercial flooring options created for specialty and mass retail environments. Available in traditional, exotic and...

Three major rug mills introduce 36 new Stainmaster area rugs.(Products)
March 1, 2005... Gulistan, Milliken and Shaw Living have all introduced new Stainmaster area rugs, for a total of 36 Stainmaster offerings. Gulistan is introducing 12 patterns with designs in both Persian motifs and transitional patterns. The company is also...

Laufen debuts its Stone Evolution porcelain tile.(Products)
March 1, 2005... Laufen's Stone Evolution porcelain tile is meant to mimic the look of natural stone. Stone Evolution consists of two series--Solaris and Jupiter--for a total of six colors. A unique multi-format option is offered with two 8-by-13 1/4-, two 13...

Endura releases EcoScore sports floor.(Products)
March 1, 2005... Endura introduces EcoScore athletic rubber flooring, consisting of a 1/8-inch wearlayer of virgin rubber vulcanized to a 1/4-inch performance layer of post-consumer recycled rubber. EcoScore 24-by-24-inch tiles are available in square and...

Shaw launches Invista program.(Products)
March 1, 2005... Shaw Industries introduces a comprehensive collection of products featuring the Invista Stainmaster brand. The styles--Artist's View, Fresh Perspectives I and II, Haddington, Coast to Coast, Grand Entrance--cover a variety of carpet...

Capella debuts three new product lines.(Products)
March 1, 2005... Capella Wood Floors has added three new product lines. Both 3/4- and 3/8-inch thick planks have been added to the company's Standard series in Walnut. In the BuilderElite series, the same two thicknesses have been added to the company's...

Manufacturers add 241 new styles to Stainmaster carpet lines.(Products)
March 1, 2005... Carpet manufacturers have added 241 new styles to their Stainmaster lines, according to Invista. These new styles come in a variety of colors and constructions, and feature Stainmaster carpet stain and soil protection technology. To bring...

Shaw Living introduces new Kathy Ireland, Stainmaster rugs.(Products)
March 1, 2005... Shaw Living presents the Kathy Ireland Home First Lady collection of rugs, reflecting graceful designs and unique colorways. Vivid reds, deep corals and warm greens pair with glowing browns and turquoises for striking, elegant color...

Musson Rubber debuts anti-slip aluminum stair tread.(Products)
March 1, 2005... Musson Rubber introduces an anti-slip aluminum stair tread engineered to be installed on most any surface, including concrete, wood, treated lumber, slate and marble. Eight grit surface colors are available: black, brown, blue, gray, red,...

Shaw's Sutton Division debuts Today's Traditions collection.(Products)
March 1, 2005... The Sutton Division of Shaw introduces Today's Traditions, a collection of 32 patterned loop carpet styles, constructed either with the company's Comfortouch polypropylene yarn, heat-scoured polypropylene, or a polypropylene/nylon blend. The...

Margaritelli showcases Wenge species in Listone Giordano collection.(Products)
March 1, 2005... Margaritelli introduces Wenge, an African wood species offered as part of the Listone Giordano collection of engineered hardwood flooring, which includes 17 species from around the world. Wenge is available in 2 3/4-, 3 1/2- and 5 1/2-inch...

Daltile unveils its Select Dealer Program.(Products)
March 1, 2005... Daltile has launched its Select Dealer Program, a dealer sales initiative encompassing a Selection Center, product promotions and incentives, and a dealer referral program. The Selection Center displays selections from the complete Daltile...