National Floor Trends articles from September 2005

National Floor Trends archives from September 2005

Looking for an excuse for lacking service and knowledge? There isn't one!(Industry Perspectives)
September 1, 2005... Not long after Home Depot launched its Expo Design Centers back in 1991, I visited one. It had a half dozen floors of home furnishing, the whole ball of wax including floor coverings. The products were reasonably well displayed in departments...

Carpet outlook: wall-to-wall opportunity; Carpet makers say style, quality and value will keep their business rolling forward.
September 1, 2005... While carpet remains entrenched as the largest category in the flooring business, it is also a product segment that has lately been challenged by the steady growth of hard surface flooring. National Floor Trends asked some of the leading carpet...

Excitement builds as Cersaie 2005 draws near.
September 1, 2005... Cersaie, the world's largest international exhibition of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings, is just around the corner, and those in the ceramic tile industry are excited to see the latest trends in ceramic tile design. [ILLUSTRATION...

Updated Tile Council handbook reflects real world issues.
September 1, 2005... In the upstate region of South Carolina under the "orange glow" of Clemson University lies a research park that is home of The Tile Council of North America (TCNA). The Council is a trade association representing manufacturers of ceramic tile...

Radiant heat floors: affordable, efficient comfort for cold feet.
September 1, 2005... Without question, warm floors are the most comfortable form of heat you can have in a home. And the more consumers come to realize this, the more likely they are to inquire about the advantages of radiant heat. This is a development that has...

BNP Media staffers raise the roof for Detroit family, Habitat for Humanity work called "exhausting but very rewarding".
September 1, 2005... Staff members from BNP Media found little more than a foundation and a floor base when they arrived at a Habitat for Humanity work site in Detroit earlier this summer. On their first day, the volunteer crew raised the walls, installed trusses...

Flexible Foam opens new plants brings 200 jobs to Wash. and Penn.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Flexible Foam Products announced the completion and full operation of two new polyurethane foam manufacturing plants. A 169,000 sq. ft. facility has come online in Longview, Wash., employing 100 people and managed by Erik Kempf. A second...

Farnsworth promoted at BonaKemi, will oversee sales & marketing.(BonaKemi USA Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... As part of a management restructuring program by the company, BonaKemi USA recently promoted Enos Farnsworth to vp sales and marketing. Previously director of sales, Farnsworth will be responsible for sales and marketing programs including...

Berry Floor salutes Lance Armstrong.(News)
September 1, 2005... Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France for a record-breaking seventh time this year, and then hung up his cycling helmet for good, retiring from the sport. In a statement, laminate flooring maker Berry Floor thanked Armstrong for taking three...

CRI adds adhesives to Green Label program.(News)
September 1, 2005... The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) said it has added adhesives to its Green Label Plus Indoor Air Quality Testing Program. To receive Green Label Plus certification, adhesives must undergo a 14-day testing process through an independent...

Management team takes over Longust Distrib.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Transitioning toward retirement, Tom Longust, founder of Mesa, Ariz.-based Longust Distributing, has handed the reigns of the company to a management team that has been in place for over 10 years. Effective June 1, the company is now owned...

"New building, new president": FlorStar opens Romeoville center.(News)
September 1, 2005... Illinois-based distributor FloorStar Sales has opened a new location in Romeoville, Ill. Along with the 440,000 square feet of space--an addition of 170,000 square feet--the service center will include the office of the company's new president,...

StonePeak adds more than 30 distributors in bid to maximize nationwide presence.(News)
September 1, 2005... Porcelain tile manufacturer StonePeak Ceramics announced it has inked distribution deals with more than 30 distributors from around the country, with additional partners slated to join by the end of the year. The expanded roster of...

Retailers visit Virginia Hardwood open house at California HQ.(News)
September 1, 2005... Virginia Hardwood held an open house at its Azusa, Calif., headquarters this past July, drawing the attention of manufacturers and retailers alike. More than 450 retailers were on hand for to the event, while representatives from companies...

Pergo to stop by specialty stores during summer/fall truck tour.(News)
September 1, 2005... H1 Hummer trucks are set to rumble through nearly 120 specialty retailer parking lots this fall as Pergo gears up for the next leg of its "Go Ahead, It's Pergo" tour, which kicked off in late summer at its headquarters in Raleigh, N.C. The...

More than 100 rug manufacturers debut lines at Atlanta Rug Market.(News)
September 1, 2005... This summer's Atlanta Rug Market, held July 17-20 at the AmericasMart building in downtown Atlanta, showcased introductions and existing rug lines from 130 permanent exhibitors including Capel, Milliken, Shaw Living and Karastan. Held in...

Witex AG cuts ties to U.S. arm, starts new American unit in Kennesaw.(News)
September 1, 2005... German laminate maker Witex AG recently severed ties with Kennesaw, Ga.-based Witex USA. Witex officials said their relationship with the U.S. investors which have owned the subsidiary since last year "has not been satisfactory." Witex AG has...

BonaKemi USA.(People)
September 1, 2005... BonaKemi USA has named Dan Lipman regional distribution manager for the western region. An 11-year veteran of the flooring industry, Lipman was most recently publisher of Floor Covering Installer magazine by BNP Media, the same company that...

Faus.(People)
September 1, 2005... Faus has appointed Dan Snapper as national sales manager. Snapper has more than 20 years of experience in the industry, spending the last nine years as a flooring merchant with Home Depot, and prior to that a regional manager at Coronet...

J. Mish Inc.(People)
September 1, 2005... J. Mish Inc. has brought Bob VanOrder on board as executive vp. He replaces Steve Couch, who resigned to pursue other interests. VanOrder has 15 years' experience with wool carpet manufacturers.

MAPEI Americas.(People)(Nick Di Tempora )(Florida Atlantic University School )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... President of MAPEI Americas, Nick Di Tempora has been named to the Dean's Executive Council at the Florida Atlantic University School of Business. As the senior executive of MAPEI, which is based in South Florida, Di Tempora will relate his...

National Wood Flooring Association.(People)
September 1, 2005... The National Wood Flooring Association has added Frank Kroupa as technical advisor. An NWFA technical school instructor since 1997, Kroupa will be responsible for providing technical assistance both through the NWFA hotline and online. He has...

Patcraft Commercial Carpet.(People)
September 1, 2005... Patcraft Commercial Carpet has named Eric Wroldsen as vp business development. Wroldsen began his career with Bonitz Contracting in Charlotte, N.C., and spent the past decade in various sales management positions at Milliken.

Preverco.(People)
September 1, 2005... Preverco has hired Jean-Sebastien Roy as marketing manager. Formerly of molded plastics producer IPL Packaging, Roy will be responsible for marketing Preverco's high-end hardwood flooring products in Canada and the U.S.

Sphinx by Oriental Weavers.(People)
September 1, 2005... Sphinx by Oriental Weavers has promoted industry veteran William "Bill" Baker to western sales regional manager. Based in Southern California, Baker will serve six states including California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Montana and Idaho....

Directory correction.(Directory)(Correction Notice)
September 1, 2005... The website address for Wellmade Floor Coverings International, published in the May 2005 issue of NFT, was incorrect. The correct address is www.bamboofloorings.com. NFT regrets the error.

Upcoming industry events.(News)(Calendar)
September 1, 2005... NTCA Total Solutions 2005 -- Las Vegas. (601) 939-2071, Sept. 8-10. NeoCon East -- Baltimore. (800) 677-6278, Sept. 14-15. IIDEX/NeoCon Canada -- Toronto. (800) 677-6278, Sept. 22-23. FIANA 2005 Convention -- Dallas. (888) 883-4262,...

Flexco has brought Western Trade Supply of Fort Collins, Colo., on board as a distributor.(Distributor Appointments)
September 1, 2005... Flexco has brought Western Trade Supply of Fort Collins, Colo., on board as a distributor. Western Trade Supply will distribute Flexco cove base, stair treads and accessories throughout northern Colorado, southern Wyoming and southeastern...

Glitsa American has named Minnesota-based A to Z Flooring as its newest distributor.(Distributor Appointments)
September 1, 2005... Glitsa American has named Minnesota-based A to Z Flooring as its newest distributor. A to Z will sell Glitsa American's full line of Swedish finishes in the region.

Scandian Wood Floors has announced Elias Wilf Corp. as its latest distributor.(Distributor Appointments)
September 1, 2005... Scandian Wood Floors has announced Elias Wilf Corp., based in Owings Mills, Md., as its latest distributor. Elias Wilf will service Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Tarkett Commercial has added Self's Inc. of Wichita to its list of distributors.(Distributor Appointments)
September 1, 2005... Tarkett Commercial has added Self's Inc. of Wichita to its list of distributors. Self's will distribute Azrock by Tarkett flooring in Kansas, Oklahoma and western Missouri.

Roppe's golden age: "these 50 years have gone by so fast".(half century celebrations )
September 1, 2005... Industry figures, U.S. congressmen and other dignitaries were among the nearly 1,000 well-wishers who recently gathered outside Roppe's headquarters in Fostoria, Ohio, to celebrate a half-century of growth and accomplishment in commercial floor...

Carpet one summer meeting: broad smiles and big plans.
September 1, 2005... Flushed with success and armed with a five-year plan that will see the company re-work a number of key elements, Carpet One's leadership said it is now setting its sights on dominating the consumer floor covering business. [ILLUSTRATION...

Monarch's Armonia tiles offer Mediterranean feel.(Products)
September 1, 2005... Monarch Ceramic Tile introduces Armonia, a glazed porcelain tile series meant to emulate Mediterranean limestone pavers. Available in 20-by-20-, 13-by-13-, 6 1/2-by-6 1/2- and 3 1/2-by-3 1/2-inch sizes, Armonia comes in four colors and a...

Modular Chilewich tile features woven surface.(Products)
September 1, 2005... Chilewich has added modular tiles to its Plynyl line of woven vinyl flooring. Plynyl Tiles feature a woven vinyl fabric face and a two-layered vinyl cushion backing with a non-woven stabilizing layer in-between. The tile comes in 18-inch...

Santa Barbara hand-scraped wood added to Mohawk's Heirlooms line.(Products)
September 1, 2005... Mohawk Hardwood presents Santa Barbara hand-scraped hardwood flooring, an entry-level price point product in the company's Heirlooms hand-scraped collection. Santa Barbara is a 5 inch wide engineered hardwood, measuring half inch thick, and 48...

Tau Ceramica brings out Hudson large-format tiles.(Products)
September 1, 2005... New from Tau Ceramica is the Hudson collection of porcelain floor tiles. Designed for medium traffic, Hudson comes in a 24-by-24-inch size and colors including Arena, Gold, Marfil and Noce. Specialty pieces round out the line. For details,...

Glitsa American Prolink crosslinks with company's waterborne finish.(Products)
September 1, 2005... Glitsa American offers ProLink, a new professional-grade waterborne crosslinker. The product is designed to crosslink with Glitsa's Infinity II waterborne finish, to help speed up full cure times, and increase the chemical resistance and...

New Flexco FlexOne program.(Products)
September 1, 2005... In a move that eliminates premium charges for popular colors, Flexco introduces FlexOne, a color pricing program that lets customers choose any color in a product line at no additional cost. The program is designed with customer service and...

BHK unveils Cottage Oak in a hand-scraped finish.(Products)
September 1, 2005... BHK has added a Cottage Oak pattern in a hand-scraped finish to its Moderna Lifestyle line of laminate flooring. Cottage Oak is a 7mm hand-scraped product, and features a distressed, worn lookcoupled with scratch resistance and easy...

Sustainable Solutions package is new from Hardwood Council.(Products)
September 1, 2005... The Hardwood Council unveils the Sustainable Solutions package for architects and designers, with 3-by-6-inch samples of 20 species of American hardwoods. In addition, the package comes with a stain guide for various finishes, the Finishing...

Four new styles in 19 colors beef up Congoleum Xclusive.(Products)
September 1, 2005... With the addition of Amazon Slate, Carolina Slate, Northhampton and Solitaire patterns, Congoleum Xclusive resilient flooring featuring Scotchgard Protector now comes in four new styles and 19 new colors. The flooring features extra-thick...

SureSeal's new Wood Sealer protects decks, siding, fences.(Products)
September 1, 2005... SureSeal presents SureSeal Wood Sealer, designed to penetrate deeply to seal and protect wood from weather and climate changes. The sealer can be used on decks, docks, siding, fences and log homes, according to the company. SureSeal Wood Sealer...

Tuff-Seal aviation flooring from Flooring Adventures.(Products)
September 1, 2005... Designed for heavy duty use, Tuff-Seal Aviation Flooring from Flooring Adventures is engineered not to break, crack, deflect, loosen or shift under heavy traffic loads. The 18-by-18-inch tiles come in four surface profiles and nine colors....

Brintons Kinetic square-within-square Axminster commercial carpet in 8 colors.(Products)
September 1, 2005... Brintons newest axminster woven carpet is Kinetic, a square-within-a-square design enhanced by a ribbed textural effect. Kinetic comes in eight colors from topaz to deep lapis, and is made of 80 percent wool and 20 percent nylon in a 36-inch...

Sisal looks come to carpet with new Royal Dutch line.(Products)
September 1, 2005... Royal Dutch Carpets, div. of Stanton Carpet, introduces the Mediterranean Collection of sisal-like flat-weave carpets and rugs. The low-pile collection comes in four patterns, Monaco, Sicily, Sardinia and Mallorca, constructed of Royaltron...

Hispano Azul's Mora tile designed to decorate walls.(Products)
September 1, 2005... New from Hispano Azul is the Mora wall tile series. The 13-by-19 3/4-inch tiles come in four colors: Marfil, Beige, Cuero and Negro. Accent pieces, which come in four patterns, are also available. For details, circle 127 on the Reader Inquiry...

Aqua Mix Cleaning Wipes remove dirt, replenish sealer.(Products)
September 1, 2005... Aqua Mix presents Cleaning Wipes with Sealer's Choice. Combining a wipe with the advantages of the company's Sealer's Choice technology, the product cleans tile, stone, masonry and grout, while replenishes previously applied sealer, according...

Evolution by Marca Corona includes tropical slate looks.(Products)
September 1, 2005... Marca Corona's Evolution is a Litogres porcelain tile. The series mimics the look of multicolored slates from Asia and South America. Available in three colors and six sizes, Evolution comes in six floor tile sizes, two Tessere wall tile sizes...

Shaw Living adds 6 new styles to mary-kateandashley rugs.(Products)
September 1, 2005... Shaw Living introduces six new designs to the mary-kateandashley home rug collection: Boogie Blocks, Earth & Sky, Doodles, Fabstract, LottaDot and Wallflowers. The printed nylon rugs come in 3' X 5', 5' X 7'4" and 7'6" X 10' sizes, and...

Etrusco by La Platera emulates cement look.(Products)
September 1, 2005... La Platera presents the Etrusco series of ceramic wall tile. Available in 13-by-19 3/4-inch sizes, Etrusco is designed to mimic the look of cement, and brings a stylish ambience to the wall, the company says. For details, circle 125 on the...

Pergo adds Traditional Strip to Vintage Home laminate collection.(Products)
September 1, 2005... Pergo's Vintage Home collection of laminate flooring has been expanded with Traditional Strip. Traditional Strip features micro-beveled seams and narrow-width planks in three different lengths for a more randomized appearance. Traditional Strip...

Delmhorst's TotalCheck meter features three-in-one function.(Products)
September 1, 2005... New for flooring installers and retailers/contractors is TotalCheck, Delmhorst Instrument Co.'s moisture meter. TotalCheck is a three-in-one meter, integrating pin and pinless technologies, and adding a thermo-hygrometer. Features include full...

From the nation's capitol to a cruise ship: NWFA award winning floors are everywhere.
September 1, 2005... Every hardwood flooring job poses unique challenges, but few are as daunting as the one completed by Universal Floors last year. The Washington-D.C. flooring dealer was called on to restore a 2,000 square foot floor for a particularly demanding...

Products: wood floors/installation & accessory products.(2005 wood floor resource guide)(Directory)
September 1, 2005... Wood Floor Types Custom Floors/Borders/Insets Appalachian Hardwood Floors Appalachian Lumber Co. Inc. BR-111 Exotic Hardwood Flooring Centre Mills-Antique Floors Custom Hardwood Supply Dean Hardwoods, Inc. ...

Manufacturers/importers.(2005 wood floor resource guide)(Directory)
September 1, 2005... The following manufacturers in this section are those from whom we received forms. This list by no means represents all of the manufacturers in our industry and should not be represented as such. If you are a manufacturer and would like to be...

Wood distributors.(2005 wood floor resource guide)(Directory)
September 1, 2005... WOOD PARQUET PLANK STRIP ACCESSORIES ALABAMA BIRD & CO., INC., WILLIAM M. * * * * Homewood: 106...

Creating custom floors with factory-finished wood.
September 1, 2005... With today's ever-changing lifestyles and trends, wood flooring is becoming a segment that is continuing to evolve to meet consumer demands for a non-traditional wood floor. In essence, this creates a window of opportunity for retailers and...

To ruin a wood install just add water.(Installation Close-up)
September 1, 2005... The growth of wood flooring has been nothing short of phenomenal--and if they are properly installed and maintained these floors can last for generations. But make no mistake, this is also a flooring material that can be unforgiving when it...

Carpet Shims.(Products & Literature on display)
September 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/Lyptus.(Products & Literature on display)
September 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)
September 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...

A new plug for cork flooring: style and design options breathe new life into vintage category.
September 1, 2005... Cork flooring is finally easing away from its well established reputation as a dependable but uniform-looking floor covering used mainly in commercial environments. Now, manufacturers say, cork is going through a growth spurt that has been...