Contract Flooring Journal articles from April 2003

Contract Flooring Journal archives from April 2003

The whingers are losers! (Editor's comment).
April 1, 2003... THE Chancellor Gordon Brown is receiving much advice before his Budget scheduled on April 9, not least from manufacturers. The Construction Products Association, for example, wants tax cuts and more spending on the built environment. (Surely...

`British manufacturers do not need Domotex'. (Readers' forum).(Column)
April 1, 2003... I SEE from your leader (January CFJ) that, once again, I am being criticised as the architect of the lack of British representation at Domotex. It does appear from the tone of your article that you are obsessed with the value of Domotex as...

`Flooring contractors must stand together'. (Retentions).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... I READ with interest about retentions in the February 2003 issue of CFJ (Page 17) and Michael Ryan's retention figure of 400,000 [pounds sterling], which is hard to believe but all the more importantly scandalous! In the same issue there...

If I can pass the test--then why not you? (From the president).(the impact of war on contractors )
April 1, 2003... BY the time you read this article we may well be at war with Iraq. My column is not the place to discuss the rights and wrongs of a confrontation with Saddam Hussain, I hear you say, and you would be right. However, the outcome of all the...

Attend your CFA regional meeting. (CFA bulletin).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... SPRING regional meetings of the CFA will be held at venues all around the UK this month and next. Flooring contractors and manufacturers, whether or not they are members of the CFA, are welcome to attend. Topics of current concern and...

The glues brothers. (The series).
April 1, 2003... DESPITE THEIR INDIFFERENT START, AN INCREDIBLE TURN OF FORTUNE GIVES ENGLAND'S GLUES BROTHERS AN UNASSAILABLE LEAD ONLY SECONDS OF INJURY TIME TO GO INJURY TIME!--THESE POLES TAKE IT LITERALLY GET A GRIP REFEREE--THESE SOLVENT...

Training directory.(flooring industry training )(Calendar)
April 1, 2003... FLOORING INDUSTRY TRAINING ASSOCIATION Apr 22 Ardex demonstration day; Apr 23-24 vinyl sheet fitting; Apr 28-May 2 intensive carpet fitting; May 12-15 vinyl tile / design floors fitting; May 27 Ardex demonstration day; ...

Do not shrink from the facts. (Ask Sid).(floor installation questions )
April 1, 2003... Q: I installed a pre-finished, white oak solid wood floor about 12 months ago, and I've been called back to fix a small area which shrinks considerably in the winter, but closes up fairly well in the summer. It's a centrally heated property...

It pays to improve your customer relations. (Problem solving).
April 1, 2003... WHETHER you are a sole trader finding work hard to come by, or a major contractor, good customer relations is vital. An incredible 66% of customer loss across all industries is caused by failure in customer relations. Good customer...

Do keep clear of the courts. (Terry Wolfe's case book).(litigation avoidance tips for contractors )
April 1, 2003... I ONCE saw a picture in a solicitors office. It had a cow in the middle and one person pulling the cow's tail and one its head. The solicitor was in the middle milking the cow! This serves to illustrate that the only people who definitely make...

Diary dates. (Problem solving).(trade shows calendar)(Calendar)
April 1, 2003... RESTAURANT & BAR SHOW April 14-16 G-MEX Centre, Manchester Contact: Quantum Business Media Tel: 020 8565 4200 FLOORTEK EXPO April 22-24 Dalton, Georgia, USA www.floor-tek.com LONDON STONE SHOW April 28-30 Earls Court...

Bigger tiles, bigger problems. (The lowdown from Brian Newell).(tilers face problems with new formats)
April 1, 2003... AS ceramic tile manufacturing techniques continue to evolve, ever larger and more exciting tile formats are entering the market. Whilst these developments are of course to be welcomed as they increase the appeal and usage of ceramic for...

Blasted carpet. (Have you heard?).(West Midlands house explodes )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... An explosion in a house in the West Midlands is claimed to have been caused by a build-up of dust from a 30-year-old foam-backed carpet ignited by an adhesive spray. The blast wrecked the room and blew the lounge door off its hinges.

CITB takes on hirers. (Have you heard?).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Plant and tool hirers are opposing CITB demands that they pay the training levy, claiming they are not part of the construction industry. The CITB replied by introducing a special course for hirers and says that's the end of the argument.

Drive time ignored. (Have you heard?).(work hours)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Many firms do not take into account the time spent driving between meetings when calculating employees' working hours. As a result some work up to 60 hours a week, says a new report.

Sleeping partners. (Have you heard?).(construction recruitment humor )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... An applicant to a construction recruitment agency was asked why he wanted to change jobs. His reply: `I have been to bed with everyone in the office and I would like to have affairs with some new people.'

Asbestos pay outs. (Have you heard?).(Hanson pays out more than 23 million pounds sterling in compensation )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Asbestos victims are reported to have won over 23 million [pounds sterling] in compensation from building materials giant Hanson. But most of that was paid by insurance.

Unsteady ulster. (Have you heard?).(work injuries in Northern Ireland)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Over 9,000 people in Northern Ireland suffer a serious injury as a result of slips and trips at work every year, according to the Health and Safety Executive.

Office for sale. (Have you heard?).(Construction Confederation to sell office )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The Construction Confederation has put a `for sale' notice on its City of London office. The asking price is rumoured to be 6 million [pounds sterling].

A nice little earner. (Have you heard?).(Balfour Beatty's financial results )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The turnover of main contractor Balfour Beatty is reported to have risen by 12% in 2002 to a total of 3.4 billion [pounds sterling].

It makes you sick. (Have you heard?).(statistics concerning sick days )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Workers in benefit offices and job centres take nearly twice as many sick days as workers in the private sector, according to official figures.

The battle continue. (Campaign to get rid of retentions).
April 1, 2003... THE government has disappointed the thousands of contractors campaigning against retentions by totally dismissing a recent House of Commons inquiry into this archaic practice. The report by the trade and industry select committee called on...

Thumbs up for acquisition. (News file).(Bonar Floor acquires Gaskell Carpet Tiles)
April 1, 2003... THE acquisition of GASKELL CARPET TILES by BONAR FLOORS has been welcomed by Gordon Donald, previously a board member of Gaskell plc and md of its Carpet Tile Division. He becomes general manager of Gaskell Carpet Tiles, a trading division of...

Construction boost. (Business in brief).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Construction output rose by 8% in 2002, according to the DTI. The volume of new and repair & maintenance work was 11% and 5% higher respectively. Private commercial output rose by 11% while public non-housing sector (excluding infrastructure)...

`Massive opportunity'. (Business in brief).(trade with European Union members)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Small businesses are being urged to prepare for EU enlargement by using Government support networks like Business Link and Trade Partners UK. Since 1990 UK trade with the 10 new members (Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia,...

CPA budget call. (Business in brief).(Construction Products Association )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The Construction Products Association says tax measures including the Climate Change Levy, the Aggregates Tax, and higher National Insurance Contributions, are undermining UK business. The CPA calls on the Chancellor to stimulate increased...

Growth forecast. (Business in brief).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... John Holcroft, new Instarmac md, forecasts a one-third increase in the group's turnover in the next three to five years, with major contributions from the Ultra Tile Adhesive brand with acquisitions `not being ruled out'.

Low on a high. (Business in brief).(pre-tax profit for Low & Bonar)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Low & Bonar, the Plc which bought Gaskell Carpet Tiles (see "Thumbs up for acquisition"), reported a pre-tax profit of 4.5m [pounds sterling] in year the year to November 2002 against a 8.1m [pounds sterling] loss in 2001.

Nylon price up. (Business in brief).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... DuPont has increased the price of its nylon yarns for flooring by between 5 and 10% `due to the continued erosion of margins'.

Merger approved. (Business in brief).(Pergo and Witex merger)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The German and Swedish anti-trust authorities have approved the merger between Pergo and Witex.

88% of sub-contractors are harmed by retentions abuse. (NSCC Survey).
April 1, 2003... THE latest state of trade survey from the National Specialist Contractors Council reports that 88% of subcontractors are harmed by retentions abuse. The survey was produced by Ian J Murdoch of the School of the Built Environment at Northumbria...

Solvents down. (Industry in brief).(solvent usage by German adhesives producers)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... German adhesives producers are reported to have reduced their solvent use by 60% since 1988 while adhesives output rose by 20%. The German government now is planning to introduce the Blue Angel for adhesives in spite of the industry's own...

Charity appeal. (Industry in brief).
April 1, 2003... Sponsors are being sought for the Kidderminster Carpet Manufacturers charity golf tournament in Kidderminster on May 13-14. The event raised 18,000 [pounds sterling] for Cancer Relief MacMillan and the FTBA last year. Tel: 01562 755568

Tools promotion. (Industry in brief).
April 1, 2003... Mapei UK is offering promotional points on its flooring adhesives, levelling compounds and primers. Points can be exchanged for flooring tools and accessories. Tel: 01384 483900

More firms survive. (Industry in brief).(number of small businesses trading for a year increases)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The DTI's Small Business Service says 91.4% of VAT-registered businesses in 2000 had been trading for a year, compared with 85.5% in 1993. The North East experienced the highest increase.

Running for FTBA. (Industry in brief).
April 1, 2003... Ten runners from the flooring and furnishings industry are hoping to raise 10,000 [pounds sterling] for the FTBA in the Great North Run on September 21. Tel: 020 7405 7633

Carpets on the box. (Industry in brief).(Carpet Foundation plans television advertising campaign)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The Carpet Foundation has a major TV advertising campaign this autumn with its registered Carpet Specialists. Tel: 01562 755568

TRADA on track. (Industry in brief).(TRADA-Trak chain gets UKAS-accreditation)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The TRADA-Trak chain has achieved UKAS-accreditation for the PEFC scheme. It also offers FSC certification. Tel: 01494 569700

Distributors found. (Industry in brief).(Greyland adds distributors)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Chemicals manufacturer Greyland has found 12 more distributors for its cleaning chemicals range since January. Tel: 0161 476 3607

Bauwerk moves. (Industry in brief).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Bauwerk Parkett (UK) has moved from Reading to Chichester, West Sussex. The new phone number is: 01243 792199

Distributors needed. (Industry in brief).(Unifloor looking for distributors)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Unifloor is looking for UK distributors for its underlay systems. Tel: 0031 570 855533

Oldies rule, OK. (Glad To Be Gray).(almost a quater of directors in floor covering industry over age of 60)
April 1, 2003... BY THE end of 2003, almost a quarter of directors in the UK floorcoverings industry will be over 60 years old, according to a new Plimsoll analysis of 3,560 directors in the industry. The study found that 1469 `baby boomers' of the 1940's...

`Things can only get better'. (Trade Survey).
April 1, 2003... THE latest trade survey by the Construction Products Association shows members remaining optimistic about the year ahead. Prospects for the industry are, however, dependent on the delivery of promised increases in Government investment in the...

Prefinished floors. (Products in brief).
April 1, 2003... A J Charlton, the family run company based in Somerset, has introduced a new range of British-made prefinished solid oak hardwood flooring in hardwax oil or UV lacquer exclusively for the trade. Tel: 01373 813461

Water friendly. (Products in brief).
April 1, 2003... Hydrofloor -- PVC covered laminate flooring--from Venta is said to be water, wear and scratch resistant while having the appearance of a solid wood plan floor. It is now available in AC5 grade. Tel: 0032 1576 7275

Mohawk wood. (Products in brief).
April 1, 2003... The Mohawk hardwood flooring collection is now exclusively distributed in the UK by HemaFloors in Essex. Tel: 01279 641501

Versailles panels. (Products in brief).
April 1, 2003... British Wood Floors now offers 600mm square Versailles panels in contrasting timbers. The company also has a 14mm clip system in hardwood flooring, either unfinished or prefinished. Tel: 01606 555500

Under ceramics. (Products in brief).
April 1, 2003... Unifloor is to introduce an `underflooring solution' for ceramic tiles, offering stability and sound reduction. Tel: 0031570 855533

FSC stockist. (Products in brief).
April 1, 2003... Smee Timber of Cheshire claims it is now the largest distributor of FSC certified hardwood in the UK. Tel: 01606 555500

Weston wool. (Products in brief).(Weston Carpets launches new pure wool line)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Weston Carpets introduced a new any-width 100% pure wool carpet range since becoming a Woolmark partner, Tel: 01206 714500

Floor coatings. (Products in brief).(Boston Chemical Co.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Boston Chemical Co has launched water dispersed polymer floor coatings under the name Tecaqua. Clear or pigmented versions are available. Tel: 01937 843413

Screwfix catalogue. (Products in brief).
April 1, 2003... Screwfix Direct has published a new 324-page catalogue featuring over 7,000 products for next day delivery. Tel: 0800 317004

Cork & linoleum. (Products in brief).(Floorboards launches floor systems)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Floorboards has launched ranges of cork and linoleum flooring from Germany both with the Uniclic system in plank and tile format. Tel: 0121 521 1000

New route to CSCS via Accrington. (Training).(Accrington and Rossendale College offers courses in floorlaying)
April 1, 2003... GEARING up to offer floorlaying training and assessment from September this year is Accrington and Rossendale College. Having one of the top construction departments in Britain, Accrington is one of the colleges around the UK equipped to...

DuPont delights Domotex. (News file).(DUPONT Textiles and Interiors wins quality award)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... DUPONT Textiles and Interiors won a prestigious award at Contractworld, part of Domotex 2003. The company came first in the category--products of a high architectural quality. The competition was judged by a panel of architects and...

Surfaces records. (Events in brief).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Surfaces in Las Vegas this year broke three records: visitors, exhibitors and space--40,389,938 and over 535,000sq ft respectively. A conference programme and installation competition were held in conjunction with the show.

Passive smoking. (Events in brief).
April 1, 2003... A conference on passive smoking at work, backed by the TUC, Action on Smoking and Health and the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health will be held on April 9. Tel: 020 7739 5902

IOSH conference. (Events in brief).
April 1, 2003... The Institution of Occupational Safety & Health conference and exhibition will be held in Glasgow on April 23-24. Tel: 01932 893879

Demos at show. (Events in brief).
April 1, 2003... Live demonstrations at the Concrete Show at SED include decorative finishing on freshly laid and cured concrete and adding steel and polyprop reinforcement fibres. The show is at Fen Farm, Milton Keynes, from April 29-May 1. www.sed.co.uk

Seminars on time. (Events in brief).(James R Knowles)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... James R Knowles is holding regional workshops on the SCL protocol starting in May. Tel: 08707 530630

Floors on cruise. (Events in brief).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Amtico, Brintons and F Ball are among the exhibitors at Cruise & Ferry at Grand Hall Olympia from May 13-15. Tel: 0870 429 4496

Facilities show. (Events in brief).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Over 60 exhibitors will be at The Facilities Show from 20-22 May at the NEC, Birmingham. www.thefacilitiesshow.com

Parquet fair. (Events in brief).(Interzum to be held in May)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Interzum, the parquet fair, including floors, is from May 23-27 in Cologne. In 2001 the fair attracted 1,792 exhibitors from 60 countries and 62,224 visitors from 117 countries, www.koelnmesse.de

Flooring Russia. (Events in brief).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Flooring Russia 2003 will be held in Moscow, from November 18-20. Contact Mel Shah Tel: 020 7886 3102 mel.shah@montex.co.uk

Danger at work. (Events in brief).(European Week for Safety and Health )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The European Week for Safety and health starting October 13 will focus on dangerous substances in the workplace. Tel: 08701 545500

CFJ stands tall. (News file).(Contract Floor Show )
April 1, 2003... CFJ and the CFA were again among the leading exhibitors at the Contract Floor Show in February. With one of the most prominent positions at the exhibition, the CFJ and CFA stand had a constant stream of visitors. There was also much...

FBall. (People).(James Igoe)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... JAMES IGOE is the new md at FBall. He succeeds Ted Palmer, who retired at the end of the last year. Mr Igoe's entire working life has been in the construction industry, starting in the civil engineers section of a major national contractor and...

Instarmac. (People).(Charles Hudson)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... CHARLES HUDSON, formerly md of Instarmac, becomes group chairman. JOHN HOLCROFT, formerly sales director, takes over as md. GRAHAM STAFFORD, previously company buyer, becomes operations director. DONNA HEATH, formerly finance manager, has been...

William Pownall. (People).(Maxine Whitham)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... MAXINE WHITHAM is the new sales director at William Pownall. She comes from a background in home furnishings. The company's new operations director is DAVID CHEETHAM.

Ryalux. (People).(Rob Harding)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... ROB HARDING, formerly with Carpets International, has joined Ryalux as sales & marketing director in succession to Mike Hanson.

Heckmondwike FB. (People).(Andrew Sykes)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... ANDREW SYKES has been appointed manufacturing director of Heckmondwike FB. He has worked at Heckmondwike FB since 1990, when he joined the company as technical services manager. He has held the positions of manufacturing manager and works...

Manx Carpets. (People).(Mark Swift)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Manx Carpets has appointed MARK SWIFT as business development director.

Modulus Flooring Systems. (People).(Philip Mogford)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... PHILIP MOGFORD has joined Modulus Flooring Systems as new business manager in the south east of England. He was business development manager covering the facilities management sector nationwide for flooring contractor Prospect & Peachgate and...

C Blumson. (People).(Gary Loveman)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... GARY LOVEMAN is new group sales director at C Blumson, the London-based specialist hardwood importer. He previously spent 10 years with Drysdale Timber and Mouldings, which was acquired by Blumson in 2000. KEVIN TYLER, who has been with Blumson...

Carpets of Kidderminster. (People).(Roger Powell)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... ROGER POWELL has been appointed by Carpets of Kidderminster to the new post of projects manager in the contracts department. Mr Powell is a senior executive with many years' experience in the Kidderminster carpet trade working originally at the...

Gaskell Carpet Tiles. (People).(Colette Breen)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... COLETTE BREEN, former team leader of Gaskell Carpet Tiles customer service department, has become a sales executive serving Lancashire, Cheshire, North Wales and south and west Yorkshire working with NORMAN ALDERMAN. She has worked for the...

Sarah Jackson, who has been with Gaskell Group for seven years, takes up the customer service team leader position. (People).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... SARAH JACKSON, who has been with Gaskell Group for seven years, takes up the customer service team leader position vacated by Colette Breen. Joining Gaskell Carpet Tiles sales force is DEE GARRETT, who previously worked for Desso. She will...

Milliken Carpet. (People).(Franco Santorelli)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... FRANCO SANTORELLI has joined the design team at Milliken Carpet. He has previously worked for Ulster Carpets, Durkan and Brintons in the US, South Africa and the UK.

Guidance on RSI. (Industry in brief).(repetitive strain injury)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... A guide to help reduce disorders, such as backaches or repetitive strain injury (RSI) has been published by the Health & Safety Executive. Tel: 08701 545500

Health handbook. (Industry in brief).(CIRIA project handbook)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... A new CIRIA project handbook identifies common causes of ill health among construction workers and actions to help reduce the risk. Tel: 020 7222 8891

Dearer London. (Industry in brief).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Tender prices in Greater London are 25% higher than the national average, according to a new report.

EPLF recruit. (Industry in brief).(Unifloor joins European Producers of Laminate Flooring)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Unifloor joined the European Producers of Laminate Flooring. The company also has a new website: www.unifloor.nl

New standards. (Industry in brief).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Makers UK has been awarded ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management System accreditation, Makers is involved in concrete repair and testing. Tel: 01462 477333

Open house at Karndean's new HQ. (News file).(Karndean Internmional )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... KARNDEAN INTERNMIONAL has relocated to a new purpose-built headquarters in Evesham, Worcestershire, including a training facility and design showroom open to consumers, specifiers and retailers. Over 500sq m of Karndean products are laid...