National Floor Trends articles from November 2005

National Floor Trends archives from November 2005

Even as gas prices hit the roof, value still drives the flooring business.(Editorial Comment)
November 1, 2005... Given our industry's reliance on petrochemicals, the trickle down effect of skyrocketing gas prices was bound to reach the floor. Virtually ever product--carpet, resilient, laminate, underlay, adhesive--is made using a petroleum derivative....

Exotics, hand-scraped looks stay strong as new laminates come down the pike.
November 1, 2005... With continuing improvements to its printing technologies and the ability to produce more technically demanding designs, laminate flooring is now hitting an unprecedented area of growth. Manufacturers say this once-minor segment has seen a 20...

MeadWestvaco wearlayer protects commercial installs.(Laminate Flooring Gallery)
November 1, 2005... MeadWestvaco Specialty Papers introduces the CGW Commercial Grade Wearlayer, a protective overlay designed to preserve the look of laminate flooring in high-traffic situations. CGW combines cellulose with approximately 1 million aluminum oxide...

Mohawk draws Inspiration from entry-level laminate.(Laminate Flooring Gallery)
November 1, 2005... Mohawk presents Inspiration, a 7 mm laminate plank featuring random embossing and the company's InstaLOC installation system. Designed as an entry-level product, Inspiration is available in five colors (four types of oak and a maple) and three...

South Pacific laminate is Shaw's latest exotic.(Laminate Flooring Gallery)
November 1, 2005... Aiming to capture the look of exotic wood. Shaw's Hard Surfaces Division unveils South Pacific laminate flooring. Comprising three teak colorations from natural to deep chocolate, South Pacific features TouchableTexture registered embossing...

Quick-Step brings country living to hand-scraped plank collection.(Laminate Flooring Gallery)
November 1, 2005... Quick-Step has rolled out the Country Collection of laminate flooring. Products in the collection feature hand-scraped and sculpted textures, with recessed edges. Available in one oak and two hickory decors, Country Collection planks measure 54...

Luxfloor introduces Silk Oiled laminate flooring.(Laminate Flooring Gallery)
November 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...

Hand-scraped laminate in Wilsonart's Red Label.(Laminate Flooring Gallery)
November 1, 2005... Wilsonart's Red Label collection now features hand-scraped SKUs. Available in five species of Native American hardwood, Red Label Hand Scraped flooring uses four- and five-color print paper for extreme clarity, according to Wilsonart. Products...

Faus FastDesign flooring allows for multiple designs.(Laminate Flooring Gallery)
November 1, 2005... At Surfaces 2006, Faus plans to unveil FastDesign, a laminate flooring technology which allows for multi-directional patterns. Faus says that FastDesign technology allows for the installation of patterns that could previously only be installed...

Alloc WoodStrip flooring emulates custom hardwood.(Laminate Flooring Gallery)
November 1, 2005... Alloc has added the WoodStrip collection of laminate flooring to its Classics line. Named for its unique plank dimensions (50.79" in length, 3.3" in width, and 0.32" in thickness), WoodStrip laminate aims to replicate the extra long, lean...

Four new hardwood looks beef up Mannington line.(Laminate Flooring Gallery)
November 1, 2005... Mannington has revamped its Revolutions laminate flooring line with four wood patterns; Ontario Oak, Spalted Walnut, a hand-scraped Louisville Hickory, and an exotic South Island Burlwood. The planks are available in multiple colors and feature...

Berry Floor Group unveils Chateau laminate pattern.(Laminate Flooring Gallery)
November 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...

Resilient floor trends: striking the balance between function and fashion.
November 1, 2005... The recent changes seen in the resilient flooring market have been gradual, but unmistakable. Whether it is vinyl or rubber, sheet or tile, the core areas of resilient flooring now have a much wider selection of colors, designs, gloss levels...

To build store traffic put the 'show' back in showroom.(Showroom Management)
November 1, 2005... In a world where extravagant special effects define entertainment and splashy computer created designs are ubiquitous, your store needs to compete for attention. And when you add to this equation the stress and exhaustion that is common for...

A big installation headache: defective materials.(Guest Column)
November 1, 2005... What are the responsibilities of the commercial flooring installation contractor when a suspected material quality defect is noted? This is a question I have heard a few times during my 25-year career in the resilient flooring industry....

iFloor eyes major expansion, no-frills retailer plans 36 stores.(News)
November 1, 2005... Using a barebones retail concept that relies on the internet to drive consumers to its stores, iFloor.com said it is gearing up for an expansion that will increase its store count from four to 36 over the next 18 months. The founder and...

NWFA adopts five standards to help consumers choose flooring.(News)
November 1, 2005... In a move designed to help consumers "more clearly understand what the floor they are purchasing will look like," The National Wood Flooring Association has developed five "appearance standards:" Clear, Consistent, Natural, Standard and Rustic....

Tile of Spain urges consumers to 'Be Creative' in new ads.(News)
November 1, 2005... The simple tagline "Be Creative" will be the centerpiece of a new advertising campaign being launched in support of the Tile of Spain brand. The campaign from the 220-member Ceramic Tile Manufacturer's Association of Spain (ASCER) is aimed at...

Lifetime Achievement Award: Smyth recognized by TCAA.(Tile Contractors Association of America)(Robert L. Smyth )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... The Tile Contractors Association of America recently honored Robert L. Smyth with the Giacomo DeLazzero Lifetime Achievement Award at TCAA's annual convention, held this past October in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Smyth helped found Western Tile and...

Quartzitec updates plant and give tiles more color.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Entering its seventh year in business, quartz tile maker Quartzitec has upgraded its New Brunswick plant to produce new materials. According to William Wassef, president of the company, these enhancements include the ability to produce...

Capel Inc.(People)
November 1, 2005... In a move unprecedented for the rug maker, Capel Inc. has named someone from outside of the Capel family to lead the company. Eric Birnbach, who holds 26 years of experience in the home furnishings industry, assumed his new role as CEO of Capel...

Scandian Industries.(People)
November 1, 2005... Scandian Industries has named John T. Patterson to the newly created position of vice president of sales and marketing-North America.

Columbia Flooring.(People)
November 1, 2005... Columbia Flooring has appointed Michael O'Toole as business unit manager, Columbia brand, and Mark Machnicki as Midwestern regional manager. O'Toole will be responsible for managing all sales activities surrounding the brand's nationwide...

R.C.A. Rubber Company.(People)
November 1, 2005... R.C.A. Rubber Company has promoted three long-time employees: Rod Reiss has been named vice president of plant operations, LeAnn Wagner was appointed director of sales and marketing and Don Bullock was promoted to transit sales manager. These...

Elegance Exotic Wood Flooring.(People)
November 1, 2005... Elegance Exotic Wood Flooring has added three members to its Southern California sales staff. Sona Ploozian has been named account manager for the San Fernando Valley/Ventura County region. Marco Aguirre takes on the role of key account...

FieldTurf Tarkett.(People)
November 1, 2005... Sports turf maker FieldTurf Tarkett has named Jim Petrucelli as vice president of sales for the Prestige brand. Petrucelli has more than 30 years' experience in the sports industry, with expertise in all facets of the turf business, the company...

Freudenberg Building Systems.(People)
November 1, 2005... Freudenberg Building Systems, makers of nora rubber flooring, has realigned its executive team. Philipp Leferenz, formerly president, has been named senior vp of sales and marketing, worldwide. Former vp of sales Dennis Schmick takes over...

Gilford Flooring.(People)
November 1, 2005... Gilford Flooring has brought two new hires to its sales team. Daren Barhorst joins as commercial specification representative for the Southern Ohio market, including Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati and Toledo. Scott Davis has been named field...

Mullican Flooring.(People)
November 1, 2005... Mullican Flooring has named Bobby Gibbs as Southwest regional manager. His territory will include New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado and Louisiana. Gibbs has more than 20 years' experience in the industry, including 10...

Preverco.(People)
November 1, 2005... Preverco has given Mark Murphy the role of U.S. sales manager. Formerly vp of sales and marketing for Prestolam, Murphy will be responsible for U.S. sales development.

Surfaces 2006 Installation Showcase: showcasing quality installation.(Calendar)
November 1, 2005... Quality Installation = Profits & Satisfied Customers! If you're a retailer or installer, the Installation Showcase at Surfaces 2006 is something you can't afford to miss. These LIVE step-by-step demonstrations on the show floor give you a...

"Growing globally": Sphinx, OWA merge.(News)
November 1, 2005... Cairo-based Oriental Weavers Group merged its import (Sphinx by Oriental Weavers) and domestic rug manufacturing operations (Oriental Weavers of America), effective immediately. The move is designed to "fully utilize the assets of each...

Red alert: mile-long carpet in NYC reminds couch potatoes to step lively.(new york city )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... They rolled out the red carpet in New York City--and then kept rolling it and rolling it until it covered about a mile of sidewalk around Central Park. As part of an early autumn promotion to help encourage healthier lifestyles, Carpet One...

Quick-Step takes big leap: opens new laminate plant in N.C.(News)
November 1, 2005... Moving to become the first fully integrated laminate floor maker in the U.S., Quick-Step unveiled what it describes as a breakthrough--an impregnation line run entirely in-house by a U.S. laminate maker. Impregnation, a process in which raw...

Faus Group expanding in Georgia; Restructures management team.(News)
November 1, 2005... Laminate flooring manufacturer Faus Group, Inc. will be moving its Dalton, Ga. administrative offices to a new facility in Calhoun, Ga. next month (December 2005). The new facility, located on 75 acres with an existing 400,000 sq. ft. building...

Shaw gasification facility aims to turn waste into power.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Shaw Industries said it plans to open a gasification facility at Plant 81 in Dalton, Ga., where carpet waste will go through a process that aims to turn it into steam power. Developed in cooperation with Siemens Building Technologies, the...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
November 1, 2005... Diversified Foam Products, Flooring Products Division was omitted from NFT's 2005 Wood Floor & Product Resource Guide published in the September issue.. The underlayments and self-leveling installation products maker is located at 5117 Central...

Bill Clark: a visionary, an Inspiration.(In Memoriam)
November 1, 2005... William Clark, the former CEO of Azrock and a major presence in the flooring business whose influence continues to resonate throughout the industry, died September 25 after a lengthy illness. He was 84. "Bill" Clark started his career in 1948...

Flexco goes to Fostoria: sales moved to Roppe HQ.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... In a move that the company says will benefit its customers, Roppe Holding Co., the parent company of resilient maker Roppe Corp., has moved Flexco's sales and marketing department in Tuscumbia, Ala., to Roppe's headquarters in Fostoria, Ohio....

Swinging fore the FCIF.(Floor Covering Industry Foundation)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Although the golf scores of those participating were not revealed, the third annual CCA Global Partners/FCIF Charity Golf Tournament did set another type of course record. More than $130,000 was raised for the Floor Covering Industry Foundation...

Upcoming industry events.(News)(Calendar)
November 1, 2005... WSFCA Dinner Meeting -- Seattle. (425) 885-0012, Nov. 8. CTDA 2005 Management Conference -- Rancho Mirage, Calif. (800) 938-CTDA, Nov. 10-13. 2006 International Builders' Show -- Orlando, Fla. (202) 266-8111, Jan. 11-14. Domotex...

Armstrong Floor Products.(Apollo Distributing Co )(distribution agreement)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Armstrong Floor Products has named Apollo Distributing Co. of Fairfield, N.J., to distribute the Hartco hardwood line in the metropolitan New York, New Jersey and Connecticut tri-state area. The company has also added Mid-Atlantic and Southern...

Buell Flooring Group.(Distributor Appointments)
November 1, 2005... Buell Flooring Group has added Parvenu Distributing of Rowlett, Texas to its distribution team. Parvenu will distribute the company's hardwood and engineered wood flooring throughout North Texas. For more information, phone Parvenu at (214)...

Forbo Flooring.(Distributor Appointments)
November 1, 2005... Forbo Flooring has named six new distributors of the company's Marmoleum click resilient flooring. They are: Compass Flooring Solutions of Wilmington, Mass.; Eco Smart Inc. of Sarasota, Fla., Phoenix Floor and Wall Products Inc. of Ontario,...

Orders celebrates 50 years during 'FunDays' event.(Orders Distributing Co. Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Orders Distributing Co. Inc. of Greenville, S.C., recently held its 7th annual 'FunDays GiveAways' and celebrated its milestone 50th anniversary. More than 400 Orders customers gathered at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro, N.C., to celebrate...

CRI Seal of Approval program lifts off with space-age technology.(Carpet and Rug Institute)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Testing requirements for carpet cleaning machines are beginning to look more like rocket science. With the aid of special x-ray fluorescence technology developed with the help of NASA scientists, the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) has brought...

Carpet Shims.(Products & Literature on display)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... CARPET SHIMS and UNIVERSAL SIDE SHIMS easily eliminate the problem of height differences from carpeted floors to ceramic or hardwood floors. * No more double tack strips. * No more building ramps with cardboard or VCT and floats. ...

Weyerhaeuser/Lyptus.(Products & Literature on display)
November 1, 2005... Lyptus[R] is a versatile, environmentally responsible hardwood ideally suited for numerous high-end interior applications, especially flooring. Its remarkable beauty features a grain similar to mahogany with a rich, cherry coloring--and comes...

Starline Associates.(Products & Literature on display)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Starline Associates, Inc. delivers the best value for the money with Silent Blue[TM] Laminate Underlayment. Silent Blue combines closed cell construction, IIC 72, STC 73 ratings and waterproof technology eliminating the need for film and...

Cersaie 2005 offers preview of tile's 'hi-tech' future.(News)
November 1, 2005... Cersaie, the largest international show for ceramic tile, this year continued its well-earned reputation as the premier showcase for design trends shaping the industry. While it was clear from the recently concluded show that the core business...

Freudenberg adds Fossil to Noraplan rubber line.(Products)
November 1, 2005... Freudenberg Building Systems unveils Noraplan Fossil, a high-performance rubber flooring featuring embedded multi-color granules. Available in 16 base colors, the flooring is designed to complement wood, stone and other natural design elements....

Durkan goes tropical with Las Palmas carpet.(Products)
November 1, 2005... Las Palmas is new from Durkan Patterned Carpet. The collection features tropical motifs including large-scale palmettos, red coral and lush fauna. Saturated colors bring out the carpet's dynamic look, designed for use in casinos, hotels and...

Capel Canopy braid rugs feature soft pastel hues.(Products)
November 1, 2005... New from Capel, Canopy is a braided rug collection well suited for use in a child's room or bedroom, the company says. Canopy rugs feature soothing pastels and a soft, cotton-blend construction. The collection is available in a variety of...

Parterre's Reside vinyl floor available in wood and stone.(Products)
November 1, 2005... Parterre's Reside Domestic Floor is a vinyl floor covering engineered for use in the residential and apartment/condo markets. With looks that aim to replicate wood and stone, Reside is available in nine planks and seven tiles. Planks and tiles...

SureSeal's newest cleaner designed for hard surfaces.(Products)
November 1, 2005... SureSeal USA presents SureSeal Multipurpose Cleaner, designed to safely and effectively clean hard surfaces. The cleaner will not affect the performance of existing sealers and protective coatings, the company says. SureSeal Multipurpose...

Armstrong beefs up vinyl line with new Commission Plus looks.(Products)
November 1, 2005... Armstrong Commercial revamps its Commission Plus light commercial vinyl flooring line, nearly doubling the number of SKUs to 30. The line includes stones, slates, woods, overalls and decoratives. Commission Plus is available in 12-foot-wide...

New Mohawk Select rug features a paisley pattern.(Products)
November 1, 2005... Mohawk Select introduces the Lava pattern to its Decorator's Choice range of rugs. Lava incorporates flowing swirls, dots and circles with a hint of paisley to evoke a unique, contemporary feel. The pattern is available in a 5'3" by 7'10" and...

Ultraflex S2 Mono adhesive is deformable, MAPEI says.(Products)
November 1, 2005... MAPEI rolls out Ultraflex S2 Mono adhesive, the first single-component class S2 adhesive on the market, according to the company. The lightweight Ultraflex S2 Mono features high deformability. The adhesive is designed to improve acoustic and...

Taylor's Lockdown products include concrete moisture sealer.(Products)
November 1, 2005... W.F. Taylor Adhesives has improved its Lockdown Moisture Control System family of products. The system incorporates Taylor's X-Treme 2012 Concrete Moisture Sealer and Meta-tec adhesives to help battle excessive moisture emissions in concrete...

Patcraft struts its stuff with new carpet range.(Products)
November 1, 2005... Patcraft Commercial Carpet rolls out Strut Your Stuff, a carpet collection featuring solid and barber-poled yarns in elongated dashes. Strut Your Stuff is made of solution-dyed Eco Solution Q Premium Branded Nylon in a patterned loop pile. It...

Mullican: Mullican Flooring continues to expand its product line with Engineered Hardwood floors.(Case Study)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2005... Mullican Flooring continues its commitment of providing the broadest range of hardwood flooring products with its expanded line of Prefinished Engineered Hardwood floors. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Already the...

Tarkett: BrandSmart USA chain store, Hollywood, Florida.(Case Study)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2005... Headquartered in South Florida, BrandsMart USA is South Florida's No. 1 discount retailer of consumer appliances, electronics and housewares. Each BrandsMart USA location contains thousands of products including televisions, all types of...

Weyerhaeuser: Lyptus[R] hardwood offers homeowners new, unique flooring option.(Case Study)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2005... As homeowners consider remodeling their kitchens and new homebuyers investigate flooring options, Weyerhaeuser's Lyptus[R] high-grade hardwood flooring provides a unique alternative. Made from a Brazilian Eucalyptus hybrid, Lyptus[R] flooring...

Roppe: Randalls Flagship Stores, Houston, Texas.(Case Study)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2005... Randalls Flagship Stores is a grocery retailer that operates more than 100 food and drug stores in Texas. When the company developed its 65,000 square-foot Houston store, it was hoping to create an upscale and modern look, especially for the...

Lauzon: quality. Obviously.(Case Study)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2005... There's a truism in business that if you're not moving forward, you're moving backward. The message is as true today as it ever was. No matter how successful your company, you have to keep fine-tuning your products and services because you can...

Wilsonart: Look Deeper into Wilsonart[R] Solid Surface.(Wilsonart Solid Surface)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2005... Look past the sea of granites, quartz and engineered stones and rediscover the beauty and thermoformability of Wilsonart Solid Surface. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Look Deeply into our sixty-nine designs and you may be surprised to discover...

Quick*Step: Quick*Step laminate floors.(Advertisement)
November 1, 2005... Quick*Step laminate floors are known for their innovation in style and design. This year Quick*Step launched an array of new products, including Eligna[TM] Country Collection, Quadra[TM] Slate, Eligna[TM] 3-strip, and new colors in the...

Anderson: Trump Park Avenue, New York City.(Case Study)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2005... Donald Trump purchased what used to be the Delmonico Hotel on New York City's Park Avenue and renovated it into 120 luxury condominiums called the Trump Park Avenue. The building's two-story penthouse had over 5,000 square feet of space, two...

Forbo: one family's story and why they chose Marmoleum.(Case Study)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2005... A few months ago, I received a letter from the Turton Family in Ohio thanking us for our environmentally responsible product--Marmoleum. Mrs. Turton shared with us her story on why she chose Marmoleum for their recently built, simple,...

Basic Coatings: quality wood finishes, outstanding technical service.(Case Study)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2005... Where do you go for the world's most complete line of proven, high-quality finishes for all kinds of wood floors? Basic Coatings. Since 1985, we've developed easy solutions that professionals turn to for beauty, durability and affordability....

Alloc: Alloc invests in innovations new products, increased web presence, growing distribution in 2005.(Case Study)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2005... Alloc--the originator of the glue-less, mechanical locking system for laminate flooring--has certainly had a busy year. With new products, growing distribution, an important addition to the company's web presence and the opening of increased...

Artistic Finishers: "visual display" greatly improves retailer's success selling transitional moldings.(Case Study)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2005... Selling hardwood moldings has been a hit or miss process for many flooring retailers who report that often customers don't understand why moldings are necessary. Whenever this occurs in any dealership, the problem is pretty clear, said Steve...

Mannington Mills; Resilient redux: creating a bathroom with "Divine Design".(Case Study)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2005... Resilient flooring was once the darling of the decorating world. People loved it because it was easy to clean, as well as easy on their wallets, and it came in a wide range of colors and patterns. All of that is still true, and then...

Mohawk: SmartStrand[TM] with DuPont[TM] Sorona[R] scores big; Latest fiber innovation generates excitement, closes sales.(Case Study)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2005... Mohawk's new SmartStrand[TM] fiber made with DuPont[TM] Sorona[R] polymer cannot be overestimated. It is the biggest innovation in fiber in the last 20 years. With its exceptional resilience, engineered-in stain resistance, and overall...

Faus Group; Innovation: the power behind the creativity.(Case Study)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2005... Faus Group, Inc. is a global leader in design and technology innovation. Faus manufactures products designed to meet consumer demands for laminate flooring and moldings of the highest level. Always a step ahead, Faus brings advanced expertise...

Johnsonite: Foote, Cone & Belding Worldwide, Irvine, CA.(Case Study)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2005... As the creators of the media message for such brands as Coors, Diet Coke and Taco Bell, Foote, Cone & Belding Worldwide was looking for a Southern California office space that would "Knock them out." The ad agency, among the global top 10,...

Porcelanosa: the beauty of porcelain, the look of natural wood.(Case Study)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2005... Flooring isn't what it used to be. Natural wood flooring, for instance, once was made exclusively of wood--but no longer. In a unique turn that can add uncommon richness to any home, Porcelanosa has designed and manufactured the world's first...

Murphy Oil Soap: Murphy[R] Oil Soap--the trusted cleaner for more than 100 years.(Case Study)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2005... For more than 100 years, people have trusted the natural and gentle cleaning power of Murphy[R] Oil Soap. It is ideal for safely cleaning finished wood and other household surfaces without leaving a dulling residue. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...