Top 50 list, boasts an expansive showroom in Coeur d’Alene ...

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Vol. 62 No. 9 A Hearst Business Publication May 6, 2013 $4

Haleys Flooring & Interiors offers variety.

Great Floors, No. 9 on FCW’s Top 50 list, boasts an expansive showroom in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

ABC Carpet & Home’s 6th fl oor rug department My Flooring America’s Denton, Texas location Sergenian’s showroom features stylish displays.

By Janet Herlihy

� e merger of Sergenian’s Floor Coverings of Madison, Wisc. with Florida-based G. Fried Flooring America in November of 2011, has resulted in a vital, diversi� ed business that is ranked No. 40 in FCW’s 2013 Top 50 U.S. Specialty Retailers report.

A member of Flooring America, Serge-nian’s operates a retail store and maintains a second facility that houses commercial

Sergenian’s grows in Wisconsin and Florida

sales, administrative o� ces and distribution in Madison. In Florida, there are now three G. Fried Flooring America stores — Tampa, Sarasota and Jupiter. All told, sales tallied $25.8 million in 2012, according to Jim Garner, CEO of the parent company Serge-nian’s Floor Coverings, Inc. and the majority shareholder of the business.

In 2008, when the recession hit in Wisconsin, the builder business accounted for about one-

Continued on page 23

By Raymond Pina

Specialty � ooring dealers are reporting signi� -cant and sustained increases in both store traf-� c and store sales across all categories. Growth, they said, is being fueled by rejuvenated new home construction, residential remodel busi-ness and Main Street commercial.

“I haven’t been this busy in years,” said 30-year industry veteran Je� Kaspin, owner of Monroe Township, N.J.-based A.B. Carpet. “� e amount of tra� c coming through my door is reminiscent of the good days before the economy went bad. And what’s really amazing to me is how strong business was in January, February and March. Usually we get that kind of push in April through June. I’m already ahead of last year. � at’s very encouraging.”

With the exception of an occasional dip, monthly increases in new home sales and a trend among homeowners and property managers to remodel with better quality goods is driving sales growth residentially.

“We think we’re set up to have a good three

Hard surface carries retail out of slump

year run,” said Bruce Zwicker, president and CEO, Haines. “Housing is rising and when interest rates go up it will be like throwing rocket fuel on a � re with more people trying to buy in while rates are still relatively low. We’re coming out of a depression into a pretty strong recovery.”

Construction and renovation of com-mercial spaces such as healthcare facilities, schools and government o� ces continue to rise but the return of retail space on Main Street is proving to be the latest opportunity.

“With new housing comes new retail construction,” said Diana Borders, principal designer for commercial � ooring, Arm-strong. “We’re seeing the retail environment driving a lot of commercial business. But we’re also seeing a lot of hospitals renovating. America is building again.”

Hard surface categories have led the charge of increased sales, up some 8 percent the � rst quarter of 2013 in comparison to the � rst quar-ter of 2012, according to Catalina Research.


3

Beaulieu preps for Boe’s retirement with co-CEO

Ralph Boe (right) with newly named CEO, president Karel Vercruyssen

Separate retail brands, expanded commercial

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5613-pages.indd 2 4/23/13 4:01 PM

By Janet Herlihy

[Wesley Chapel, Fla.] � e Carpet America Recovery E� ort (CARE) held its 11th Annual Conference here at the Saddlebrook Resort, April 24-25. � e meeting revealed carpet recycling at a crossroads — with growth and achievement on one side and unanswered issues on the other.

Bob Peoples, CARE’s executive direc-tor, reported that in 2012, CARE members diverted more than 351 million pounds

CARE quandary: What to do with all that PET?of carpet from U.S. land� lls, up nearly 5 percent from 2011. In addition, CARE increased its membership to 452 members.

Of the carpet diverted to recycling, 294 million pounds were recycled into carpet and other consumer products. “When we started in 2002, there was virtually no carpet-to-carpet recycling. Today almost 30 percent of recycled carpet goes back into carpet itself,” said Peoples.

Outlets for postconsumer (PC) carpet breakdown: 74 percent recycled into other uses; 4 percent reused and 20 percent chan-

neled into waste to energy, according to Peoples. End products for the recycled por-tion include engineered resins, carpet � ber, carpet backing and carpet cushion.

� e major issue is the increasing amount of polyester carpet that is in today’s waste stream. At this time, the only truly recycled use for PET is in � ber pad that can be made of any PC carpet � ber. Nylon 6 and Nylon 6,6 can be recycled back into engineered resins and carpet � ber, while polypropylene also has down market uses, but PET is a di� cult material to re-melt and recycle. Because there are few pro� table uses for PC polyester, many collectors avoid accepting the material, and yet CARE reported that 23.8 percent of PC carpet collected in 2012 was PET. Nylon 6 accounted for 34.4 percent, nylon 6,6 made up 25 percent, polypropylene was 11.4 percent and “other” was 5.5 percent.

CARE has established a committee to investigate possible uses for the PC PET. In the meantime, PC collectors and processors � nd themselves between a rock and a hard

By Tanja Kern

[Atlanta] More than 900 exhibitors from more than 50 countries gathered for Cover-ings at the Georgia World Congress Center, held here for the � rst time April 29 to May 2. Attendees came seeking unique looks and new technology.

“We used to come every three years, then every two, and now we come every year because technology changes so much,” said Jacque Jolly, product manager at Star Floor-ing & Decorating, a division of Star Lumber & Supply Co., Inc., Wichita, Kan. “We’re

Coverings debuts in Atlanta

here looking for anything that’s di� erent, new textures and new mosaics. Wichita has become more transient over the past few

The tile industry gathered for Coverings at the World Congress Center in Atlanta.


By Janet Herlihy

[Dalton] Dr. Ralph Boe, CEO of the Beaulieu Group, LLC, has a long career in the carpet industry, marked by honesty and teamwork. His segue to retirement will continue that tradition as Boe and Karel Ver-cruyssen become co-CEOs of the Beaulieu Group, sharing responsibilities for a smooth transition until February 2014, when Boe will step down and Vercruyssen will take over the top executive post.

Vercruyssen joined Beaulieu in April 2012 as president and COO, while continu-ing to serve as CEO and president of Beau-lieu Canada. At present, Vercruyssen will

Beaulieu’s Boe and Vercruyssen share CEO role for smooth transition

continue to hold both positions, according to Boe, who added, “Between now and my o� cial departure, we will have the opportu-nity for Karel to take over running Beaulieu America while I am still here to help him with anything that comes up.”

Vercruyssen said, “I am honored and look forward to taking the position of CEO of Beaulieu America and continuing to work with our employees, customers, board, sup-pliers and communities to make this the best company for everyone involved and increase our position in the industry.”

Having joined the company in 2001, Boe’s time at Beaulieu caps a successful career that saw the carpet industry change signi� cantly.

Starting with � ber supplier E.I. du Pont de Nemours in 1979, where Boe was intro-duced to the carpet industry, and moving to executive positions with Diamond, Horizon and Carpets International, he experienced the consolidation that reshaped the business from hundreds of mills to three huge manu-facturers and a short list of smaller suppliers.

“I have had a great 12-year run at Beau-lieu, and as with any company, there comes a time for change. While I’m ready for this move personally, I thank all those who have worked so hard to assist in creating a won-derful company to be associated with, and I will certainly miss them when I leave,” stated Boe. “I have always appreciated their com-

Karel Vercruyssen (left) is now co-CEO of Beaulieu with Ralph Boe.

Flooring America, Stanley Steemer partner

[PHOENIX] Keith Spano, president of Flooring

America and Frank Chiera, vice president of market-

ing and advertising (shown here), attended Stanley

Steemer’s national conven-tion last week to strength-

en their partnership.

mitment to Beaulieu and their trust in me.“� ese moves are all part of the overall

transition to the next generation of leaders for Beaulieu America,” continued Boe. “� is is both an exciting time for the company as well as a renewed commitment by the Bouck-aert and Hanssens families to the continuity of the company.” FCW

place. While they are able to make some pro� t by collecting, identifying, separating and baling the other PC carpet types, the only places for PC PET either expect to take it for no cost or actually want to be paid to accept it. � is cost squeeze contributed to two col-lectors/recyclers closing just weeks before the conference. While there were many lively discussions, no conclusion was reached and, as the percentage of PC PET is expected to continue to grow, the problem will only get worse until a market-based solution is found.

Kathy Frevert, of CalRecycle provided an update of California’s AB2398 carpet recycling law. CARE is the stewardship organization until 2015, with the role of running the program. Cal-Recycle’s role is to review and approve the plans developed by CARE, Frevert explained. AB2398 seeks to keep PC carpet out of land� lls by provid-ing incentives for processors funded by a charge of 5 cents per square yard of carpet sold in Cali-fornia. “� e incentive does work to motivate processors,” Frevert said. “Education is needed for carpet installers (who take up PC carpet) and consumers to make them aware of the need to keep carpet out of land� lls,” she added. FCW

Engineered Floors to add more plants, jobs[Dalton] Engineered Floors, LLC, producer of PureColor solution dyed polyester (PET) fiber and manufacturer of PET carpet for the residential replacement and multi-family housing markets, is announcing expansion plans for new facilities in Northwest Georgia. “We are pleased that these new facilities will allow for further job creation for the area,” said Robert E. Shaw, chair-man and CEO, Engineered Floors.

Construction of these facilities will take place in multiple phases over a five-year period, according to Engineered Floors. When completed, the expansion will represent more than $450 million of investment and result in the creation of 2,000 new jobs. FCW

May 6, 2013 WWW.FCW1.COM • FLOOR COVERING WEEKLY •

3News

5613-pages.indd 3 5/1/13 3:45 PM

Rank Company Sales (in millions) % Locations in ‘12 ‘12 VS. ‘11 Change ‘13 VS. ‘12

What have the first four months of 2013 been like for Baker Bros? Kou� dakis: � e � rst three months were great. � en things slowed down a bit when we hit spring break and Easter, so I’m expecting it to pick up again here soon.

Based on what you are seeing now, what are you anticipating for the first six months? Kou� dakis: I would anticipate a similar “run rate” to what we have had over the past six months or so, which has been double-digit growth.

Do you feel as if we have come out, or are coming out, of the recession? Kou� dakis: We are creeping out of it. � ere has certainly been some recovery in the marketplace over the last nine months or so, but I would be lying if I said I was completely convinced that the recovery was on fully solid ground.

� ere are too many economic indica-tors, such as unemployment, debt, etc., that are not exactly positive. Plus, you have other issues, i.e. North Korea and some of the domestic terror issues that could a� ect things. Let’s still put it in the fragile recovery state for now.

You share information with a wide variety of dealers through NFA. Is your market drastically different than general market conditions? Kou� dakis: I am not sure it is dramatically di� erent, other than we are signi� cantly more tied as a region to housing. Based on that, we felt the recession sooner and deeper than most anyone else with perhaps Las Vegas being the one exception. With that said, I believe this will be a � rst in, � rst out scenario, so when things get better here, the

Koufidakis on the fragile recovery and NFA

rest of the country will be a year or so behind — we were that far ahead on the downturn.

What promotions have worked well for you over the last year and will you repeat them this year? Kou� dakis: We are always trying something new if possible. We cannot go to the same well too o� en. At Baker Brothers, we are spending extra time this year on courting past custom-ers. We are fortunate to have an extensive list and multi generations of families that have purchased from our company over 68 years.

What qualities do you bring to the NFA as president? Kou� dakis: I think one of the things that I bring to the table for the group is that I have spent actually more time on the wholesale side of the business than even the retail side of the business, both at fairly high levels. With that, I have a unique understanding of both sides of our industry.

What are your goals for the group in the time you will serve? Kou� dakis: Bring the members closer together and harness the incredible brain-power that sits in the room. Also, I want to make sure that we continue to build closer relationships and leverage opportunities with our vendor partners.

Leading the group takes time and energy and I know you are doing it in part to con-tribute. But what do you expect to get out of the experience for your own business? Kou� dakis: Nothing. � is is purely a give back for all that I have received. � ere are so many amazing people in the room that have shared a wealth of information on a variety

Phil Kou� dakis, president, Baker Brothers Super Floors in Phoe-nix, Ariz., was elected president of the National Floorcovering Alliance (NFA) at the group’s fall convention last year. � e NFA, which includes 42 of the nation’s largest retailers, has evolved over the years from a casual group that gathered to share information and fellowship into a cohesive group of buyers who are creating their own programs. At the group’s recent convention held in April, it was obvious that Kou� dakis intends to continue down that road, as well as increase the group’s emphasis on marketing.

Kou� dakis has a long history in the � ooring business, having served on the wholesale side before moving over to retail, taking on the top post at Baker Brothers, arguably one of the region’s oldest and most well established retailers. FCW editor-at-large Kimberly Gavin caught up with Kou� dakis on the state of his business as well as his goals for the NFA.

Phil Koufi dakis


1 1 Lumber Liquidators

Toano, VA

$813.3 $681.6 +19.3% 290 263

2 2 Empire Home Services/dba

Empire Carpets

Northlake, IL

$660.0 $578.0 +14.2% 70+ 50+

3 3 Floor & Decor

Kennesaw, GA

$290.9 * 264.9 * +9.8% 35 32

4 5 Redi Carpet

Houston, TX

$160.0 $135.0 +18.5% 18 17

5 4 ABC Carpet & Home

New York, NY

$140.0 $149.5 -6.4% 4 4

6 6 Rite Rug

Columbus, OH

$139.2 $110.0 +26.6% 29 28

7 7 Avalon Carpet Tile & Flooring

Cherry Hill, NJ

$87.5 $82.0 +6.7% 14 14

8 9 Nebraska Furniture Mart

Omaha, NE

$86.2 $79.9 +7.9% 5 5

9 8 Great Floors

Coeur d’Alene, ID

$85.5 $80.0 +6.9% 17 17

10 10 Carpet Exchange/GSO InvestmentsDenver, CO

$66.0 $63.2 +4.4% 19 19

11 11 Bode Floors(div. of CB Flooring)Columbia, MD

$60.2 $58.5 +3.0% 3 5

12 12 R.C. Willey Home Furn

Salt Lake City, UT

$53.0 $50.0 +6.0% 14 14

13 14 CAP Carpet

Wichita, KS

$52.2 $45.0 +16.0% 15 17

14 13 Airbase Carpet Mart

New Castle, DE

$49.4 $48.5 +1.9% 12 12

15 15 House of Floors

Longwood, FL

$46.0 * $41.9

*

+9.8% 5 5

16 17 Contract Furnishings Mart

Portland, OR

$44.4 $38.9 +14.1% 10 10

17 16 KW Flooring

Cincinnati, OH

$44.0 $40.0 +10.0% 18 18

18 20 Floor Covering Associates

Shorewood, IL

$42.9 $35.8 +20.0% 5 5

19 26 America's Floor Source

Columbus, OH

$41.1 $32.0 +28.4% 7 5

20 19 McSwain Carpets & Floors

Cincinnati, OH

$40.6 * $37.0

*

+9.8% 10 9

20 18 Mill Creek Carpet & Tile

Tulsa, OK

$40.6 $37.9 +7.0% 16 17

22 21 Carpet Weaver's

Bloomington, IL

$37.3 * $34.0 +9.8% 12 11 *

23 22 World of Floors

Grand Rapids, MI

$36.8 * $33.5 +9.8% 19 19 *

24 24 Carpet Giant Carpet One

Salt Lake City, UT

$35.0 $32.3 +8.4% 13 12

25 31 PS Wholesale Floors

Baton Rouge, LA

$34.3 $29.2 +17.5% 9 10

R = Revised * = Based on Industry Estimates

• FLOOR COVERING WEEKLY • WWW.FCW1.COM May 6, 2013

4

5613-pages.indd 4 5/1/13 3:51 PM


By Amy Joyce Rush

[Fresno, Calif.] A & M Flooring America has been in business for nearly 75 years. At its peak, former owner Lee Horwitz had three A & M branded stores and three Big Bob’s. But in 2008, the company went into bankruptcy. It was out in 11 months but, according to Horwitz, “We continued to dig more holes.” Enter Steve Kellogg, who had seven Flooring Liquidators (and three warehouse locations) last year. He bought the assets of Horwitz’s two standing stores — one A & M and one Big Bob’s. � e sale will � nalize this month.

Now the stores are part of a larger com-pany that posted sales of $28.7 million in 2012. With four new locations — including the A & M and Big Bob’s locations — this year, Kellogg expects the stores to grow by another $8 to $10 million.

“A & M was a pretty big force. It had sales of $18 million at one point then dropped to $4 or $5 million,” noted Kellogg. “We are doing complete remodels on the stores and right now seeing increases day over day. � ey didn’t have the � nances to fuel it.”

Indeed, Horwitz is candid about his strengths as well as his weaknesses. “We were not as operationally sound as we should have been,” he explained. “I was focused on sell-ing dollars. My goal was to be in the [FCW] Top 50. My goal should have been to have a bottom line pro� t. I never thought it was going to end and when the economy started sputtering, we had no cushion at all.”

� ough the stores were weighted by � nancial woes, Horwitz created a store with brand and loyalty strength — two key areas that made it worth investing in for Kellogg.

A & M rebornNew owner puts venerableretailer in growth mode

He bought the assets — the trademark, the inventory, machinery and the building. “I bought it because A & M has a great name. For all the things that happened in the industry, Lee has always been great to cus-tomers and employees.”

Horwitz, who has deep ties to the industry having begun at A&M, his family’s business, in 1979 and taking over in 1991, loves the � ooring industry. Even as things spiraled down at A&M, he put his sta� and his customers � rst. “My expertise is building a brand and servicing a brand. I was weak at the � nancial part of the business and I’ve been open about it in the last years. I set o� to � nd someone to take over the company and insure that customers were taken cared of.”

Changes afoot, growth aheadKellogg brings the � nancial acumen to A

& M that it desperately needed. He points to the organic growth of his core business as an example. “We have grown without the use of bank lines or outside investment. And we have done it in the absolute worst area of the country in terms of unemployment, and every city where we operate is in the top 25 cities for home foreclosures.”

Kellogg is in the midst of giving the two stores makeovers while keeping an eye on additional growth areas for the company.

“At the same time this is happening, I have two stores opening in Sacramento. We’ve been researching Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. � ey are natural growth areas for us,” explained Kellogg.

Flooring Liquidator’s template is based on imports primarily — about 25 or 30 of its own brands, said Kellogg.

A&M changes hands and gets second chance.


26 29 H.J. Martin

Green Bay, WI

$34.0 $29.9 +13.7% 2 2

27 28 Manasota Flooring

Palmetto, FL

$33.1 $30.2 +9.6% 3 3

28 23 Century Tile & Carpet

Lombard, IL

$31.3 $33.3 -6.0% 12 12

29 25 Pierce Flooring & Design

Billings, MT

$31.0 $32.0 -3.1% 7 8

29 27 Mike's Flooring Companies

Chantilly, VA

$31.0 $31.0 0.0% 8 8

31 36 Blakely's Designer Floors

Carmel, IN

$30.7 $25.6 +20.0% 2 2

32 N/A My Flooring Texas, LLC

Webster, TX

$30.3 $28.6 +5.9% 10 9

33 33 Star Flooring & Decorating

Wichita, KS

$30.0 $28.7 +4.5% 2 3

34 30 Nonn's Design Showplace

Middleton, WI

$29.8 $29.3* +1.7% 3 3 *

35 32 Worldwide Wholesale Floor Covering Edison, NJ

$28.0 $29.0 -3.5% 3 3

35 34 Sid's Carpet Barn

National City, CA

$28.0 $27.0 +3.7% 4 4

35 N/A Flooring Liquidators

Modesto, CA

$28.0 $19.0 +47.4% 7 5

38 35 Bob’s Carpet Mart

Clearwater, FL

$26.0 $26.4 -1.5% 17 17

38 39 S&G Discount

Santa Clara, CA

$26.0 $20.0 +30.0% 6 6

40 N/A Sergenians Floor Coverings

Madison, WI

$25.7 $13.1 +96.2% 4 1

41 38 Bill's Carpet Fair

Baltimore, MD

$25.0 $25.0 +0.0% 6 6

42 39 Coles Fine Flooring

San Diego, CA

$22.0 $20.0 +10.0% 8 7

43 43 Yates Flooring

Lubbock, TX

$20.8 $18.2 +14.3% 1 1

44 41 Levi's 4 Floors

Columbus, OH

$20.6 $19.0 +8.4% 8 8

45 42 Carpetland USA

(Langan Group)

Davenport, IA

$20.2 $18.5 +9.2% 8 8

45 50 Haley's Flooring & Interiors

Huntsville, AL

$20.2 $15.6 +29.5% 1 1

45 44 Hadinger Flooring

Naples, FL

$20.2 $18.1 +11.6% 2 2

45 46 TF Andrew Carpet

New Rochelle, NY

$20.2 $17.5 +15.4% 3 3

49 46 L&L Company

Manassas, VA

$19.2 * $17.5 +9.8% 10 8

50 48 Carpets N More

Las Vegas, NV

$19.0 $17.0 +11.8% 5 4

R = Revised * = Based on Industry Estimates



5

5613-pages.indd 5 5/1/13 3:51 PM

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Mohawk gives a “License to Spill”

The License to Spill truck is travelling across the country, making stops in key cities through-out 2013.

[Dalton] Mohawk is hitting the road in 2013 and taking SmartStrand on a coast-to-coast “License to Spill” carpet showdown tour in partnership with the nationally syn-dicated lifestyle television show, � e Better Show, according to the company.

Mohawk reported that the tour, which is making at least 12 stops all over the country, is showcasing the cleanability and perfor-mance of SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona carpet at popular festivals and home show events. Attendees are invited to spill every-thing from Ketchup and Kool-Aid to wine and co� ee on SmartStrand Sorona carpet to see if it will come clean with just water or mild detergent. Mohawk is promoting local Floorscapes and ColorCenter retailers at each tour stop and encouraging consumers to visit their nearest Aligned retailer to take advantage of a promotional o� er.

HGTV celebrity designers Taniya Nayak and Chip Wade will make guest appearances at a number of tour stops to attract consumer atten-tion and promote SmartStrand. Each event will also feature either JD Roberto or Audra Lowe, the two hosts from � e Better Show. Highlights of each tour stop will be shown nationally to more than a million viewers.

� e campaign is also being actively sup-ported through social media integration, including a variety of platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Vine. According to the company, Mohawk’s social media initiatives are designed to both increase consumer brand awareness and drive aligned retail store tra� c.

To complement the tour, Mohawk has created a License to Spill event kit so that Floorscapes and ColorCenter retailers can take advantage of events in their local com-munities and host their own showdown. Participating retailers will be given a License to Spill point-of-purchase kit, containing everything they need to engage consumers, drive tra� c to their store, and ultimately, help boost sales.

Upcoming stops include Chicago’s Choco-late Festival and Philadelphia’s Italian Market Festival. To obtain a License to Spill event kit, visit www.mohawktoday.com or contact your Mohawk sales representative. FCW

[HAWKINSVILLE, GA.] Volunteers gathered to help fi nish a brand new home for Marine Corporal Tony Mullis on April 13, 2013 here. Armstrong, as the exclusive fl ooring supplier to Homes for Our Troops (HFOT), provided fl oors for the Mullis home. Armstrong distributor partner in the Southeast, William M. Bird, donated 50 percent of the cost of the fl ooring for this home, according to th e company. Local retailers Central Carpet in Macon, Ga. and Katz Floorcovering in Leesburg, Ga. also volunteered their services. All homes are built by HFOT at no cost to the veteran through the support of individuals, foundations and corporate contributors. HFOT is a national non-profi t organization that builds specially adapted homes for injured veterans.

Armstrong: Homes for Our Troops


6 News

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5613-pages.indd 2 4/23/13 3:52 PM

Garry Peacock, 77Garry Peacock passed away April 10,

2013 at the age of 77. He began his career in the � oor covering industry in Toronto with Harding Carpets before moving to Montreal with Bigelow-Sanford in 1971 as sales man-ager. He traveled to the U.S. with Bigelow-Sanford when they moved to Greenville, S.C., and was appointed to general sales manager.

Peacock moved to California and joined Congoleum, before becoming director of membership relations and executive direc-tor of the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) from 1992 to 1996. Between 1997 and 1998, Peacock was involved with the successful launching of Surfaces, which was well received and had the highest attendance of any trade show. He was vice president of T.S.I. Incorporated - International Flooring Exhibition in Jupiter, Fla. and was a major part of Coverings trade show in Orlando, Fla., from 1996 to 1997.

Between 1997 and 2001, Peacock worked as southern paci� c regional man-ager for Anderson Hardwood Floors in southern California; Lauzon Hardwood Flooring from 2001-2004; and, Provenza as director of sales and marketing from 2006-2008, during which he was in the midst of a � ve-year battle with cancer.

Peacock is survived by his wife of 57 years, Florence; son, Glenn Peacock; daughters Keely Greeno and Lisa Wass; and, grandchildren, Alex and Aaron Pea-cock, Kendal Greeno, Samantha Wass and Amanda Wass. A celebration of his life will held in Escondido, California on May 4 2013 at Emmanuel Faith Commu-nity Church. He was very active in the church and had served as an Elder for the past six years. FCW

SHEER DELIGHT...a tailored and sophisticatedtip-sheared loop from Tuftex Carpets of California.

www.tuftexcarpet.com

Sheer Delight MAY issue 4.18.13.indd 1 4/19/13 9:30 AM

Norman Marks, 51A� er an illness, Norman Marks, founder and president of Natural Carpet Company,

passed away on March 21, 2013. Marks started his career working with his father, Barry Marks, at C & J Zimmerman, a New York interiors contractor in the late 1970s. He moved to the Los Angeles area a� er selling that business and started Inteex in the 1980s. Re-sponding to client requests for all natural carpets and rugs, Inteex evolved into the Natural Carpet Company in 1998.

Never married, Marks is survived by his father Barry Marks. He was passionate about his company, which is well known as a manufacturer, importer and exporter of unique carpets, rugs, wall coverings, fabrics, accessories and interior décor items.

Currently under Barry Marks leadership, Natural Carpet Company will continue as Norman’s legacy. FCW

Joel Cohen, 73Carpet industry veteran, Joel Cohen,

died on March 26, 2013 in Atlanta, Ga. Cohen was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. and

was a graduate of the University of Georgia. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Shei-la, two daughters and two grandchildren.

Cohen began his carpet industry career in 1974 with Queen Carpet as vice presi-dent of marketing, and served there until Shaw acquired Queen in 1998. FCW

Mike Derderian, 86Mike Derderian passed away suddenly on April 4 in Newport Beach, Calif. Born in Detroit, Mich., Derderian is survived by three daughters, four grandchildren, four

great grandchildren, three sisters and two brothers.A� er serving in the Navy during WWII, Derderian moved to Los Angeles and worked as a

shoe clerk where his sales ability and entrepreneurial skills earned him the eventual position of vice president of the entire chain of 57 stores and 160 employees.

Over time and various positions, he gathered more experience and in 1963, he founded Roy-alty Carpet Mills, which he moved to Irvine, Calif., in 1973. Royalty acquired Paci� Crest Mills in 1992 and Camelot Carpet Mills in 1999, and began importing ceramic and porcelain tile, growing the original 13,000 square foot mill to more than one million square feet, spanning multiple loca-tions in both California and Arizona. FCW


8 Obituaries

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Attracting the next generation of installersBy Raymond Pina

Veteran installers, installation-related associations and specialty retailers are striving to attract, train and retain the next generation of professional floor mechanics with mixed results.

“I’ve been through several di� erent appren-tices the past couple of years and none of them wound up sticking with it,” said Lavaughn Taylor, a 46-year veteran installer based in Florida. “It’s too much work for this new gen-eration. � ey lose interest real quick.”

Jim Walker, president and CEO of Certi� ed Floorcovering Installers (CFI), said retention rates have always been a challenge due to the industry vastly undervaluing installers.

“� is industry doesn’t put a proper value on labor; in fact, they promote giving it away for free,” he said. “You’ll see ads promoting free installation and it doesn’t matter how many rooms are in the house. And, because of the economy, training has really taken a

back seat the past few years. It’s hard to put money into somebody when you’re not sell-ing product for them to install.”

� e International Standards & Training Alliance (INSTALL) is partnering with high schools and technical schools to include basic � oor installation techniques into their curriculum as a means of exposing youths to the trade, according to Doug Mannell, INSTALL’s coordinator and master instruc-tor in Kansas City, Mo.

“We have master instructors in high school settings who teach classes every day like regular teachers,” said Mannell. “We look at our involvement in the school sys-tems as a pre-apprenticeship. We’re giving them hands on knowledge and a base foun-dation of the � oor covering industry. A lot of kids know they’re not going to be doctors or lawyers and enjoy working with their hands. To them, our industry is not boring and beats being behind a desk all day long.”

INSTALL also participates in career fairs and trade shows to attract interest, said Mannell.

“Our entire industry needs to stay on top of this. Not only do we need to bring new blood in, but we need to upgrade the skills of our journeymen as well,” he explained.

Faces of the new installerA� er a short stint studying to

be an electrician and � ve years as a prison guard, Kansas City-based Matt Snodgrass said he found his true calling as a � oor installer two

years ago. “I love what I’m doing now and don’t want to give it up,” said Snodgrass. “I make at least $10 an hou r more as an apprentice installer than I was as a prison guard. � ey say a � oor needs to be replaced every 10 years so there’s demand out there if you’re willing to do the work. It’s fun. I learn something new every single day.”

Similarly, Josh Westfall, also of Kansas City, said transitioning from working construction to installing � oors two years ago was the best move of his life.

“I’ve always had good hand skills to fall back on but I really enjoy working with � oors,” he said. “� ere’s a sense of accomplishment at the end of every day when you see what you created. And the income that we are capable of making is not bad if you prove yourself — just like with any other work.”

Bringing retailers and installers togetherWhile specialty � ooring retailers

di� erentiate themselves from mass DIY merchants by leveraging the value of a pro-fessional installation, the way they go about retaining these cra� smen varies.

Jerry Butler, owner of Fred’s Carpet Plus in Torrance, Calif., typically invests in train-ing willing apprentices who tend to be friends or family of existing installers — all of which are employees and not subcontractors.

“We’ve always had ‘helpers’ and if they stay around and are good when we need another crew, we always look internally � rst,” he said. “It’s an apprenticeship that lasts around � ve years. Our installers have always been good

about saying when it’s time, when appren-tices are ready to move up.”

Meanwhile, Sam Roberts, president of Houston, Texas-based Roberts Carpet and Fine Floors, only hires experienced install-ers — and keeps a close eye on new hires until their skills can be accounted for.

“We only hire installers that have had sig-ni� cant experience elsewhere,” he said. “We’ll send them out to do a small project and take a good look at it when they’re done. Installers don’t start their careers with us. � ey come to us because it’s a good company and they know they’re going to have work every day and get paid a good to better rate.” FCW

By Raymond Pina

� ough fundamental � oor installation skill sets have not changed over the years, the atti-tudes, tools, methods and products installers bring to the job site certainly have, according to industry veterans. But are they changing for the better?

Bob Taylor’s Carpet One in Crestview, Fla. is unique in that its two most senior installers are senior citizens — Lavaughn Taylor aged 65 and Hinton Taylor aged 72. And a� er 46 years on the job, the two continue to apply their cra� daily with unmatched skill and enthusiasm, according to Bob Taylor, owner.

“These two have got the work ethic of the older installers,” he said. “If they’re 50 miles out of town and it gets late, they don’t pack up and make it a two-day job. They

The difference is in attitude, hungerOld school installation

finish it. And they’re loyal. They don’t go subcontract for someone else and they’ll work weekends.”

� at hunger is not as evident in today’s younger installers, said Lavaughn Taylor, who started installing for Bob Taylor’s Carpet One in 1967 as part of a high school work study program.

“These younger guys have the skills, their fundamentals are sound,” he said. “The difference is attitude. They don’t take the same approach to their work as we older guys do.”

In fact, attitude is the No. 1 issue that separates veteran installers from today’s younger apprentice and journeymen, according to Greg Hefele, master installer and instructor for the St. Louis, Mo.-based chapter of the International Standards & Training Alliance (INSTALL).

“By the time you are a third year apprentice, your skills are sharp and the focus in training shi� s to attitude,” he said. “It’s a topic that is dictated throughout the training at all of our centers. Getting along with others and the atti-tude you bring to your work is a key aspect of productivity. If there is con� ict, it deteriorates the entire job. � at’s the No. 1 thing we’re trying to instill in the next generation.”

Adapting to changing systems� e advent of hard surface

click and other � oating � oor installation systems are being received both enthusiastically and skeptically by veteran and apprentice installers alike.

“I’ve been installing � oors for 30 years and what worries me is if some of these new DIY installation methods are going to stay down very long,” said Doug Mannell, a Kansas City-based master installer and INSTALL instructor. “I

understand why manufacturers are trying to dummy down a very technical industry but you get what you pay for. I could do elec-trical work at my house and save a couple bucks, but I call my friend who’s a trained electrician. Why take the risk?”

As recently as a year ago Jim Walker, president and CEO of Certi� ed Floorcover-ing Installers (CFI), said he disliked vinyl

Next generation installers like apprentice David Steele are committing to learning the tools of the trade.

Two-year apprentice installer Josh Westfall is already skilled in tough custom installations including heat welding vinyl.

Click systems have been received both enthusiastically and skeptically by veteran and apprentice installers.



9Installation

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Enhanced performance, textures give category boostBy Mallory Cruise

As the economy continues to recover, hard-wood suppliers are o� ering better performing � nishes, constructions, new colors and textures to meet the new consumer demand. Although there are a few common threads among new o� erings, separating from the pack and o� ering unique product is a top priority.

Textured products continue to be a strong direction, though suppliers report that cur-rent trends dictate so� er handscraped looks. And colors are going so� er and lighter as well — grays and white tones taking the lead.

“We launched 61 new SKUs in January 2013. Among those includes an innovative collection of textured � oors called Imagine Collection that contributes to hide the marks and scu� s of daily use. It is available on old maple and old red oak, in three colors: papy-rus, linen and rock cli� ,” said Luc Robitaille, vice president of sales and marketing for Boa Franc, maker of the Mirage brand.

Mollie Surratt, director of marketing at

Anderson Hardwood, said that the company is seeing a move towards a more so� ly sculp-tured antiquing style in wood � oors, although handscrape is still widely sought a� er.

“Handscrape still reigns, but it has matured into more undulating subtle scrap-ing, wire-brushing on the � oors surface and even saw marks that skip along the surface of the � oor creating irregular designs. � e so� irregularity of the � oor results in a very unique installation,” she o� ered.

Columbia has introduced two new colors for consumers seeking character woods for their home. “Character products that o� er surface designs and texture such as wire-brushed, chattered, hand-sculpted, recovered, weathered, distressed and time-worn looks as well as those featuring hammer dents, nail holes, and splits are top sellers,” explained Harry Bogner, senior vice president, hard-wood at Unilin. � is spring, Columbia will launch Ashlynn and Pembridge collections that o� er time worn, textured � oors.

Dan Natkin, director of wood and laminate

at Mannington, said the company’s latest launches o� er both subtly scraped rustics and a color palette that is shi� ing from dark colors to lighter colors. Two of Mannington’s newest introductions, Maison and Hamilton, are re� ective of these trends. Hamilton features a subtle scrape with an edge worn e� ect and Maison is a 7 1/2–inch thick sawn face with a subtle distressing in oak species and gray tones.

A number of companies are also looking to gray and white tones to so� en the palette as well as new stains.

Mercier added 36 new SKUs to its Nature Series this year that include wide width, wire-brushed engineered products as well as new gray stains.

“In 2013 we are o� ering the brushed option in our Design+ Program on red oak and white ash species. We have added some color option in our Exotic Collection,” explained Michel Collin, director of marketing at Mercier.

Mullican recently introduced two hardwood products that are made at its new domestic facility in Johnson City, Tenn. Keeping in line

with the trend towards long planks, as well as the trend towards gray-toned � oors, Mullican introduced its Ponte Vedra line which is avail-able on a smooth oak product in a granite color and on maple in a graphite color. In addition to Ponte Vedra, the company’s � rst domestically produced, sculpted 6-foot long product, San Marco, was also introduced this year.

Mohawk too has hit upon the wire-brushed trend with its recently launched Atherton product. Primarily available in oak and hickory, Atherton shi� s towards the wire-brushed trend from scraped and o� ers a rustic, but casual, appearance, according to Richard Quinlan, senior director of hardwood, Mohawk.

Mohawk’s Henley, an engineered � oor, is scraped, distressed, and available in hickory. “Henley is receiving a very good response from consumers because it hits upon the so� er-scraped trend,” o� ered Quinlan of Mohawk.

Top companies have been stepping out in a big way this year, according to industry execu-tives, and providing products aimed at sepa-


Armstrong’s new Midtown collection


Wood10

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5613-pages.indd 26 4/24/13 3:15 PM

rating themselves from others in the market.Armstrong launched Midtown earlier this

year with the purpose of delivering an impact resistant engineered � oor but with the look of solid hardwood. Made in the U.S. and of domestic species, Midtown is available on 5-inch wide oak, maple and walnut planks with low gloss levels. � ere is also the ability to customize the collection with a variety of

colors, species, textures and � nishes.Midtown’s HDF core-board is composed

of Armstrong’s Eco-Certi� ed Composite (ECC) core, which uses locally-sourced � ber and recycled, recovered or postconsumer � ber content to provide enhanced perfor-mance and improved dent resistance.

Designs that take inspiration from reclaimed wooden boards and beams salvaged from deconstructed buildings also deliver unique-ness to the consumer, according to Surratt.

“Consumers are responding well to wide width, low sheen styles that look like � oors

installed a century ago,” said Sur-ratt of Anderson. “� ose looking for antique, European inspired � oors love our Bastille Collec-tion. Urban Lo� combines fresh new colors with the so� undula-tion of a wire-brushed hickory, appealing to traditional and contemporary home styling.”

New for bamboo For bamboo, the latest products focus on

performance and meeting sustainable goals.

Suppliers said that the strand woven con-struction � lls this objective.

New to 2013, USFloors is adding a product called Sambuca to its Expressions Collection of solid locking strand woven bamboo. Accord-ing to Gary Keeble, product and marketing manager at USFloors, Sambuca features a vintage visual with a wire brushed surface that is stained with a brown co� ee color and also comes with a French bleed look.

“We are continuing to develop strand woven � oors with interesting and trend setting visuals such as distressed multi-width products and French bleed visuals,” Keeble said.

Home Legend introduced four strand woven SKUs at Surfaces this year, according to Jamann Stepp, vice president of sales and marketing. � e products are available on a 3/8” x 5 1/8” HDF click construction on a 3 foot board or 1/2” X 5 1/8” solid T&G con-struction on a 6 foot board.

New strand woven bamboo from CFS features wider widths and handscraped and distressed visuals. According to vice president of sales and marketing Philip Key, CFS recently introduced a 6-inch wide strand woven Euca-lyptus product with a traditional smooth � nish. “It has a very unique appearance and the hard-ness expected from the strand woven construc-tion,” noted Key, adding that the company also introduced a 5-inch wire brushed strand woven appearance on an engineered construction that, “allows strand woven � oors to be installed on all grade levels in every region of the U.S.”

Printed corkTechnology is driving new looks in cork

which include digitally printed product. “New technology allows stone and hard-

wood decors to be digitally printed directly onto the cork. � e natural texture of cork enhances the digital image for a realistic and natural replication of a stone or hardwood � oor with all the great bene� ts of cork,” said Keeble of USFloors. � e company has expanded its Cork Canvas collection by adding four new digitally enhanced planks featuring rustic hardwood visuals.

At WE Cork, the Serenity Collection uses digital printing to create stone and wood visu-als on a cork base, allowing cork suppliers to o� er customers products that combine the bene� ts of a cork � oor with a unique visual. According to A nn Wicander, president of WE Cork, the company’s new digitally printed products feature a class AC5 rating and com-mercial � nish. Additionally, direct digitally printing brings to cork the bene� ts of less repeating of design patterns on products. FCW

EnhancedContinued from page 10

Columbia’s new Ashlynn Collection in Blanched Almond Oak


Wood12

5613-pages.indd 12 4/30/13 11:02 AM

American Scrape supports retail, Home for Our Troops[Lancaster, Pa.] American Scrape, one of Armstrong’s recently introduced collections, o� ers dealers the best of both worlds — a premium product at a value price point — according to the company. What’s more, initially brought to market as an engineered product, the company now o� ers American Scrape in solids.

Add in its Made in the U.S.A. story and the fact that a portion of the sales go to Homes for Our Troops (HFOT), Armstrong said it’s a product positioned to help dealers win more sales.

“We’re utilizing our scale and proprietary technology to competitively manufacture American Scrape at three of our U.S. manufac-turing facilities — Beverly, Somerset and West Plains. Plus, a portion of American Scrape sales are dedicated to supporting Homes for Our Troops, a non-pro� t, non-partisan orga-nization that builds specially adapted homes for our nation’s severely injured veterans returning from combat abroad,” explained Milton Goodwin, vice president of product management, hardwood, Armstrong.

American Scrape also o� ers consumers the popular look of distressed or antiqued � oors. “A big trend in recent years is related to tex-turing — in � oors, in furniture and in textiles. Consumers want to be able to see the texture as well as feel it. Flooring design is all about visual and tactile interest,” said Goodwin.

And dealers are seeing the results of the strong story American Scrape tells. Chuck Katz, owner, of Katz’s Flooring in Albany, Ga., explained, “� e handscrape look is the most popular trend in wood that we are seeing right now. Customers love the American Scrape product. It has depth — it’s di� erent. Also, for every American Scrape product we sell, we give the customer a free Patriotic rug.”

American Scrape consists of both solid and engineered 5-inch hickories and oaks; the company plans to add birch, maple and walnut engineered planks later this year. “Everything about these � oors has an Ameri-can stamp — wide width planks and dramatic colors named for diverse regions around the country. Each � oor is made in the U.S.A.,” said Goodwin. “� e price of handscrapes coming out of China continues to rise, and the pitfalls of importing aren’t going away. So being able to provide this product domestically serves us and our dealers well,” said Goodwin.

� e Made in the U.S.A. story coupled with the company’s support of HFOT gives Ameri-can Scrape its own unique story. “We are able to provide competitively di� erent products that are winning with consumers and retail-ers. � is is driving growth, which has led to us being able to create more jobs in our commu-nities and give a little back to those that have sacri� ced almost everything for our country and our freedom,” Goodwin said.

All American Scrape products feature the company’s nano aluminum oxide surface treat-ment to prevent scratches and stains, while also enhancing the wood’s natural characteristics.

Armstrong recently participated in a vol-unteer day for Homes for Our Troops, where volunteers helped build a home for Marine Corporal Tony Mullis. Katz also helped out at the event. But for Katz, the volunteer day

had a special signi� cance. “I have a daughter in the Army, and it was great to partake in this event with other active duty members. Plus, the house is beautiful. It was wonder-ful to be a part of something that is bigger than yourself. being a part of something that is helping someone who stood up for your country,” he said.

— Mallory Cruise

American Scrape is available inboth engineered and solid profi les and features textured surfaces.


13Wood

5613-pages.indd 13 4/30/13 11:03 AM

[Fresno, Calif.] In preparation for a reviving housing market, Bedrosians Tile and Stone is working on a robust expansion of locations and its product lines for 2013. The company plans to open 10 new loca-tions and is revamping more than 3,000 of its products this year, according to Eddie Bedrosian, marketing director.

“Our main business before the downturn was new construction and housing, and we lost that when the economy went down,” said Eddie Bedrosian, marketing director for Bed-rosians. “� en remodeling and foreclosures were big for us, and we are beginning to see business again.”

Bedrosians, which opened in 1948, imports ceramic tile and stone and has 37 locations in the U.S., primarily in the western half of the U.S., including California, Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, Washington and Utah. On the East Coast, Bedrosians has locations in Florida and North Carolina.

� e company acquired a new $7 million, 400,000-square-foot distribution center in Jacksonville, Fla. in September. � e new warehouse will serve as the company’s East Coast distribution center, servicing stores in

Bedrosians ramps up for growth

Bedrosian has added some 3,000 new products including 10 to 12 lines in mosaics.

Jacksonville, South Florida and Charlotte, N.C. Bedrosians chose the location for its convenient port location, Bedrosian said. As of early this year, the company was beginning to supply the warehouse with fresh inventory imported from China.

In addition to the new warehouse, com-pany management is planning 10 new loca-tions for 2013, although the future locations have yet to be determined. “Every week we

travel to try to � nd all the new locations,” Bedrosian said.

� e company imports its product and it has manufacturing facilities in China.

“We put in all new inkjet machinery on our lines in China,” Bedrosian said. “In the last year, we have redone almost all of our products and we have come up with 3,000 new products in one year — 10 to 12 lines are in mosaic alone.”

� e new product lines re� ect the latest North American tile trends: fresh neutrals, large porcelain sizes and glass.

“What’s been big for us has been the grays,” Bedrosian said. “We’ve also intro-duced new glass lines — over 2,000 SKUs.” The Hamptons glass collection, one of the new series, consists of 11 colors in five sizes: 3 X 6, 4 X 12, a mini brick pattern, interlocking pattern and stick liner. The collection has 12 glass blends and two sizes. “Each piece has seven layers of coat-ings, which makes it higher quality glass,” Bedrosian said.

Another glass collection, Manhattan, has a more urban edge with a touch of metallic.

Another big trend Bedrosians is pursuing is extra large format porcelain, up to 5 X 10 feet in size. � e large-format porcelain will be suitable for commercial or residential appli-cations and also has a matching bullnose trim that can be applied as a � nish for countertops and stair treads for a custom look.

“This is all created with inkjet technol-ogy, and for our marble looks, the veins flow and match up for a very high-end look,” Bedrosian said. “It is less mainte-nance than real marble. The margins have really gone down on stone, and our porce-lain slabs are less than half of the price of real Calacatta marble.” FCW

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years, and we now get more of an in� uence from the East and West coasts.”

New technology debuting at the show builds upon the trends started in previous years: large format tile, such as StonePeak Ceramic’s 5’ x 10’ “Plane” engineered por-celain ceramic wall panel; ultra-thin tiles by Porcelanosa, Cotto d’Este and Panaria; high-de� nition inkjet printing that replicates the look of natural wood; and, self-cleaning and antibacterial tiles perfect for commercial spaces, such as Crossville’s Hydrotect launch. Exhibitors also showcased new tools designed to ease the tile selling process and create opportunities for add-on sales for

� ooring dealers. For example, “Moods” by Interceramic works like an interior designer’s inspiration board that helps customers visu-alize a tile design concept based on palette. � e company handpicked a collection of the most popular paint colors in the North American market and showed how they coordinate with Intereramic’s product in di� erent ways to create a variety of looks.

“Our distributor clients saw this in our showroom, and they wanted a way to take the concept to their customers,” said DeDe Dunn, U.S. product and market-ing manager. “It’s a simple way to work through the product selection process through color, or mood.”

Laticrete expanded its radiant heat o� ering with Floor Heat, designed to provide more � exibility in installation.

CoveringsContinued from page 3

“� is provides a huge sales opportunity for � ooring dealers and provides them with a great opportunity to maximize every sale — it’s at least a $10 per square foot upsell,” said Sean Boyle, director of marketing and prod-uct management for Laticrete. FCW

Laticrete’s Ken Barnum demonstrates Floor Heat.This year’s Coverings plays host to more than 900 exhibitors.

An artist at Italian tile fi rm Idea Ceramica drew caricatures of 311 famous people, past and pres-ent, on ceramic tile.


Tile & Stone14

5613-pages.indd 14 4/30/13 3:09 PM

Fiberglass moves in on multi-family marketBy Raymond Pina

Fiberglass-backed � ooring already has a stronghold in the residential market but now, according to industry insiders, it has emerged as a favored � oor for price-conscious prop-erty managers.

“Property managers have become enam-ored with � berglass � oors, and retailers who have been successful with the category residentially are now servicing that business,” said Allen Cubell, vice president of resilient product management, Armstrong. “It’s hard to � nd a better overall value than � berglass.”

� at distinction used to belong to felt-backed sheet vinyl. Now thicker and so� er � berglass � oors are being perceived as superior products even though they’re only slightly more expensive, said insiders. What’s more, � berglass � oors don’t have to be fully adhered like felt-backed products giving them an ease of installation story as well.

“Fiberglass � oors far exceed the perfor-mance of traditional felt-backed sheet and that’s why we see it moving into places like multi-family and builder where felt had a strong hold,” said Bruce Ziegler, director of residential product management, Tarkett. “� ere’s still a lot of felt out there but the only reason it remains as an alternative at all is because it’s slightly lower in price.”

Fueling the acceptance of � berglass-backed � ooring is a boost in domestic capacity. Initially introduced in 2004 by Tarkett with its Canadian-made FiberFloor, � berglass � oors are now being produced in the U.S. by Armstrong, IVC US and Man-nington. � e additional capacity has brought � berglass pricing more in line with felt.

“I don’t know what I’d do without � ber-glass � oors,” said Ray Scott, who owns several rental properties in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. “How else could I put down stone tiles in the kitchen and bathroom and wood throughout the rest of the house without going broke? I have people that come down and live on these � oors hard all summer. � ey walk around barefoot and it’s comfort-able for them and I don’t have to panic about the sand and water.”

Not only are property managers � nding durable and waterproof � berglass � oors pref-erable to carpet — which has to be replaced o� en — but also to luxury vinyl tile (LVT) when it comes to wet areas, said Paul Mu� n, co-CEO, IVC US.

“� ough LVT is positioned as a higher end product that can go anywhere, the trend we’re seeing is customers opting to put � berglass sheet in their kitchens, bathrooms, basements and laundry rooms,” he said.

� e � berglass sheet format also allows for larger seamless tiles, planks and abstract visu-als that simply can’t be achieved with LVT,

added Betsy Amoroso, director of corporate communications, Mannington.

“� e � berglass customer appreciates the dramatic visuals that you can’t achieve with single planks or tiles. � ey also want that durability but they don’t want the hardness that comes with laminate or LVT. � ere are a lot of people that love the so� ness of � ber-glass,” she said. FCW

A hit residentially, fi berglass fl oors like Mannington’s Majesty, shown here, are expanding into the multi-family market.


15Resilient

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Alternative sheet vinyladdresses shifty subfloorsBy Raymond Pina

Unlike dimensionally stable � berglass � oors, Armstrong’s Stratamax and Congoleum’s AirStep alternative sheet vinyl can expand and contract with wooden substrates — a

key di� erentiator when targeting the builder market, said Allen Cubell, vice president of resilient product management, Armstrong.

“Fiberglass � oors work well in the con-crete slab market but modi� ed products like Stratamax and AirStep are in a world of their

own when you have sus-pended wooden structures,” said Cubell. “� ese products can be installed loose lay in those environments because they’ll move with the � oor. Whereas lots of times � berglass � oors, whether they’re loose laid or glued down, will buckle because they are dimensionally stable.”

While maintaining the thick cushion layer that has made � berglass � oors so popular, these modi� ed alternative sheet vinyls fea-ture heavier and denser limestone composi-tion cores instead of � berglass to keep them in place when installed without glue or tape.

“� e dimensional stability of � berglass becomes a disadvantage when dealing with some sub� oors. We actually market our AirStep as a better alternative to � berglass. � at’s our tagline. We use the term ‘co n-trolled stability.’ Builders in the north are

already weary of ‘dimensional stability’,.” said Patrick Buckley, vice president of product management, Congoleum.

Builders in regions where shi� y sub� oors are an issue are also learning they can forgo costly prep work and install these alternative � oors faster and with less worry than with � berglass, executives said.

“Builders need to make it through the rigors of the new home construction process. Strata-max is more durable and less likely to tear than � berglass products. Stratamax was made to go into these tougher environments easily and perform. Retailers taking advantage of that di� erentiate themselves when working with builders on a budget,” said Cubell. FCW

[Ontario, Calif.] Flexitions, based here, has launched a uniquely-constructed line of stainable rigid moldings geared towards Do It Yourselfers and private contractors in need of matching moldings for luxury vinyl tile (LVT) installations.

“� ere are lots of private contractors and Do It Yourselfers who need to � nish a project right away and don’t have time to go hunting for matching LVT moldings,” said Gary Hernandez, president, Flexitions. “Our product is available un� nished, a blank canvas, so you can stain it to match anything you want and be done with it. It’s considered a convenience. And it brings peace of mind to anyone in a pinch for moldings.”

Flexitions’ Stainable Rigid Transition Moldings for LVT features a proprietary polymeric construction that is porous — to accept stain — yet waterproof, dimension-ally stable and more durable than PVC and rubber, according to Hernandez.

“Our LVT molding is worlds apart from anything else out there,” he said. “Everything we sell we have invented ourselves, so we’re very protective of our products.Our mold-ings are 100 percent green and made with all renewable resources. You’re not going to � nd a more durable molding that is waterproof and won’t shrink. If we send you seven feet you’re going to have seven feet for life.”

Creating instant-match LVT moldings Flexitions’ Stainable Rigid Transition Moldings for LVT can be fi nished on site to match LVT visuals.

Flexitions’ stainable LVT molding solution

with stain is a simple solution to a mounting problem, added Hernandez.

“LVT moldings have become a bigger monster than laminate and engineered wood moldings — there are so many new lines and colors being added and dropped every week nobody can keep up with it,” he said. “We can supply popular and even custom colors, but o� ering un� nished moldings that can be stained to match anything is a huge bene� t.”

Flexitions entered the moldings market with a line of stainable and � exible transition moldings in 2005.

“Our � exible moldings were simply an installation solution when there was a curve running through the center of a transition between two � oors,” said Hernandez. “Now with LVT, it has become an added value opportunity for those that are design-minded but looking to save. Instead of straight angles, you can achieve more � air, something that looks a lot better.” FCW

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Stop! I give up Christine Whittemore. I realize the awesome power of social media. I detest it because it is all about

me. Nonetheless, I now appreciate how all of this is changing the way customers receive and deliver information.

� e pre-Internet advertising to consum-ers was fairly straightforward. � e retailers would advertise in newspaper, TV, radio, Yellow Pages or direct mail. � e consumer was passive. She saw an ad or commercial — 97 percent paid no attention — and the hope was that some would actually look at the ad and some of those would come into the store.

Everything was initiated by the retailer. The “touch points,” (where the consumer and retailer crossed paths) were the above mentioned media and actual store. That’s it. What types of advertising work has always been the question. John Wan-namaker famously said, “One half of our advertising works, I just don’t know which half it is.”

Advertising has always been wasteful and expensive. Our industry ultimately relied on word of mouth or referral “advertising.” She talked to her neighbor and friends and based on their recommendation visited a speci� c store. � at has always been the best “touch point” — one coming from an exist-ing customer.

But the technology industry has changed all that. � ese touch points are still relevant but they have lost some, if not all, their value. Yellow Pages is the best example of a “touch point” that has been rendered obsolete. What the new technology has allowed is for retailers to create a dialogue or conversation; no longer is this a one-way ad or commercial. � e mindset is creating conversations and having others create interest in your business.

� at, my friends, is why the Internet and all it o� ers is the future — Facebook and Twitter and more and more.

In the old days, we would learn about entertainers by reading magazines like People. Now the famous person can skip the magazines and skip the interviews and get rid of their publicists and go directly to their audience. Today, Justin Bieber (I really am embarrassed that I know this) has the largest Twitter following of any single person — six million Twitter followers who wait breath-lessly for Justin to share some silly idea and then they all get to respond. All in 140 spaces or less. And you wonder about Lady Gaga; well she is the second largest and most active Twitter site. Ugh.

Whether Twitter is useful to � ooring retailers remains to be seen, but as a commu-

nication method, Twitter continues to grow in popularity. I don’t know how businesses take advantage of Twitter but what I do know is that it is an important “touch point.”

eHarmony is a site for single people to meet others in search of romance, love and/

or marriage. Before the Internet, where did this person go to � nd someone? Where were the “touch points”? Church, bar or at work. All pretty awful choices. Now, he � lls out this incredibly long questionnaire upgrad-ing his talents and downgrading his failings;

she does the same. � e computer takes all these white lies and matches up the people. eHarmony says 500,000 people have gotten married. Wait ‘til they � nd out what the other is really like. Yikes.

Next time, let’s look at the “touch points” that retailers need to be part of.____________________________________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 � ooring groups throughout the country and Canada.

B Y J O N A T H A N T R I V E R S

I take the floor

We cry uncle (First of a two part series)

5613-pages2.indd 17 4/30/13 11:25 AM

Long laminate brings profit to commodity segmentBy Raymond Pina

Wood visuals look more dramatic and com-mand larger premiums when portrayed on planks measuring six feet in length or longer, said dealers earning additional pro� ts from the o� en overlooked long laminate sub-segment.

“We have laminates in the six- and seven foot range that are doing tremendously

well for us,” said Art Layton, vice presi-dent of marketing at CMH Space Floor-ing Products. “We and our retailers are making some of our best margins with long laminate. They are visually dramatic and very different when compared to standard laminate. End users are willing to pay more for them.”

Introduced in 2010 and typically o� ered

in six- and seven foot lengths, long laminates better illustrate rustic, high-gloss and other sought a� er surface decors because they are less frequently interrupted by end joints than standard four foot models. Each plank also covers more ground when installed, speeding up installation times, said dealers.

“Longer laminate planks do the same thing that the more popular wider planks do —

they contrast the standard laminate that has become so prevalent. Longer and wider com-municates more value to the consumer,” said Sam Roberts, president of Houston, Texas-based Roberts Carpet and Fine Floors.

Fans of long laminate also point out that the more cumbersome to transport and inventory format is not available from Do-It-Yourself oriented home center, mass merchant and online competitors.

“Long laminates are a real answer to the commodity product problem. Long laminates were introduced at a time when people shied away from the category in general. But as the market recovers, I think long laminate is really going to take off. They play to the strength of the individual dealer who is willing to do the work to fit them into their offering,” said Ray Rucier, regional sales manager for mid-Atlantic distributor Derr Flooring.

In fact, Derek Welbourne, CEO of Canada-based inhaus, the North American division of Germany-based Classen, said long laminates would be better received if the industry as a whole got behind them. Classen launched a digitally printed seven foot lami-nate at Surfaces 2013.

“� ere’s no visual repeat with digital printing so the installations are unique and stunning when you � ll a room with long lam-inates,” he said. “Our long laminate has been very well received at Surfaces. People like the look. It just has never really been available to them before — especially at this price. � e whole idea of long laminate as a small niche has been a self-ful� lling prophecy in the U.S. In Europe, it’s much more prevalent.”

Dealers willing to work with long laminates, like those shown here at DomotexAsia/ChinaFloor 2013, are experiencing additional profi ts.


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Name brand suppliers that have stuck with the longer formats said these products are now among their top sellers. Alloc, Armstrong, Classen, Lamett, Kronotex USA and Quick-Step all currently o� er long laminate planks.

Kronotex USA invested $45 million updat-ing its Barnwell, S.C. facility with the world’s latest laminate � oor line, partly to support domestic production of its best-selling six foot Quintessa collection, which is branded under its upscale Formica Flooring label.

“Six foot de� nitely works for us,” said Fred

Giuggio, vice president of sales and market-ing, Formica Flooring. “We just launched a deeply embossed smoky gray in our six foot format. � ere’s nothing new about gray becoming a good seller. But on a long board, the visual is just stunning. We showed it at Surfaces and it � ew out the door. Dealers realize Quintessa is an automatic way to dif-ferentiate themselves from 99 percent of the laminate � oors that are out there.”

Even with a unique aesthetic advantage, however, some leading retailers � nd it a chal-lenge to allocate funds and space for products with longer formats in general.

“Even if you look at real wood, you don’t find a lot of real long planks and there’s a reason for that — they mess with the exist-ing inventory system. We offer some long laminate and wood but that’s why we don’t really push them,” said David Snedeker, floor division merchandise manager at Nebraska Furniture Mart.

A number of leading manufacturers that ini-tially introduced seven foot laminates in 2010 have now shied away from the concept because of

logistical di� culties. “We’ve moved on from the long laminate

format,” said Dan Natkin, director of hard-wood and laminate � ooring, Mannington. “It was never really embraced by the market like we thought it would be. � e trend now is in pushing further realism.”

� e additional expense of producing, shipping and warehousing seven foot lami-nates could no longer be justi� ed, said Xinyu Huang, director of overseas business, Power Dekor, China’s leading OEM producer of laminate � ooring.

“Long laminate was such a small market to begin with and now people want wider or narrower planks, not longer. We discontin-ued our long laminate,” said Huang. FCWinhaus CEO Derek Welbourne shows off Clas-

sen’s 7-foot digitally printed Long Plank at Surfaces 2013.

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19Laminate

5613-pages2.indd 19 4/30/13 10:36 AM

Recession reshapes rug industryBy Janet Herlihy

From where rugs are sold to what price points are o� ered, the rug industry has undergone major changes in the past four years.

Price points are down 10 percent to 30 percent for most rug suppliers. Alex Peykar, principal at Nourison, summed up the situ-ation, saying, “Our company and the rest of the industry had a drastic drop in price o� erings due to a sluggish economy and consumer demand for lower price points. � is was a double edged sword, as while we were trying to give consumers what they wanted, we had to sell many more units to get the same dollar amounts.”

At Capel, the average selling price has declined approximately 10 percent, accord-ing to Allen Robertson, vice president, sales, Capel Rugs.

For Mohawk Home, it’s a steeper discount. “� e big box/mass market retailers have reduced prices,” said Bill Kilbride, president of Mohawk Home. “What was a $300 rug is now $199.”

Oriental Weavers (OW) has an interesting vantage point, according to Jonathan Witt, vice president of Sphinx by Oriental Weav-ers. “Our Sphinx brand is sold in furniture stores, catalogs and Internet, while Oriental Weavers of America is sold through the mass merchants. Sphinx has lowered prices origi-nally $299 to $399 to now $199 and $299 in a

5 X 8,” Witt said. Je� Brown, vice president, Shaw Living,

agreed that price points took a hit, adding, “� e middle (market) was hit the worse with the lower and upper end more stable.”

Post-recession: Fewer doors, less space� e e� ects of the recession were felt in

store closures across all channels. � e loss included department stores, specialty stores and furniture stores, according to Peykar.

Even some mass marketers closed loca-tions, resulting in lower rug sales when combined with lower prices, according to Robertson. “Walmart and Costco would be exceptions to this trend,” he added.

Floor space is a big issue too. “As more mass retailers are moving into grocery, they are deciding not to give as much space to area rugs and mats,” reported Kilbride. “� ey are also not changing out products as o� en. � is year’s spring change out is minimal. � e decisions are for selections with longer life cycles — colors that consumers want but won’t be out of style in a season,” he said.

Furniture and Internet good for rugsWhile some big box retailers, as well as

mass merchants, continue to generate sales and Macy’s continues its healthy rug busi-ness, furniture stores are growing as more are putting together a full package with accesso-ries, Peykar said.

RSAs in furniture stores are well suited to sell fash-ion, according to OW’s Witt. “� ey are used to working with color and pattern. A shopper can come in with a pillow or swatch, and they are comfortable helping them � nd a rug,” Witt noted.

E-commerce has grown as a channel for the rug business. Traditional bricks and mortar retailers have joined online-only operations to get their share of e-commerce, which has helped them maintain

their levels of business, Peykar stated. Online, retailers can o� er an

unlimited variety of styles. “Consum-ers can see all the choices they want,” Kilbride explained. “It’s less expensive than retail � oor space, so retailers are investing to maximize their presence on the Internet.”

� e fastest growing channel today is catalog and Internet shopping, agreed Witt. “Consumers are comfortable choosing a $199 rug and ordering it,” he said.

High end stabilizesMohawk Home has product for each

part of the market: Karastan is the top of the line; American Rug Cra� smen targets middle market; and, Mohawk Home serves mass. “At the higher end of the rug market, the business is � at to down, but has started to recover,” said Kilbride. “It’s subject to the same factors as the mass market and is also about apparent value,” he judged.

Feizy Rugs also o� ers products across all categories. John Feizy, founder and CEO, said, “Our higher-end business has stabilized and is increasing steadily, but slowly. � e mid to low range products are very fashion-oriented and really follow the trends and are performing very well for us.”

Importers face unique issuesAccording to Capel’s Robertson, import-

ers face kinks in the global supply chain. “India and China rug manufacturers must compete for labor with their electronics and other textile industries. Competition for skilled labor will be exacerbated by the saturation of the marketplace with low price machine made rugs both domestically and globally, which will keep margins low for this category,” Robertson explained.

Feizy of Feizy Rugs, added, “� e greatest challenge for rug importers is the rising cost of goods and the shortage of weavers will-ing to commit to producing � ner products, as well as the pressure in the marketplace to lower cost.”

2013 trending upSo far, so good is the verdict for 2013. � e

recovery is directly related to housing, accord-ing to Peykar. “Fortunately we are seeing signs of improvement in most parts of the country where homes values are beginning to rise on a gradual basis. Consumers’ con� dence and net worth play a very important role where it’s been depressed for the last several years. We are experiencing a gradual improvement and comeback that is also re� ected in stock mar-kets and unemployment rates,” he explained.

OW has managed to grow because when the high-end disappeared, the shopper who had bought $1,500 rugs moved to $299, giving OW market share. “And, we added two new categories in 2008 — rug pad and patterned broadloom in the U.S. � ose new lines helped increase business,” Witt said.

Capel has realized increased sales so far versus 2012, but, Robertson cautioned, “Sales are � uctuating month to month.” Still, he is optimistic about the rest of 2013, saying, “We anticipate sales to continue to increase with strongest gains in third and fourth quarters.”

Kilbride does not expect major change in 2013. “It’s not going to change overnight. Housing has had a li� , but in some cities, prices have dipped again. Prudent business wisdom says to adapt to the environment that you are in — that’s our model.”

� e year has begun well for Shaw, but “We continue to be cautious,” said Brown. “With housing rates staying low and an expected continued growth back in construction, we are hopeful for stronger demand for the remainder of the year.” FCW

Amalfi by Feizy super-sizes a traditional element and colors it in a two-tone pattern that is bold without being overpowering.

Capel’s Tracery features a traditional pattern, execut-ed in grays for a subtle look.

From Karastan’s Panache Collection, Indonesia features large stylized fl owers in modern shades.

From Loloi’s Sahara collection, this contemporary style features a simple pattern in teal and gray.


Carpet & Area Rugs20

5613-pages2.indd 20 4/30/13 10:37 AM

Whether it’s $199 at a discount chain, $399 online or $1,200 at a furniture store, area rugs are � rst and foremost about color and pattern, followed closely by touch and hand. Here’s what some rug manufacturers are saying is important in rug fashion today.

Colors Grays and chocolate brown are still important. New neutral is taupe. Apple greens, royal blues, yellows and orange/

rust also doing well. Emerald green may be emerging. White adds crisp modern touch.

Patterns Transitional styling, o� en with over-sized

elements. Simple contemporary with fewer colors. Subtle all-over designs. Classic elements rendered in fresh colors. Ikat and tribal.

Fibers Wool dominates handmade and hand-tu� ed

constructions. Machine woven in 100 percent wool is at

high-end. Rugs made by Mohawk Home woven in

SmartStrand Triexta for super so� hand. Solution Dyed Polyester starting to be used. Solution Dyed Polypropylene in machine

woven.

New fashion offers wide choice

The Dryden Collection from American Rug Craftsmen includes rugs made of soft SmartStrand Triexta fi ber.

Nourison’s Nepal collection offers sophisticated transitional styling in shades of gray and beige in overall brush strokes of wool and viscose.

Featuring Ikat elements in today’s colors, Oriental Weavers’ Casablanca collection offers fashion on a budget. Shaw’s Fernwood features a vibrant yet sophisticated palette coloring

a magnifi ed pattern made up of classic elements.


21Carpet & Area Rugs

5613-pages2.indd 21 4/30/13 10:32 AM

Mitigating subfloor failures

By Raymond Pina

� e latest � oors to hit the market may feature the so� est carpet � bers, latest LVT locking systems or the most sought a� er wood visuals but if they’re installed over an uneven, noisy or moisture susceptible sub� oor, they’re useless, said a number of leading specialty � oor dealers.

“When problems come up on the job site it’s usually because of improperly prepared and uneven subfloors telegraphing their

imperfections and even popping up some of the thinner LVT locking systems,” said Ed Keller, executive vice president and general manager of Tampa, Fla.-based Bob’s Carpet Mart. “And if it’s not that, it’s issues with moisture coming up through the subfloor or noise, especially in the multi-family arena.”

While these issues can cripple an instal-lation, industry insiders said that they can be easily and inexpensively addressed with the right combination of subfloor panels

and underlayment. For instance, new sub� oor

panels like DRICore are not only designed to level irregu-lar concrete slabs, they also o� er a � rst line of defense against ground water inva-sion. Composed of easy to carry 2’ X 2’ oriented strand board (OSB) panels, DRI-Core also features a plastic backer membrane that blocks out water while providing a

breathable quarter-inch air cavity between itself and the concrete slab.

Each DRICore panel mitigates up to 15 pounds of moisture and is endorsed by Beaulieu, Mohawk and Shaw for use with their carpets, said Dan Sudnik, marketing manager, DRICore.

“DRICore solves a lot of the problems that store owners run up against. � e � atter and more perfect your sub� oor, the better it is for the � nished installation. DRICore can level out quarter-inch di� erences in a sub� oor. And with the plastic membrane and air cavity, concrete slabs can sweat a little bit and the moisture just dissipates on its own,” he said.

Equally important to a level and waterproof sub� oor is matching it with a waterproof and sound-dampening underlayment — par-ticularly with more municipalities enforcing impact insulation class (IIC) standards for multi-family settings, said Jack Boesch, direc-tor of marketing, MP Global Products.

Popular underlayment like MP Global Product’s Quiet Walk and Starline’s Silent Blue are designed to keep water out while

absorbing the hollow acoustic sound o� en associated with � oating � oors.

“� ese products are designed in a way to draw sound in rather than re� ect it. � e architect and design communities are now asking for acoustic underlayment scores when designing buildings. It’s become a criti-cal issue in the multi-family sector. Our Quiet Walk scores just as well as cork or rubber but it’s much more economical,” said Boesch.

Pak-Lite, a leading U.S. OEM supplier of underlayment to Mohawk, Shaw and Pergo, reported that it recently revolutionized the underlayment category when it introduced its boxed and fan-folded FloorComfort. Unlike traditional underlayments that can roll back up, FloorComfort extends out like an accordion and lays flat.

“Underlayment is crucial so we’ve made it as easy to install as possible. The end-user just wants a beautiful floor. But if you don’t keep it quiet and protect it from moisture you’re going to have a dissatisfied customer,” said Kim Liemkeo, marketing manager, Pak-Lite. FCW

Panels and underlayment address issues

Bostik heats things up[MIDDLETON, MASS.] Bostik has launched HeatStep, an electrical subfloor radiant heating system available in both a wired mat and single wire format.

Unlike forced-air heating systems, Heat-Step is silent and incapable of circulating airborne particles because the subfloor sys-tem relies upon electricity and not heating vents or ducts.

For standard installations, HeatStep Mat can be rolled out and fastened to the sub-floor with tape and a thin layer of cementi-tious material. For more complex or larger in-stallations, HeatStep Wire can be stretched out and secured to the subfloor with cable straps and a thin layer of cementitious mor-tar, according to Eric Kurt, marketing man-ager, Bostik Hardwood Installation Systems.

“This is our first attempt at this type of product but there are a lot of strong syner-gies between this and our other cementitious product offerings. We feel this is going to be a real strong category for us,” he said.

Both HeatStep Mat and HeatStep Wire are made in the U.S. and covered by a limit-ed 25-year replacement warranty. FCW

DRICore levels uneven subfl oors while providing a breathable, waterproof barrier between it and concrete slabs.

Pak-Lite’s FloorComfort comes in an easy to carry box.


Underlayment22

5613-pages2.indd 22 5/1/13 2:39 PM

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third of sales, but the company had a backlog of orders, so it took awhile for the impact to be felt. Garner said, “We were in a strong position. � e experience of our management team — seven members who each have 14 to 36 years in the business — helped us survive. In Wisconsin, we got through without having to lay o� any non-installation employees. And those few installers that we had to let go, are now back.”

Business began to recover at Sergenian’s in early 2011, was even with 2008 rates by the end of 2012 and is now running ahead of those levels, according to Garner. “� e � rst quarter of 2013 in both Wisconsin and Florida have been very good,” he added.

� e recession hit the G. Fried operation especially hard. � e merger was a way for Sergenian’s to expand and G. Fried to sur-vive. Previous owner, Rufus Ashby continues as president of the Florida stores.

Since the merger, the economy has improved and G. Fried has also found a new niche to serve. Garner reported, “We now are doing business with Fannie Mae fore-closures. � ey have found that by � xing up these houses, they will sell faster. We got into it through CCA Global, which has an agree-

ment with Fannie Mae.” Sergenian’s has also done some reorganiz-

ing in Florida. To beef up its commercial capabilities, the Jupiter location, where most commercial projects are handled, has been expanded and one commercial person has been added in Tampa and Sarasota. G. Fried has hired another person to work on insur-ance and restoration projects. Garner noted, “Commercial is about 20 percent of the busi-ness so far in 2013: Fannie Mae is about 10 percent; insurance and restoration accounts for 30; and, residential retail makes up the remaining 40 percent.”

Sergenian’s was already a member of Star-net. G. Fried’s commercial business is now part of the commercial � ooring contractor organization as well.

� e company makes an e� ort to keep the businesses close despite geographical dis-tance. Garner spends about 11 days a month in Florida. “We arrange meetings of sta� in each specialized area — commercial, insur-ance and Fannie Mae — so they can share ideas and strategies that are working.”

On the retail side, Sergenian’s has taken the practices that worked well in Wisconsin and transferred them to Florida. “We go over the sales numbers and establish budgets with the retail sta� s, which allows them to feel empowered. We have a human resources

manager who meets with both operations to get everyone involved,” Garner said. “We give out bonuses and 401K contributions, because we believe you should share what you’ve got with those who helped you get there.”

While the Florida business is close to being totally integrated with Sergenian’s, it is still a work in progress. “� ere are a lot of policies and procedures, especially regarding inven-tory and orders that we need to enforce to have more e� cient operations,” Garner said.

Between both entities, there are about 130 full time employees. Installers are on sta� in Wisconsin and subcontracted in Florida.

Buying power is one area the merged companies use to their advantage. Managers from G. Fried and Sergenian’s attend Flooring America conventions together. “� ey each choose what they need for their stores, but we focus on certain suppliers. Our inventory purchases are o� en coor-dinated,” Garner said.

Advertising services are handled for both companies by the same agency in Madison and accounts receivables for both are adminis-tered there as well. “We do as much as we can together,” Garner said. “We have implemented the same recycling program in Florida as we have in Wisconsin, although it’s not

as powerful there yet.”Since the company’s founding in 1930 by

Ara Sergenian, it has always been willing to change to suit the times and take advantage of opportunities. � e business originally focused on Oriental rugs, but when Ara sold it to three of his sons, Marsh, Ron and Paul in 1962, they moved the store and shi� ed emphasis to wall-to-wall carpet. Garner joined Sergenian’s in 1963, eventually becoming CEO and majority partner with Ron’s son, Tom Sergenian, who now serves as president of the Wisconsin operation.

Plans for the future include continuing to grow the business internally with additional sta� , according to Garner. In Florida, the growth will primarily be on the commercial side. “We are looking at opportunities for additional loca-tions to gather into the G. Fried fold.” FCW

Sergenian’sContinued from page 1

And while hardwood and ceramic tile are enjoying increases, the growth of luxury vinyl tile (LVT) has been most dramatic.

“We’re selling more of everything but the growth of LVT is exponential. It’s o� the chart. People that would once have gone with carpet or laminate are going with LVT because it’s durable but also stylish, water-proof, quiet and easy to clean,” said David Snedeker, � oor division merchandise man-ager at Nebraska Furniture Mart.

LVT is having a signi� cant impact on carpet sales, but it is also eating into sales of traditional felt-backed sheet vinyl in the commercial marketplace — and not because it’s cheaper.

“When we’re going into a medical o� ce, we tell them LVT costs a little more up front but it’s lower on the back end because you’re not going to have to strip and wax it. Plus it won’t wear like carpet or sound like a lami-nate or wood � oor,” said Ed Keller, executive vice president and general manager of Tampa Bay, Fla.-based Bob’s Carpet Mart.

Dealers all agree that today’s consumer demands value-oriented price points. “� e retailer is still fearful about price. � e big boxes continue to advertise on price. But the consumer now wants to buy a better product. She loves Home Depot’s price but hates its quality,” explained Harvey Johnson, owner of Miami-based Mastercra� Flooring.

Specialty � ooring dealers, in fact, began experiencing periodical bursts of strong sales in late 2011 only to have their expectations shattered by weeks of slow or no tra� c. Now, business has been increasing steadily for three quarters, according to Tom Solomon, owner of Placentia, Calif.-based T&S Carpet & Design Center.

“I opened in 2007 and the trend has been a few good weeks of tra� c followed by a few weeks where tra� c completely fell o� ,” he said. “But in the last couple of months I’ve seen business rise to heights I haven’t seen before. I’m up over 30 percent the last couple of months.”

And with the return of strong growth comes new challenges, particularly related to maintaining key personnel and other resources, added Zwicker. “Everyone is bid-ding for the same labor pool. � ere are going to be shortages and related compensation issues to hang onto the best people. We’re also already having a hard time keeping up with demand for wood. � e demand went from being so� to now competing with other industries domestically and abroad,” he said.

Challenges and all, industry executives said they’ve emerged from the depths of the downturn prepared for what comes next.

“It’s not the Gold Rush days but there’s a real, true feeling that business is coming back. We’ve been faced by challenges and we responded to them. We all had to dial back during tough times. We’ve been conservative and it’s paid o� ,” said Art Layton, vice presi-dent of marketing, CMH Space Flooring. FCW

Hard surfaceContinued from page 1

Three G. Fried Flooring America stores merged with Sergenian’s in 2011.


23

5613-pages.indd 23 5/1/13 3:46 PM

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At A & M, while the name will stay, Kellogg has separated it from Flooring America. It will now operate as a Mohawk Floorscapes store, allowing it access to key vendors such as Karas-tan. � e Big Bob’s store is being rebranded as an Amigos Flooring Outlet. Kellogg has trade-marked the name and registered the domain.

Kellogg, in fact, is enjoying access to brands that he didn’t have under the Flooring Liq-uidators’ name because, he said, of market

A&MContinued from page 5

click systems because they were unreliable and threatened the need for skilled installers. Now, due to vast improvements and wider acceptance of � oating formats he’s changed his position.

“� is is a fast changing business and the click systems have improved,” he said. “� e traditional glue and nail-down installations take more time and require more tools. And once you put a piece of � ooring down like that, it’s down for good. You have to be more sure of yourself. Click is forgiving. You can easily replace boards and tiles. You can’t do that with the old methods.”

Josh Westfall, a Kansas City-based appren-tice who has devoted the past two years of his life becoming a professional installer, isn’t threatened in the least by DIY � oor systems.

“I do a lot of hospitals and commercial properties so if someone wants to install their

of subjects with me. I am eternally grateful. So you could say that is what I get for my own business, but that comes as part of the group — no presidency required.

If you look at the flooring industry today, what do you feel good about? Kou� dakis: I feel good about the strides we have made overall in our quality control and our professionalism. More and more compa-nies on every level are looking at training as a key piece of the puzzle. Ultimately, the con-sumer experience is way better than before. We used to be below used car dealers — now I think the industry is above them.

What bothers you? Kou� dakis: � e low barrier to entry and the lack of distribution control by the manufactur-ers. In addition to creating margin pressure at every level, mass distribution makes the move to a more professional industry more di� cult. � ere are too many mouths to feed. FCW

own � oor in their home it doesn’t a� ect me,” he said. “A hands on person could read the directions and do a pretty good job installing those � oors. But most of them will notice little things once they start living on the � oor for a couple of months — that they didn’t cut a corner right or that they didn’t know how to grout under the cabinet. � en they and their friends realize they should have gotten it pro-fessionally installed.”

Some things never changeEven with all the changes new technol-

ogy brings, professional installers should be able to apply their fundamental skill sets to deliver a perfect � oor regardless of the chal-lenges the layout or unique product may bring, according to veteran, journeymen and apprentice installers.

“� ere are so many di� erent products now that sometimes it takes a bit longer the � rst time you run into a certain � oor even if it’s supposed to be easier,” said Lavaughn Taylor. “But the basics are all the same. You have to

� gure out what needs to be done. And you have to adjust to the jobsite and materials.”

Westfall, the two-year apprentice, agreed saying, “� e materials we use are always changing. No two jobs are ever the same. But there are things that we do that we’re used to doing all the time, the fundamen-tals. Materials change. Products change. But we’re always progressing; even the journey-men installers. We’re always learning new ways to do things.”

In fact, younger installers are now help-ing veterans learn how to download product information on their smart phones before going forward with installing an unfamiliar � oor, said Mannell.

“� ese kids today can get installation pro-cedures right on their phones. � ey get on a jobsite and they literally have all this infor-mation right at their � ngertips,” he said. “Us instructors and older generation are eager to stay abreast of this. It’s exciting for me to work with these kids and learn about all this technology.” FCW

Old schoolContinued from page 9

misconceptions resulting from the name itself. “� e core business is Flooring Liquidators. But the funny thing is, I didn’t have access to the vendors that I do with these stores.”

While Horwitz and Kellogg may have dif-ferent business strategies, they share a great passion for the business itself. Kellogg tells the story of his own start in � ooring: “� e � ooring business is amazing. I worked for Queen Carpet. I worked for incredible people. When I started (Flooring Liquidators) in ’97, I had 1,500 bucks and lived in my car. � at’s what I love about this business — the low cost of entry. To be in the � ooring business, you

have unlimited possibilities. � at’s what I like about it — multi-millionaires in Dalton driv-ing in pick-up trucks, normal people running $200 million companies. I love going to work — I have great employees and it’s a neat busi-ness to be a part of.”

Kellogg also believes in the A & M brand and all that it stands for, so much so that he hopes to carry over some of what makes that store special to his other units. “If I could pull some of what kept this business around for 75 years and incorporate it into Flooring liq-uidators and what we do in Amigos, it would help [the business],” he said. FCW

KoufidakisContinued from page 4

Phil Koufi dakis in the Chandler, Ariz. store, one of seven locations.


5613-pages.indd 25 5/1/13 3:49 PM

A measured response

Alot of retailers I’ve spoken with are using the oppor-tunity to measure the cus-

tomer’s home as a way to get a clearer picture of not only the customer’s immediate needs, but her future needs as well. � ey view this second

customer contact, which takes place in her home, as a way to reinforce the sale and of personalizing and di� erentiat-ing their service from others.

It can also be a very e� ective tool to drive future busi-ness with this same customer. O� en it’s as simple as asking, “Since I’m already here, would you mind if I measured some of the other rooms? � is way we can add it to your customer pro� le and we can even include you on upcoming specials that might suit you.”

Once the initial order is installed, you should start think-ing about how you’re going to put the information you’ve gathered to use toward making that next sale: Maybe it’s sending her an invite to one of your private events. It could be that you send her a small sample of a new SKU that came in the new collection yo u picked up at Surfaces. Or maybe you’re having a kitchen blow out (more and more � ooring retailers seem to be adding cabinets, countertops, stone and more these days). It could be as simple as a “Preferred Customer” coupon for a discount o� of regular prices. By capturing and acting on this information, you might get the

job before anyone else even has a shot at it.One of the best things about having her info on � le is

that you can literally price the job out for her and give her a complete price — “Mrs. Johnson, we can put that new ceramic � oor down in your kitchen for as little as $2,300” or “I know you were looking at wood � oors for the hallway but were concerned about price. Well I just got some product on special order that could work in that space for only $1,100.”

It just might be the easiest sale you ever make. � e more you know about her — her current � ooring

needs, the size of her rooms, her color scheme and design preferences, upcoming changes in household size (new baby or kids going o� to college), the number of people living in the house, whether or not she likes area rugs — all of this is information you could gather while you’re out measuring. You could even incentivize her right on the spot. For example, you might say, “By letting me measure your whole house, you’ll automatically get a 15 percent discount on any future purchase you make with us.”

If she’s like most of us, she prefers to do business with a company she knows and trusts and if you’ve just sold her a � oor, chances are you are the one she’ll trust most. Why would you ever let that opportunity escape without doing something to capitalize on it?

It might also be the easiest piece of market intelligence on your customers that you can gather, and that will help guide future sales.

What’s holding you back?

I’ve said before how much I enjoy trade shows, conven-tions and conferences because of the renewed sense of purpose and enthusiasm I return with. At the same

time, I am keenly aware that, for some, trade show/conven-tion fatigue can set in — especially when you’ve been at it for years. As well, there is the cost of attending the various events, be it � nancial or resources.

But here is what I have learned from talking to successful dealers and � ooring industry leaders and from attending dozens and dozens of a� airs over the years in this industry as well as in other home furnishings categories — the infor-mation potentially gathered at these events is priceless.

For example, if you are aligned with Abbey Carpet & Home but didn’t make it to Orlando in March, did you know that they now o� er truly custom website designs at no additional cost? Or, that at convention, the folks at Abbey would sign you up for Angie’s List and Yelp so that you can manage your online reputation? � at was a free service at convention too.

If you are in the Shaw Flooring Network, are you utilizing the Smart Target tool that will help you tailor your mailers and advertising to the speci� c demographic in an area? Are you familiar with Shaw Web Studio? Other aligned groups o� er value-added programs as well, and most of them at minimal or no extra cost to members.

Maybe you did attend these events but still haven’t been converted to using the various services available to you with

your membership. Why aren’t you? When my company o� ers me tools to do my job better, I don’t hesitate. Heck yes, sign me up!

Tom Lape has said it, Randy Mer-ritt has said it, Steve Silverman said it at convention, our own Sandy Montero has been saying it — this is the year of recovery. All indicators point in the right direction. And they have all said too that what you do in the upturn can be more important than what you did in the downturn.

If you are an aligned dealer with any of the � ooring retail organizations, I encourage you to look at the opportuni-ties you are being o� ered and dig in. Take advantage of the expertise available. � is isn’t just basic advertising or web design expertise, this expertise is coupled with deep knowl-edge of the � ooring industry and your business.

Yes, you may need to allocate resources to properly manage things once they are in motion. But that is part of growing your business, particularly as things begin to climb upwards.

At the end of the day, isn’t this why you joined a group in the � rst place — to take advantage of broad and deep market knowledge beyond what you can gain from where you sit? To utilize programs that are more cost e� ective when shared by others?

What’s holding you back from being the best retailer in your market? Your aligned group just may have the answer.

— Amy Joyce Rush

— Santiago Montero

FLOOR COVERING WEEKLY


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Vol. 61 No. 16 A Hearst Business Publication

August 20/27, 2012 $4

By Raymond Pina[Manchester, N.H.] Flooring America dealers are using hand held electronic devices to help increase sales and manage customer relations from their initial point of contact all the way through credit, installation and ultimately to an online referral, according to Frank Chiera, vice president of marketing and advertising, Flooring America.

Flooring America goes high tech

CFI inaugurates Davis Award atannual convention

Changing role of websitesBy Taryn Baum and Michael SorensonIt’s been roughly two decades since the

World Wide Web opened its universe to the public. When consumers click onto a com-pany’s website today, it is second nature, and because of possibilities made by tech-nological advancements, the expectations are greater.

� e � rst website from the � ooring industry was created in 1994 by Laticrete, according to the company. Very simplistic, its main purpose was to provide material safety data sheets, tech-nical bulletins, contact information, and other straightforward pieces of information. Websites today are serving a vastly di� erent

purpose. “Eight out of ten consumers check out a company on their website before they go into the store. It’s not really an appointment based business, and the website is our new lobby where people make a judgment about who we are and what we’re all about,” explained Gary Garcia, advertising and marketing manager, Coles Fine Flooring in San Diego.Todd Calloway, interactive marketing

manager at Shaw, echoes these sentiments. “It’s important for us to provide infor-mation and inspiration for people who research their � ooring purchases on line. � at research is more common today than ever,” he said. “� rough websites like Shaw-� oors.com, they browse online catalogs, compare products, order samples, and use visualization tools to see how their choices Continued on page 17

“The retail shopping experience has not kept pace with technology,” said Chiera. “We’ve developed an application the sales-person can use in the store to improve the experience but also for the customer to publish recommendations online, along with before and after photos of her instal-lation. We know people trust the recom-mendations and referrals of their family and friends 10 times more than they trust a home center announcing they have a sale this weekend.”Introduced July 2012 during Flooring

America’s summer convention in Orlando, Fla., and available next month as a down-loadable application from iTunes and Floor-ing America’s website, members who signed up for the Fast Phase II program received a free iPad, though the application works equally well on Kindles, Android tablets, iPhones and other handheld devises.Celeste Carr, owner of Ocoee, Fla.-based

Floors Direct, signed up for Fast Phase II

Continued on page 6

By Kimberly Gavin

[Nashville] � e International Certi� ed Floor Covering Install-ers (CFI) held its 19th annual convention at the Sheraton Hotel and Convention Center where several hundred installers attended seminars, workshops and listened to keynote speakers. According to Jane Walker, CFI principal, “Everything was bigger this year.” Walker said that from supplier events to

workshops, all events during the three-day convention were full. But even more impor-tant, she pointed out, the number of install-ers under 40 was impressive. “Everyone kept asking where we got all these young people,” Walker said. Not only were the under 40s in attendance, there were install-ers in their 20s and 30s. “� at’s encourag-ing,” she said. “It’s because we’ve done our best to teach them what their costs are so they don’t give labor away. � en they have money to a� ord education.”Tom Jennings, chairman, WFCA Ser-

vices Inc., was the keynote speaker during the opening WFCA Leadership Conference, held in honor of Chris Davis, WFCA chair-man and CEO who died earlier this year. Jennings spoke of how Davis had the same goal as CFI: “to encourage dealers and � oor-ing installers to work together for customer satisfaction,” he said. “He believed strongly that this had to occur if the industry was to achieve its full potential.”Maintaining that momentum and

continuing to build those dealer/installer relationships is a key focus for CFI going forward a� er Davis’ passing, Walker said. One way CFI is doing that is with the Chris Davis Award, given this year to Bernie Madden, principal of Madden-McFarland Interiors of Leawood, Kan. Madden is a high-end � ooring business who

Bernie Madden gets fi rst award.

Continued on page 4

FCW Insider: Xavier Steyaert talks IVC expansion18The Technology Issue

fcw8202712-pages.indd 1

8/22/12 3:40 PM


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Outlook 2013

Breaking freefrom the downturnBy Amy Joyce RushBy Amy Joyce Rush

� e momentum that built slowly in 2012 is expected to push the � ooring industry into a stronger growth

mode for 2013. And business, said industry executives, will be quite good by 2014.

“Our Commercial business continues to see strong growth and we expect to continue this momen-

tum into 2013,” said Randy Merritt, president, Shaw. On the residential side, he remains cautiously

optimistic but does expect housing demand and price levels to continue to improve. “Builder and multi-

family business is bene� ting from new construction and is starting to grow. � e residential replacement

market continues to be weak, but is expected to improve as the new home market improves. � is bodes

well for future � ooring activity,” he said.

well for future � ooring activity,” he said.

Empowered by 2012 growth, next year looks good

Continued on page 4

By Janet HerlihyMost retailers told FCW that they saw signi� -cant improvement in 2012 and are expecting even better sales in 2013, but are hesitant about how events in the economy might a� ect business. “I was surprised that 2012 was still up and down, but we are for-tunate and have been ahead,” said Peter Mess-ner, president of Mess-ner Carpet, Pittsford, a suburb of Rochester, N.Y. “Some of our competitors haven’t been able to invest in their showrooms, giving us an advantage.” For 2013, Messner has set a goal of a 6 to 8 percent increase and is

pursuing that by attracting a younger market. “We are re-developing our website to reach the 35 plus year-olds. By the end of the year, it will have a young, fresh look. We are also getting involved with social media and changing our product mix in showroom,” Messner explained. “We will be selling more

Retail planning for increasePET carpet and will show it at the front of the store. We will still have the best o� ering at the higher end of the market, but will move that farther into the showroom,” he added.

Aaron Pirner, owner and CEO of CAP Carpet, is very optimistic. CAP, a CCA Global partner, operates 16 loca-tions housing 19 business units (all � ooring related) in and around Wichita, Kansas. “We have had a good growth year. When the market went down in ‘07 and ‘08, we started making investments — better people, better sys-tems, locations, training,” Pirner said. “When things started to improve, we were in a great position.

We’ve taken market share, starting in 2011. And 2012 was great, with success mainly in our wholesale and commercial businesses. Residential remodel has been OK too.”

He expects increases across all areas — com-mercial, new housing and remodeling. “I think 2013 will be good because consumer savings Continued on page 17

An inviting wood walkway guides shoppers through Carpet Town.

By Mallory Cruise� e National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is keeping a close watch on post-election Washington, D.C., and readying itself for potential changes in legislation/policy that could a� ect housing in 2013. Additionally, NAHB is aggressively asking the government to avoid derailing an eco-nomic recovery.Right now, according to Jerry Howard, CEO

of NAHB, NAHB’s policy is very � rm — it wants the 2001-2003 tax cuts extended; it does not want change to mortgage interest deduc-tions; and, does not want tax rates to increase. � e housing industry has been in a state of

depression for four years, Howard said, and as one facet of the economy that is beginning to see recovery, it shouldn’t take any more hits.

“We’re in very interesting times and the NAHB needs to be at its most active and all members engaged as much as they can be. As soon as we get through this lame duck session and Congress gets back in earnest, it will have the biggest in� uence on the bottom line,” said Howard.

NAHB held a webinar on Tuesday Dec. 2 to address the current political environment in post-election Washington. Alongside Jerry Howard, Jim Tobin, chief lobbyist for NAHB, and David Crowe, chief economist

NAHB to DC: Don’t derail recovery

Continued on page 3



December 24/31, 2012 $4

Kermit BakerHousing to increasein 2013

4

12243112Pages.indd 1

12/17/12 3:49 PM

Breaking freeBreaking freeBreaking freefrom the downturn

from the downturnfrom the downturnEmpowered by 2012 growth, next year looks good

Continued on page 4

Retail planning for increasePET carpet and will show it at the front of the store. We will still have the best o� ering at the higher end of the market, but will move that farther into the showroom,” he added.

Aaron Pirner, owner and CEO of CAP Carpet, is very optimistic. CAP, a CCA Global partner, operates 16 loca-tions housing 19 business units (all � ooring related) in and around Wichita, Kansas. “We have had a good growth year. When the market went down in ‘07 and ‘08, we started making investments — better people, better sys-tems, locations, training,” Pirner said. “When things started to improve, we were in a great position.

We’ve taken market share, starting in 2011. And 2012 was great, with success mainly in our wholesale and commercial businesses. He expects increases across all areas — com-

mercial, new housing and remodeling. “I think 2013 will be good because consumer savings Continued on page 17

CommercialA Hearst Business Publication

Supplement to Floor Covering Weekly

September 2012

FCW

FloorFolio solves

sound issues

Carpet tile’s latest

design directions

Centiva gives Bank of

India California fl air

Shaw Contract’s Dye Lab carpet tile

won the NeoCon Gold award this year

for the modular carpet category.

Interior Surfaces

earns Retail award

FCWCommercial-SEPT2012.indd 11

9/18/12 2:07 PM

FLOOR COVERING


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By Raymond Pina[Manchester, N.H.] Flooring America dealers are using hand held electronic devices to help increase sales and manage customer relations from their initial point of contact all the way through credit, installation and ultimately to an online referral, according to Frank Chiera, vice president of marketing and advertising, Flooring America.

Flooring America Flooring America goes high tech

Changing role of websitesBy Taryn Baum and Michael SorensonIt’s been roughly two decades since the

World Wide Web opened its universe to the public. When consumers click onto a com-pany’s website today, it is second nature, and because of possibilities made by tech-nological advancements, the expectations are greater.

� e � rst website from the � ooring industry was created in 1994 by Laticrete, according to the company. Very simplistic, its main purpose was to provide material safety data sheets, tech-nical bulletins, contact information, and other straightforward pieces of information. Websites today are serving a vastly di� erent

purpose. “Eight out of ten consumers check out a company on their website before they go into the store. It’s not really an appointment based business, and the website is our new lobby where people make a judgment about who we are and what we’re all about,” explained Gary Garcia, advertising and marketing manager, Coles Fine Flooring in San Diego.Todd Calloway, interactive marketing

manager at Shaw, echoes these sentiments. “It’s important for us to provide infor-mation and inspiration for people who research their � ooring purchases on line. � at research is more common today than ever,” he said. “� rough websites like Shaw-� oors.com, they browse online catalogs, compare products, order samples, and use visualization tools to see how their choices Continued on page 17

The Technology Issue The Technology Issue

ommercialSeptember 2012

Centiva gives Bank of

India California fl air




























































































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Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013Outlook 2013

By Mallory Cruise� e National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is keeping a close watch on post-election Washington, D.C., and readying itself for potential changes in legislation/policy that could a� ect housing in 2013. Additionally, NAHB is aggressively asking the government to avoid derailing an eco-nomic recovery.Right now, according to Jerry Howard, CEO

of NAHB, NAHB’s policy is very � rm — it wants the 2001-2003 tax cuts extended; it does not want change to mortgage interest deduc-tions; and, does not want tax rates to increase. � e housing industry has been in a state of

depression for four years, Howard said, and as one facet of the economy that is beginning to see recovery, it shouldn’t take any more hits.

“We’re in very interesting times and the NAHB needs to be at its most active and all members engaged as much as they can be. As soon as we get through this lame duck session and Congress gets back in earnest, it will have the biggest in� uence on the bottom line,” said Howard.

NAHB held a webinar on Tuesday Dec. 2 to address the current political environment in post-election Washington. Alongside Jerry Howard, Jim Tobin, chief lobbyist for NAHB, and David Crowe, chief economist

NAHB to DC: Don’t derail recovery

Continued on page 3

FLOOR COVERING


Pe

rio

dic

al


#S5761 & #B3370#S5761 & #B3370

Visit FCW at booths

�

SURFACESSetting the Stage for Recovery 2013


January 28, 2013 $4

Mannington’s Grizzle sets course for future

Acquisition, product bring market advantageBy Amy Joyce Rush

[Salem, N.J.] A year ago, Rus-sell Grizzle took the helm of Mannington Mills, a family-owned nearly 100-year-old company that was deeply grounded in tradition and like the rest of the industry, was mired in a painfully slow recovery. His job then and now is to plot a path for the future that includes growth in new markets while at the same time to stay true to the com-pany’s core values.Today, Grizzle points to the Amtico

acquisition as a strategic move that allows Mannington to expand its global reach while enabling it to bring its LVT com-mercial production onshore.“We are pleased with the acquisition.

LVT is a very, very hot prod-uct and we continue to grow our commercial and residen-tial LVT product lines. We are ahead of projections at this point,” he said.Since then, he has invested his time in overseeing the integration, a job made easier because of careful due dili-gence before the purchase and company values that aligned with Man-nington’s from the start. “� at’s been a big help,” he said.

In October, the company announced that both the Mannington Commercial and the Amtico sales forces will carry both companies’ commercial products, includ-ing LVT, sheet and carpet tile, using the current Mannington Commercial “Choices Continued on page 47

Russell Grizzle


By Janet Herlihy[Dallas] � e atmosphere was casual, the showrooms scattered in hotels located in Irvine and Grapevine, Texas, and the retailers, large and small, attending the Dallas regional � ooring markets were pleased with the products and optimistic.

Shaw, Mohawk, Beaulieu along with distributors including Swi� -Train, T&L and BPI drew dealers to see a wide range of product and hear about the latest programs.

Construction is recovering in the region and retailers reported better retail sales as well. “� e builder market is strong

Winter markets heat upin Oklahoma,” said Roger Voge, Okla-homa division president for Star Floor-ing & Decorating. Jinx Yoder, owner of Paris Tile & Marble,

Paris, Texas, said, “Business is picking up. People who wanted to wait ‘til a� er the � rst of the year are back to buy now.”Susan Adair, of Adair’s Fine Floors in

Dallas, said, “Winter market is important to us. I think it’s better than Surfaces in that the suppliers are not distracted.”Chuck Moreau, owner of Brazos Valley

Floor & Design, with three locations in the College Station, Texas area, has been Continued on page 12

1-28-13pages.indd 1

1/18/13 4:42 PM

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Editorial Santiago Montero Publisher & Editor in Chief (516) 229-3617 [email protected] Joyce Rush Managing Editor (516) 227-1421 [email protected] Gavin Editor at Large (706) 278-3690 [email protected] Pina Senior Editor (787) 467-1181 [email protected] Cruise Assistant Editor (516) 227-1359 [email protected] Herlihy (361) 906-1117 [email protected] Kern (417) 522-9722 [email protected] Avrasin (917) 750-3146 [email protected]

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Floor Covering Weekly (ISSN-0015-3761) is published bi-monthly by Hearst Business Communica-tions, Inc./FCW Division, 50 Charles Lindbergh Blvd Suite 100, Uniondale, NY 11553. Periodicals postage paid at Uniondale, NY and additional mailing offi ces.Subscription rates: Domestic: $25 per year, $48 two years; Canada: $60 per year, $110 two years.Sales Agreement No. 4001287. Foreign: $174 airmail. Single copy Domestic: $4.00, Canada: $6.00. Printed in the U.S.A.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to FLOOR COVERING WEEKLY, PO Box 3012, Northbrook, IL 60065.

The Last Word26

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