s - Floor Covering Weekly

Transcription

Vol. 62
No. 19
A Hearst Business Publication
October 14, 2013
$4
Vinnie Virga
shares his
Big Bob’s journey
FLOOR COVERING WEEKLY
3
The Industry’s Business News & Information Resource
Karndean sharpens
design focus
By Amy Joyce Rush
[Export, Pa.] This year, Karndean Designflooring changed its name (it was Karndean
International), internally restructured its
marketing functions and, under the direction
of Emil Mellow, its recently appointed senior
vice president of marketing, set out to let its
market position be known and better understood by key dealers.
Its position is that of a design house that
brings unique and custom luxury vinyl
tile (LVT) products to dealers in a simple,
straightforward way. And, according to
Mellow, key targets for the company include
helping people understand the company’s
design position and providing the point of
sale collateral to support the effort.
Plus, he said, the company is looking to
refresh all of its collections, introducing new
designs twice a year — January and September. “One big push is making sure that
people understand we sell design flooring,”
Mellow noted.
Continued on page 10
P e r i o d i c a l
Emil Mellow, vice president of marketing,
Karndean Designflooring
Design flooring, he said, includes realistic visuals, mixed widths and lengths and
design strips which dealers merchandise
along with the flooring that allows for unique
installations.
During Floor Covering Weekly’s time with
Mellow, he took a few minutes to create a
unique flooring pattern using the strips. “This
is not a big to-do but it differentiates you and
makes you a flooring expert,” he said.
Mellow points to the stone and wood visuals as examples of what the company is capable of doing. “This stuff is so beautiful. We are
top-of-the-line design. Our strategy is to go to
market with point of sale. That is how we have
to increase our share of the market. We aren’t
going direct to consumer, so the way to do it
is to go to the people that are selling your stuff
and train them and get them to buy in — and
they do, once they see this stuff.”
An important part of the company’s messaging is its sales reps because the company
does not, with little exception, use distribution but rather goes straight to dealers. Also
spending time here at the Export, Pa. facility
was a handful of the company’s 40-some
sales reps going through a sales boot camp.
Boot camps are held throughout the year to
train the sales force on everything Karndean
so that they can effectively work with dealers.
“At least once a year you have to train
them. You just can’t assume they know.
We want them known as experts,” Mellow
explained. “And the sales people need to go
in and train the people on the floor.”
The company has simple display systems
for each level of retailer — platinum at the
top, then gold and silver. Within the display, there is a good, better, best structure.
The popular Knight Tile collection is at a
starting price point for the company, then
Da Vinci, then Opus. “As you go up the line,
the wearlayer is better,” he said. “We want
retailers to buy into the program through
training and understanding they can make
For breaking news updated each business day, visit us online at www.fcw1.com
101413-pages.indd 1
Mannington
brings LVT home
Customer service is the ultimate goal
By Santiago Montero
[Madison, Ga] Mannington has started what
is expected to be a $50 million expansion project in its facility here that will consolidate much
of its total LVT production — both commercial
and residential — in the U.S. while at the same
time improving customer service levels and
product availability. The facility is expected to
be fully operational by January 2015.
Originally the manufacturing facility for
Amtico was acquired by Mannington in
March of last year. The expansion will quadruple the capacity of this plant when completed. The addition of a distribution facility
is already on the drawing board.
“This story really is about our core values
— taking control of our own destiny and our
commitment to U.S. manufacturing — plus
improving service to our customers,” said Russell Grizzle, president and CEO, Mannington
Mills. “We are making investments to provide
better service in a very fast growing category.”
The challenge, he said, was to improve
customer service levels with a product that
has a lot of esthetic options for residential
and commercial product lines and a long
supply chain. “It is difficult to control that to
the service levels we aspire to bring,” he said.
Right now, Mannington offers LVT under
its Mannington Commercial banner as well as
Continued on page 6
Mannington celebrates the groundbreaking for its Madison, Ga., LVT plant expansion project.
Roger Farabee balances form & function
tile and resilient products. He oversees
Unilin brands, including Quick-Step,
Roger Farabee said he got his first job in the Pergo, Columbia and Century, which
are distributed through
flooring industry by accispecialty retail, builder,
dent. That first position
home centers and other
might have been serendipnational accounts.
itous, but the next 21 years
It all started in 1985,
have been guided by hard
when, after completing an
work, concentration and
MBA in marketing at the
the ability to juggle multiple
University of North Caroproducts and tasks.
lina at Chapel Hill, Farabee
Currently,
Farabee
went to work in advertising.
is senior vice president,
He recalled, “In 1992, a
marketing for Mohawk
co-worker, who had left to
Hard Surfaces and Unilin
work for Mannington, called
Flooring. He is responsito talk about a candidate for
ble for residential hardwood, laminate, ceramic Roger Farabee
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101413-pages.indd 24
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News
Virga back to basics at Big Bob’s
By Janet Herlihy
These days, Vinnie Virga, co-owner of Big
Bob’s Flooring Outlet NE, is putting in long
hours and loving every minute of it. Since
August 2011, when he and his brother Joe
Virga signed an agreement with Big Bob’s
Flooring Outlet of America, Virga stressed,
“I love going to work everyday.”
The last time the brothers worked together
was at their Father’s furniture and rug business.
Together, they have combined experience of
more than 60 years. “I enjoy having Joe in the
business and I enjoy having a legacy too,” Virga
said. We both have kids and they will be welcome in the business if they want to work for us.”
The time is right. “Real estate
The original 30-year agreement
prices are low. We already own or are
with Big Bob’s called for the Virgas
in the process of buying three of the
to open at least 17 stores in the
buildings. There’s a huge amount of
New England Market and they are
business out there,” Virga reported.
well on their way. So far, Big Bob’s
“We expect to start opening a store
Northeast network includes three
every three or four months. There
showrooms in Massachusetts —
has never been a better time to open
Auburn, Whitman and Seekonk
stores. If you are aggressive, there’s
and one in Connecticut — Manmoney to be made.”
chester — that opened in Septem- Vinnie Virga
The brothers take a personal
ber. The fifth store will open in
role. “We both work in the stores,” Virga
November in Norwood, Mass.
“We’re trying to grow aggressively,” said. “We don’t bother with titles but I run
Virga explained. “We can steal a lot of the day-to-day business. If I’m not in the
market share with Big Bob’s and are happy stores every day, I at least spend time in a
store every week. It’s how you stay in touch
to re-invest and grow.”
Floor coverings sales growth accelerated
over the past year as interest rates hit historic
lows and household finances improved. At
the same time, rising consumer confidence
led to consistent 25 percent gains in housing
starts and existing home sales rose more than
10 percent each quarter.
Recent data, however, indicates that the
surge in U.S. housing sales growth over the past
year may have peaked. This is due to the sharp
increase in mortgage interest rates that began
in the spring. Interest rates have been rising
with what’s working in your business.
Joe Virga handles a variety of executive roles
at the company including overseeing all technical issues/questions on installations and product, running the installation side of the business,
training of new employees, maintaining our
pricing database, and more.
Building Big Bob’s NE is a good fit for
Virga. “I left a large corporate structure with
a lot of politics. We’re determined to build a
structure that is flat without a lot of politics.
It doesn’t matter who the idea comes from—
me, an installer or sales person—the best idea
wins and we focus on service.”
While acknowledging nuances in retail
flooring, Virga said, “It’s a simple business
and we want to keep it simple. We have four
stores right now with two executives and
one accounting person. There are 22 direct
Feds search Lumber
Liquidators HQ
Q3 posts strongest gains since 2005
U.S. floor coverings sales (shipments minus
exports plus imports) surged in the third and
fourth quarters of 2013 as U.S. housing demand
continued to increase at strong rates. Dollar
floor coverings sales are estimated to have
increased by 7.6 percent in the second quarter
of 2013 and could have risen by another 6.9
percent in the third quarter. Square foot gains
are estimated to have increased by 5.7 percent
and 4.7 percent, respectively. These are the
strongest industry gains since 2004-2005, the
height of last decade’s housing boom.
as the economic recovery continues, albeit at a
sluggish rate, and the expectation that the Federal Reserve will begin to pull back its extensive
stimulus this fall. As a result, mortgage interest
rates could be more than 30 percent higher in
the second half of 2013 than the historic lows
hit in late 2012 and early 2013.
The sharp increase in interest rates caused
consumer sentiment to decline and led to
signs of a builder slowdown. In September,
the University of Michigan/Thomson Reu-
[TOANO, VA.] Lumber Liquidators was searched
by Federal authorities in relation to the importation of certain wood flooring products.
Sealed search warrants were executed at
the company's corporate offices in Toano and Richmond, Va. by the Department of
Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs
Enforcement and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Lumber Liquidators issued a statement
that said the company takes its sourcing and
compliance very seriously, and is cooperating
with authorities to provide them with requested
information. According to the company, it sources products directly from approximately 110
domestic and international mills and has more
than 60 professionals around the world who
perform and monitor those processes. FCW FCW
Correction
Ohio Valley Flooring feels optimism at annual conventionCorrections
[Florence, Ind.] Ohio Valley Flooring
hosted its annual convention this summer at
the Belterra Casino, located here, tallying the
best attendance it’s had to date, according to
Jeff Garber, director of marketing.
“The turnout was about 25 percent more
than any other year,” he said. “We have continued to deliver a quality program every year and
have made it worth their attention. We put a lot
of thought and effort into providing them with
a great experience and bringing in speakers that
our dealers can benefit from listening to.”
Speakers this year were Sam Allman of
Allman Consulting and Pami Bhullar of Stain-
master, who both encouraged dealers to update
their internet resources and websites. “The
speakers did a great job motivating our customers to put in the effort electronically to be able to
compete in the industry,” Garber said.
Ohio Valley Flooring’s Flooring Plus
program provides dealers with an internet
website, fully equipped with POP kits and
back-sided rebates. This online presence, the
company said, helps bring customers into the
dealer’s store and ultimately become more
profitable with orders. “Some of our dealers
have noted growth of sales up to 25 percent.
Many of our customers are looking for help
Correction
Corrections
101413-pages.indd 3
WWW.FCW1.COM
·
FCW
FCW
Mannington announces
hardwood price increase
[SALEM, N.J.] Mannington announced that it will
implement a price increase of up to 6 percent on
all engineered wood floors, moldings and wood
adhesives effective with shipments on Jan. 1,
2014. “The housing market continues to recover
and we are optimistic about the future of the
flooring industry,” said Kim Holm, president, residential business. “At the same time we are experiencing substantial increases in log pricing, veneer costs and transportation costs.” FCW
Correction
Corrections
FCW
FCW
FCW
FCW
FreeFit donates $250K to autism
[Calhoun, Ga.] Mohawk is launching a series
of web campaigns to increase awareness of its
commitment to breast cancer research and generate positive customer engagement. Throughout the month of October, Mohawk will have
a number of digital programs in place. Each of
it’s websites will feature pink beginning Oct.
1. Internal associates will be encouraged to
wear pink and post images to Instagram with
the hashtag: #specifyforacure on Pink Day,
Oct. 25. Mohawky is also hosting a Facebook
Survivor Spotlight Video Contest. Oct. 1
Karastan implemented a “Breast Cancer ‘Live
Beautifully’ Pinterest Contest."
October 14, 2013
with their online presence, and they feel comfortable with trusting us with a significant
amount of their business,” Garber said.
Floating LVT, sound control with cork,
and oil looks, he added, were the main trends
at the convention this year. “It’s crucial for
us to have these trends in our product offering and for our customers to have it in theirs.
[Bhullar] also talked about Stainmaster and the
upturn of carpet trends, since there has been
resistance against PETs for a while,” he said.
Garber added that the mood at the convention was extremely optimistic with a lot of interest in new products. FCW FCW
FCW
Mohawk campaigns for breast cancer awareness
3
[Mohnton, Pa.] Racing for Autism — sponsored
by GTP International, the makers of FreeFit loose
laid luxury vinyl tile (LVT) — set a drag race
quarter mile world record last month while raising
$250,000 to help employ those living with autism.
The company donated the $250,000 generated
from its flooring sales and sponsorships of its
racing team to Devereux, a national non-profit network of clinics, education, employment, housing
and research programs committed to serving those
with autism. Devereux serves more than 20,000
patients annually in 11 states. (Pictured here
are two-time drag race work champion Frank
Hawley, left, and FreeFit CEO Dave Reichwein.)
·
10/9/13 5:19 PM
4
Resilient
LVT keeps it fresh
By Sharyn Bernard
Even though luxury vinyl tile (LVT) has
become the industry’s fastest growing category, suppliers continue to find more product niches and upgrade options to keep the
momentum going.
“There’s been a huge explosion in the
category and it’s ongoing,” said Yon Hinkle,
product manager for Armstrong. “We’ve seen
it take off in the commercial markets and it’s
gaining traction [beyond that]. It’s a combination of beauty and performance, which is
why it’s appealing to everyone from property
managers to main street consumers.”
The growth is “a combination of the
market discovering you can have the look of
Armstrong’s classic wood in its Luxe line.
the natural materials without all the maintenance drawbacks,” said Emil Mellow, vice
president of marketing for Karndean. And
with the economy still on a slow recovery,
consumers can get the looks they want for
more affordable prices, he added.
“The demand for resilient flooring is
strong and continues to increase,” said Angelina Cebrián, marketing communications
manager for IVC US, Inc. “LVT is taking
over the market.”
As the category has gained in popularity
and acceptance, suppliers have branched
out to provide more design and installation
options as well as line extensions aimed at
reaching a wider audience.
Designs in both sheet lines as well as lock-
Shaw features grey, large planks for a fashion
forward design.
Karndean's distressed wood
mirrors popular wood flooring trends.
Beaulieu’s Bliss line is reminiscent of stone.
popular in the U.S. market.
Beaulieu just entered the luxury vinyl
flooring (LVF) category with a variety of
on-trend designs including planks and tiles
that mimic natural stone.
Russ Rogg, president & CEO, Metroflor
Corp., pointed out that adding real grout
between tiles is also trending. “It creates an
appearance of depth and thickness, making it
all the more lifelike by evoking the visual and
tactile sensation of a natural floor,” he said.
Similarly in planks, contrasting grey tones in
exotic and traditional wood for texture and
life-like appearances are key designs.
Several manufacturers are updating and
significantly expanding lines, particularly as
a way to upsell consumers.
“We’re putting LVT at the forefront of our
focus,” Hinkle of Armstrong said. “We’ve
refreshed our base grade LVT, completely
revamped the offering on trade-up LVT and
ing systems for LVT have been continually
upgraded to mimic what’s selling best in
hardwood flooring.
A key seller is “realistic and authentic
looks,” said Hinkle of Armstrong, noting
that greys, taupes and handscrapes are on
top of the list.
Cindy Thornton, U.S.A. marketing
manager for BerryAlloc also said that deep,
realistic textures that portray stone, marble,
concrete and metal visuals, particularly in
shades of grey, are top sellers.
Another trend is large planks using
locking system LVTs. “We have extra large
planks that is a hot trend that not everyone
is able to produce,” said Niclas Håkansson,
chief executive officer of Välinge.
Cebrián of IVC US agreed. “Generally,
what’s hot in natural wood is what’s hot in
planks,” which includes larger planks, distressed wood and rustic looks. Although she
added that classic styles will continue to be
Continued on page 8
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© 2013 Burke Industries. Burke Flooring is registered trademarks of Burke Industries.
·
101413-pages.indd 4
·
WWW.FCW1.COM
October 14, 2013
10/9/13 10:15 AM
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10/3/13 3:58 PM
6
Mannington
Continued from page 1
Adura in residential, plus Amtico’s full line,
including its Spacia collection. “When we
make product in the U.S., we can turn orders
to ship in about 14 days,” he said. “When we
have a supply chain from an off shore source,
it takes about 16 week lead time. Trying to
provide exceptional service from offshore
makes it a challenge. Only way you can do it
with massive inventory levels and even then
you can’t speculate at an individual SKU level
for the entire range of product we offer.”
American made
The expansion will bring some 219 jobs to
the state of Georgia over the next few years,
jobs that are currently offshore.
“We have a highly skilled workforce in
Madison that has been doing LVT for a long
time and doing it well, with great quality and
great service,” said Grizzle. “The state of Georgia has the infrastructure, easy transportation,
a great port system through Savannah and
great logistics around Atlanta airport plus an
inexpensive and consistent power supply.”
In addition, Georgia offers its Quickstart
training program which provides free training to qualified businesses in the state. Quickstart develops customized programs that help
train employees throughout the organization
and is recognized as a world-class program
for employee training and development.
“Mannington’s decision to grow its business here in Georgia is a direct reflection on
the high quality of our workforce and the ease
of access we provide to its global markets,”
said Georgia Governor Nathan Deal.
“We are very excited, particularly for the
opportunity of fulfilling our legacy of being
dedicated to local communities and local economies and U.S. manufacturing jobs,” said Grizzle.
Going green
Building on the success of its LOOP reclamation and recycling system — for which the
company won a GreenStep Environmental
Award this year — Mannington will launch
what it thinks is the industry’s first take back
program for LVT. The company will reclaim
LVT and recycle it back into new LVT products
through a closed loop system. It is also exploring
several innovative options to further enhance its
position as an industry environmental leader.
Overseas expansion
Mannington further announced a major
expansion of Amtico’s United Kingdom
plant. Amtico operates in a slightly different
way overseas than here at home. Throughout the U.K., Amtico is a very well-known
manufacturer of high-design residential LVT
as well as a commercial supplier in both the
U.K. and throughout the Eurozone.
Grizzle said, “This is a great partnership.
Amtico brought us a skill base that is letting
us do this expansion here at home and we are
providing some capital they needed for their
expansion where we took their operations vertical as well as to onshore jobs back in the U.K.”
This expansion comes at a time when many
other industry leaders are also investing heavily
for the future and is reflective of Mannington’s
sense of strong pent-up demand and growth
ahead. (See FCW, Sept. 30, 2013.)
“Mannington is proud to be the leading LVT
manufacturer in the world, and this expansion
will further secure that position. We’re especially excited that we are expanding domestically, onshoring jobs from China and investing
in the U.S. economy,” said Grizzle. FCW FCW
Correction
Corrections
FCW
FCW
ITC’s decision still sticks
According to the Alliance for Free Choice
and Jobs in Flooring (AFCJF) one of the International Trade Commission’s (ITC) last
actions before the current government shutdown was to decline to reverse their earlier
decision to impose a dumping order on Chinese engineered flooring.
Jonathan Train, AFCJF president, said in a
statement, “In April the Alliance won our appeal
to the Court of International Trade. The Court
agreed that the ITC had not considered all the
facts when placing the dumping order on the
industry. They told the ITC to review the case
again but of course no one likes to being told
they were wrong. While the ITC did not change
its position, we at the Alliance believe that they
are still missing some key points. We are confident that the Court will agree and send it back
to the ITC to review again.”
In April of this year, the Court stated that
the Commission had done an insufficient economic analysis and an incomplete review of
the domestic industry when reaching its original decision and “thus the conclusion of material injury is not supported by substantial
evidence,” according to the court report. FCW
Correction
Corrections
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101413-pages.indd 6
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FCW
WWW.FCW1.COM
FCW
FCW
October 14, 2013
10/9/13 5:20 PM
Sizzling category . . . smoking styles.
SHAW RESILIENT.
Style: Urbanality - Broadway
PLANK | TILE | SHEET
carpet | area rugs | tile & stone | hardwood | laminate | resilient | shawfloors.com
10/7/13 3:22 PM
8
Resilient
I take the floor
BY
JONATHAN
TRIVERS
Just when you thought it was safe
J
ust when you thought it was safe to go
outside; just when you thought that tornadoes don’t go to New York; just when
...you thought the hurricane season was over;
just when you thought Home Depot and
Lowe’s had come to their senses and stopped
the totally phony and unprofessional give
away of the cost of carpet installation — it all
started up again.
For a short time there was hope. Home
Depot dropped their terrible carpet campaign and offered this — “Free Carpet Pad
Upgrade on Any Carpet Installation Over
$999.” Okay that makes sense. Sure it’s tame
compared to the old flim-flam but it helps
the conversation to be directed toward better
cushion and better carpet and it really helps
the overall gross profit.
Home Depot is now trying their installation
deal with laminate. In August 2013, Home
Depot offered, “$397 whole home basic installation on all special order laminate flooring.”
Yep, they are pricing the whole house deal —
but who do you know has put laminate in their
entire house? No one. Of course this special
installation price does not include picking up
and removing old flooring; it doesn’t include
moving furniture. Special order laminate only;
“eligible underlayment” only.
This deal smacks of the great carpet installation give-away but is, in fact, a promotion
that flooring retailers can match.
What great news for the industry — the big
box stores have gotten off the sour tasting “free
or almost free” marketing diet. Oops, not so fast.
Lowe’s is still on the carpet installation giveaway. What we find so odd is that they apply
it to the best brand in the U.S. — Stainmaster.
Oh yes, “free whole house carpet installation
on Stainmaster carpets only.” The promotion
lasts for more than four months — it becomes
the regular deal for Stainmaster!
Doesn’t this kind of deal sully the reputation of Stainmaster? If Stainmaster could
control the retail marketing of their brand at
the retail level would they tolerate this silliness? Not a chance.
And so it is not surprising that Lowe’s
is running 99 cents per square foot basic
installation fees for Pergo and Armstrong
laminate. Of course. The more expensive the
product and the higher the product quality,
the cheesier the promotion on installation.
What marketing class did we miss that
offered this as an intelligent way to promote
your expertise and professionalism? (And we
just looked one last time at Home Depot’s
flooring promotions and the great installation giveaway has come back. Ugh.)
These two companies need to go into rehab.
Kinda like the Lindsay-Lohan type; to break a
serious addiction of self-destructive behavior.
Lowe’s needs a full-on intervention. We will
just crash one of their executive retreats of key
flooring executives and drag them to the closest
rehab place. And here is a very good idea; one
of the presenters will be Steve Griffith from
Invista. He will tell these Lowe’s execs what he
has shared with Stainmaster aligned flooring
retailers, “Only 20 percent of consumers focus
on low price. We, as manufacturers and retailers, put a large amount of emphasis on price —
everything is commoditized and driven to the
lowest level. But 80 percent of consumers are
either focused on better quality, better performance or fashion. The problem is the industry
doesn’t act that way. There is a lot of money
being left on the table.”
And the world will be a safer place.
____________________________________
LVT
[supplier]," said David Reichwein, president and chief executive officer. "Our
product isn't perfect and can't be used in
every application but we continue to invest
in R&D to push the envelope of potential
uses.”
Shaw reported that it is also focusing on
add-on products in the category. “An area
we think is important is giving the customer
an opportunity to finish out her floor with
the proper trims and moldings,” said Clark
Hodgkins, resilient category manager. In
the past, resilient floors were finished with
metal moldings and while that is suitable
for commercial properties, “it is not acceptable in a residence,” he added.
Ease of installation of LVT is one of the
big advantages the category has, vendors
said, and they continue to improve both
floating and locking systems in the category.
Effectively marketing and communicating
these benefits is a key element in growing
the category.
“Sheet vinyl is like the Rodney Dangerfield of the industry,” in that it gets little
respect, Zeigler said. “As an industry, we
should do a better job of promoting the
benefits and looks,” from green angles to
upscale designs. “The industry would be
surprised that a little self-promotion will go
a long way.” FCW FCW
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doing alternative shapes and sizes.” As the
year progresses, the company is refreshing
its Luxe line as well as its Luxe Value line.
“We have to give the dealer something to
talk about,” he said.
Tarkett relaunched its LVT line as well
as added a high-end line called Premier and
added matching transitions in the same
looks. “It provides more upsell opportunities to upsell beyond a plank or a tile,” said
Bruce Zeigler, director of product management. In addition, Tarkett is focusing on its
coordinated design collection, offering the
same designs in LVT and in sheet for continuity. “That’s been a beef of consumers for
decades. They have to sacrifice design for a
budget.”
Jonathan Train, vice president of Earthwerks said that the company has seen "tremendous growth with our Aurora Loose
Lay collection,” a product the company has
been selling for 10 years. "We have been very
pleased with its performance and decided to
launch it in the USA earlier this year."
Some manufacturers approach the LVT
market with a niche strategy. FreeFit, for
example, "isn't the biggest or or cheapest
Correction
Corrections
·
101413-pages.indd 8
·
Jonathan Trivers, a regular contributor to
Floor Covering Weekly, is also the author of
the marketWise section of FCW’s Statistical
Report. When he’s not writing he’s talking to
flooring groups throughout the country and
Canada. jonathantrivers@gmail.com
FCW
WWW.FCW1.COM
FCW
October 14, 2013
10/9/13 10:16 AM
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10 Laminate
Retailers experience Tarkett iSelect’s benefits
By Brittany Walsh
Last year, Tarkett set out to create a program
that would address consumer questions and
make the overwhelming flooring selection
process a more enjoyable one when it introduced iSelect. Now, dealers are saying it
works well on the selling floor.
According to Bruce Ziegler, director
of residential product management at
Tarkett, iSelect is a comprehensive display system that responds to homeowner
and consumer needs. “The consumer can
sometimes be intimidated by the process of
choosing. No one in the industry has really
ever tried to address that,” Ziegler said.
“With iSelect, we are hitting all the key
points that consumers are telling us is their
main concern. There is tremendous value
in addressing those issues, and in doing so,
iSelect allows us to separate ourselves from
our competition and separate our dealers
from theirs.”
Blackburn Interiors of Winter Haven,
Fla. had iSelect installed in its showroom
just a couple of weeks ago and the dealer has
already built confidence in its results. Store
owner Brett Blackburn said, “I think it will
be very effective in our store. The different
variations of color schemes and the idea of
being able to easily match laminate, LVT
and Fiberfloor is a concept we think benefits
our target customers. We are very attracted
to the concept and hope it will do the same
for our customers.”
Tarkett piloted the iSelect program last
fall in the northeast to about 3,000 dealers
with very positive results. Although some
dealers with designers in-house said they
preferred a more personalized, one-on-one
approach when working with customers,
many without that luxury said iSelect’s
display and brochures instantly add design
credibility to the store’s sales associates.
“We started using the iSelect program
around four to five months ago,” said Kristin Smith of the family owned Chuck Smith
Flooring in Leechburg, Pa. “We think it
helps out a lot with providing the customers
different options. Recently, beiges and greys
have been popular amongst our customers,
so the color palettes are helpful in showing
them the different kinds of flooring available
in that color scheme.”
Tarkett’s research for iSelect started out
with an online community of around 400
men and women between
the ages of 21 and 40 and
lasted about six months.
“Many people equate
shopping for flooring to
car shopping in that it is
intimidating and a lot of
times the buyer is unsure
or not confident in their
ultimate purchase,” he
said. “Buying flooring is
not an impulse buy, so
when a customer walks iSelect’s display system helps consumers with the selection process.
into your store, she has
already put a lot of thought into the pur- or Fiberfloor,” Ziegler said.
iSelect also markets accessories that coorchase. What she needs help with is what’s
the right type of floor for her needs and dinate with the flooring choices available in
how she will coordinate her new floors from each palette. In doing so, the company aims
to provide another opportunity for its dealroom to room.”
iSelect provides the consumer with six er’s to upsell their flooring sales.
“When that happens, everyone wins,”
different color palettes of different flooring options and accessories to help the said Ziegler. “In the past, you could really
consumer seamlessly coordinate the floors only upsell on carpet. With other kinds of
flooring it used to be an ‘it is what it is’
throughout her house.
“The program allows for a coordinated mentality, but now there are so many
transition between flooring in the home. We opportunities to add value to a consumer’s
show them how the color scheme is avail- purchase and iSelect helps bring it to their
able in luxury vinyl tile (LVT) or laminate attention.” FCW FCW
Correction
Corrections
FCW
Schönox Roll and Go™
An elevated approach to lvt installation
Schönox Roll and Go™ includes a rollable acrylic adhesive for use with
luxury vinyl tile applied from a standing position. The product comes as an
integrated kit containing everything that is needed. Floor installation can
begin fifteen minutes after application. Tiles are bound immediately and
can be walked on and bear loads right away.
Start with a smooth, sound subfloor. Don’t have that? We’ve got you covered. Open the kit.
Roll on Schönox KH Fix. Roll on the adhesive. Install LVT floor tile. On to the next job.
HPS North America,Inc.
The Schönox Provider
FCW
Karndean
their margins and the call-back on our stuff
is minimal — very few claims. The wearlayer
is good; the product that goes out is good.”
Part of the company’s growth strategy is a
move into the South American market. There,
because the residential market is “tough to
tackle,” according to Mellow, it goes through
distribution. “We are opening up that marketplace. There is a huge uptick there,” he said.
Karndean Designflooring’s business is
supported by three domestic facilities that
house both showrooms and warehouse space
— all have a similar footprint as well as the
facility in the U.K. and other worldwide locations. Here in Export, it is 60,000 square feet;
in Dallas it is about 80,000 square feet and in
Vegas, it is 40,000 square feet. “Everything
comes into these three locations. We are
committed to stocking product.”
Another part of the company’s strategy
was a name change earlier this year —
changing from Karndean International to
Toll Free: 855.391.2649
www.hpsubfloors.com
This visual is from the Opus collection.
·
·
WWW.FCW1.COM
October 14, 2013
10/9/13 5:20 PM
Laminate
11
Armstrong aims for ‘wow’ factor
[Lancaster, Pa.] Armstrong’s new Architectural Remnants delivers multiple sizes and
mixed species visuals in rustic planks all in a
single box — the type of thing that can only
be done with laminate flooring, according to
Milton Goodwin, vice president of wood and
laminate, Armstrong.
“It wouldn’t be impossible, but extremely
impractical to do with real wood,” he said. “Even
if someone was willing to attempt to reclaim
these various species in an antiquated format,
it would be very difficult to offer them together.
Even more so in changing widths. Each species
of real wood would behave differently.”
Available in 3 inch, 5 inch and 7 inch
widths of 12mm planks, a single installation
of Architectural Remnants features a wide
range of color and texture due to the many
species being represented at any one time,
according to Sara Babinski, principle laminate floor designer, Armstrong.
“We found our prototypes in old churches,
barns in the countryside, shuttered city warehouses and salvage yards,” she said.
Armstrong likens the response to Architectural Remnants to that received by its
high-gloss Grand Illusions collection introduced back in 2007. “The ‘wow factor’ is on par
with Grand Illusions,” Goodwin said. “It’s one
of those designs you love or you don’t. There is
no in-between because the visual is so striking.”
The collection features multiple-widths and
multiple species all in one single box. It also
features Armstrong’s Lock & Fold installation
system and a new HydraCore, which dampens
sound transmission, according to Goodwin.
John Allen, director of Armstrong product
at South Carolina-based William M. Bird,
noted, “The different species, the combination of colors and the oil-finished appearance
all put this new introduction in a class completely by itself.”
The unique nature of Architectural Remnants will prevent it from being shopped — or
easily replicated, according to Eric Mondragon, hard surface buyer for Salt Lake City,
Utah-based RC Willey Home Furnishings.
“Architectural Remnants gives the customer
Correction
Corrections
Armstrong’s Architectural Remnants
an opportunity to buy a laminate that doesn't
look like a traditional laminate floor,” he said.
“It has the look of a true reclaimed and skip
saw hardwood.” FCW FCW
FCW
w e
a r e
t h e
m a r k e t
l e a d e r
i n
r e a l i s m
FCW
b e c au s e
Karndean’s facilities include showrooms, office
space, warehouse space and more.
Karndean Designflooring. It was just one
indicator of the company’s sharp focus.
“Karndean didn’t mean anything.
Designflooring automatically tells people
what we do and it is because it is more than
just flooring, it’s choices. The cool thing
now is that LVT has broken the barrier —
people aren’t afraid of LVT anymore. And
we’ve been doing this for 40 years and have
been around the block a bit. Our philosophy
is we will not compromise our quality. We
are not gonna have a race to the bottom and
not go into the big box and discount it to the
point of hurting our retail business and that
is just not what we are going to do.” FCW FCW
residential & commercial
the broadest line
most styling awards
more installation Options
One retail display system
unlimited looks
Correction
Corrections
FCW
October 14, 2013
ma n n i ng to n. co m 1.800.3 56.6787
FCW
WWW.FCW1.COM
·
·
10/9/13 5:21 PM
12 Tile & Stone
Technology drives tile to new heights
High-definition ink jet technology has
changed the way tile is designed.
The digital printing allows tile manufacturers to make tiles that so closely resemble
natural materials like marble and wood that it
has opened a whole new world of opportunity.
“Ink-jet technology has changed the
game in terms of being able to provide rich,
realistic graphics with lots of movement and
depth,” said Nicole Kelly, marketing director
for Vitromex.
The company offers this technology on
both porcelain and red-body tile.
“We’re very excited about our red-body
ink-jet lines, Miramar, Captiva, and Orion,”
Kelly said. “These series offer looks such as
marble, linear travertine and rustic stone with
so much variation and movement but at a price
point that is extremely attractive to the builder
market. We have ink-jet in multiple produc-
tion facilities, which give us a lot of flexibility
when planning new product introductions.”
To create the tiles a design is scanned and
edited as needed. The digital image is then
transferred to an inkjet printer where a printer
duplicates the image onto the surface of the tile.
This technology allows manufacturers
to print any kind of tile, including relief
tiles with raised designs. Inkjet speeds up
production up to five times faster than pre-
It’s Nice to Fool
Mother Nature
Marazzi’s Perseo emulates
the look of natural marble.
vious technologies, and the printing can be
changed during the manufacturing process
for more design versatility and adjustments.
“Over the past few years we have been able
to get very sophisticated looks that have a lot
of nuance in terms of veining, which makes
it very hard to discern whether a product
is porcelain or stone,” said Lori Kirk-Rolly,
senior director of marketing for Daltile.
Daltile’s Florentine collection, which emulates the look of crema marfil, uses depth of
color, veining and a slight chisel to its edge to
create a realistic look of the popular marble.
Another benefit to digital printing is more
graphic variety from tile to tile. Tile makers
used to have a limited number of patterns
and graphics, which could be identified
within one installation. Now, areas as large as
30 x 30-square feet can have no repetition in
graphics, which adds to the natural- or random-looking variation of each installation.
Florida Tile’s Tides collection is a glazed
porcelain that uses high definition printing
to create the look of linear travertine or limestone, called Georgette.
“In its natural form, this look is a stunning
linear play of tone-on-tone colors, which
creates the contemporary appearance,” said
Sean Cilona, marketing director for Florida
Tile. “As a Florida Tile porcelain product,
Tides is far stronger, more versatile, and
easier to maintain than stone, meaning that
it can go virtually anywhere.”
High-definition inkjet technology allows tile
makers to create product with three-dimensional qualities. In the past, a raised pattern
could not project more than 1/16th of an inch
from the tile surface, but today tile pattern can
project as much as a half-inch, creating effects
that are visible from across a room. Lighting
changes the look and sheen of these tiles
throughout the day, which offers another way
to influence the look and feel of space.
Porcelanosa has introduced many tiles in
2013 that play with texture and relief. For
example, organic inspiration is found in the
Oxo Garden collection, which from a distance looks like wallpaper of autumn leaves.
As you get closer, however, you realize it is
actually tile that uses reliefs to give realism
and depth to the pattern. FCW FCW
Correction
Florida Tile has been consistently setting the standard for some of the
most advanced technologies in tile production and eco-friendly standards for many years now. Our belief is: What we design & manufacture should inspire creativity. Porcelain tile should be strong yet
beautiful, sustainable and a great value that will last for years to come.
Our line of HDP High Definition Porcelain like MagnoliaHDP & MingleHDP
bring our attention for detail to the surface. From slate, wood and
marble look tiles, we produce a finished product that is both beautiful
and responsible. For more information visit our website.
Corrections
MINGLE &
MAGNOLIAHDP BY
HDP ®
FCW
®
FCW
expect more
www.floridatile.com
High definition printing creates a realistic
travertine in Florida Tile’s Tides collection.
FCW 2013 Oct 22.indd 1
·
·
9/25/13 2:31 PM
WWW.FCW1.COM
October 14, 2013
10/9/13 10:17 AM
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Spin&Win2014.indd 8
10/9/13 12:04 PM
14 Tile & Stone
New frontiers for stone
Natural stone, which has long been used for
countertops, floors and backsplashes, is experiencing a renaissance thanks to new applications
and a wider appreciation of its natural variation.
“Granite has always been the bulk of the
volume of stone installations because it is
so versatile,” said Lori Kirk-Rolley, Dal-Tile
senior marketing director. “You are always
going to have interiors like kitchens, bathrooms and entryways that are a primary usage
driver for stone, but we are seeing an increased
use of stone outside and other living spaces.”
For those who like the raw beauty of stone
cliffs in nature, stacked stone or ledger panels
are a creative way to add texture, color variation
and depth to surfaces throughout the home.
“Ledger panels are definitely being
utilized in many interior applications
where before they were exclusively used
outdoors,” said Manny Llerena, director
of sales and marketing for stone importer
and distributor MS International. “We
have a wide variety of colors; and because
we source products from all over the
world, many are very vibrant and colorful.”
Ledger panels have a variety of applications.
The irregular texture and liner shape makes
them a good fit for fireplaces, backsplashes,
as a facade of an outdoor kitchen area, or an
accent the exterior of a home.
Stone veneers are also being used to dress up
traditional architectural columns — sometimes
a necessary design evil — into something worth
noticing. The decorative product can help hide
metal and wood porch columns, basement columns and pillars throughout the interior and
exterior of the home.
“We clad columns, and it is amazing how
well the stone product works
on round columns even when
installed in pretty tight radiuses,”
Kirk-Rolley said.
Of course, stone continues to
enjoy high demand for flooring
and backsplash applications.
“There is certainly a pretty big
market for stone, and there are
lots of variations from what I’ll call
the classic stones to the exotic,”
Kirk-Rolley said. “Stone has so
much personality, and people
who are interested in stone tend Ledger panels, which have traditionally used outdoors,
to know that upfront. They go out have been brought inside.
looking for the perfect stone.”
Mirroring the trends seen in porcelain shower enclosures. Splitface stone mosaics,
tile, the traditional squares in 1 x 1, up to 6 interlocking mini bricks, beveled stone tiles
x 6 sizes are giving way to rectangular shapes and very thin “penciled” bamboo tiles, Llerand larger sizes, such as 12 x 24, which are ena said, are also popular.
“In travertines there is a big shift to patterns,
becoming more sought after in stone. In
addition, stone and stone blend mosaics moving away from basic square sizes to patterns
are go-to statements for backsplashes and of all colors and multiple sizes,” he added. FCW
Correction
Corrections
FCW
Dal-Tile’s new digital initiatives
Social media continues
to rise in importance
for businesses that are
using it to generate new
leads and drive traffic to
their websites. Dal-Tile
has been active on social
for several years — the
company Facebook page David Warren
launched in 2008 and
embraced it as a strategic focus in 2012.
“There is a finite set of manufacturers in this
space,” said David Warren, Dal-Tile’s digital
marketing manager. “If we jump into the conversations and can bring some brand equity
across the social channels, we start to drive
traffic back to where they can make selections.”
At any given point, the Dal-Tile team is
operating 65 independent digital initiatives,
Warren said. “Digital is going to be a focus for
us as we move forward and continue to drive
innovation in our area for the next five years.”
The digital team has spent 2013 molding
the company “voice” and developing a solid
content strategy. Amanda Stewart, digital
marketing project coordinator, now spends
80 percent of her time planning and executing these digital strategies.
“We are working really hard to try to close
the loop on ROI,” Warren said. “A lot of
people talk about return on engagement, but
at the end of the day we need to justify why
we are here. We need to see how much traffic
is coming in from our social pages.”
Content on the social pages is visually
driven, providing new product and trend
information, and interesting projects. Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are also timeline
driven, so the content is more immediately
relevant to trends and news.
Dal-Tile launched accounts on Pinterest,
the pinboard-style photo sharing website,
and Houzz.com, a website of design ideas
and inspiration, in early 2012, where the
team posts more timeless content.
“On Houzz, if you search our hashtag
[#daltile], you will find 1,200 or 1,300 photos
posted by other parties; It’s the ultimate
referral,” Warren said.
Dal-Tile launched an Instagram account
in August, backfilling it with content that new
users could explore for design ideas. Warren
said they decided to devote resources to the
online photo- and video-sharing social media
site because many of their target customers
had migrated from Facebook to Instagram.
A large number of Dal-Tile’s social followers
are dealers and tile contractors, but the company
is also starting to create content that can be consumed further downstream for the consumer.
“Our big buying groups follow us and
they distribute our content downstream to
customers,” Warren said.
The Dal-Tile team closely monitors engagement, such as comments, likes and shares, to
see which types of posts are resonating with
the audience. They are also tracking times of
day that the posts get the most engagement.
While evenings and lunchtime is popular
among Dal-Tile’s followers, Warren says a
majority of social media content is consumed
on the weekend, but that is also the least pop-
FCW
FCW
Dal-Tile uses Twitter for news and other
company announcements.
ular time that brands publish.
In the coming year, Warren said Dal-Tile
will use social in ways that connect online product research and inspiration with e-commerce
and brick-and-mortar retailers.
“We are changing the way we are thinking about our online environment; we want
to connect our customers to that online or
offline retailer to help them move forward,”
Warren said.
— Tanja Kern
American Olean launches new website, mobile app
Americanolean.com features large visuals and
many tools to simplify product selection.
[Dallas] American Olean has launched
a redesigned website, americanolean.com,
and mobile app for iOS and Android devices
intended to inspire design and make tile
selection easier.
“The new American Olean website is
going to bring about a drastic change from
where we are today with the brand,” said
David Warren, Dal-Tile’s manager of digital
marketing and ecommerce.
The new website takes inspiration from
websites like houzz.com, which provides
homeowners with design inspiration,
trend information and access to design and
building professionals. “Big imagery, lots of
visualizations — we are also trying to take
ownership of the screen,” Warren said.
The site features residential and commercial galleries, a tile tabulator, room visualizer,
mosaic pattern designer and virtual catalogs.
In addition, customers can search for American Olean retailers in their area.
The mobile app provides interactive catalogs that are designed to help customers
select the best natural stone products for
residential and commercial needs. A digital
reinterpretation of physical product catalogs
in flipbook style, the full product line is dis-
Correction
Corrections
·
·
played in one catalog and another will feature
products introduced in the current year.
“The customer journey over the past three
years has changed dramatically, and digital
is playing a larger part,” Warren said. “We
are seeing that customers today are consistently doing 80 percent of the shopping as
far as inspiration online. Only 20 percent of
purchases are happening on websites, and
American Olean wants to play a larger part in
that product selection.”
In 2014, American Olean plans to take
the leap to link mobile app and website to
ecommerce. FCW FCW
FCW
WWW.FCW1.COM
FCW
October 14, 2013
10/9/13 10:17 AM
INSPIRATION AWAITS
AT DALTILE
®
Daltile offers a vast and impressive tile and stone selection inspired by the
most popular styles and designs of today. Choose from gorgeous and diverse
palettes of hues, shapes and looks that deliver with incredible performance.
Make a statement with the Forest Park™ collection from Daltile. From velvety
and delicate to robust and dark, choose from six striking colors to transform
your space.
For more inspiration visit us at DALTILE.COM.
Photo features Forest Park™ Color Body™ Porcelain.
© 2013 Dal-Tile Corporation
DESIGN WITH CONFIDENCE
TM
C E R A M I C | P O R C E L A I N | G L A S S & M E TA L | N AT U R A L S TO N E | Q U A RT Z
A Division of Mohawk Industries
10/7/13 3:20 PM
16 Wood
The finish line: Wood wins
with performance products
By Brittany Walsh
While hardwood floors are seen as a longterm investment, they are actually quite susceptible to wear and tear over time. Today, the
industry addresses consumers’ expectations
by offering finishes that focus on everything
ished. The aim of a finish is to Mullican’s San Marco Collection
increase durability,” said Kevin features the Claritage Extra finish.
Thompson, hardwood category
manager at Shaw.
PPG Industries, a leading coatings and speBrian Greenwell, vice president of sales cialty products company, was to ensure that
and marketing at Mullican, said Mullican’s consumers get the highest possible value for
goal in providing Claritage Extra Finish by their investment. “Mullican wanted a finish
that not only met the needs of consumers
in offering durability and gloss longevity,
but retained the appearance of the flooring’s
natural features,” he said.
Many manufacturers base the productivity
of a finish on Taber Abrasion Tests that measure how many revolutions it takes to wear
through to raw wood.
According to Max Windsor, DuraMax
was developed to appeal to customers who
want the look of oil finishes, but without the
dulling and disappearing properties. “Oil
has virtually zero durability and will register
fewer than five cycles on a Taber Abrasion
Test versus hundreds of cycles when the
plank is coated with DuraMax,” said Fernando Ornelas, national sales manager at
Max Windsor.
But the Taber Abrasion Test doesn’t tell the
whole story, according to Milton Goodwin,
vice president of hardwood products at Armstrong. The results of this test do not address
what consumers most often complain about,
which is dulling and scratching, he said.
1st to develop and promote a full line of nature’s
“Our nano coating is unique in that it
offering, bringing rustic and chalet looks to the front
provides significant resistance to dulling and
of Canadian manufacturing
scratching which is what consumers see. Taber
1st to implement a comprehensible sample program
for the Architect and Design community with
doesn’t address what people see,” Goodwin
the Inspiration Box
said. “We utilize a comprehensive coating
1st soy-based factory-finished flooring to be
system, not just finishes or coatings. This
awarded the GREENGUARD Children and
provides a very clear and smooth finish versus
Schools certification
typical aluminum oxide (AO) finishes that can
st
1 to introduce soy-based eco and health-friendly
be dull and bumpy.”
factory finish
All of Armstrong’s solid and engineered
1st to implement the industry’s most comprehensive
grade guidelines
coating systems utilize AO to help preserve
1st to implement a real customer choice with the
the hardwood from abrasion or wear through.
Design+ Program
Armstrong’s popular Performance Plus prod1st to offer a 5-year light commercial warranty on
ucts utilizes AO within the coating system as
a urethane finish
well as a nano particle top coat that increases
1st to combine enhanced durability with non-yellowing
the resistance to scratching and staining.
and antimicrobial coating
Many of today’s finishes are a custom
st
1 to control all aspects of production with our
blend of ingredients which manufacturers
dedicated sawmill
use to achieve a specific performance and
1st to apply u.v.-cured urethane
appearance. According to Ornelas at Max
1st to factory finish hardwood flooring
Windsor, individual wood mills desire
Board by board, we continue to set the standard.
certain properties above others, such as
Be the wood flooring leader in your market.
Call 1.866.448.1785 today.
from performance and durability to environmental standards and cosmetic appeal.
“Hardwood flooring is one of the more
expensive choices and people want it to last
a long time. Even the new and improved
floors can dull out over time and people
feel like they need to have them refin-
Introducing the first
soy-based, eco
and health-friendly
factory-finished
flooring!
mercierwoodflooring.com
Armstrong’s Performance Plus
in Canyon Manor Birch.
·
·
WWW.FCW1.COM
October 14, 2013
10/9/13 10:17 AM
Wood
17
Shaw’s ScufResist stands the test of time
Kevin Thompson, hardwood category manager at Shaw, said the company’s ScufResist
provides an extra layer of protection in the
top coat of the finish but does so without
making the finish cloudy. “[ScufResist]
gives the hardwood floor a crisp, clean finish
without it looking delustered. It also keeps
your floors shiny and looking good even
under high traffic conditions,” he said.
Hardwood floors are a natural and durable
product but over time, they are vulnerable
to scuffs and scrapes. Shaw’s ScufResist is
extremely wear-resistant, with a UV-cured
polyurethane finish containing aluminum
oxide, and is designed to resist household
scuffing, according to the company.
Thompson said Shaw is careful not to
oversell or embellish on what the product
delivers protection against. “It will not
prevent natural things from happening to
the floor like denting. In fact, having a very
naturally lived on look is one of the great
selling points for hardwood flooring. But
from an everyday standpoint, ScufResist has
tremendous benefits,” he said.
Although ScufResist was launched about
three years ago, today it is still one of the most
prominent selling points of any flooring category for Shaw. “ScufResist has really been a
game-changer for us. With bottomless amounts
of flooring choices out today for consumers to
consider, this gives us a tangible value for Shaw
Shaw’s ScufResist Platinum
hardwood,” Thompson said. FCW FCW
Correction
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Mohawk’s ArmorMax
meets the challenge
Paij Thorn-Brooks, senior marketing director for Mohawk hard surfaces, said that
when consumers are researching hardwood
flooring, they are looking for beauty, durability and easy maintenance. The company
has met that challenge with its ArmorMax
finish. “Mohawk has answered this challenge with our exclusive ArmorMax plus
Scotchgard Protector Advanced Repel
Technology,” Thorn-Brooks said.
Harry Bogner, senior vice president of
hardwood, Mohawk, added that ArmorMax is a proprietary finish that is applied
to the board or the flooring. “Over time,
as the floor is lived on, you might see the
stain begin to fade and you end up seeing
raw wood. The ArmorMax finish protects
the floor from having that occur as quickly
as our competition. And it’s up to five
times more resistant to that occurring,”
he said.
According to the company, the Scotchgard technology, exclusive to Mohawk,
offers hardwood the best protection against
spills, stains and soil buildup. It gives new
hardwood floors maximum protection by
preventing most dirt and spills — even paint
and permanent marker — from adhering,
while also preventing day-to-day grit and
grime from bonding to the floor and building up, the company reported.
“With the combination of ArmorMax
and Scotchgard, we have durability and we
have cleanability that is basically unmatched
in the market place,” said Bogner.
He also added that ArmorMax has
evolved over time. The finish was first
available on solid wood oak. “What we
ended up doing was expanding that to
maple and hickory on solid wood, and
then about a year ago we launched the
same finish onto our engineered products,” said Bogner. “I think history will tell
you that most likely you will see it come out
on some of our other products. The natural
progression for us would be to look to put it
onto some of our textured products.”
— Megan Salzano
October 14, 2013
WWW.FCW1.COM
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10/9/13 10:18 AM
18 Wood
Mercier focuses on going green
Three years ago, Mercier teamed up with its
finish supply partner with the goal of differentiating themselves in the marketplace.
The company hoped to give architects and
designers a product that would contribute to
LEED credits and provide a “green” option.
Today, Mercier has discontinued the use
of petroleum-based oils and replaced them
with soy bean or vegetable oils. All Mercier
products have been tested by Greenguard,
an independent third party organization.
All products passed the certification and
were found to be exceptionally safe for volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions.
“Everyone can say their finish is safe, but
now we have ours that are independently
and third party certified by a very strict
level of testing,” Mike McReavy, Mercier’s
director of training and product sourcing
said, adding that the finish — launched
in 2010 — was a “bigger step and bigger
investment” for Mercier.
Since then, McReavy said Mercier
products have experienced “tremendous
popularity” with a rise of 20 percent in
new business this year due to customers
seeking out green products.
The new formula also encompasses the
benefits of zero VOC content, hypoallergenic, antimicrobial, improved wear resistance, a 35-year comprehensive warranty,
and lastly, it is available in all species, colors
and finishes.
The transition to the Greenguard certified product was not without challenges.
McReavy said that the certification took a
little while to be understood in the marketplace. To help with the education process,
Mercier hosted an online training system
for customers, which featured a secure site
with updated information on the company’s product line. The company also devel-
oped a new marketing campaign to push
its message to customers, which included
revamping the company’s point of purchase displays, brochures and website.
McReavy said that many people now
understand the meaning and worth of the
finish. “It speaks to the average consumer,
architect and designer. There’s no need to
look any further once you decide indoor air
is important,” he added.
The new formula does not alter the clear,
smooth look of the finish. The Greenguard
certified finish has a soft, clear and smooth
surface, allowing the look of the wood to
shine through. It does not add any texture to
the wood, where other industrial finishes can
sometimes leave the perception of sandmixed looking varnish. FCW FCW
Correction
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FCW
Virga
employees on payroll and about 48 sub-contractors working as installers.”
Big Bob’s strategy fits. “As a franchise
organization, Big Bob’s makes a lot of suggestions but doesn’t have a lot of ‘have to’s.’
They give a lot of help, but don’t charge a lot.
It’s a great program that works,” Virga stated.
Working directly in the stores, dealing
with customers and solving everyday problems has helped Virga get back to basics. “It
has reminded me of what it takes to get things
done. It is easy to forget the effort it takes to
execute. It has re-affirmed for Joe and I that
we can execute our beliefs and see that our
core values and principles apply.”
Virga has two essential values. The first is
excellent customer service. “We delight in
our customers and blow their expectations
away,” Virga said. “We want to treat our customers the way we want to be treated.”
His second imperative is, “Take care of
your employees. If you treat them well, they
will treat the customer well. Make sure they
understand your values and then let them
make decisions. Too many rules turn off staff.
We have no policy book. Our rules are simple
and important. Take care of the customers.
Do what you say. Treat installers with respect.
No stealing,” he explained.
Virga has skewed his Big Bob’s showrooms
more to the middle market. Achieving a
‘wow’ factor with more than a million dollars
of stock at every store, Big Bob’s NE offers
a full range of flooring. “Carpet is about 30
percent of sales, hardwood is second with a
huge amount of pre-finished sold wood sold
and LVT is hot,” Virga said.
Taking advantage of Big Bob’s corporate
agency for its advertising, Virga said, “We are on
TV 33 weeks a year now and are expanding to
40. We have promotions. We believe in marketing. The Internet is a powerful tool,” he stressed.
Virga’s rapid growth strategy does have
its challenges. “Capital can be a challenge
and staffing is a challenge,” he noted, adding,
“Finding the right people was harder for the
fourth store.”
With experience in every aspect of the retail
flooring business, Joe and Vinnie are bullish on
the future. “We see a great deal of growth in the
flooring category and believe we will continue
to earn share from competitors like the big box
stores and the liquidators as well as traditional
flooring retailers,” Virga said. “We fully intend
to establish 30 or more stores in New England
and Upstate New York and we’re looking for
great people — if you’re interested.”
Virga’s experience in the flooring industry
began with his Father at Discount Furniture
and Rug Liquidators, and includes working
at Carpet Giant, Marvin Berlin’s New York
Carpet World, serving as the president of
Flooring America. Ultimately, he served as
senior vice president of Retail Groups at CCA
Global Partners, overseeing Carpet One,
Flooring America, IDG and The Bike Group
before leaving the corporate world to launch
his own Big Bob’s Flooring Outlet. FCW FCW
Correction
Corrections
FCW
Q3
ters consumer-sentiment index had its lowest
reading since April. I
In August, home permits increased by only
5.4 percent after rising more than 20 percent
over the first seven months of 2013. Builders
sharply cut permit gains as the supply of unsold
homes began to rise in July and continued to
increase in August. Rising interest rates also
reduced the gains in existing home sales. The
decline in existing home sales growth, however,
has not been as sharp as for new homes since
existing home prices have not increased as
sharply as those for new home prices.
The rise in interest rates, however, will not
lead to a new decline in flooring sales. Catalina
estimates the rise in interest rates will result in
industry growth only moderating to historical
norms of 5 percent in dollars and 4 percent in
square feet. In fact, Catalina forecasts fourth
quarter manufacturer sales growth in dollars of
5.6 percent and square foot gains of 3.9 percent.
A significant change could be the industry’s increased reliance on retail channels
as the household replacement market gains
additional strength while new housing starts
slow. This trend can be seen in building
material retailer sales trends. The building
material retail channel, which is dominated
by home centers, experienced a 12 percent
gain in total sales in July 2013. This is up from
an 8.4 percent increase in the second quarter
and flat sales in the first quarter. This channel
is gaining strength as rising home prices lead
to stronger remodeling spending growth. The
residential replacement market is expected to
gain even more importance due to the continued sluggishness in commercial markets.
Over the first three quarters of 2013, private nonresidential construction spending
increased by only about 2 percent over the
first three quarters of 2013. Meanwhile public
building construction spending declined as
governments reduce spending to cut deficits.
The growing importance of the residential
replacement market has resulted in stronger
gains in carpet and area rug sales since carpet
and area rug manufacturers have a relatively
high dependence on residential replacement
sales. Changing consumer tastes, however, have
resulted in significant inroads by hard surface
flooring in the residential replacement market.
Some of the strongest inroads have been
made by ceramic tile, resilient flooring, and
wood flooring. The ceramic tile, resilient
flooring and wood flooring sectors have all
experienced double-digit dollar sales gains
during 2013. These sectors have also benefited
from the sharp gains in new home construction over the past year.
Carpet and area rugs’ leading share is estimated to have declined to 50.9 percent in dollars and 55.7 percent in square feet in the third
quarter of 2013. This is down from 51.8 percent
and 56.5 percent, respectively, in the first quarter of 2012. These products are not only combating changing consumer tastes, but must
contend with increased competition from lowcost hard surface flooring products. FCW FCW
The finish line
elasticity, hardness, durability, moisture
resistance, stain resistance and environmental impact.
“From an environmental perspective, DuraMax is a water-based material with urethane
and aluminum oxide content and has earned a
zero rating for emissions,” Ornelas said.
Mercier’s Generations Greenguard certified finish takes going green a step further
— it is formulated from 100 percent pure
soy bean. “That means we have replaced
part of the oil product previously used with
eco-friendly material,” said Michel Collin,
director of marketing, Mercier. “It’s a crystal clear finish. You are able to see the grain
of the wood through the finish.”
Mohawk’s ArmorMax focuses on solving
issues of cleanability and wear resistance to
provide a hardwood floor that is high performing and easy to maintain. At this year’s
National Association of Home Builder’s
International Business Show, ArmorMax
was awarded Best of Show Indoor Feature.
“The premium wear finish works
in tandem with Scotchgard Protector
Advanced Repel Technology to provide
the industry’s most durable coating system
and stain-resistant finish available today
for hardwood floors,” said Tammy Perez,
senior brand manager for hard surfaces at
Mohawk. “Research shows that ArmorMax’s advanced abrasion resistance is up
to five times more wear-resistant than other
leading hardwood finishes.”
Most manufacturers agreed that the
ultimate goal of a finish is to use less oil
product, increase the lifetime of the flooring and ease the maintenance.
Perez said that a quality hardwood
flooring finish should give the homeowner
confidence to enjoy everyday life on her
hardwood floor. “Scotchguard also prevents day-to-day grit and grime from
bonding to the floor and building up,
making cleaning easier and keeping the
floor looking newer, longer.” FCW FCW
Correction
Correction
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FCW
October 14, 2013
10/9/13 5:22 PM
Carpet & Area Rugs
Selling carpet like the top RSAs do
By Janet Herlihy
Selling carpet is as much an art as a science.
Extensive product knowledge is a given, but
the ability to connect with customers is perhaps even more important.
With seven showrooms in the Phoenix,
Ariz., area, Phil Koufidakis, president of
Baker Bros, knows a lot about retail sales
associates (RSAs). To be a better RSA, Koufidakis, advised, “Listen more and talk less.
Really great sales people solve problems, and
the only way you’ll know the problem is if
you ask questions and listen to the answers.”
RSAs must know the products and know
their showrooms. “Then you can take the customer to the right product relatively quickly,”
Koufidakis said. “Ask questions: Why are you
replacing the floor? What do you like?”
Keep the conversation focused on the
customer. “Sometimes we’re too busy talking
about what we know to hear the consumer say
what they want,” Koufidakis stressed. “Consumers want to feel that you appreciate their
business and that you have their best interests
at heart. Because of Baker Bros’ reputation,
consumers come to us as the flooring experts.”
One of the best RSA’s at Fred’s CarpetsPlus,
Torrance, Calif., establishes trust, according
to Jerry Butler, co-owner and president of the
two-store operation. “He listens and also has
a way of asking for the order without putting
pressure on the customer. His close rate is
great,” said Butler. “He is sincere. He has a lot of
experience and helps put the consumer at ease.
He empathizes with the consumer.”
Stepping up
“Stepping up to a more expensive/better
product is more difficult, but you do want
to give the customer step up options,” said
Koufidakis. “Everybody wants the best they
can afford.”
Starting with the higher priced products
can be a good strategy, according to Butler.
“Our best RSA always starts with nicer products but if it’s too high, he can move them to
a less expensive product,” he noted.
Unique ways to reach the consumer
At the Chase Flooring Group’s four showrooms in the Austin, Texas area, RSAs are
advised to first get the consumer to open up
and feel comfortable, according to Chris Chase,
co-owner and vice president of the 21-year-old
business. “It’s like a blind date. You have a few
minutes to make an impression. I advise my
sales staff to get a local paper every day so they
know what’s going on in the area,” Chase said.
“You want to be able to make a connection and
then, once you’ve established a rapport, you can
find out what they need for flooring.”
Chase believes in finding new ways to get
customers into the stores. “Each of our RSAs
must join a network organization so they
can be meeting people in the community. If
you’re not growing, you’re dying,” he said.
In September, the company opened a new
showroom in Bee Cave, just outside Austin,
and added a bar where the customer can get
beer, wine, soft drinks, water and popcorn for
free. “We want to sit someone down and talk.
The bar is there to encourage conversation
— an icebreaker. Then we get back to what
they came in for and they are buying from
someone they know. We find out about them
and what they need,” he explained.
It’s key to match product to customer. Chase
explained, “We find out how big the house is.
I will ask a consumer how much the house is
worth, because they may think they want laminate but if it’s a $600,000 home, that flooring
isn’t a good match with that house. And the
consumer probably hasn’t thought about that.”
As the construction industry recovers, Chase
has a way to give builders added reason to stop
by too. “A lot of our builder clients don’t have
an office. They work out of their pickup trucks.
We offer them the use of our showroom. They
can meet a customer here to pick out flooring
and if they need a quiet place to make a call,
they can do that here too,” he said. FCW FCW
Correction
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Shaw finds new frontiers for rugs
[New York] Consumer shifts, emerging
markets and a sure recovery are creating
opportunity for the area rug business. And
though it has not been fully embraced by the
specialty flooring dealer, finding its home
in furniture stores, mass merchant/home
centers and in catalogs instead, companies
like Shaw Living have put significant muscle
behind the rug business creating both excitement and new revenue streams.
Shaw Living’s Kim Barta, brand manager, and
Jim Curtin, vice president of sales, spoke with
Floor Covering Weekly at the Home Fashions
Shaw Living’s Indoor/Outdoor Medallions
OW’s laser focus
[New York] When you are the world’s
largest area rug producer — manufacturing
for just about all of the other big names in
machine made rugs — you can afford to stick
to strict “design first” mentality.
“We develop fashion and design first and
then worry about manufacturing,” said Oriental Weavers USA (known simply as OW
now) president Mike Riley.
Case in point — the company’s new partnership with color authority Pantone. “We
believe that when a license has real leverage
October 14, 2013
market, here, about the great energy behind the
rug program and the promising future ahead.
And, according to Curtin, the rug business is
picking up. “It is a slow climb, a steady climb,” he
explained. “Last year it was one good month, one
terrible month. Now it is sustainable growth.”
Back in January, the mill debuted a wide and
deep assortment of rugs — mainly domestically
made but some imported product — including
traditional rugs, indoor/outdoor, Bob Timberlake designs and more at its annual convention
held in Orlando. New rugs were added for the
July rug market and even more are to come this
January in time for regionals.
The challenge in today’s rug market is the
consumer’s constant hunger for new and different. Curtin noted that while five years ago,
a color could be on a loom for 10 or 12 years,
colors and trends are changing much more
rapidly now. “Today, from year to year, the
consumer is changing so quickly; the color
palettes are changing so quickly,” he said.
For example, he said, there are a lot of
brights being used — pinks, purples. “Two
years from now, it will be the polar opposite.
You gotta be in front of it,” Curtin said.
And Shaw Living is indeed in front of the
trends. “Being a woman, the fashion aspect of
the category is so exciting. Rugs truly do speak
to a person’s personal style,” offered Barta.
“Through area rugs, you can really portray
who you are in a room as little or much as you
want. Bold or subtle, it is who you are.”
One area that Shaw Living sees as a growth
opportunity is the indoor/outdoor category.
“That is a fast changing market and a very
successful market,” noted Curtin.
Barta said it is the design, color and price
point that is appealing. “They are doing exceptionally well right now. People are building
the outdoor living space.” The collection will
be further expanded come January 2014.
Curtin said that part of the appeal now with
the indoor/outdoor rugs is that it is hitting all
price points. “Where it used to be $99, now it
can be $599. It is getting to be fun again.”
in their brand with consumers, it has some
weight to it,” Riley said.
Pantone creates the standards and trend
projections used globally by 100 million
creative professionals daily, according to the
company. The collaboration between Pantone Universe and OW brings cutting edge
rug design to the market.
Floor Covering Weekly spent some time
with Riley here at the Home Fashions
market to catch up on the recent rebranding announcement and new collaboration
with Pantone. “For us it is just fashion and
design,” he noted.
The company has manufacturing facilities
on three continents — North America, Africa
and Asia. Yet it remains nimble to market
needs. At the market here, Riley said buyers
come to see the next trend. And, he said that
while the company is experiencing demand
for better goods, the price points have been
driven down over the past five years.
Like other suppliers, OW sees opportunity
in the indoor/outdoor market and has an entire
catalog devoted to the category. “Indoor/outdoor is humongous,” noted Riley. “The outdoor
lifestyle continues to grow and grow. It’s not a
trend anymore. Now it is a lifestyle.”
OW’s Indoor Outdoor area rugs are
machine made, 100 percent polypropylene,
WWW.FCW1.COM
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19
FCW
Magnolia from Bob Timberlake’s collection
The Bob Timberlake collection is another
area the company is building upon. Bob Timberlake is all machine made. And the company’s World Market collection that includes
both domestically made and imported
product was also added to this summer. “The
thing that is exciting about World Market is
that Shaw is certainly a U.S. manufacturer and
we are known for machine woven area rugs.
At the same time, we know our customer is
needing other looks and substrates to be in the
rug market. And tufted rugs are a way to help
build their assortment,” explained Barta.
— Amy Joyce Rush
OW’s new Pantone offering.
inherently stain resistant and feature UV
protection, according to the company. The
line is extensive including everything from
the Bali Collection of neutrals to the Lagos
Collection, which offers texture and deeper
more vibrant colors.
— Amy Joyce Rush
·
10/9/13 10:18 AM
Farabee
a job. The job description piqued my interest
and I said, ‘It’s a better fit for me.’ ”
Farabee soon left advertising and joined
Mannington as a marketing analyst and
became its first product manager for residential resilient.
Moving to Dal-Tile in 1995, Farabee invented
a dual role of product management and marketing that continues to bring him satisfaction
through a constant evolution of fashion and
product.
“I like my job,” Farabee stressed. “There’s a
new challenge every day. We are always trying
to come up with something new, different and
meaningful. It’s very satisfying to understand
what the needs are, develop products that will
meet those needs and then, get them to the
consumer through communication and merchandising,” he reported.
there has been a shift in residential flooring
from mostly carpet to more of a balance of hard
and soft surface floorings. “When I started,
laminate and luxury vinyl tile (in today’s form)
did not even exist,” he pointed out.
The consumer is the final, essential piece.
“One of the greatest satisfactions of my job is
seeing a consumer delighted with a product
that we have created and the difference that
product can make in how they feel about their
home,” Farabee said.
Over 21 years, there have been a lot of
great products. Farabee recalls French
Quarter, a tile product developed for the
builder market that moved the fashion bar.
“Technology was growing and we were
able to give French Quarter a more realistic
multi-color slate look. It had a 12-year run
and really changed the perception of what
ceramic could look like.”
Unilin’s Quick-Step is an ongoing
success. “When Mohawk bought Unilin,
the Quick-Step line had very European,
middle-of-the-road look. It was the first
glueless laminate and is still the best,
most widely used locking system in the
world. Our goal was to make Quick-Step
the style, design, and innovation leader
in the laminate industry and we believe
we have succeeded in doing so,” Farabee
said. Quick-Step’s Reclaimé Collection is a
winner of FCW’s Dealers Choice Award for
two years.
Balancing form and function
Being a product manager consists of understanding what the consumer is looking for in a
product, what price they will be willing to pay
for it, and then creating it. Farabee explained,
“It’s a bundle of functional and decorative
attributes that are then turned into a product. I
remind my team daily that we are in a fashion
business. How our floors make people ‘feel’
in their homes, determines how satisfied they
Personal and professional goals align
are.”
Acknowledging that the work can be
Marketing connects consumers to products demanding, Farabee stressed that he enjoys
After a product is developed, consumers it thoroughly. “One of the greatest things
must learn about it. “A big part of what we do about my position is that the interests and
is to educate consumers on all of the choices abilities needed to be good in my job are
available to them across all of the flooring cat- actually the things that I personally get
egories and then help them choose the right excited about,” he said. “I like creating
floor for them,” he said. “Marketing is getting beautiful things and enriching people’s
the message through to the consumer that you lives. I get to do both of these in my job.”
With a 35-member staff based in
have the product that meets their needs. This
is accomplished through the combination of Georgia, Texas and North Carolina, and
effective communication and effective mer- frequent travel around the world, over
chandising. It is presenting all of the benefits the years, Farabee has become an effective
and attributes of a product in a clear, attrac- manager. “I hope that I have grown to be a
good leader who sets clear objectives, then
tive, and compelling way.”
Marketing for flooring must be grounded mentors, guides and directs, but does not
in reality. “Flooring is less about marketing micro-manage,” he noted.
Farabee also finds time to serve on the board
hype and more about substance,” he stressed.
of directors for NALFA (North American Laminate Flooring Association) and is a chair holder
Products and fashion evolve
Since Farabee joined the flooring business, in the Color Marketing Group. FCW FCW
Marketplace
Call FCW
today!
516•227•1407
Visit Us At fcw1.com
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Ads Close Oct. 16, 2013
Congoleum Corp is seeking a District Sales
Manager in the greater Indianapolis,
IN
marketplace. The DSM will work directly with
Congoleum distributors , and responsible
for all Congoleum sales in a four state
geography. Minimum of 3 years experience.
Competitive compensation package
and
excellent benefits.
Send resume to
Resumes@Congoleum.com
Sales Personnel & Installation
Manager Wanted America’s Floor Source, one of the
nation’s
largest flooring retailers, is seeking
experienced sales personnel and an
Installation Manager for our Columbus Ohio
Corporate headquarters.
Sales positions are for our Builder, Property
Management, Wholesale and Retail divisions.
Applicant should have a minimum of 2 years
of flooring experience and a desire to work for
a company that will allow you to grow.
The Installation Manager will be responsible
for managing installers and field techs
and should have a minimum of 3 years of
flooring operational experience.
Salaries commensurate with experience.
401K and health benefits are included in the
compensation package.
Interested applicants should email their
resume to:
Jason@AmericasFloorSource.com
SALES AGENTS NEEDED
Industry leading hard surface company is
seeking experienced independent sales
agents with strong dealer relationships to
sell hardwood, bamboo, luxury vinyl, and
laminate in the following markets: SD, ND,
AZ, NM, KS, OK, NE, IA, MN, MO and WI.
Hard Surface experience is required.
Email resume to:
hardwoodfloorsales@gmail.com
Southern Wholesale
Flooring Company
Based in Kennesaw, GA, is looking for an
experienced outside sales representative for
the Montgomery to Dothan, Alabama area.
We are looking for an experienced floor
covering rep. that is familiar with the sales
area. The ideal candidate knows the retailers,
sales area and all types of floor covering
products (to include installation supplies).
This is a commissioned position that does
include some travel and compensation will
be discussed at the time of the interview.
Email resume to
resume@swfloor.com
US Installation Group
National Flooring
Installation company
is rapidly expanding and looking for quality
candidates with strong flooring experience
to fill positions at all levels of the business.
Locations in 12 states, candidates interested
in relocation encouraged to apply.
Please apply with resume to:
khoke@us-installations.com
Sales/Manager
An established business seeking sales/
manager with 3-5 years experience and
good people skills. We are a growing
company that has a good reputation since
1965. Located in the panhandle of Florida.
Send resumes & inquiries to:
recruit.opp881@yahoo.com
Wanted Experienced Sales agent Finium is a Canadian Hardwood Manufacturer
(with West and Midwest US affiliates) seeking
sales agents to sell direct to retailers a NEW
decorative wall product called “FriendlyWall”.
Prime American territories available: CA, OR,
TX. Must have experience calling on flooring
specialists, designers, architects and deco
centers. See web site for more information and
send resume:
www.finium.ca
or contact: information@finium.ca
or call 1-418-479-2950
Territory Mangers
Positions
Available with
Floor covering estimator,
South
Florida
based
Manufacturer/
over
30
years
experience,
Wholesaler of Flooring and Kitchen & Bath
with 8isyears
experience
products
seeking
experienced with
territory
managers
inside sales
persons.
Callidusand
estimating
software.
Various
territories
are available for the
right
Please
call 781-760-0404.
I will
candidates.
work remotely.
Requirements:
*5 plus
years selling
flooring products
Sales
Manager/Territory
and/or Kitchen & Bath products B2B in a
Manager
wholesale or distribution environment.
20+ year industry vet seeking position with
Manufacturer
Distributor. Experienced
*Ability
to travelor50%.
with Hardwood, Laminate, LVP and has
*Proven
trackTop
record
achieving and
worked with
25 Distributors
and Top 50
surpassing
sales
quotas.
Retailers. Phila. based and willing to travel.
No relocation.
*Computer
Literacy: Word, Excel, Power
Point. Interested parties to email
glennorsales@aol.com
*Motivated and Organized Self Starter.
Experienced
agentsalary
seeking
Compensation:
Competitive
plus
commissions
andhard
benefits.
carpet and
surface lines
for
Arizona
Vegas.
Please
fax or and
emailLas
resume
and
Contact
602-810-4081
salary requirements
to
Greg Norton at 305-264-7322 or
gnorton@coureyusa.com
Sales and Retail Management
Professional
Beaulieu America has opportunities
With over fourteen
nationwide
for the years
"best of
of experience
the best"
managing
sales
channels,
coaching,
Residential Territory Sales Managers.
training and mentoring sales teams. I am
currently seeking
Territory
Join aour
team! Management
positionhttp://beaulieucareers.com
with a floor covering manufacturer
or Distributor in the Southern Texas area.
Position Wanted
WANTED FLOORING
SALES POSITION
based in Louisiana. Over 20 years of
outside sales experience covering the LA
and MS area. Owner/manager of floor store
for 5 years.
Please call 225-505-9350.
25 Year Floor Covering veteran
seeking carpet & hard surface
lines to represent as agent.
Interested parties please call
540-692-9730
STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP,
MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION
(Required by 39 u.s.c. 3685). 1. Title of
Publication: Floor Covering Weekly. 2.
Publication No. 0015-3761. 3. Date of filing:
Sept. 27, 2013. Frequency of issue: Twice a
month. 5. No. of issues published annually: 24.
Annual subscription price: $25.00. 7. Location
of known office of Publication: 50 Charles
Lindbergh Blvd, Suite 100, Uniondale, New
York 11553. Contact person: Carolyn Giroux,
516-227-1376. 8. Location of the headquarters
or general business office of publisher: 50
Charles Lindbergh Blvd, Suite 100, Uniondale,
New York 11553. 9. Names and complete
addresses of publisher, editor, and Managing
editor: Publisher & Editor: Santiago Montero;
Managing Editor: Amy Joyce Rush, Hearst
Business Communications, Inc., 50 Charles
Lindbergh Blvd, Suite 100, Uniondale, New
York 11553. 10. Owner: Hearst Holdings,
Inc., registered office, 1209 Orange Street,
Wilmington, Delaware 19801 - Stockholder
owning/ holding 1 percent or more of total
amount of stock of Hearst Holdings, Inc. is:
The Hearst Corporation, 1209 Orange Street,
Wilmington, Delaware 19801. 11. Known
bondholders, mortgagees and other security
holders owning or holding 1 percent or more
of total amount of bonds, mortgages or other
securities (If there are none, so state): none.
13. Publication title: Floor Covering Weekly.
14. Issue date for circulation data below:
September 16, 2013.
15. Extent and nature of circulation:
Average number copies each issue during
preceding 12 months (Marked in bold)
Number copies of single issue published
nearest to filing date (Sept. 2013)
(Marked in italics)
A. Total no. of copies
(net press run) 19,483; 18,822
B. Legitimate paid and/or requested
distribution
1 & 2. Paid/ requested mail subscriptions
stated on Form 3541: 11,205; 11,526
3. Sales through dealers and carriers,
street vendors, counter sales, and other
non-USPS paid distribution
none; none
4. Requested copies distributed by
other classes mailed through the USPS
none; none
C. Total paid and/ or requested circulation
11,205; 11,526
D. Non-requested distribution
1 & 2. Outside country nonrequested
copies stated on
PS Form 3541 7,173; 6,865
3. Nonrequested copies distributed
through the USPS by other classes of
mail none; none
4. Nonrequested copies distributed
outside the mail 1,105; 431
E. Total non-requested distribution
8,278; 7,296
F. Total distribution 19,483; 18,822
G. Copies not distributed none; none
H. Total 19,483; 18,822
I. Percent paid and/ or requested circulation
57.5% ; 61.2%
I certify that the statements made by me
above are correct and complete:
Signature: Santiago Montero
10/9/13 4:35 PM
22 The Last Word
Home center growth: Opportunity or threat?
W
in flooring started adding professional installation. Then they
started lowering the price until at one point you could get a
whole house full done for $39 – maybe even less. During the
recession, those low price points became a very powerful lure for
customers who were looking for discounts and value products.
Today, specialty retail has figured out how to deal with those
ridiculously low priced home center installation offers – many
retailers now offer a comparable basic installation package that
lets them discuss the real value of professional installation.
That’s a good thing.
But during the downturn, home centers and hard surface
stores like Lumber Liquidators did make significant inroads.
But those gains may not be what they seem to be. David
Elyachar, president of Big Bob’s Carpet Outlets, aka Big
Bob Himself, recently shared with me his insights about the
current state of the flooring market.
His point was that home centers have garnered a tremendous share of market these past few years, especially during
the recession, by adding stores. “They’ve gained share
through real estate,” he said.
Now that they no longer plan on adding stores at the
same rate, their gains will be more difficult to come by.
And that opens the door for the specialty retailer in this
recovering market. There’s still plenty of pent up demand for
flooring; people still choose specialty retailers as their number
one source for flooring purchases.
hen home centers first
started taking market share
in the flooring industry,
retailers were scared. The big question:
How can specialty retail compete with
the likes of Lowe’s or the Home Depot?
They seemed to have a lot of powerful
advantages: Price, financing, store fronts,
advertising, a strong position in the DIY market, and more.
But as the market kept developing, the good specialty
retailers found they could compete very favorably against
them through product knowledge and expertise and customer service. Soon, some of the braver ones were actually
opening stores nearby – across the street, if they could. The
thinking was that they could survive and thrive very nicely
just living off those customers who didn’t find what they
wanted at home centers. And there were plenty of those
folks around. They didn’t want to do it themselves. They
wanted professional decorating advice. They needed more
help in selecting product from among the many choices
available. They wanted higher end goods. They wanted
something distinctive. They were turned off by a rag tag list
of nearby installers who would do the job for them. Consumers were looking for professional installation. In fact,
they were looking for a better experience all around.
Home centers, unable to significantly grow their position
— Santiago Montero
W
at MMM Carpet, told me that the best
part of the recovery and things getting
better is the new product that would be
created and manufactured. The big picture goes way beyond breaking ground
on a new facility. It includes all the stuff
that will come out of it — and all of it
backed by a sense of optimism.
I spent some time too at the recent Home Fashions market
in New York, there was the sense of things being better as
well. New licensing agreements like OW’s with Pantone was
well underway and at Shaw Living, executives talked about
growing collections and growing areas of opportunity that
they were going after with new product, and lots of it.
At the New York market, area rugs were bright and colorful, another indicator that it is time to stop being safe and
bring fashion and design back to the forefront. Sure, when
the economy is failing, playing it safe makes sense. But what
motivation is that for consumers? Replacing beige with beige
isn’t very exciting. To me, that’s akin to replacing a washer or
dryer or any utility product.
I, for one, look forward to January markets and Surfaces
because I think that 2014 just might be the year that things
get interesting again. I look forward to seeing the fruit of all
the investments from the mills and what I hope will motivate
others to follow suit.
Y
WEEKL
COVERING
A Hearst
at booths
Visit FCW
#B3370
#S5761 &
SURFACES
2013
Stage
Setting the very
for Reco
rkets
Winter ma
Busines
Commercial
Vol. 62
Supplem
ent to Floor
a l
o d i c
P e r i
news updated
each business
day, visit
us online
om
tion
April 8,
2013
$4
Consolid
ated
installs
St. Mar
y’s
4:42 PM
SchÖnox
sets
flooring
stage
news updated
each business
Fashion
forward
commer
cial carp
et
ges.indd
day, visit
us online
at www.fcw1
.com
17
crucial for
ed on page
flooring mar
ket
Hard surface
and secure
ing FloorSc flooring supplier
lucrativ
e governm
“All of our
ent contrac
& Schools ore and Greengu s are adoptproduct
fied and
ts.
certifications
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s are FloorSc
this has
product
n
ore certito verify
had a great
s emit
that their specifications,”
negligib
organic
impact
le levels
said
compou
of volatile specification manage Carrie Berger, on our
nds (VOCs)
to healthy
plier Burke
and contribu
indoor air
r for rubber national
now required
quality
Industr
te asked
floor sup—
if our product ies. “We are
and Environ to achieve Leaders designations
s meet indoor constantly
hip in Energy standards. Being
mental
Design
air quality
able to say
helps us
(LEED)
get and
‘yes’ and
credits
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prove it
n specifi
cations.
Continu
This
ed
on page
3/20/13
s.indd 1
1-28-13page
Ron Nash of Laticrete
Columnists
Jon Trivers I take the floor (530) 876-8454 jonathantrivers@sbcglobal.net
Kermit Baker Beyond the numbers kermit_baker@harvard.edu
Chris Ramey Strategic insights (561) 876-8077 cpr@affluentinsights.com
Marge Redmond Heard on Main Street marge@oldtownflooring.com
Tom Jennings First things first (785) 843-1678 thomasjennings@hotmail.com
Rhonda Robinson Making What Matters Most Happen (541) 383-8044 Rhonda @RobinsonRo1.com
Advertising
Southeast, Midwest, West Coast U.S. & Canada
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Carolyn Giroux Audience Development Director (516) 227-1376 cgiroux@hearst.com
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Steven R. Swartz President & Chief Executive Officer
William R. Hearst III Chairman
Frank A. Bennack Jr. Executive Vice Chairman
Richard P. Malloch Group Head & President
Steven A. Hobbs Executive VP & Deputy Group Head
Robert D. Wilbanks Group Controller
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Uniondale, NY 11553 (516) 229-3600 • FAX (516) 227-1342
Floor Covering Weekly (ISSN-0015-3761) is published bi-monthly by Hearst
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Suite 100, Uniondale, NY 11553. Periodicals postage paid at Uniondale, NY
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Printed in the U.S.A. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to FLOOR
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with SpectraLock art
S
SURFACE2013
Entries
Ray Pina
Santiago Montero Publisher & Editor in Chief (516) 229-3617 smontero@hearst.com
Amy Joyce Rush Managing Editor (516) 227-1421 arush@hearst.com
Kimberly Gavin Editor at Large (706) 278-3690 kimgavin@aol.com
Brittany Walsh Assistant Editor (516) 227-1358 blwalsh@hearst.com
Janet Herlihy (361) 906-1117 herlihyjanet@gmail.com
Tanja Kern (417) 522-9722 kern.tanja@gmail.com
POST
CARE Co
to tackle nference
challenge
s
Cruise and
Business
Mohawk’s Mike Zoellner and
Elise Demboski with a retro Marilyn Monroe
10
By Mallory
1
A Hearst
No. 3
$4
11, 2013
on
Publicati
CEO, president Karel Vercruyssen
2013
Low VOCs
For breaking
fcw4813-pa
Vol. 62
Ralph Boe (right) with newly named
acquisition
Bōlyü Drift
and Brights
installed
at
carpet
tile
of Zoosk, the San Francisc
the social
o offices
dating
service.
3
Beaulieu preps for Boe’s
retirement with co-CEO
CEO
19
al tile pos
ition
$4
Inter view
Scott Hum with
WFC A phrey
Cruise
ing glob
May 6, 2013
A Hearst Business Publication
February
[Orlan
scaled back
do, Fla.]
petsPlus
the last
Alliance
endure
built upon
Flooring
the tough three years in
strategy
/Car- the
order
financial
as it welcom its “Pillars for
industry
Success”
times plaguinto
convent
turn around, . But things are
ion here ed members to this
g
March
beginni
convent
he added.
By Janet
23-26. Underyear’s
ng to
ion theme
“We’re
Herlihy
“Drive 2”,
getting more
to its member
its
help from
s the skills, Alliance brought we had a great
Carpet
necessar
supplier
meeting
tools and
board.
y for a
s; (CARE) America Recover
with our
by the end
“Welcom successful recovery products year,” I think it’s going
y
advisory
will meet
of May.
e to the
to be a great
year.
Ron Dunn
in Wesley Effort
Fla., for
In order
Logue,
recovery,”
Chapel,
growth
its
co-CEO
said John back. Commercial said. “Retail is
head carpet to continue to
ence, April 11th Annual
of
greeting
Confercoming
spearbuilding
is
24-26. Th
members Alliance/Carpet
tively, CARErecycling efforts
has much
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e
sPlus,
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at
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eff
to be proud organization
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day of conventgeneral session
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have benefi will need help. ecrecogniz
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reported
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ing its accompof. And while
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, is already
group hopesbusiness.” also
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our board ted greatly by
evidenc
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up
acknow
upcomi
10 percent
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goal is more
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ts, it
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ng months to open do
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times ahead.
ing among . Another
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ng
to Dr. Bob
t challeng
es to address.
CARE
ance Floorin to Ron Dunn,
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members.
e to keep
Peoples
for Success
moving
vided the
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co-CEO
g/Carpe
carpet industryin 2002, CARE
many moving forward with
of Allistrategy
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prorepresen
the compan
and is
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people,
marketattentio
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CARE now
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out of landfi solutions for keepingd to finding
noted.
plannin
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lls. In Septemb
Continu
s 80 certifi
used carpet and another 20
returned
ed on page
ed
processo
er,
national
as
Dr. Bob
executiv
rs of PCC, recyclers
21
network
Peoples
e director
CARE’s
making
“We’re looking to facilitate
of CARE.
carpet recyclinup
CARE was agenda is full.
at big shift
recycling,”
In
preparin
g.
s and trends
ter review
Peoples
g the 2012 mid-March,
in
are
said.
carpet
for Cal
Fourth
influenced
“Some of
Recycle,
Survey,
by the macro
the factors
the CARE Quar- and how
the 2012
CARE
it affects
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Annual
ning for
ic climate
small business
the Annual Annual Report,
Peoples
working
es everywh
pointed
plan- market
Meeting
on the fi
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in April
rebound
nal plan
as the
and sold
s,
due to Cal
which will more new carpet housing
Recycle
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is being
lly be available
Continu
for
Mohawk fina
Gains lead lizes Marazzi
No. 9
Vol. 62
Networki
optimismng, new products
,
drives All
iance
By Mallory
hot prodvery, very
LVT is a
to grow
continue
uct and we
ial and residenare
our commerc
Rush
lines. We
By Amy Joyce
tial LVT product ns at this
Rusprojectio
A year ago, of
ahead of
[Salem, N.J.]
helm
said.
took the
point,” he
he has invested
sell Grizzle Mills, a familySince then,
g the
ton
old
Manning
in overseein
easier
his time
nearly 100-yeardeeply
owned
n, a job made dilithat was
integratio
due
and
company
of careful
and
in tradition
because
the purchase
grounded
industry,
Mangence before
Russell Grizzle
rest of the
the
slow
like
aligned with a big
in a painfully and
values that
at’s been
was mired
then
that company from the start. “Th
His job
for the future
recovery.
d
while nington’s
plot a path
said.
to
announce
he
is
markets
now
new
com- help,” October, the company Commercial
growth in
true to the
In
ton
includes
time to stay
the Manning will carry both
at the same
that both
forces
values.
, includthe Amtico and the Amtico sales
pany’s core
ial products
points to
the
allows
s’ commerc
tile, using
Today, Grizzle
move that
companie
and carpet
n as a strategic its global reach
cial “Choices
LVT, sheet
acquisitio
ton Commer
coming
ton to expand
Manning
on page 47
its LVT
d
Manning
current
bring
Continue
it to3-25-13Co
while enabling n onshore.mmercial.indd 18 n.
mercial productio with the acquisitio
pleased
“We are
at www.fcw1.c
s Publica
March 2013
PINNACLE
4
PRACTICE
& PROCESS
5
PRODUC
T 10
PROMOT
ION &
COMMUN
ICATION
1/18/13
For breaking
— Amy Joyce Rush
Busines
Coverin
g Weekly
Grizz
Mannington’s
Great Floo
wide and rs goes
deep
A Hearst
tion
, product
Acquisition t advantage
heat up
bring markele sets course for future
OklaRoger Voge,
a,” said
Floorin Oklahom president for Star
homa division ng.
& Marble,
ing & Decoratiowner of Paris Tile
up.
casual,
By Janet Herlihy
is picking
re was
Jinx Yoder,
said, “Business after the first
] The atmosphein hotels located
[Dallas
Paris, Texas,
to wait ‘til
s scattered
and the
who wanted buy now.”
the showroom Grapevine, Texas,
the People
in
and
are back to
Fine Floors
in Irvine
small, attending were of the year
t
of Adair’s
large and
is importan
markets
Susan Adair,
retailers,
flooring
c.
“Winter market Surfaces in
Dallas regional products and optimistiwith Dallas, said,
better than
it’s
the
.”
along
us. I think
pleased with
Beaulieu
are not distracted Valley
T&L to
Shaw, Mohawk,
Swiff-Train,
that the suppliers owner of Brazos
in
rs including see a wide range of
Chuck Moreau,with three locations
distributo
.
dealers to
been
programs
has
Design,
drew
area,
the latest
and BPI
Floor &
hear about
Station, Texas d on page 12
g in the
product and
recoverin
the College
Continue
tion is
better retail
Construc
reported
strong
retailers
is
and
market
region
“The builder
sales as well.
No. 7
s Publica
19
Great Floors, No. 9 on FCW’s Top 50
list, boasts an expansive showroom
in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
e
” them h
Max boot
sor
ic of
Mag
Wind
Max
variety.
Haleys Flooring & Interiors offers
ABC Carpet & Home’s 6th floor rug
department
Sergenian’s grows in
Wisconsin and Florida
Separate retail brands, expanded commercial
ces and distribution
sales, administrative offi
three
in Madison. In Florida, there are now
— Tampa,
of G. Fried Flooring America stores
The merger of Sergenian’s Floor Coverings
told, sales tallied
G. Fried Sarasota and Jupiter. All
Madison, Wisc. with Florida-based
to Jim
has $25.8 million in 2012, according
Flooring America in November of 2011,
Sergethat Garner, CEO of the parent company
resulted in a vital, diversified business
and the majority
50 U.S. nian’s Floor Coverings, Inc.
is ranked No. 40 in FCW’s 2013 Top
shareholder of the business.
Specialty Retailers report.
In 2008, when the recession hit in Wisconsin,
SergeA member of Flooring America,
onethe builder business accounted for about
nian’s operates a retail store and maintains
a second facility that houses commercial
By Janet Herlihy
For breaking news updated each business
19
11:25 AM
day, visit us online at www.fcw1.com
location
My Flooring America’s Denton, Texas
Sergenian’s showroom features stylish
Hard surface carries
retail out of slump
The
12:15 PM
gates
open
at Surfa
.
2013
about Stainmaster
brand.
coverage
*Surfaces page 4
begins on
Flooring
Newton,
said Ian
put the program
101, who
group.
for the
together
this as a
r, we see
Gavin
“Howeve
”
ent opporBy Kimberly
and
year run,” said Bruce Zwicker, president
in your business.Merritt
margin enhancemadded, not
The National
to invest
when
By Raymond Pina
CEO, Haines. “Housing is rising and
right for you and president Randy a better [L V]
Alliance
. He
tunity,” Newton
disrupter
ering
be
be like throwing
Rush
Both Bell
Floorcov
of more
signifi- interest rates go up it will
definitively
as a market the program
Amy Joyce
offered
Specialty flooring dealers are reporting
collective
2013 will
people trying
that if
Cruise and
for all of us,”
(NFA), a
said that
traf- rocket fuel on a fire with more
nation’s
also said
group
By Mallory
right here
convencant and sustained increases in both store
our number than 40 of the
still relatively low.
support, the
“It starts
Network
success is
Growth, to buy in while rates are
.
gets good
met prior
Flooring
on the year.
fic and store sales across all categories.
growth and
additions
into a
] Shaw
a spotlight
largest retailers, for a midBell. “Your
[O
new We’re coming out of a depression
would pursue
2013 — put
2013
they said, is being fueled by rejuvenated
in January,
dakis, incomlaser sharp
Surfaces
and
one priority.”
Phil Koufi
“Every year
tion — Insight to create targeted,
busi- pretty strong recovery.”
year to
con, said that
meeting
Merritt,
better
home construction, residential remodel
deep
on
comability
a
president
be
g its
Explained
Construction and renovation of
company’s
was
ing NFA
going to
that conventireview. The positive
while expressin and the causes
ness and Main Street commercial.
g program
y says it’s
facilities,
to support
vendor
at last
everybod
business plans
said mercial spaces such as healthcare
the Armstron cant because
their families
have the statistics
informam reported
“I haven’t been this busy in years,”
signifi
ces continue to cern for its dealers,
s.
but we didn’t year we have concrete
especially
owner schools and government offi
group
continue
vely momentu
30-year industry veteran Jeff Kaspin,
more than
. This
ed the first
space on Main it believes in.
to be progressi
fall’s meeting group disintention
crowd of
it represent
Carpet. rise but the return of retail
it. It’s going
told the
), “Shaw
of Monroe Township, N.J.-based A.B.
of carpet.
while the
opportunity.
a new
attendees
proVance Bell
to four years.”
tion to support
his
my Street is proving to be the latest
of And
examine
buy outside
.
potential
(some 3,800 to insure future
officiated
“The amount of traffic coming through
the next three
retail
and CEO
from Armstrong
cussed some closed doors, NFA members
better for
“With new housing comes new
Koufidakis
1,000 dealers
the
together
program
et, chairman
. “My job
Hathafocused
Buff
pieces
wood
door is reminiscent of the good days before
behind
principal
been
the
g
president
Borders,
Berkshire
Warren
have
has put
amazing construction,” said Diana
12 grams publicly embracin
as the new
company
service
best opporsuccess. We
economy went bad. And what’s really
d on page
flooring, Armbuy
first meeting p is to bring the
one it is
quality and
Shaw’s parent
growth and
Continue
January, designer for commercial
during
wood group
to me is how strong business was in
leadershi
Our product made major capital
g.
retail environment
he told FCW
is a new
to with
on you.
that kind strong. “We’re seeing the
and we’ve
e time is
to the group,” en they can choose
ity from Armstron d, introduced
February and March. Usually we get
Th
But
business.
improved
tunities
“Th
opportun
have
$1 billion.
already driving a lot of commercial
So far, we
Scrape Hardwoon, is a collection
of push in April through June. I’m
nts — over
vendor meeting.
American
best for them. participainvestme
conventio
we’re also seeing a lot of hospitals renovating.
in 3/8 the
lly what is
at the fall
ahead of last year. That’s very encouraging.”
available
individua
the NFA
getting mass
dip, America is building again.”
scraped products
adding that
success in
in 10 colors
With the exception of an occasional
had
said,
charge
the
led
high-end
have
have
Available
dakis
of
categories
es.
Hard surface
Koufi
and
with four:
thickness
that success
monthly increases in new home sales
8 percent the first
is starting
tion in carpet,” group can spread
and ½-inch
property of increased sales, up some
the
Grain and
goal as presiNFA program
a trend among homeowners and
to the first quartotal, the
Blaze, Amber
p he believed d and beyond. His on page 7
quality quarter of 2013 in comparison
d
Nest, Autumn
is a direct-shi
managers to remodel with better
hardwoo
Research.
into
Catalina
Continue
to
Eagles
according
program
ter of 2012,
use. The
ve pricing.
goods is driving sales growth residentially. Smokeho
competiti
ble,”
three
members
“We think we’re set up to have a good
is considera
that offers
advantage
1:14 PM
2/8/13
“The price
5/1/13 3:47 PM
4/4/13
Drumline makes noise
first
ong: NFA’s
: Armstrgroup buy option
ight 2013
Shaw’s Ins better future wood
a
ing
Build
ces
“The
the
displays.at
a l
o d i c
P e r i
✓
P e r i o d i c a l
$4
28, 2013
on
Publicati
P e r
i o d i
c a l
FLOOR
Business
FCW
January
A Hearst
Editorial
Thomas Young Group Production Manager (516) 227-1369 tdyoung@hearst.com
Matthew Lippl Production Artist (516) 227-1354 mlippl@hearst.com
e can all talk about how things are better, business is up, consumers are out shopping — all
good vibes for sure. We can even look at the
housing numbers as well as unemployment and make the
case that the economy is indeed on the rise.
But in an industry like ours where we have witnessed plant
capacity diminishing and sweeping layoffs happen repeatedly
over the past several years, as well as store fronts closing and
significant distributor consolidation, it's been hard to get
overly enthusiastic about the future of our business.
But just in the last few months, we've been given reason
to feel encouraged, as if we are once again on solid footing.
And that is the hundreds of millions of dollars being spent
today in plant, expansion and building, new processes, staffing, and all the things it takes to increase capacity and grow.
A quick overview: Shaw plunked down $100 million towards
its distribution network and fiber extrusion, $85 million in a new
facility for carpet tile and a recent $40 million investment in its
Epic hardwood facility. Mohawk is spending $180 million in a
new PET process. Engineered Floors expanded its Calhoun plant
and its Dalton plant four times each. A new plant is underway in
Whitfield County as well. Beaulieu expanded its yarn processing
plant capacity and recently ran a job fair in Chattanooga. Dixie
brought back employees to its Northwest Georgia facilities.
The excitement of change was palpable at the NFA convention in Boston last month. For example, Steve Boardman
No. 2
Editorial (516) 229-3600 Fax (516) 227-1342
Advertising (770) 919-7747 Fax (770) 919-1348
Classified Advertising (516) 227-1407 Fax (516) 227-1342
Production
More than optimism
Vol. 62
FCW Editorial and Sales Headquarters
50 Charles Lindbergh Blvd., Suite 100, Uniondale, NY 11553
(516) 229-3600 • FAX (516) 227-1342
For breaking
5613-pages.indd 1
s.indd 1
2-11-13page
news updated
each business
day, visit
us online
To subscribe: call (866) 813-3752 or go to fcw1.com/subscribe
For reprints of articles: Wright’s Media (877) 652-5295
om
at www.fcw1.c
10/8/13 3:46 PM
Mary Bishop* worked
in her family’s
flooring business and
devoted herself to
her family. When a
Christmas Eve seizure
led to the discovery
of a grade III brain
tumor, Mary suddenly
had to focus on an
intense treatment plan which included
radiation, chemotherapy and
fighting
the tumor.
Good thing someone told
her about the Floor
Covering Industry
Foundation
g
in
lp
he
u,
o
y
c
am lp
i
f
nd
or
d
he
e.
a
h
n
e
s
p
s
a
er
op
s
eu
u
t
g
s
n
a
yo
nd
e
a
o
e
y
r
t
r
i
l
pl
t
u,
e
r
s
t
u
o
f
g
o
y
tr
n
n
r
pe
an
a
e
e
s
ry
w
’
k
t
r
h
v
t
t
a
u
n
e
I
w
s
u
M
“
n
t
t
bo
ha
yo
s
u
a
T
he
r
b
s
w
fi
,
e
ll
u
a
k
e
a
’s
yo
th
m
it
g
t
e.”
,
i
l
u
e
p
h
m
eo
r
p
Fo
ng
i
lp
e
h
l
e
fe
y
il
s
ines
Bus
ng
p*
i
o
r
h
e
s
v
rco
y Bi
lo o
Mar
F
ily
Fam
Do you know someone who could use our assistance? Let them know there’s hope.
For information or to make a donation, please call 714.634.0302 or visit FCIF.org.
*The FCIF treats all of its grant recipients confidentially. Mary wanted to share her story with the public but asked that we keep their identity veiled. Her name has been changed
FCIF_ad_2011_FCW_2.indd 3
9/26/11 2:41 PM
www.msistone.com
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10/8/13 3:28 PM

s - Floor Covering Weekly

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