National Floor Trends articles from October 2002

National Floor Trends archives from October 2002

'It's a Wonderful Life' for those bold enough to seize opportunity. (Editorial Comment).
October 1, 2002... Perhaps I'm jumping the gun, but it won't be long before the holidays are upon us and with them the annual airing of the classic film, "It's a Wonderful Life." Certain aspects of the movie's plot and characters resonate with me in light of the...

New NFT survey sheds light on state of the carpet/area rug market.(National Floor Trends)
October 1, 2002... If the comments of floor covering dealers/contractors who participated in National Floor Trends' 2002 Carpet and Area Rug Study are an apt indication, the future of the carpet/area rug segments is very clear. In a nutshell, the top three forces...

The product segment hits its stride: resilient turns to fashion styling to grab increased market share.
October 1, 2002... As attendees of Surfaces 2002 can attest, a new era in resilient Flooring starred earlier this year as manufacturers began bringing new product looks into the residential market. The segment's natural-look patterns will continue to attract...

One Mannington dealers host Indiana carpet sale. (News).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Six Indiana One Mannington dealers hosted the Great Indiana Carpet and Flooring Sale, July 26-28, at Mr. Wise Buys Factory Clearance Outlet in Indianapolis. The participating dealers were Carper Mania (Columbus, Ind.), Deno Decorating...

Mannington to add ceramic tile line. (News).(Mannington Ceramic Tile)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Mannington will complete its hard-surface product slate with the introduction of a new ceramic tile line. The new products will be formally introduced at Surfaces 2003 in January. "We believe that the introduction of ceramic tile rounds out...

Domco Tarkett Commercial's Western Division.
October 1, 2002... Caption: Domco Tarkett Fetes Contractors Of The Year--Domco Tarkett Commercial's Western Division Sales Manager Wayne Crow (right) presents the Contractor oft Year Award to United Lynn-Con Sales Manager Gary Saldino (center), who is accepting...

American Capital invests $32.8 million in Halex. (News).(American Capital Strategies Ltd.)(Halex Corp.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... BETHESDA, Md.--American Capital Strategies Ltd. has invested $32.8 million to recapitalize Halex Corp., a manufacturer and distributor of carpet tackstrip, plywood underlayment and other flooring installation supplies. American Capital's...

Flexco Inc. (People).
October 1, 2002... Flexco Inc. has hired Martin R. Ureda as its new Southwestern sales manager. Ureda is responsible for developing and expanding Flexco's product line through distribution, and will also be charged with building brand name recognition in the...

Laufen/United States Ceramic Tile. (People).
October 1, 2002... Laufen/United States Ceramic Tile has added Carlos Sodas as director of Sales and Marketing for Laufen/USCT. Socias is responsible for the development of comprehensive marketing plans for both companies. He brings 17 years of experience to...

Blue Ridge Commercial Carpet. (People).
October 1, 2002... Lisa Burel, the new director of product development for Blue Ridge Commercial Carpet, is responsible for supervising day-to-day development of Blue Ridge's modular and broadloom carpet lines. Formerly director of advanced floorcovering for...

Surfaces seeks Innovative Retailer of the year. (News).
October 1, 2002... DALLAS--For the 2003 edition of the flooring industry's biggest trade exposition, organizers of Surfaces are introducing a new "Innovative Retailer 2003" contest designed to showcase the best ideas for retailer innovation. Retailers across...

DuPont inducted into Textile Hall of Fame. (News).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... LOWELL, Mass.--DuPont was recently inducted into the American Textile Hall of Fame at the American Textile History Museum. Currently celebrating its 200th anniversary, DuPont was honored for its contributions toward improving the U.S....

Textile Rubber's Dalton facility damaged by fire. (News).(Textile Rubber and Chemical Company Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... DALTON, Ga.--A fire in the early morning hours of Sept. 12 destroyed "a good portion" of Textile Rubber & Chemical Co.'s facilities at 1400 Tiarco Drive in Dalton. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, but there were no injuries or...

Seattle interior show. (News).
October 1, 2002... SEATTLE INTERIOR SHOW KICKS OFF OCT. 31. The first annual Seattle Interior Show will be held Oct. 31 through Nov. 3 at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle. The show will explore the ideas of living spaces and homes with...

PTS of Denver. (Distributor Appointments).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... PTS of Denver has joined Armstrong Floor Products' nationwide network of distributors PTS will represent all Armstrong commercial resilient flooring products in Denver and the Rocky Mountains sales territory. The W.C. Tingle Co. will continue...

Wasa Hardwood Co. (Distributor Appointments).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Forbo Parquet AR and its U.S. sales agent Wasa Hardwood Co. recently named Ottley Floor Co. as exclusive distributor for the Utah and Idaho sales territories. Forbo's floating, glue-down and nail-down flooring will be stocked in Ottley's Salt...

Stiles Ceramic Tile. (Distributor Appointments).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Stiles Ceramic Tile has appointed Self's Inc. as its distributor for the Kansas, western Missouri and Oklahoma market areas. Based in Wichita, Self's is a distributor of adhesives, ceramic tile, hardwood. and other flooring and installation...

Timbergrass featured in Puyallup Fair Green House. (News).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... TimberGrass bamboo flooring was featured in the Green House at the Puyallup Fair held Sept 6-22 in Puyallup, Wash. A project of Pierce County Public Works and Utilities, the Green House featured recycled and low-impact building materials. ...

Design Materials announces changes. (News).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Design Materials of Pasadena, Calif., has hired Leah Smith to serve as their commercial salesperson for Orange and San Diego counties. Smith is responsible for with working with architects and designers in generating commercial specifications....

DuPont Stainmaster sponsors Sunset Idea House 2002. (News).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... DuPont Stainmaster carpet sponsored Sunset magazine's Idea House for 2002, the third year DuPont has sponsored the house. Nearly 15,000 visitors were expected to tour the home between July 12 and Aug. 18. DuPont Stainmaster carpet is featured...

Domco Tarkett employees go to bat for Habitat. (News).(Domco Tarkett Commercial)(Habitat for Humanity)(home construction)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... HOUSTON -- Employees from Domco Tarkett Commercial constructed a home over two months' time for the Harrells, a Houston family buying their first home through Habitat for Humanity. "I can't believe that my kids and I finally have a real...

Abbey now 7th largest private company in Florida. (News).(Abbey Carpet Company Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Abbey Carpet Co. Inc. has been cited as the seventh largest privately held company in Florida, according to the Sept. 2002 issue of Florida Trends Magazine. According to Philip Gutierrez, chairman and CEO of Abbey Carpet, the improved...

Witex to purchase Orders' Florida facilities. (News).(Witex USA)(Orders Distributing)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Witex USA has signed a letter of intent to purchase from Orders Distributing two Florida warehouses and assets, and assume related lease obligations currently held by the Greenville, S.C-based distributorship. Terms of the sale,. which was...

Domco Tarkett Commercial. (Distributor Appointments).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Domco Tarkett Commercial announced that Compass Flooring Solutions Inc. has signed on as a Tarkett Sommer distributor. Based in Wilmington, Mass., Compass serves six New England states and much of upstate New York. The distributorship will...

Mercier Wood Flooring. (Distributor Appointments).(agreement with Norman D. Lifton Company Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Mercier Wood Flooring has added Norman D. Lifton Co. Inc. to its distributor ranks. Norman D. Lifton Co. is located in Mt. Vernon, N.Y., and covers the entire New York City area as well as eastern New York, central and northern New Jersey and...

Michael Halebian NJ. Inc. (Distributor Appointments).(agreement with Armstrong Floor Products)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Carlstadt, N.J.-based distributorship Michael Halebian NJ. Inc. has been appointed by Armstrong Floor Products to represent the company's Genuine Linoleum sheet flooring in the New York City metro area, which includes New Jersey, New York City,...

Florida Tile Industries. (Distributor Appointments).(agreement with LDBrinkman)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Florida Tile Industries has named Lewisville, Texas-based LDBrinkman, as a new distributor for Florida Tile's ceramic product line. Brinkman will handle the products in Texas, western Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, western Tennessee, New...

Gerlinger Inc. (Distributor Appointments).(Gerlinger to distribute Tarkett flooring)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Gerlinger Inc., of Holland, Ohio, has been appointed to distribute the Tarkett brand of residential sheet flooring and selected Domco Tarkett Commercial brands. Gerlinger will handle Tarkett residential floors and Tarkett commercial sheet and...

BonaKemi acquires TDR's dust collector system. (News).(BonaKemi USA Inc., TDR Enterprises Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... BonaKemi USA Inc. has acquired Littleton, Colo.-based TDR Enterprises Inc., the originator and producer of Atomic Dust Collector Systems. The collectors, which are designed to be mounted in either a trailer or a truck, provide dust containment...

DuPont Chemical completes acquisition of ATOFINA. (News).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... PARIS -- DuPont Chemical Solutions Enterprise has completed of the acquisition of the surface protection and fluoroadditives business assets of ATOFINA, the chemicals branch of French oil/energy conglomerate TotalFinaElf. Financial terms were...

Tile entries solicited for Spectrum awards. (News).
October 1, 2002... NORTH PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Entries are now being accepted for the 16th annual Spectrum International Ceramic Tile Competition. The awards will be presented next March during Coverings 2003 in Orlando, Fla. The contest features a grand prize...

TEC redesigns its website. (News).(TEC Specialty Products)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... TEC Specialty Products has redesigned its website to offer around-the-clock technical and customer support, as well as personalized content, to consumers, distributors and retailers. The new site is at www.tecspecialty.com. From the...

Waterproofing membranes available to the trade. (Ceramic & Stone Close-Up).
October 1, 2002... On Jan. 13, 1993, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved a standard for load-bearing, bonded, waterproof membranes for thinset ceramic tile and dimensional stone installations. Specifically, the standard is ANSI A118.10-1993....

Cross merchandising could be your key to bigger profits. (Showroom Management).
October 1, 2002... Today's economic environment is challenging for most of us. Although consumers are still spending, they may not be spending in your product category. In light of that fact, one way to insulate your business from economic volatility is to cross...

Witex introduces TimberLoc flooring. (Products).
October 1, 2002... Witex recently debuted its TimberLoc collection of premium glueless interlocking wood flooring. The line consists of four classic and five exotic wood species. The TimberLoc collection includes a complete line of coordinating mouldings and...

Tesoro porcelain tile new from International Wholesale. (Products).
October 1, 2002... International Wholesale Tile (IWT) has introduced Tesoro, a collection of premium porcelain tiles that also includes natural stone borders and accents imported from around the world. In addition, Tesoro features a collection of bathroom...

Oriental Weavers to debut Sakkara line at High Point. (Products).
October 1, 2002... Oriental Weavers of America will unveil the new Sakkara Collection at the International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, Oct. 17-23. The collection, named after the oldest pyramid in Egypt, features traditional patterns in a bank of...

Solutia launches marketing campaign. (Products).
October 1, 2002... Starting this month, Solutia is launching a Wear-Dated marketing campaign featuring consumer-friendly ads in 18 of America's most popular shelter magazines. The catch phrase of the full-color ads is, "You'll wear out before Wear-Dated does."...

Precision-milled, glueless laminate is Pergo's latest. (Products).
October 1, 2002... Pergo has introduced its new Accolade glueless click laminate flooring line. Accolade has been precision milled to ensure the tightest possible fir and the easiest assembly, according to Pergo. Aside from quick installation, Accolade offers...

Alloc displays complement merchandising program. (Products).
October 1, 2002... Alloc Inc. has instituted a new merchandising program to support the company's recently launched "family of products" concept. The program was developed to assist distributors and dealers in displaying Alloc's increased variety of product...

Vitromex introduces five new tile series. (Products).
October 1, 2002... Vitromex USA Inc. has added five new series of tile. Lava, a rustic series, is available in 13- and 18-inch-square formats in three colors, and is available with listellos and inserts. Another rustic series, Caliza, is available in...

Tau Ceramica releases coordinated tile series. (Products).
October 1, 2002... Spanish porcelain tile manufacturer Tau Ceramica offers a range of ceramic products, and medium to large porcelain tiles for use in business and residential applications. Tau's Kandinsky is a coordinated wall and floor tile series...

Gayafores brings wood look to porcelain tile line. (Products).
October 1, 2002... Spanish porcelain tile supplier Gayafores manufactures Pino, a glazed porcelain tile line styled to replicate the look of natural wood. Pino is available in 16-by-16-, 13-by-20- and 4-by-20-inch formats in amber, maroon and natural colorations....

Hardwood Council updates its 'Finishing Touch' CD. (Products).
October 1, 2002... The Hardwood Council has released Version 2.0 of the popular Finishing Touch CD. The new version of the CD has several enhancements. A new Lumber Grade Stain Guide allows users to virtually apply light, medium and dark stains to No. 1 Common,...

Electro Plastics releases under-rug radiant mats. (Products).
October 1, 2002... Electro Plastics has introduced STEP Warmfloor Under Rug Heaters, a line of low-voltage radiant heat mats for placement under area rugs. The heat-regulated mats are available in a variety of sizes. The company recommends the product for use...

McColl Display introduces displays for thick samples. (Products).
October 1, 2002... McColl Display Solutions has developed a new line of displays to showcase thick samples. Geared for the stone, marble and tile industries, the displays can feature samples as thick 1 1/4 inches. These displays are modeled after the...

Marmol Technologico presents Venatto porcelain stoneware. (Products).
October 1, 2002... Marmol Technologico of Spain has released Venatto, a porcelain stoneware tile noted for its hardness, high resistance to shock, low porosity, and minimal water-absorption properties. Available with coordinating border trim, Venatto comes in...

Plaza expands its modular tile selection. (Products).
October 1, 2002... Spanish tile manufacturer Plaza has expanded the company's modular floor tile selection with the release of the new Stone series. Stone, featuring a smooth slate look with neat edges, is available in 6-by-6-, 6-by-13- and 13-by-13-inch formats....

Florim USA augments its Finale trims, accents. (Products).
October 1, 2002... Florim USA recently debuted Atmosphere, a new addition within the company's Finale brand of decorative tile trims and accent pieces. Among the available pieces is a medallion focal point with a four-point design encircled by a ring of mosaic...

3M expands Scotchgard brand awareness, product options. (Products).
October 1, 2002... 3M has developed new technology, new products and a fresh logo in an effort to keep expanding the brand presence of the company's Scotchgard protector and stain release. A new sustainable technology has brought improved Scotchgard-brand...

Junckers adds Dark Ash to its wide-board line. (Products).
October 1, 2002... Junckers Hardwood Inc. has added Dark Ash to its series of wide-board flooring. The new addition retains the inherent dark browns of the heartwood with the lighter areas of sapwood, the company says, which allows the floor to be used with both...

Pinnacle introduces new engineered flooring line. (Products).
October 1, 2002... Pinnacle Interior Elements Inc. recently released the Country Classics Collection, an engineered hardwood flooring line designed for use in both residential and commercial environments. Authentic hand scraping and distressing imbues each...

Milliken Area Rugs debuts four festive holiday designs. (Products).
October 1, 2002... Milliken Area Rugs has unveiled the latest additions to the company's popular Christmas collection. The 2002 design introductions include Yuletide, a festive rug with holiday image executed in warm colors; Partridge in a Pea Tree, which...

Bostik Findley unveils architectural CD-ROM. (Products).
October 1, 2002... The Bostik Findley Flooring Group has developed and released the company's first Hydroment Architectural CD for architects, specifiers, dealers, and contractors. The CD includes complete product specifications and installation instructions...