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floorcoveringnewsvolume 31/number 13 I fcnews.net I the publication more retailers prefer I December 5/12, 2016 I $2.00

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PHILADELPHIA—In keeping withits Midwest counterpart, NeoConEast—which took place hererecently at the PennsylvaniaConvention Center for thesecond year in a row—drewthousands of influentialdesign professionals fromthe Northeast corridor. Thetwo-day conference andexhibition also provided aplatform for roughly 200exhibitors to showcase theirlatest products, services andcommercial flooring solu-tions. “NeoCon East delivered

on many fronts, but mostimportantly it connectedthe key players in our indus-try interested in expandingtheir knowledge and businessopportunities,” said Julie Kohl,vice president of exhibitor salesfor NeoCon Shows. “With thou-sands of new products on display,it is in these connections that

business happens and marketshare is won. These relationshipsare vital to our industry dynamic,and for this reason NeoCon Eastwill continue to gain momen-tum.”

Exhibitors and attendees alikeagreed that relationship buildingand knowledge sharing continueto be the linchpins of regionalshows such as this.

Continued on page 13

NeoCon East

New innovations, sustainabilitydefine the agenda

By Sarah Bousquet

IN THIS ISSUE

Mohawk arms retailerswith new selling toolsPAGE 5

Guest column: Virgatakes on the big boxesPAGE 15

Latest underlayments tout form and functionPAGE 22

Software simplifies tasksTechnological advances incomputing are helping retailersbecome more efficient at sell-ing, scheduling and installing.

PAGE 26

Ralph Grogan, president and CEO ofBentley Mills, was pleased with the

expanded attendee reachPhiladelphia offers.

SPOTLIGHT

Voting open for Award of Excellence contestby customers whose only moti-vation is to recognize those whoperform flawlessly in everyaspect of their business.Last year a record number

of ballots were counted—nearly 2,000—which almosttripled the previous high. As the years have evolved,

so too has the Award ofExcellence. New this year isthe Commercial Carpet cate-gory to recognize those manu-facturers that either focus onthe contract side of the busi-ness or provide flooring retailerswith solid Main Street solutions. Cosponsored by the Informa,

the owners of The InternationalSurface Event, the Award ofExcellence is a way for manufac-turers’ customers to honor the

companies they feel consistentlyprovide the best design, service,value, performance, quality, pro-fessionalism of sales force, man-

agement responsiveness, cus-tomer service, handling ofclaims, B2B and ease of doingbusiness. In other words, whichmanufacturers they believe besthelp them in running successful,profitable business operations.

Voting for FCNews’ Awardof Excellence contest isnow open. Now in its 21st

year, the Award of Excellencehas become the premier manu-facturer recognition program inthe floor covering industry.Why? Because they are voted on

“The manufacturers covetthese awards,” said StevenFeldman, publisher and editorialdirector of FCNews. “So much sothat last year some actually cam-paigned and developed strongground games. We encourage alldealers to vote because the moreballots cast, the more significantthese awards become. And thatmakes all manufacturers stive toimprove the value they provide.”On page 28 is the official

ballot, but voting—which goesthrough March 31, 2017—canalso be done by visiting our web-site (fcnews.net), Facebook page(Floor Covering News), Twitter(@fcnewsnet) and Instagram(fcnewsmagazine). Ballots canalso be cast at our Surfaces 2017booth, 837.

Scan this QR code with yoursmartphone to link to our fea-tured site.

The coming year marks a new era in Washington and per-haps the beginning of a more sustained period of growthfor the flooring industry after several years of tepid

growth. With several leading economic indicators trending pos-itively, the industry’s top flooring executives are generally hope-ful that business is getting better and 2017 could be the start ofan extended period of at least modest growth and brisker marketactivity.

FCNews’ annual executive forecast is divided into individualflooring categories. Coverage begins on page 8.

SIGNS POINT TOMORE FAVORABLECONDITIONS IN 2017

Executive Forecast

http://fcnews.net

http://fcnews.net

fcnews December 5/12, 2016 I 3news

( IN THE NEWS)Shaw Industries completespurchase of USFloorsDALTON—Shaw Industries has completed thepurchase of USFloors. The acquisition will fur-ther expand Shaw’sstrong position in theresilient luxury vinyltile (LVT) and hard surface markets.

“This is a marked time of growth andprogress as we further expand our resilient andhard surface markets with the purchase ofUSFloors,” said Vance Bell, Shaw chairman andCEO. “Piet Dossche and the USFloors team willprovide valuable expertise and market insightsas we combine these two forward-thinkingcompanies.”

Through the acquisition of USFloors(FCNews, Oct. 24/31), Shaw has procured one ofthe fastest growing companies in the WPCflooring market. “We are extremely proud tojoin Shaw, a company known for quality, team-work, superior service and operational excel-lence,” said Piet Dossche, CEO, USFloors. “Bycombining these two stellar flooring compa-nies, we will further empower our talentedteams to solidify our COREtec brand as theleading product within the new WPC flooringcategory.”

NAFCD members dominateFCNews’ Top 20 distributor listCHICAGO—The North American Association ofFloor Covering Distributors (NAFCD) recentlyreported that every distributor featured with-in Floor Covering News’ 2016 Top 20Distributors listing (FCNews, Oct. 24) are alsoNAFCD distributor members.

“NAFCD is very proudto be able to claim all dis-tributors on this year’s topdistributor list as their own,” said KevinGammonley, NAFCD executive director. “Wedo not believe it’s a coincidence that thestrongest distributors in the industry are long-time NAFCD members who regularly takeadvantage of all NAFCD has to offer.”

NAFCD offers the distributor communityan extensive menu of products and servicesdesigned to help them grow their distributor-ships. Education, benchmarking and trendanalysis are core to the NAFCD value proposi-tion. Most valued are the efficient and effec-tive forums for connecting distributor execu-tives with their peers as well as providing afoundation for facilitating stronger distribu-tor-supplier relationships.

Mr. David’s, LOTH form strategic partnershipITASCA, ILL.—Mr. David’s Flooring Internationalhas entered a collaborative partnership withLOTH, a well-known furniture and workplacedesign company.

The new relationship will result in Mr.David’s absorbing what was previously LOTH’scommercial flooring division in both Cincinnati

and Columbus, Ohio.This cooperative effortwill not only strategical-

ly align Mr. David’s and LOTH, but will alsoallow both organizations to concentrate ontheir core competencies while still expandingtheir client base, the parties said.

TOANO, VA.—Lumber Liquidators has set-tled a class-action investor lawsuit by issu-ing 1 million shares of its common stockwith a value of $16.8 million, according toa recent regulatory filing. The shares wereissued Thursday, Nov. 17. The valuewas based on a $16.76 per share clos-ing price.According to the filing, the U.S.

District Court in Richmond grantedfinal approval of the proposed settle-ment. The court also entered a finaljudgment dismissing all claims inlawsuits involving securities andderivatives.As part of the securities lawsuit,

the company expects to contribute,through its insurers, $26 million incash to a settlement fund in thefourth quarter, according to the filing.The derivatives lawsuit will be settled

for a combination of corporate gover-nance changes, the $26 million cash pay-ment and attorneys’ fees of $5 million.Lumber Liquidators has dealt with

lawsuits from investors and been investi-gated by federal agencies since “60Minutes” ran a segment in March 2015reporting that the company sold flooringmade in China that had unsafe formalde-

hyde levels, which could increase cancerrisks.The company repeatedly has said the

flooring poses no safety issues and it hastested the air quality in more than 32,000homes.

Shaw Industries, the largestcarpet tile producer in NorthAmerica, officially unveiled

its new carpet tile manufacturingfacility in Adairsville, Ga., on Dec.1. The $85 million facility, whichbecame operational this quarter,will provide added capacity andrecycling capability for the compa-ny’s Patcraft, PhiladelphiaCommercial and Shaw Contractmodular carpet brands.Known as Shaw Plant T1, the

600,000-square-foot facility comple-ments the company’s existing carpettile manufacturing, recycling and ware-house facilities in Cartersville, Ga., and inNantong, China. The China facilityopened in mid-2013 to serve the AsiaPacific market.Vance Bell, chairman and CEO, who

spoke during the ribbon-cutting event,noted that Shaw already invests hundredsof millions of dollars annually in new andexpanded facilities, enhanced equipment,technology and processes, and improveddistribution systems. “This is a prominentexample of that commitment,” heexplained, adding the new factory wouldallow Shaw to innovate across its broadportfolio of products for both residentialand commercial applications.Brenda Knowles, vice president, com-

mercial marketing and product develop-ment, said there is a great deal of innova-tion built into this facility in terms ofdesign features, dimensions and patterns.“The efficiencies that it has will continueto drive further innovation.”In the commercial market, carpet tile

represents an estimated 54.6% of the mar-ket in dollars and 44% in volume (FCNews,June 27) and is growing in the high singledigits. It is growing robustly in the com-mercial arena at the expense of a decliningbroadloom segment. “There have beenyears over the past six to eight years wherethere has been double-digit growth in car-pet tile,” Knowles said. “We see a brightfuture for continued growth.”

Shaw’s carpet tile facility currentlyemploys 170 associates. The company esti-mates the plant will create 500 new jobsonce it reaches full capacity. The carpet tileequipment takes up about one-third of the

Lumber Liquidators settles $26M class-action lawsuit

600,000 square feet of space, which is allunder one roof. There are plans to addmore equipment in the building and, ulti-mately, more buildings to the 115-acreindustrial site.

Shaw opens $85M carpet tile facilityNew plant to bolster manufacturing capacity, recycling capabilities

By Ken Ryan

Vance Bell, chairman and CEO of Shaw Industries, cuts the ribbon at Shaw’s new carpet tileplant. He is flanked by, from left: Nolan Howell, Brenda Knowles, James Jarrett and JimAndrews of Shaw Industries; Christian Coomer, Georgia state representative; Steve

Taylor, commissioner, Bartow County; and Ken Carson, mayor, Adairsville.

Lumber Liquidators continues to dig out from the 2015 ‘60 Minutes’ report that it sold

Chinese laminate containing unsafeformaldehyde levels.

MONTMAGNY, QUÉBEC, CANADA—Mercier recentlyannounced the winners of its annual MercierAcknowledgement Awards.

Intermountain Wood Products was honoredfor best continuous sales growth, while JaeckleWholesale was named Distributor of the Year—itsthird straight award. Intermountain has beenwith Mercier since 2013 and covers the entireNorthwest United States. Jaeckle was honoredfor its exceptional work as Mercier’s top distribu-tor in the entire U.S.

Jaeckle’s Brad Meyers, who was named sales-person of the year, beat out more than 100 salesreps representing 10 Mercier distributors.Pictured is Meyers (with trophy) alongsideMarielle Mercier, left, Wade Bondrowski andRichard Mercier.

( SNAPSHOT)Mercier awards its top distributors for 2016

4 I December 5/12, 2016 fcnews

many stores do I visit? Sound familiar?I have to tell you, it’s a horrendous

experience. Where to shop? I asked peo-ple (word of mouth) and had a few storesin mind that I may have driven or walkedpast over the years. I knew I wanted mod-ern/contemporary, so that eliminatedplaces like Ethan Allen. I had always beena fan of Restoration Hardware, but whenthey told me I’d have to wait 10 to 12weeks for anything to arrive, I was out thedoor in 10 to 12 seconds.Speaking of which, that’s probably the

most frustrating part of the process. I’mnot ordering a $20,000 custom piece fromItaly. I found nobody stocks anythingexcept a few large chains. Everything elseis simply a showroom and you have towait months for delivery. It’s like the dayswhere your customers had to wait eightweeks for ceramic tile because it had to beordered from Spain or Italy.One store was not too fond of me.

When they told me I needed to wait eightweeks, I told them I would just take thefloor sample and they could give me a dis-count. They declined because they saidthey would then have no sample to demofor customers. I suggested they wait eightweeks for their new sample to arrive. Another store told me the furniture

was manufactured in Texas, but it would-n’t ship until they could fill a truck. Iasked if they ever heard of UPS or FedExGround. That wasn’t an option. Why not?

Policy. I asked if the policy to which theywere referring had anything to do withthe $200 delivery charge slapped ontoevery order. That store wasn’t too fond ofme either.My favorite line quickly became,

“What do you have in your warehousethat I can have next week?”But probably the most frustrating part

of the process is I couldn’t set a budgetbecause I had no idea what anything wassupposed to cost. Is a couch $1,000 or$5,000. How much for a sectional? Whatabout a sleeper? Is that an additional$500 or $1,000? And is a better mattressworth $500 or $1,000? And when you tellme about all the add-ons, do I really needthem or are you putting me on the eleva-tor? Throughout the process, I had not

encountered one salesperson who I wouldrecommend for your store. I’m hopingthis industry is better. Actually, I know itis doing a better job. So here is my city apartment that con-

tains nothing but a dining room table andchairs, a couple of oversized TVs with sur-round sound and a great view. I’m spend-ing my free time these days, what little Ihave of it, in furniture showrooms withthat same dumb look on my face. And notmaking many friends.

Ever wonder what goes through yourcustomers’ heads when they walkinto your store? I’m not talking

about those who may have logged daysand months on the Internet and havesome knowledge about what they want.I’m talking about those who becomedazed and confused within five minutes, apercentage I believe is greater than youthink.If you ever want a full understanding

of what they are experiencing, try walkinginto a furniture store. I recently gained anewfound appreciation for your cus-tomers’ plights—because I became one ofthem. Sort of.Let’s start from the beginning. I decid-

ed to finally grow up and take an apart-ment in Manhattan. That was the easypart. The hard part was furnishing it.Here’s what I knew: I needed bedroomfurniture (because every once in while Iam not traveling on business), a livingroom (because I need something onwhich to park my rear when watching thegame) and something to eat on (in case Idecide to cook someday). And of coursethe essentials: TVs and surround sound.Now here’s a little secret: I’m in my

50s and have never bought furniturealone. I’m sure a percentage of your floor-ing customers find themselves in thesame boat. The thought of this was daunt-ing, if not overwhelming. What was a rea-sonable budget? Where do I shop? How

The trials and tribulations of a furniture shopper

my take

Steven Feldman

floorcoveringnews

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fcnews December 5/12, 2016 I 5

M ohawk is gearing up for2017 by arming itsaligned dealers with a

bevy of tools to help them effec-tively battle in an increasinglycompetitive retail landscape.Aside from a plethora of newproduct innovations across itssoft and hard surface platforms,Mohawk is unveiling a new mar-keting innovation that will enablealigned dealers to easily integratetheir in-store experience withMohawk’s product innovationand campaigns to create a signifi-cantly enhanced online presence. Dubbed Omnify, the new ini-

tiative is designed to help dealersintegrate many of the importantsocial search, reputation manage-ment, website, lead managementand retailer locator applicationsthat are critical to creating quali-ty leads and driving traffic to localretailers. “This is a reflection of what

we are seeing in today’s market,”said Karen Mendelsohn, seniorvice president of marketing, whois now charged with optimizingthe aligned dealer program.“Consumers are doing much oftheir decision making onlineprior to purchasing in-store. Wefeel it’s our responsibility toensure that our aligned retailersare able to differentiate them-selves in the market and createstickiness early in the decision-making process with consumers.”The main idea, according to

Mendelsohn, is to provide aseamless purchase journey thatmakes it easy for consumers tolearn, compare, trust and decideto purchase its products fromaligned retailers. The key to theprogram, she stressed, is localmarketing. “One of the lessonswe’ve all learned from this pastelection is that decisions,whether political or purchase-related, are made locally, andwith that in mind we are going toensure everything we do—prod-uct, design, service, merchandis-ing online—recognizes andenables our retailers to do whatthey do best in their local com-munities.” Through various compo-

nents, Omnify: • Improves retailers’ social

reach with enhanced contentsyndication and automation tocapture and converse with newaudiences while building brandrecognition and loyalty. •Employs the best practices

to convert potential customersinto qualified leads across theconsumer-purchase journey. •Tailors the retailer’s digital

storefront to engage consumers,

promote enhanced content andoffer an elevated online retailexperience. •Proactively builds and

strengthens the local reputa-tion of retailers throughratings and reviews togain consumer loyal-ty and improvesearch rankings. •Attracts new cus-

tomers and simplifies thepurchasing decision by offer-ing convenient product catalogsto browse through multiple chan-nels engaging consumers. •Increases store visibility and

improves search rankings withmanaged local listing services toguarantee consumers can findMohawk’s aligned retailers.

•Builds trust and confi-dence with consumers byconnecting the onlinejourney with an ele-vated in-storeexperience.

At your serviceMohawk not only helps

aligned retailers provide excel-lent service for their customers,but it also seeks to enhance theease with which its retailers do

Mohawk’s Omnify gives dealers proven tools to succeed business with the company and“provide them with the speed andexcellence in execution theydesire,” Mendelsohn explained.To that end, Mohawk is upgrad-ing a number of its systems,including ordering, order track-ing, inventory status, shipmentscheduling and customer rela-tionship management to accom-plish this goal. “Additionally, weare putting a great deal of empha-sis on the robustness of the sup-port we provide them when welaunch new products, inclusive ofcampaigns, sampling, in-storemerchandising, online support

news

By Steven Feldmanand online promotions.”Ease of doing business with

Mohawk is also illustrated in itsrecent restructuring of the softand hard businesses with unifiedfunctional support in marketing,manufacturing, sales, etc.“Unlike when we started ouraligned program, our retailers arenot just carpet retailers anylonger,” Mendelsohn said. “Theyprovide the local product, localsupport and local service acrossall surfaces and price pointsbecause that’s what the consumerdemands. We will be the retailer’spreferred supplier.”


( CALENDAR)

F loor covering retailers areinvited to participate inseveral special events that

will be held in conjunction withThe International Surface Event(TISE) educational program,which is slated to take placeJan. 17-20 in Las Vegas. One event involves a tour of

the Zappos factory. (Whatwoman wouldn’t love a placewith an endless supply ofshoes?) In my initial discussionswith Informa Exhibitions—theorganizer of Surfaces—regard-ing a potential off-site venue forretailers to visit, Zappos seemedlogical. With almost no adver-tising, they produce in excess of$2 billion in revenue annually.While no one in ourbusiness sellsshoes, we can stilllearn a lot aboutZappos becausewhat they’re reallyselling is great cus-tomer service. Retailers can get a glimpse

into the Zappos culture andlearn from their hiring practicesand customer loyalty programduring the Retail Culture TourExperience scheduled to takeplace Thursday, Jan. 19, from10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. duringSurfaces 2017 (off-site). The 90-minute presentation includes aQ&A session with Zappos repre-sentatives. Flooring retailerscan get an inside look intoeveryday work life on theZappos campus to learn howthey can improve the culture intheir own stores, many of whichare small to medium-sizedfirms.Zappos’ successful formula

is based on CEO Tony Hsieh’s“happy people” philosophy. Inhis book, “DeliveringHappiness: A Path to Profits,Passion and Purpose,” Hsiehstates that businesses focus onprofits. But he stresses thathappy people are more likely tomake customers happy than

unhappy ones. Floor coveringretailers will have the opportu-nity to see this philosophy first-hand during the factory tour.Note: All attendees must have avalid state-issued photo ID toattend. Furthermore, retailersare encouraged to register earlyas space is limited. While at Surfaces, retailers

are also encouraged to sign upfor the Speed Trending Tour:An Eye on the 2017 Trends asseen at TISE. Scheduled to takeplace on Wednesday, Jan. 18from 9:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.,the program—which includesbreakfast (coffee and light pas-tries)—will bring the latest invariety surface products directly

to retailers anddesigners looking forwhat’s hot in flooringand design. The pro-gram focuses on theprocess of creativedesign and aims to

help retailers make informeddecisions.The product categories cov-

ered in the Speed TrendingTour presentation span soft andhard surfaces, color and tech-nology. A bonus is the self-guid-ed tour following the presenta-tion in the Trends Hub. Here,participants may engage withthe designer behind the TrendHome and join her for severalmini-discussion sessions. Seeschedule online at tisewest.comfor topics and times. Note:RSVP required for this event.The Trends Chat in the

Trends Hub will feature five dif-ferent influences expected toshape design choices in 2017.Hear about the concepts andinspirations behind the trendselections directly from thedesigner. Each session will fea-ture a different theme duringscheduled times throughoutshow days. Participants areencouraged to visit each of thefive chats in one day or overmultiple days.

AL’S COLUMN

Informationaltours on tap forSurfaces 2017

educating the industry (RETAILERS REACT)

?

““““

“Our growth has comefrom retail. LVT was thefastest growing productsegment within retail. Inaddition, social mediahelped drive increasedcustomer traffic for us.

“

The fastest growing segment for us was commercial. But that was a very deliberate move on our part. We realized the builder

and retail markets were going to be weaker, so we put more resources and energy into the commercial side of our business.

—Mike Foulk, Foulk’s Flooring America, Meadville, Pa.

—Lee Courson, Carol’s Carpet

Montgomery, Ala.

—Rick Wiebe, Carpet Colour CentreRed Deer, Alberta, Canada

“ “

“ “We saw our greatest growth in both specified commercial and Main Street commercial. I believe many businesses that had postponed improvements finally made the step to go forward.

These segments far outdid our retail business, which remained fairly stagnant.

The builder market was the fastest growing segment for us. We picked up greater market share this past year. We are

still feeling the effects of the great recession of 2008, and there are fewer competitors in the industry today. A lot of single-locationstores have closed in that time and we have picked up that business.

—Paul Johnson, Capet One TulsaTulsa, Okla.

—Janice Clifton, Abbey Carpets UnlimitedNapa, Calif.

The builder business has been a source ofgrowth for some specialty retailers.

What wasthe fastestgrowingsegment of your

business in2016

Main Street was the fastest growingbusiness segment for us in 2016.Medical services and courthousework were the main push for us.

Medical and nursing homes maintain the push due to aging

baby boomers.

( REMEMBER WHEN...)

Jan. 11-14The Atlanta International Area Rug Market AmericasMart, AtlantaContact: 800.285.6278;americasmart.com

Jan. 17-20The International Surface Event Mandalay Bay ConventionCenter, Las Vegas, Nev.Contact: 224.563.3145/866.860.1975;[email protected]/register

Jan. 23-24Flooring America/FlooringCanada Winter convention, PhoenixConvention Center, Phoenix.Contact: 314.506.0000;ccaglobalpartners.com

Jan. 25-26Carpet OneWinter convention, PhoenixConvention Center, Phoenix.Contact: 314.506.0000;ccaglobalpartners.com

Feb. 24-28CarpetsPlus/ColorTile Annual convention, MarriottMarquis, Atlanta.Contact: 770.528.0222;carpetspluscolortile.info

March 4-8FCICAAnnual convention, SanAntonio, Texas.Contact: 877.TOFCICA;fcica.com

March 5-8Fuse AllianceAnnual conference, HyattRegency Downtown, Austin,Texas.Contact: 888.586.1198;fusealliance.com

March 8Gilford-Johnson Spring MeetingBelterra Casino Resort & Spa,Florence, Ind.Contact: 812.288.7900; [email protected]

Mohawk Industriesthrew a memorableconvention in 2002, anevent that drew morethan 700 ColorCenterdealers. Titled “Focus2002: The Vision isClear,” the meetingfeatured three days ofevents and network-ing in addition to aconcert from ThreeDog Night. Taking inthe festivities wasPhilippe Erramuzpe,then the president ofNatural Cork. TodayErramuzpe is COO ofUSFloors.

BY LISBETH CALANDRINO

Lisbeth Calandrino has been promoting retail strategies forthe last 20 years. Register for Surfaces at tisewest.com tohear her presentation, “10 Ways to Attract Customers,” onTuesday, Jan. 17, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. To have herspeak at your business or to schedule a consultation, con-tact her at [email protected]

http://tisewest.com

http://tisewest.com

http://nycaprr.com

http://americasmart.com

http://tisewest.com

http://tisewest.com/register

http://ccaglobalpartners.com

http://ccaglobalpartners.com

http://carpetspluscolortile.info

http://fcica.com

http://fusealliance.com

http://gilfordjohnson.com

http://gilfordjohnson.com





Ready to roll: Leaders bullish on 2017 prospectsThings are looking up for the flooring indus-try in 2017. That’s the general sentiment shared bythe industry’s top executives who cite any number

of positive trending economic indicators toconclude that pent-up demand will finally give wayto more consumer spending on flooring.

By Ken Ryan

T o m L a p ePresident

Mohawk Residential

While we continue to forecast growth,we think it will continue to be rela-

tively slow growth—approximately 2%-4%in the remodeling sector— and slightly morerobust, about 10%, in new home construc-tion. Mannington is a major player in thehard surface categories, and with some ofthe things we have planned for next year wethink we will be on par with that growth,perhaps outperforming it in some areas. It’s probably no surprise that the econo-

my is the biggest unknown going into 2017.Specifically, we don’t know how the econo-my will truly react, over the long term, tothe new administration. A lot will be deter-

mined in the first 100 days; what changeswill be made in the tax law, healthcare andother areas and how consumers will react tothose changes.There are several challenges but one that

really stands out, particularly forMannington, is competition from importedproducts. We face this every day in the mar-ketplace with copyright and patent infringe-ment in addition to the challenge of com-municating the price/value proposition ofdomestically produced products. We havemade significant investments in our manu-facturing plants—and we also invest heavilyin style and design—to keep one step ahead

of this type of competition.We believe emerging technologies hold

the key to the future. We’re thinking very faroutside the box these days, and consideringany and all options as far as the advance-ments that technology can bring in manu-facturing, styling, product performance andinstallation. It’s a very exciting time.Mannington continues to focus on our

core competencies: introducing new prod-ucts that look and perform great. We’releveraging the investments we’ve made inour plants and look forward to Surfaces,where we’ll unveil what we have to offer for2017.

Randy Merr i ttPresident

Shaw Industries

Dona ld Ma ierCEO

Armstrong Flooring

Ed DuncanPresident ManningtonResidential

We’re optimistic about 2017 based uponthe fact that we see all of the influential

indicators trending positive for flooring pur-chases. Most notably, home valuations contin-ue to improve and both new home sales and,more importantly, existing home sales contin-ue to trend favorably. Credit availability isquite favorable. Indexes like LIRA (TheLeading Indicator of Remodeling Activity)continue to trend positive, predicting stronggains in home renovation and repair spendingto continue.We have invested from a Mohawk view to

take advantage of new capacities in each ofthe growing categories. Vinyl, laminate, woodand ceramic are the fasting growing categories

and we have expanded both our NorthAmerica and global capacity.Flooring products are largely deferrable

purchases, so how the consumer feels is quiteimportant. The big unknown was the electionbut regardless of which side of the politicalspectrum you were on, the uncertainty hasnow been eliminated. There are positive signsout there. For example, new car sales inNovember were quite strong, and that is agood precursor for our business as well.Things are teeing up favorably and bode wellfor 2017.Consumers’ ability to buy the high-end

market continues to fare well. We want to seethose in the middle incomes come off the

sidelines and come back to the flooring space.Whenever you see Middle America they lookat these flooring purchases as an investment.As a company we have invested heavily—

product segment by product segment, all thewhile driving innovation. This all ties in withgreat marketing, great merchandising, greatpromotion and a great consumer story.For 2017 we have a full pipeline ready

across every product category. It doesn’t startwith a new display or an ad campaign—itstarts with great product with great innova-tion, design and functionality, and then weadd great marketing, merchandising, promo-tion and the great story. But you have to startwith great product, and we have that in 2017.

We see the industry continuing to showslow but steady improvement.

Consumer confidence and market stabilitywill drive repair and remodel as well as newconstruction markets that will deliver modestgrowth for the industry in 2017. The buildermarket is showing improvement. We arefocused on driving our mix for both single- aswell as multi-family buildings. Consumers arewilling to spend more for quality flooring.

We’re in the midst of a transition to newleadership here in the U.S., and we are opti-mistic and monitoring this closely so we maytake full advantage of any opportunities thismay create. We believe our growth strategyand resources have us well positioned.

We are focused on combining innovativeproducts and leading-edge design with ourworld-class distribution network to providethe highest-quality products and service bothto our customers and to the end consumer.The centerpiece is our distribution partner-ships, which allow us to drive demand gener-ation and best-in-class support to help ourretailers grow their business. We also believe hard surface will continue

to benefit from its popularity over soft surface.And let’s not forget that LVT is a category thatcontinues to offer great opportunity. It’s stillgrowing and evolving, and we are continuingto innovate in this category with winningproducts like Vivero and Luxe Plank. We have

new product launches planned for Surfaces,some of which build upon the leadership ofour proprietary Diamond 10 Technology.Another big initiative, specifically for theindependent specialty retailer, is our retailer-centric program Elevate. We launched theprogram to help specialty flooring retailersgrow their businesses. Armstrong Flooring continues to invest in

strategic initiatives to support our retailers.We are partnered with a world-class distribu-tion network to deliver our innovation andleading-edge designs to our retailers and totheir customers. Our goal is to be our cus-tomers’ preferred business partner and floor-ing brand.

We’re upbeat about 2017. Business is con-tinually getting better. New home sales

are rising and slated to ramp up over the nextseveral years, and commercial sales are good.Investments in new plants and innovation willdrive us forward along with the acquisition ofUSFloors, which is poised for continued inno-vation and growth in the year ahead.Today consumers and commercial clients

have more choices than ever before. Thosechoices can be confusing and even over-whelming. It requires retailers and manufac-turers to provide even clearer, easy-to-under-stand communication about product featuresand benefits than ever before and to be a trust-ed advisor that can ascertain what the buyer’sneeds and preferences are and what product

can best achieve that. This diversity of productalso brings a need for a keen understanding ofconsumer and market insights that allow us tostrategically invest in manufacturing andinnovation that will have the most impact.Shaw has invested in manufacturing

capacity with the completion of our new LVTfacility in Ringgold, Ga.; the opening of ournew carpet tile facility in Adairsville, Ga.; theexpansion and modernization of our extru-sion facility in Columbia, S.C., and the expan-sion of our hardwood plant in South Pittsburg,Tenn., all coming online in 2016. In 2017, we’ll truly begin to see the benefit

of those investments with each entering a fullyear of operation. That gives us even greaterability to meet customers’ quality and service

needs with a diverse portfolio of products.By the end of 2017, we’ll complete our

recently announced 67,000-square-footCreate Centre in Cartersville, Ga., which willhouse our commercial division’s marketing,design and innovation associates. This Centrewill spur further growth and innovation.Bringing these talented professionals togeth-er, the new workspace will provide a collabo-rative environment. Additionally, the acquisition of USFloors

will provide increased opportunity in hardsurface with its WPC flooring, as well as cork,bamboo and hardwood products. It expandsand complements our leading position in theLVT and hard surface markets and furtherdiversifies our product portfolio.

executive forecast

10 I December 5/12, 2016 fcnewsexecutive forecast

While 2016 was lessthan stellar for carpetmills—due in part to

the acrimonious Presidentialelection that some believe hurtconsumer spending—execu-tives are looking to bounce backin 2017. Buoyed by an improv-ing economy that many seegaining significant traction, millexecutives are forecasting any-where from a 2%-5% gain,which, if true, would easilyeclipse 2016 figures.

By Ken Ryan

C A R P E T

We anticipate the soft surfacecategory will experience mod-est improvements with a morerobust opportunity in the mid-upper ends of the market.There is pent-up demand andwe are hopeful that continuingfavorable economic indicatorswill result in a more confidentconsumer.

What is your projection for

category growthnext year?

M a r kC l a y t o n

PresidentPhenix

The projection for 2017 overallflooring industry growth is 3%-5%. We feel that we couldexperience greater growth atBeaulieu because we areinvesting in new products, newdisplays and a major focus onmarketing and branding.

S t e v eH i l l i sPresident

Beaulieu Group

In 2016 we gained marketshare in soft surfaces, stayinga few points ahead of theindustry. We remain conserva-tively optimistic and expect toperform similarly in 2017. Wehave to continue to deliverunique looks to consumers anddealers while offering the bestquality and service.

D o u g J a c k s o n

Vice president of salesTuftex

Post-election we have seenpositive momentum. Webelieve that momentum willcarry into 2017 for a positiveyear of growth in the carpetindustry. We also recognizethat 2%-3% top line growth in2017 would basically allowthe industry to recover to 2015levels.

From a carpet perspective, Ithink it will be the continuedpopularity of hard surface andthe manufacturers’ ability tocreate and bring to market softsurface products that are com-pelling enough to maintainand take back market share.Obviously the state of theeconomy will also be an “X”factor.

What is the "X factor" that will

impact business next year?

The biggest factor is interestrates. Many owners and devel-opers have been waiting to seewhat the interest rates do, andmany expect to see rates rise inthe first quarter of 2017. Wefeel economic conditions willremain strong and could gainsteam if the new administra-tion is able to lower corporatetax rates and keep jobs inAmerica.

The industry continues to inno-vate and create more flooringoptions. The consumer is bom-barded with options, informa-tion and sometimes distrac-tion. The manufacturer whocan capture the attention of aconsumer who seeks immedi-ate inspiration and needstransparency in all transac-tions . . . will lead the way in2017 and beyond.

The biggest “X” factor for theoverall economy is our newPresident. Can he build coali-tions in the House and Senateto encourage U.S. manufactur-ing investment and improveour economy? Specific to car-pet, suppliers who bring newinnovations in styling, per-formance and value to the con-sumer will be rewarded andcontinue to grow.

J a m e s L e s s l i e

Executive VP, salesEngineered Floors

There will continue to be won-derful opportunities for thosewho are able to bring uniquestyling, solutions, simplifica-tion and differentiation to theconsumer. We will continue tobe challenged with theincrease in popularity in hardsurfaces. Our response is todevelop products and pro-grams to support those oppor-tunities and leverage theunique attributes of soft sur-faces.

Where do you see opportunities for next year?Challenges?

We see opportunities with ourhard surface business for theresidential and commercialmarkets as well as growthopportunities in the upper endof residential and corporatemarkets. The challenges willbe maintaining a strong hous-ing increase and stable eco-nomic environment. Addinglabor in the plants could be achallenge as the flooringindustry in North Georgia haslow unemployment and thecompetition for labor is fierce.

We see a number of opportuni-ties for growth in the yearahead especially in Main Streetand modular carpet with theaddition of our PentzCommercial Solutions line. Weare also in the process of devel-oping some additional prod-ucts and features for 2017. Asfor challenges, they’re no dif-ferent than any rapidly grow-ing business, and they’re allgood…plant expansion, person-nel additions, increasing terri-tory, etc.

We will introduce several newproduct platforms at Surfaces2017. This will represent ourmost dynamic launch of newprograms to date. In addition,we will follow up on our suc-cessful 2016 hard surfacelaunches with the introductionof several new products andprograms. These products willoffer a unique technology tohelp simplify consumers’ lives.

What are some ofyour biggest

initiatives for 2017?

Some of our top initiatives atBeaulieu for 2017 are to focuson expanding our residentialand commercial product offer-ings with many stylish andinnovative carpet and hard sur-face products. Updating ourbrands, investing more in mar-keting, and training the salesteam will be key initiatives.

We will continue to supportthe Tuftex Classics collectionwith fresh updates for 2017.The “heart of Tuftex,” ourSignature collection, will befortified with a strong offeringof new Anso Caress texturesand level-cut-loop patterns;2017 will be defined by some ofthe most innovative yarnblends, constructions anddesigns ever introduced.

Engineered Floors has experi-enced rapid growth over the lastsix years, and we expect that tocontinue into 2017 as one of thefastest-growing carpet compa-nies in the world. We havegrown to 3,000 employees sinceour inception in 2010. We see ourrole as leading the way forgrowth in carpet, whether it’s inresidential, new construction,multi-family or Main Street.

Mills predict rebound as improving economy takes hold

The shift from soft surface tohard surface is both an oppor-tunity and a challenge. No softsurface manufacturer canexpect the average order to bewhat is has been these pastfive to 10 years. Our SignatureCollection product mix andespecially our newest intro-ductions featuring sophisticat-ed 3-Color Point technologyare a timely response to thesmaller carpet install but of ahigher end product.


product type; rather, they focuson attribute. As such, the Best ofSurfaces awards will cite prod-ucts and programs in the follow-ing categories:•Innovation •Sustainability•Style & Design•TechnologyIn addition, there will two

awards for Booth Design (underand over 1,200 square feet).Contest rules are simple.

Manufacturers and suppliers cannominate one product, program,service, business practice orbooth per category by Dec. 30.

HICKSVILLE, N.Y.—Time is run-ning out for manufacturers toenter the 2017 Best of Surfacescompetition. The deadline is Dec.30, and there is no cost to enter.Now in its sixth year, the

competition—cosponsored byFloor Covering News andInforma, owners and operatorsof The International SurfaceEvent—has quickly become abenchmark for product and pro-gram excellence.The Best of Surfaces awards

are designed to recognize thosecompanies whose product, pro-gram, service, business practiceor booth design are consideredto be best in class. What sepa-rates Best of Surfaces fromother awards programs is cate-gories are not segmented by

Best of Surfaces deadline fast approaching

Best of Surfaces 2017 awardwinner•An exquisite, custom-

engraved award pre-sented at the boothby members of showmanagement andFCNews staff•Booth signage

acknowledging thecompany was votedBest of Surfaces•A press release

announcing the win-nersFor more infor-

mation or to enterthe Best of Surfaces competi-tion, call 972.536.6449 or [email protected].

Note: A company maynot have multipleentries in one catego-ry. As well, a particularproduct may not benominated in multiplecategories. Best of Surfaces

award winners willreceive:•Recognition on

the Surfaces andFCNewswebsites for aperiod of six months•A customized logo for

placement on all advertising,recognizing the company as a

The Best of Surfaces awards honor those exhibitorswhose product, program, service, business practice

or booth design are considered best in class.

In five short years, the Best ofSurfaces awards have becomethe benchmark of product andprogram success at TheInternational Surface Event, thefloor covering industry’s mostimportant trade show. As such,FCNews is once again seeking apanel of retailers to judge thecompetition. If you are a floor-ing dealer—past or present—who has an understanding ofwhat constitutes excellence inthe Best of Surfaces’ four cate-gories—style and design, inno-vation, technology and sustain-ability—we want to hear fromyou. (There are also two awardsfor best booths.) Some criteria: First, you

have to attend Surfaces. Second,you must be willing to evaluatesome of the submissions in theweeks leading up to the show.Third, you must be willing toshare your thoughts with othermembers of the panel. After wedecide the category for whichyou will be judging, you andyour peers will be given somecriteria on what to look for. Youwill then receive informationon each of the entries. In somecases, it will be a description ofthe entry. The respective pan-els will then come up with theirfive finalists, which they willview on site on day one atSurfaces. By the end of theshow’s first day, they will haveinformed FCNews of theirchoice.Those interested in judging

Best of Surfaces can contactpublisher Steven Feldman [email protected].

FCNews seekspanel of judgesfor Surfaces’ Best

http://fcnews.net

http://informa.com




The double-digit growththat has catapulted theLVT category in recent

years is expected to continue in2017, buttressed by the rise ofrigid core products (also knownas WPC). The lone caveat maybe the very success of LVT,which is ushering in a new waveof players looking to grab apiece of this ever-expandingmarket.

By Ken Ryan

R E S I L I E N T

All indications show the categorywill again grow around 15%.What is your

projection forcategory growth

next year?

L a r r yB r o w d e r

CEOKarndean Designflooring

I expect for the LVT/WPC category tocontinue its high double-digitgrowth.

P i e tD o s s c h e

CEOUSFloors

We do the resilient category a dis-service when we put all products inone bucket. You are going to see dou-ble-digit growth for LVT. However,on the sheet vinyl side, we show neg-ative growth for felt. All together wesee high single digits for resilient.

Commercial and retail will continueto be strong. Glue down or drybackproducts will see success in all cate-gories while floating floors will drivethe largest growth. Premium prod-ucts within the rigid WPC segmentwill drive significant growth and cre-ate good margin opportunities.

What segmentsand/or products will

fuel this growth?

Opening price point, dryback, glue-down LVT and WPC will be the maincatalyst for this growth. The solidclick LVT segment will see itsgrowth stagnate as the more stablecomposite core construction of theWPC will eventually become theclick, floating LVT floor of choice.

LVT enjoyed a superb year in 2016. Idon’t see anything to prevent thatgrowth from continuing. It is still thefastest growing product segment inthe industry, and when I talk aboutLVT I include these rigid-type prod-ucts (WPC), which are driving a goodportion of that growth as well.

P a u l M u r f i n

CEOIVC US

Karndean has enjoyed significantgrowth year after year due to ourDesignflooring strategy and cus-tomer-partnership philosophy. Wefully expect that to continue in 2017and beyond.

What is the predicted growth of

your company in 2017?

We are again expecting to stronglyoutpace the industry’s categorygrowth in 2017, just like we have donein the last three years. Our COREtecproduct collections are still showingstrong upward momentum, with sev-eral new collections being launchedduring Surfaces and early 2017.

My goal and expectations would beto do better than [the overall] mar-ket growth.

The recent U.S. Presidential electionand the [carry over] effect over thenext four years remains to be seen.


impact businessnext year?

Clarity on trade agreements andChinese currency policy will takesome of the angst away on the LVTbeing imported from China.Overall political stability and cleardirection will stimulate the con-sumer to build, renovate and buynew flooring.

While people are talking of LVTgrowing rapidly it is also the mostcrowded category in the industry.This growth rate is not necessarilysomething you can take for granted.Companies will have to continue tofocus on differentiation and valuerelative to other product categories.

In 2016, Karndean made significantinvestments to increase our invento-ry, production, service and samplecapabilities with the expansion ofour U.S. headquarters outsidePittsburgh. This will allow us tomeet the challenges of increasedcompetition.


The acquisition of USFloors by ShawIndustries will provide us withtremendous opportunities tostreamline and fine-tune our busi-ness. The strength of Shaw’s opera-tional excellence and distributionwill be a strong addition to our speedto market and creative DNA.

There is opportunity for Mohawkresilient to leverage our LVT factory,which is now established and start-ing to make product in a fairlyhealthy manner. We are looking for-ward to taking advantage of thatcapacity, which we have not had atour disposal before.

Overall I believe the category willcontinue to see modest growth inthe range of 3-4%.

Rigid core products will lead thecategory growth, particularly asvariations intended to address spe-cific price points and segments areintroduced. We plan to introduceadditional variations in constructionand design options that are worldsapart from anything out there.

K u r t D e n m a n

CMO/Executive VP, SalesCongoleum

The past couple of years we haveenjoyed steady growth and are plan-ning to outpace category growth.Our plans are for growth in excess of5%.

This shouldn’t be a surprise but thePresidential campaign has beensuch a distraction. Policies of thenew administration and consumerconfidence will determine thestrength of the overall economy andultimately industry performance.

We have seen meaningful growth inthe builder and multi-family seg-ments. ArmorCore, our limestone-based sheet product, was specifical-ly created to meet the needs ofthese segments and has done atremendous job in helping us takemarket share.

The new product launches we havescheduled will expand our productselection beyond dryback and looselay floors to include KarndeanKorlok, a premium, rigid-core for-mat that will provide superior retail,commercial and consumer benefits.



USFloors’ start-up of the first WPCmanufacturing plant in the U.S. willbe by far the biggest initiative wewill be undertaking in 2017.

We have a variety of product plansacross all of our distribution chan-nels. New products and initiatives forIVC include refreshing our Flexitecsheet vinyl line and transitioning ourLVT from Belgium production to U.S.manufacturing.

First is innovation. We’ve seenthrough the rise and popularity ofrigid core products that to drivegrowth we must continue to focuson finding new and exciting ways tosolve old problems. That’s true inproduct construction and design.

LVT/WPC expected to continue its strong surge


We are projecting 15% growth for2017.

M i c h a e lR a s k i n

CEORaskin Industries

Dryback will continue to grow, butthe floating products will continueto increase due to ease of installa-tion and contractors looking toreduce the cost of floor prep. Clickand loose lay products will continueat higher growth rates. There will bemore variations of rigid products.

We expect our volume to be doubleof the overall category growth. Weexpect to be at 30% growth rate dueto new distributors, growth from ourexisting distribution and domesticproduction expansion. We willlaunch our waterproof, rigid LVTproducts.

Assuming the playing field is even,the “X” factor will be companies thatdeliver design, color and consistentquality. You will see a strongerdivide between brands driven bydesign vs. low price LVT brands. Thecompanies in the middle will find itharder to maintain market share.

The expansion of our domestic offer-ings will provide exclusive designsand the ability to reduce deliverytimes. By offering more domesticproducts we keep our supply chaindiversified in case there are tradesanctions imposed or cost increasesfrom freight or overseas suppliers.

Specific to the LVT category, weanticipate total blended growth willbe in the 10% range, i.e., “blended”across all segments and all LVTproduct types/categories.

R u s s R o g g

CEOMetroflor

All segments will grow but not atthe same rate. Floating LVT—rigid-core floating LVT in particular—willoutpace all other categories withaccelerated growth. This growth inthe rigid-core category will comefrom all [residential] segments andcertain commercial segments.

We are planning for a 10% increase.With the continued growth of ourAspecta commercial LVT brandspecifically related to two new col-lections that we’ve added (AspectaTen featuring Isocore Technologyand Aspecta One, a new line of dry-back commercial LVT).

The “X” factor for Metroflor is to sim-ply execute the various initiativesthat we have already begun or haveplanned. Aspecta Ten, our commer-cial rigid-core product, has onlybegun to see exposure during thefourth quarter, so there is a lot ofrunway for this brand/collection.

The two greatest opportunities forMetroflor are tied to our plan toengage with and create closer rela-tionships with our Aligned DealerNetwork. Through this effort, wedesire to establish our Isocore plat-form as the market-leading technol-ogy in the rigid-core category.

To strategically select products thatare imported vs. made in the USAand collectively inventory with ourdistribution partners to maximizeour logistics.

We want to continue to invest in andgrow our Aspecta business. In twoand a half years, we’ve gone from aconceptual new commercial LVTbrand to having nearly 200 SKUsacross three collections: AspectaFive, Aspecta One and Aspecta Ten.

We predict the LVT/WPC categorywill continue to grow at a double-digit pace through 2017.

J o h n W u

President and CEONovalis Innovative Flooring

We still see continuing growth in thespecified commercial segment andthe Main Street commercial seg-ment. We also believe the WPC cate-gory will continue to push forwardresidential volume in 2017.

Novalis will continue to grow at adouble-digit rate internationally.

In the U.S. there will be a newPresidential administration, so the“X” factor will be to see how this newadministration’s policies andchanges will affect the U.S. andworld economy.

LVT continues to be a huge opportu-nity, especially for Novalis and otherlarge and experienced players. Thechallenge is to continually innovate.We have some interesting develop-ments in that area for 2017. Theother challenge the LVT industryfaces: increased raw material costs.

Continued growth in the areas westarted in the last half of 2015 andthrough 2016—commercial, MainStreet and our high-performancecore (WPC) product.

well into the new yearContinued from page 1

NeoCon East

Ralph Grogan, presidentand CEO of Bentley Mills,explained that the company’sgoals this year were two-fold:Highlight new product andnetwork with an entirely newdemographic of attendees.“Yes, we are showcasing LostAngeles as we did at NeoConearlier this year, but most peo-ple here were not in Chicago,”he said. “Philadelphia has a lotgoing on, and the people hereare excited about business andeducation. I don’t think we lostanyone from Baltimore—NeoCon East’s previoushome—and we’ve definitelyincreased conversations withpeople from New York,Pennsylvania and New Jersey.” Others agreed. Karen

Ostromecki, interior designer,IIDA, LEED GA, fromRochester, N.Y., thinks ofNeoCon East as a “hub for collab-oration and learning and a greatplace to network for future proj-ect opportunities.” Being able toview the latest products andtrends while conversing withother professionals in the field iscritical, she added. In line with the collaborative

theme of this year’s NeoCon East,it was apparent that manufactur-ers were looking to answer atten-dees’ requests for new and differ-ent solutions. For instance,Procedo Floorings’ Loom+,which is produced by infusing adurable fabric top layer with anLVT bottom layer, received a lotof attention from booth visitors,thanks to its versatility.“Everybody is interested in ourloom-woven vinyl flooringbecause it’s a different product,”said Brent Fike, sales manager. “Itlooks like—and has—the unlim-ited design capabilities of a softsurface but provides the durabili-ty of an LVT, which has gained

interest from the hospitality, cor-porate and retail segments.”Patcraft’s Mixed Materials

collection drew similar notorietyfor its ability to seamlessly usehard and soft surface flooringside-by-side, alone or in multiplecombinations. Tara Currier, com-munications manager, noted thenew product is part of a biggerconversation. “We’ve been meet-ing with the team to talk aboutwell building,” she noted, explain-ing that designers are increasing-ly asking how the products theyspecify effect the way peoplework, live and interact. “As amanufacturer, we want to be inpace with designers and evenahead of the curve to help themanswer these questions with newsolutions.”Several manufacturers also

utilized their booth spaces high-light sustainable design options.For example, Shaw Contract dis-cussed big-picture ideas arounddiversity in design, sustainableprocesses and healthy living.

Patcraft's Tara Currier promotedlarger conversations around the

concept of ‘well building.’


In much the same way thattechnological advances inwood flooring manufactur-

ing paved the way for surfacetexturing, finishing options andnew engineered offerings in2016, the latest round of inno-vations are generating excite-ment for the coming year.Suppliers see 2017 as an oppor-tunity to step up their respectivecapabilities as a means to fur-ther differentiate themselveswhile increasing market share.

By Reginald Tucker

W O O D

We anticipate 2017’s growthwill outpace last year’s indus-try-wide growth of 6.6%. Thereare obvious potential variablessuch as the direction of theeconomy in the wake of theelection.



T o d d G a t e s

VP, residential salesDuChateau

I expect to see between 4%-5%growth in hardwood flooring in2017.

N e i l P o l a n d

PresidentMullican Flooring

P a u l R e z u k e

VP, residential sales, USAWickham Flooring

Our expectation is that the hard-wood category will grow at 4%-6% rate in 2017.

What segmentsand/or products

will fuel thisgrowth?

We have seen a steady shiftfrom solids to engineered andwe stand ready to be posi-tioned to service our cus-tomers.

Unique, value-added productsin engineered platforms willcontinue to fuel this growth.There will continue to be ashift into wider width prod-ucts. However, the look will beone of the main drivers.

Our predicted growth is togrow at the same rate of theoverall industry or 4%-6%.

For better or for worse, thesecurity and the economicimpact of the recent election.


impact business next year?

Single-family housing con-struction continues to be thequestion mark. We are hopingto see this segment increase. Iwould love to see starts accel-erate to one million single-family homes in 2017.

We’re in the process of finetuning our engineered produc-tion. The “X factor” forWickham will be our ability tohave the line fully functional in2017.

B r a d W i l l i a m s

VP, sales and marketingMirage

Additional product offerings,retooling of our presence inthe retail showrooms, expan-sion into new territories and adedicated commercial salesteam.



We will continue to fine tuneour product lines, adding newproducts on the front edge ofwood flooring design trends.

We are confident that if inter-est rates remain constant, andthe economy continues to bepositive, the expected growthwill be in the 6%-10% range.

From a fashion perspective, weare ideally positioned goinginto 2017. As we increase ourproduct offering and expandinto additional markets, we areconfident we will outpace theindustry growth.



We anticipate MullicanFlooring will see growthbetween 8%-10% next year.

We have targeted 10% growthfor 2017. It will be a transition-al year for Wickham Flooring,especially as we move to intro-duce our engineered platformsto keep up with customerdemand.

The issue is whether con-sumers will have the confi-dence in the current economicand political climate to investin residential replacement orbuying a new home. If so, theymight opt for cheaper prod-ucts in other categories.

We have invested over $7M in anew state-of-the-art engi-neered flooring line. Our planover the next 12-24 months willbe to align our engineeredlines with our solid lines.

Wider width and longer lengthofferings will continue to be astrong initiative for us. Color,texture and finish will also beat the forefront of our innova-tions.

Changing demands drive innovations at manufacturer level


We believe that the Made-in-America movement will con-tinue to gain momentum.Progressive retailers shoulddevelop stronger programswithin their stores to promoteour products made in the U.S.

Our opportunities will derivefrom our increased expansioninto the U.S. market, alongwith the successful implemen-tation of new products. Ourchallenges will be hiring theright people to represent ourbrand and lines.

The opportunities for us arewithin our current network. Wewant to continue to stayfocused on our customers andgiving them the best servicepossible. We don’t want to givethem reasons to go elsewhere.

Investment in the people andthe culture that drives anddefines our business, our fami-ly and our employees. Themost successful companiesglobally are those who don’tlook past their own people.

Trends in this fashion industrystill point towards the longer,wider format planks that areoften referred to as the“European” looks. These for-mats suggest the engineeredwood products will enjoy alarger portion of the overallhardwood growth.

The housing market will con-tinue to strengthen, althoughsingle-family starts and com-pletions remain more than20% lower than the historicalaverage. Engineered flooringwill lead the growth as housingshould grow more rapidly inSun Belt markets.

Mercier is also looking togenerate interest in expandingits wide selection of species,colors and stains. To that end,the company has released twonew colors in the white oakfamily: Madera and Fjord.Inspired by European design,the new selections will be partof the Elegancia collection.In addition, Mercier has

decided to take the Elementline (also from the Eleganciacollection) and make it a seriesunto its own. New species in


MONTMAGNY, QUEBEC,CANADA—Mercier recentlyunveiled its new lineup for2017 during its annual meetingwith customers. Building on its reputation

for quality and durabilitywhile keeping the aestheticappeal in mind, Mercier hasdeveloped a new commercialfinish called the Intact 2500offering a standard commer-cial warranty of 10 years and athree-year warranty on streetaccess floor areas.

Mercier previews 2017 introductionsthis line include white oak,American walnut, hard maple,hickory and yellow birch. Tying it all together is a new

display system that effectivelyhighlights the new colors andspecies. Features include largesamples sizes and bright light-ing. “The modern, eye-catching

design of this new display willmake Mercier the focal point atall its certified retail partners,”said Michel Collin, director ofmarketing.

Due to popular demand, Mercier’s Element isgoing to be positioned as its own collection.

Many flooring retailerstell me they cannotcompete with the likes

of home centers and liquida-tors. In my experience, theseretailers are either listening tothe whining of their salespeo-ple (read: excuses for not clos-ing sales) and/or they are notregularly shopping their com-petitors and don’t understandhow they operate. Following are a few helpful

ideas and strategies to increasetraffic and better compete withthe big boys:

Shop your competitors.While there may be a few com-petitors you may know so wellthat you choose to send some-one in on your behalf, the vastmajority of the people out thereselling floor covering don’tknow you, and they don’t care ifyou shop their store. The worstthing that will happen is theywill kindly ask you to leave.Trust me, you will survive.

Promote “loss leaders.”This technique entails promot-ing certain entry-level productsat or below cost to create theimpression the entire store hascompetitive prices. Know whatthese loss leaders are, know theproducts and find out details.For instance, is the sale on onecolor or every color? Be sureyou are at or below the compe-tition’s prices if you want to becredible; if you can’t do thatdon’t sample those products inyour store.

Advertise specials onlabor. For example, offer $29,$69, $99 or even “free labor.”Remember, the big guys havefewer installers willing to workfor free than you do. You haveto look at the total packagebeing offered at these storesand factor in everything on thefinal written estimate. Theycharge to measure, unload thetruck, etc. Understand whatand how they charge and you’llsee that when it nets out, youroffer of free labor isn’t so bad.Don’t forget the trims, metals,

pad, etc., all the little thingsthey/you can charge so muchfor. (Disclosure: We have a 65%gross profit margin on all of the“little things.”) It might soundcounterintuitive, but youshould always compete withthe total price when it is toyour advantage. Remember,customers usually pay attentionto the price of the main prod-uct, the cost of the basic instal-lation and nothing else.

Zig or zag? Armed with this information,ask yourself if you should “zig”

or “zag.” By zig I meando the polar opposite ofwhat the competition isdoing. For instance, ifthey promote freeinstallation, your posi-tion should be, “Labor isthe most important partof the job, we have the

best installers and we don’tthink you want someone doingthe job for free. Besides, ourtotal installed price is alwayslower than theirs, and isn’tthat what matters most?” Conversely, zag means if

you can’t beat them then jointhem. Raise your selling priceto accommodate what youcharge for basic labor. Thenmake sure you are making 50%to 65% margin on all yourother labor items and make atleast 65% margin on the littlethings. Your overall profit mar-gin should remain the same asusual. Once you have your strate-

gies in place, communicatethem with your staff. Holdregular sales meetings whereyour team conducts role-playexercises handling phonecalls, emails and live interac-tions with customers withobjections based on your com-petitors. Competing with the big

boys is easy—providing youhave a plan and stick to it.

guest column

Don’t fear the big boxes

CUSTOMERS USUALLY PAYATTENTION TO THE PRICE OF

THE MAIN PRODUCT, THE COSTOF THE BASIC INSTALLATION

AND NOTHING ELSE.

Vinnie Virga is managing partner and president of Big Bob’s FlooringOutlet and Floors & More buying group. His experience includes man-agement of various CCA Global Partner retail groups, including FlooringAmerica.

VINNIEVIRGA


The outlook for ceramictile has never been bet-ter, as new production

technologies are enabling pro-ducers to introduce game-changing formats and designs.Fresh off a year where sales andvolume approached 10% spikes,marketers are bullish aboutgrowth prospects for 2017, askey economic indicators such asthe new housing market and arebounding economy are trend-ing in the right direction.

By K.J. Quinn

T I L E

We believe the flooring indus-try will see solid growth nextyear that will range between8% -12%. The growth will comefrom new home constructionand commercial activity.



B o bB a l d o c c h iCMO, Vice President,

sales supportEmser Tile

G i a n n iM a t t i o l i

Executive Vice President,product & marketing

Dal-Tile

D o n a t oG r o s s e rPresident and Chief

ConsultantD. Grosser & Associates

The housing market is recover-ing quite nicely and is the maindriver for sales of ceramic tilein this country. The remodel-ing market is relatively stable.We thought we would see anincrease of 8%-10%, but it lookslike it won’t be more than 5%.

We have seen positive growthin the tile segment, a trend weexpect to continue in 2017.Right now we predict that thecategory will grow by 4%-6%.

I predict the category willgrown 6%-8%.

The continued increase in theceramic, wall and decorativecategories. Consumers contin-ue to expand their use of tile inthe remodel plans that extendbeyond just new floors. Walls,decorative accents have allcontributed to growth.


fuel this growth?

The housing market, specifi-cally new residential, contin-ues to positively impact thetile sector. Many of the trendsin the residential segment arepositive signs for the ceramictile industry, as they will leadto increases in sales.

Tile continues to take marketshare. Also, significant growthin wall tile is occurring. Weshould see a lot of growth asAmericans install more tile onthe walls.

Our plans are to outpace theindustry’s flooring growth. Thiswill be driven primarily by ourconsistent market expansion.We opened up 10 new designand distribution facilities in2016 with plans for additionallocations in 2017.



N/A Dal-Tile sales continue toexceed expectations, and weanticipate overall stronggrowth. We’ll do this primarilyby continuing to introduce newproducts that match trends,improving our product portfo-lio.

Our expectation continues tobe to significantly outpaceindustry growth.

2017 will see many of the same“X factors” that were present in2016. Labor continues to put aregulator on growth opportu-nities, but is also contributingto a sustained housing boomas supplies still seem to lagbehind demand.



There is always the dangerthat a new product will comeinto the market and competewith ceramic tile. Someonemay invent a product that willdrive ceramic out of business.

In 2016 we made key invest-ments in our manufacturingcapabilities, specifically withour Dickson facility. Dal-Tile isleading the advancement ofdesign and manufacturingtechnologies so we can contin-ue to provide great service.

There are numerous “X fac-tors,” including the politicalclimate. This is especially trueas it relates to tax and immi-gration reforms.

We are excited to see ouraggressive expansion plans ofthe last three to four yearscontinue to show positivereturns and high year over yeargrowth. The biggest challengeis staying in front of all theamazing growth opportunities.

Where do you seeopportunities for

next year?Challenges?

There are a lot of unknown fac-tors. We just had a Presidentialelection in this country and noone knows what is going tohappen in the future. If thevalue of the U.S. dollar staysthis way, it will be good forimports from Europe.

Through new innovations weare able to develop tile linesthat meet consumer demands.We are going to continue toexplore new tools to ensure weare providing the most cutting-edge products on the market.

We are looking at each chan-nel, including builders, retail-ers/dealers and architects anddesigners to grow the business.Ultimately, we need to keepmaking tile more affordableand accessible, and the con-sumer is responding.

We are excited about ourexpansion plans. Our new EastCoast distribution centeropening in Q1 will provide ournational footprint withenhanced service capabilitiesin the region.

What are some of your biggest


N/A We will continue to focus onthe key areas that are vital toour success: brand identity,product innovation and avail-ability, exceptional service,value to our customers andunmatched logistics.

The biggest initiatives wouldbe to increase growth in ournewer channels, includingbuilders and A&D, and contin-ued product introductions withthe proper marketing support.

Technology, pent-up demand to fuel consumption

Large tiles and slabs are beingused more and more. Sizes like3 x 10 are very common in thecommercial market. Largetiles are 16 x 16, 20 x 20 and 24 x24 in the residential market.

R a j S h a hPresidentMSI

PENDLETON, S.C.—The Ceramic TileEducation Foundation (CTEF) haslaunched a new website (ceramictilefoun-dation.org) to better communicate thevalue of ceramic tile education and certifiedtile installation to homeowners, architects,design specifiers, dealers, distributors andtile installation contractors.Visitors to the new CTEF website will

find educational resources about tile installa-tion, answers to frequently asked questionsabout certification as well as downloadableinformation kits about becoming a certifiedtile installer and tile installation tip sheets. Inaddition, there are many new featuresdesigned to enhance the user’s experienceand make finding and learning about certi-


fied tile installers easier. More specifically:•The site is SSL (Secure Sockets

Layer) enabled. This link ensures that alldata passed between the web server andthe visitor’s browser remains private andintegral.•The site features responsive design

so visitors can easily navigate the contentregardless of the device they use—desk-top, mobile device or tablet.•Site search helps visitors easily locate

content within the website.•A Google maps based ZIP code locator

allows visitors to find certified tile installersaround the country.•The CTEF online blog publishes week-

ly content describing quality tile installa-

tion best practices and success stories. Itincludes a monthly series where ScottCarothers, CTEF director of certificationand training, specifically addresses tileinstallation questions.•A calendar of upcoming training and

certification events with online registrationand secure payment through PayPal.

in 2017

The tile market is growingboth commercially and resi-dentially at a pace exceedingthat of America’s new buildgrowth. Clearly, the prefer-ence for tile is strong now andpoised to continue thisstrength into the coming year.

With both commercial and res-idential markets consumingmore tile, we’ve seen anincrease in international anddomestic production. This hasresulted in the availability ofmore designs offered in abroader range of price points.

N/A

It’s essential that manufactur-ers focus on educating themarket about the differencesbetween products. Thisincludes specifiers in both theinterior design and consumercommunities, as well asinstallers.

N/A

Crossville is focused on high-lighting the way our productsbring creative solutions tochallenging scenarios. We’reworking with our distributorsto reach specifiers with innova-tive ideas and alternatives.

L i n d s e yW a l d r e pVice President of

MarketingCrossville

CTEF launches new website

http://dation.org


No one is expecting thelaminate category togenerate double-digit

growth rates in 2017; after all, itis a fairly mature category in theU.S. On top of that, the segmentis facing intense pressure fromcompeting hard surface sectors,including LVT, WPC and, ofcourse, hardwood.However, don’t expect the

segment to roll over in the faceof fierce competition from otherhard surface categories.

By Reginald Tucker

L A M I N A T E & W O O D

Flat to +3% growth.What is your projection for


T r a v i s B a s sExecutive VP,

sales and marketingSwiss Krono

D r e w H a s h

Vice President, Hard SurfacesShaw Floors

R o g e r F a r a b e e

Senior VP, laminate &hardwood

Mohawk N.A.

Approximately 1%-2% in dollargrowth. However, we believedomestic manufacturers willgrow at a higher rate as moreimport volume continues toshift to domestic productionand as more producers focuson higher-end products.

We continue to expect anincrease in housing starts,which could have a growthimpact of about 6% to 8% in2017 for the wood industry.

We see continued growth forour laminate category atabout the pace of U.S. GDP,which is between 2%-2.5%. Weestimate the flooring categoryas a whole will have a higherrate of growth as the housingsector continues to recover.

Innovative laminate productswith enhanced surface tex-tures and value-add options.


fuel this growth?

Hardwood provides the high-end look that is very compati-ble with today’s newest homeinterior styles and trends. As aselect choice, our engineeredstyles provide a range of looksthat will help fuel this growth.

In recent years vinyl (LVT inparticular) has been growing.This was further expanded bythe introduction of WPC. Thesuccess of these categorieshas inspired new innovationswith composite products.

10%- 15%.What is the predicted growth of


We will continue to outpacecategory growth by offeringproducts with the highest levelof realism, style, design andtechnical superiority in all ofthe channels in which we par-ticipate.

Shaw Floors will continue tooutpace the growth of theflooring market in 2017. Ourwide breadth of categories andconsistent standard of qualityacross our products supportsthis outlook.

We feel fortunate to continueto grow our global business.Company wide, our rate ofgrowth is forecast to be in thelow double digits. This is alsowhat we expect for our NorthAmerican division.

New home construction andrepair/remodel investmentdriven by increased home val-ues and fueled by a strongereconomy.



There is still significant pent-up remodeling demand thatwill result in laminate flooringsales if consumers feel theyhave enough job and incomestability to make an invest-ment in their living spaces.

The “X factors” for businesssuccess will continue to be thedelivery of a reliable customerexperience and unmatchedsupport for our retailers.

The major “X factor” in thefloor covering business is therapid evolution of new productcategories and the challengesthat come with competingwith products that didn’t existpreviously.

Opportunities include non-res-idential, value-added productsand Internet sales. Headwindswill be from domestic capacitycoming on stream coupledwith a strengthening dollarencouraging cheap importsfrom Europe.

Where do you seeopportunities for

next year?Challenges?

Today’s highly realistic premi-um products offer consumersmore options without havingto compromise. There is alsoan appealing environmentalstory around laminate flooringproducts made in NorthAmerica.

We are continuously lookingforward to discover new waysto communicate effectivelywith our customers and armour dealers with the rightinformation to tell the story ofShaw’s hardwood productssuccinctly and clearly.

To us, the challenge and theopportunity are one in thesame. It is how to successfullyparticipate in the rapid expan-sion of composite products. Weare investing the creation of anentirely new category of floor-ing.

We are working in collabora-tion with our affiliatedEuropean factories to intro-duce additional products.Domestically we continue topursue the highest standardsand styles for innovative prod-uct development.

What are some of your biggest


We are introducing more prod-ucts using our state-of-the-artDeep Texture technology aswell as our revolutionaryMoisture Protection technolo-gy. These innovations are mak-ing customers think differentlyabout what laminate means.

Anderson will continue toexpand in the new home con-struction market. Additionally,we will focus on delivering themost stylish and high-perform-ing engineered styles availableto respond to today’s newesttrends.

Our largest initiative by far isthe launch of our flooring lineSono, which is based on ournew waterproof product tech-nology that will make its debutat Surfaces.

Suppliers dial up innovation to ward off competition

Growth is being driven throughresidential new construction aswell as increased remodelingactivity. We are seeing laminateproducts being accepted in bothsingle- and multi-family housingat rates unheard of 10 years ago.

D e r e k W e l b o u r n

CEOInhaus


In the world of football, you’llfind the top teams consis-tently execute in all three

facets of the game—offense,defense and special teams.Things are not all that differentwhen it comes to the hardwoodflooring industry, where a con-tinual emphasis on the funda-mentals—sourcing, manufactur-ing capabilities and quality con-trols, to name a few—usuallyproduces optimal results. This is particularly critical

when it comes to natural materi-als such as hardwood, where thedetermining factor as it relatesto product quality often begins atthe source—the forest. Thistenet generally holds true forsuppliers across the board,regardless of the region wherethe logs are harvested. “The majority of our manu-

facturing is in the United States,but we also have a large presencein Europe,” said Gary Lanser,president of Mohawk’s wood andlaminate business. “Obviouslythere are many advantages toour customers and ourselves inpurchasing and supplying

domestically produced products.Clearly there’s the speed of sup-ply and excellent service.” Mohawk believes the Made in

the USA label means more todaythan it ever has with all the presson the various environmentalissues out there. To that end, thecompany has peoplein place to ensure allfacets of its hard-wood flooring pro-duction—includingeverything from fin-ishes to adhesives—are in compliance.“You’re not going tohave that kind ofcontrol outside ofthe U.S.,” said DavidHolt, senior vicepresident. “Whenyou’re dependentupon someone elseto control your man-ufacturing assets, you’re alwaysgoing to have too much of the‘bad’ thing and not enough of the‘good’ thing. That does not equalgood service; it amounts to upsetcustomers out in the field.Manufacturing in the U.S. allowsus to meet our customers’ needsat the drop of a hat.”

Other major hardwood floor-ing suppliers share that philoso-phy, emphasizing the impor-tance of properly sourcing rawmaterials and complying withenvironmental regulations. AtShaw Floors, for instance, theaim is to go beyond standards

required by law to pursue inde-pendent, third-party assess-ments such as Cradle to Cradle,Greenguard, FloorScore andothers. Shaw says it carefullyconsiders the impact of its prod-ucts on the environment and onsociety throughout their lifecy-cle. More importantly, it exam-

requirements of CaliforniaDepartment of Public Health(CDPH) Standard Method V1.1(2010). Manufacturers that special-

ize in supplying hardwood floor-ing for distributors, i.e., private-label programs, also stress theimportance of responsiblesourcing. Case in point isAmerican OEM, which reliesstrictly on stateside forests tobuild its programs. One of themajor benefits, according toAllie Finkell, vice president, isthe proximity to the customerand the speed of response time.For instance, American OEMcan cut samples within its ownmanufacturing facility, whichcuts a great deal of time out ofthe process. “Having an in-house sample

department allows us to makesure the samples are representa-tive of the product,” Finkell said.“The people we have making thesamples are only making oursamples, so they are familiarwith our product. Secondly, itgives us one more look at thefinished product. So if the sam-ple department takes a boardout of our finished goods inven-

ines the ingredient materials,the impact of its supply chain,the use of natural resources andthe ability to recover and recycleits products. Shaw manufactures many of

its own products and sourcesfrom strategic partners in the

U.S. and internation-ally to offer a broadportfolio of productsto meet diverse cus-tomer preferences. Indoing so, the companysets high standards foritself and its suppliers.Shaw takes numeroussteps to verify that itsproducts, regardlessof where or by whomthey are manufac-tured, meet cus-tomers’ high expecta-tions. These stepsinclude: performing

manufacturing site inspectionsto ensure suppliers meet thesame high-quality standards thecompany practices internally;setting raw material specifica-tions that restrict the use of cer-tain chemical substances of con-cern; and ensuring all productsmeet the indoor air emissions

wood

Suppliers are utilizing specialty finishing techniquesto differentiate themselves. Shown is DuChateau’sAtelier Series, which features a low-luster, natural

looking oil-based finish.

By Reginald Tucker

Product quality hinges on sourcing, manufacturing

applies a specialthermal treatmentprocess to many ofits products foradded dimensionalstability. “By treat-ing our French oakdifferently thanour competition,we have created aproduct categorythat is exclusivewithin the inde-pendent retail channel and is,therefore, very profitable andvery desirable,” said AlexShaoulpour, president. “For our


tory, they have a quality controlboard to compare it to. They arecomparing to the standard. Ifyou were doing that remotely,they are not going to know whatthe product is supposed to looklike.”Another benefit of control-

ling the supply is being able todevelop specific programs fordistributors based on their loca-tion. While some of AmericanOEM’s non-competing distribu-tors can buy from a collection ofsimilar products, the overall mixmight be slightly different—notall of them buy the exact sameSKUs. This allows wholesalers tobuy smaller quantities at a time,Finkell explained. However, those companies

that do import raw materials aswell as finished product believetheir products hold up just aswell as American-made goods.Nature Flooring, for example,imports many of its hardwoodflooring products from Peru.According to Luxia Hong, direc-tor of operations, there have notbeen any issues. “We own the forests where

we harvest the wood, and thetrees we cut are only the reallyold trees,” she explained. “Inaddition, we follow a strict forestmanagement strategy approvedby the Peruvian government. Wehave the chain of custody andFSC certification. We assure thatevery process has the propersupply chain certificationapproved by the FSC.” That’s a similar approach

taken by California-basedAlston, which sources its prod-ucts from China. “What makesus different is that we are a fam-ily owned and operated business,with our own manufacturingfacilities and mills in China, andour own stocking distributionwarehousing facilities here inthe United States,” said AlanChou, president. “This insuresthat all critical steps—frompreparation of the raw materials,to manufacturing, hand select-ing, sorting, packaging, shippingand the final distribution of ourproducts—are completely con-trolled by us. This is why we canensure the products that peoplebuy are of the best quality avail-able, and the pricing will still bevery competitive.” The key to ensuring quality

when sourcing product fromoverseas, suppliers say, lies inhands-on management. Case inpoint is Canada-based DivineFlooring. As Sean Stewart, man-aging partner, explains: “Likemany companies we source fromChina. But what makes ourapproach different is we actually

have our own employees inChina. We inspect everythingbefore it ships. Granted, thatdoesn’t mean we’re perfect, butmany of our competitors are notinspecting anything.”

Proprietary processes Beyond sourcing origins, suppli-ers are also looking to distin-guish themselves from the packby virtue of their approach to fin-ishing. Such is the case withDuChateau, which opts for natu-ral, low-luster oil finishes in lieuof aluminum oxide,polyurethane-based coatings.

“We’re very focused on designand aesthetics on the Europeanhard wax oil visual, and that’s allwe do at DuChateau,” said MitchTagle, president and CEO.“Other companies have jumpedon the bandwagon, but whatusually happens is the qualityisn’t there because we are on thehigher end in terms of pricepoint.”Other companies like HF

Design, which specializes in theEuropean Oak look as well, alsotakes a unique approach to fin-ishing and treating its products.For instance, the company

retailers it’s a breath of fresh airbecause they don’t get beat up onmargins from big box competi-tion.”

Shaw manufactures many of its own productsand sources from strategic partners in the U.S.and internationally. Shown is Yukon maple.

capabilities, attention to detail


Latest products fill category-specific needs the floating method. Expertssay laminate floors requireunderlayment products thatprovide stability and protectionfrom moisture, as well as soundabatement. These options mayrange from foam products tocork or polypropylene. Forhardwood floors, installers say,it’s wise to pick an underlay-ment made from felt, cork orrubber. Rubber or foam under-layments also work well for car-pet in some cases. The challenge for most man-

ufacturers of cushioning andunderlayment is to keep pacewith new product developmentfrom the flooring suppliers. AtCarpenter, for example, theemphasis is on introducing newproducts that provide more com-fort underfoot. “Unfortunately, carpet has

dropped considerably in termsof market share over the lastfive years as millennials arecoming in,” said Rob Heuay,senior vice resident. “But wehave kept up by improving thefeel of the carpet.” Carpenter also focuses on

developing underlayment prod-ucts that can withstand a host of

issues, namely pet acci-dents. “Many peoplehave pets, so stains andcleanability of carpet isimportant,” Heuaysaid. “So the innova-tions have been intreatments of the cush-ion to reduce wear andto eliminate odors fromaccidents.” One such innova-

tion is Carpenter’sSerenity carpet cush-ion, which featuresEverfresh probiotictechnology. According toHeuay, the 100% organic pro-biotic technology reduces odornaturally, continuously andsafely. How it works: Whenpet accidents occur the urineis transformed into water andCO2 which evaporates, leavingno smell left behind and nolingering bacteria. “The floorcovering industry recognizesthe importance of living in aclean home without the worryof germs that pose potentialharm to homeowners,” he said.“Serenity with Everfresh pro-biotic technology does justthat.”

Keeping in lockstep Experts agree that today’s under-layment products are gearedmore toward the bevy of newproducts being developed. “Inyears past, one pad was recom-mended for all available flooringinstallation types,” said JeffreyCastor, national sales manager,Diversified Industries. “With theintroduction of products such asLVT, that has since changed.Based on the characteristics ofLVT/LVP, anything thicker thanapproximately 1mm has beensubject to failure over time.” Diversified Industries is

working to stay ahead of thegame. “In 2016 we’ve alreadyintroduced five new underlay-ment SKUs and anticipate theaddition of at least 10 more byyears end,” Castor stated. “Weanticipate the needs of theindustry so we are not playingcatch up.” Other major suppliers attest

to the rapid rate of new productdevelopment. Jack Boesch, pres-ident of MP Global Products, hasalso seen an increase in the pop-ularity of LVT. This, he notes, hasresulted in multiple requests forunderlayment products thatcomplement the installation. “Asfar as we know there are norequirements for underlaymentsin this category, but there’salways a need to deaden soundbetween floors in multi-familyhousing such as condominiumsand apartment buildings,” heexplained.

Another factor in the choiceof underlayment is the environ-ment/region in which the floor-ing material will be used. Takeceramic tile and radiant heatingflooring systems, for example.“These systems have beenaround for years; however, upuntil this past year there hasnever been uncoupling mem-branes that serve a dual pur-pose,” said Julia Vozza, market-ing manager at LoxcreenFlooring Group, maker of theProva Flex Heat+ system. “Nowyou can have heated tile floorswhile also avoiding tile cracking,which can extend the life span ofa tile for years to come. Theuncoupling membranes for usewith in-floor radiant heating sys-tems allow heating cables to beembedded or inserted into chan-nels while the membrane canalso serve its purpose ofstrengthening the overall tileinstallation.” In most cases, the type of

underlayment product selectedwill be dictated by the type offlooring material specified orinstalled. As Wil Younger, mar-keting manager for Regupol,explained: “From carpet to LVT,from engineered hardwood toceramic tiles, floor coveringshave different hardnesses andthus different acoustical per-formance. Typically, the harderthe floor covering the louder isthe noise in the room itself andthe lower the damping and

W hen it comes to under-layments, what’sunderneath really

does count. There are seeminglycountless underlaymentoptions—each with their ownfeatures and benefits—so it’simportant to know the specifica-tions and attributes of each prod-uct prior to the installation. In virtually all cases, the type

of underlayment selected is con-tingent upon the specific type(s)of flooring that will be utilized ina given space. For example, withtile, underlayment that providessupport is preferred.Underlayments for these prod-ucts must not only be strongenough that the tile and groutwon’t crack over time, but alsoflexible enough to absorb move-ment and expansion and con-traction from changing tempera-tures. Installers suggest cementboard underlayment or uncou-pling membrane underlaymentsfor these scenarios. The requirements are much

different for other hard surfaceproducts such as laminates,which are typically installed via

MP Global Products manufactures a variety of underlayments for a host of different applications. Picture is QuietWarmth.

By Jana Pollack

The latest carpet cushion products are designed with both comfort and performance in mind. Pictured is CUSHIONcor from Innocor Foam Technologies.

Continued on page 25

underlayment


“done” when completed. Thisboard is a great visual that is soin your face it is hard to forgetwhat needs to be done.•Time box your tasks.

Time boxing refers to contain-ing your tasks within fixed timeslots. For example, box task Afrom 9-10:30 a.m., task B from10:30-1 p.m. and task C from 2-4 p.m. Time boxing helps toprevent your tasks from drag-ging on. There’s a saying thatyour work will take as long asyou want it to, and I find it’strue. If you set a specific time

frame and strictly adhere to it,you will find a way to get the

work done. Set a timethat is challenging yetachievable. If a task takesthree hours, don’t setmore than it requires. Boxfor three hours or less soyou can learn to optimize

your output during the timeframe.•Use the 80/20 rule. This

rule states 80% of output isbrought about by 20% of effort.The remaining 20% of output isachieved by putting in 80% ofeffort.Let’s say you have a report

due, and to produce the bestreport you need 100 hours.According to the rule, you canget 80% of the quality in byspending 20 hours (20% of 100hours). In order to boost thereport’s quality to 100% you’dhave to spend 80 hours (80%of the time). From an effective-ness standpoint, that doesn’tcut it. The 80/20 rule tells us toget 80% of quality in and chuckthe remaining 20% since thetime needed doesn’t justify thevalue we get. You can keeprevising something to perfec-tion, but that time is probablybetter spent working on a newtask.

dear david

DAVIDROMANO

David Romano is the founder of Romano Consulting Group andBenchmarkinc, a group that provides consulting, benchmarking, recruiting and software solutions to the flooring, home improvementand restoration industries.

How to accomplish more work in one dayDear David: I read in one of your columns theNo. 1 motivating factor to happyemployees is a sense of accom-plishment. I guess that is why Ifeel so burnt out and frustrated.It seems the longer I own mybusiness the less I get marked offmy to-do list each day. Anyadvice you can give on how toget more done would be greatlyappreciated.

Dear Normal Owner,The good thing to know aboutyour dilemma is it is complete-ly mental. You create it; andanything you create, you canmanage. It’s time to remove anyself-sabotage or self-limitationyou have around starting a newproject or improving what youare currently doing. There are countless tech-

niques that can be covered suchas the use of a “do not disturb”sign on your office door, doinga better job of delegating thesmall stuff, to turning off yourphone or email for extended

periods throughout the work-day. Outlined below are the fivetechniques that have made areal difference in my life whenit comes to juggling multiplebusinesses while still havingtime to spend with my familyand friends.•Take the last 30 minutes

of every day to plan your nextday. Don’t end your currentworkday until you’ve complete-ly outlined what you need toget done and in what order forthe next day. The most impor-tant part of your day is thetime you set aside to scheduletime.•Create a Kanban board

listing what you have to do,are doing and what is done.Better yet, paint a wall withchalkboard or whiteboard paintand section it off into the threegrids. Use stickies and place anew task on “to do.” Move it tothe “doing” section when it isbeing worked on, and then to

THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF

YOUR DAY IS THE TIME YOU SET

ASIDE TO SCHEDULE TIME.

N ature Flooring isn’t oneof the largest players onthe market, but it’s cer-

tainly looking to become one ofthe most exciting and dynamicplayers. The strategy, accordingto the company, is to continue tobuild on its growing distributionnetwork while offering innova-tive products designed to piqueretailer interest.“Our strategy for next

year is to try to fully stockall of our SKUs,” said LuxiaHong, director of opera-tions. “We are also bring-ing new products such asWPC, laminate—whichwe haven’t carried in thepast 10 years—and LVT.We are also working on a7-inch-wide engineeredproduct, which is trendyright now. It’s a distressed,wire-brushed look.” Up to this point, Nature

Flooring predominantlyfocused on solid and engineeredhardwood offerings. Some of itsstaple collections include:World of Exotics, which entailexotic species such as Peruviantigerwood, Brazilian walnut andtigerwood, acacia, Braziliancherry and teak; the AmericanaCollection, which spans severalvarieties of oak—includingtobacco, whiskey and caramel,to name a few; and the World ofWoods line, which features vari-ations of Pacific mahogany,birch and hickory. The lineuphas been expanded to includethe WPC collection, whichincludes “hand-scraped looking”products in several decors.One new product Nature is

particularly excited about is aPeruvian Pecan species avail-able in a 5-inch-wide, handscraped format. As Hongdescribes it, “It is very similar toBrazilian pecan, which is darkbrown in tone. We are also try-ing to make a couple of stainsfor that product so our cus-tomers can distinguish themfrom different products.”According to Hong, its WPC

and laminate flooring productsare made in China. With respectto wood, the company operatesits own factory in Peru. Downthe road, the company plans tobring in some product fromCambodia. “We’re currentlyworking with our distributors tofind out what’s trending in theirmarkets to meet their needs,”she said. That takes care of the prod-

uct side of the equation. Interms of distribution, NatureFlooring is busy shoring up itscoverage of the U.S. market aswell. “We are absolutely com-mitted to growing the U.S. mar-ket by servicing our distributors;we have 10 distributor partnerstoday and we are in the middleof hiring five more regional salesmanagers to cover the Midwestand Southeast areas,” Hongexplained, adding the sales reps

will only be calling on distribu-tors, not retailers direct. “Beforewe only serviced the distributorson the East Coast and Mid-Atlantic.” One of Nature Flooring’s

distributor partners that saw thepotential in the company’s prod-uct offerings early was DerrFlooring, based in WillowGrove, Pa. “We brought on theNature Flooring line in 2008-09, right at the point during thedownturn in the economy,” said

Rick Holden, chief operatingofficer. “We’ve had a very goodrelationship over that time peri-od.” Derr Flooring positions the

Nature Flooring line in whatHolden calls the “mid range,”which makes sense given theclientele it serves across its mostactive end-use markets. “Most ofour business with the NatureFlooring line is residential, butthere’s some new home con-

struction as well,” heexplained. “The productmix that we’re involvedwith is not really orientedtoward commercial at thispoint, mostly due to theconstruction of the prod-uct. What we sell is most-ly solid wood, so it’s notreally something that’sdesigned for slab con-struction.” Another key distribu-

tor partner in the regionis Allstate FlooringDistributors, which serv-

ices customers in the Mid-Atlantic area via its headquar-ters in New Jersey. MikeCorsetto, vice president of pur-chasing and operations, said theNature Flooring line dovetailsnicely with its expansive hardsurface offering. “We’ve been with Nature

Flooring since its beginnings,”he said. “They work very hardat making sure they have theright colors and stains for ourmarket.”

Nature Flooring focuses on the fundamentals

Nature’s hardwood lineup includes trendyspecies in popular colors. Shown is solid

oak whiskey from the Americana collection.

By Reginald Tucker

spotlight


T he creator of Fidbox—anelectronic deviceinstalled underneath a

wood floor that logs environ-mental condition data—hasunveiled Hmbox, a handy digi-tal device that installers can useas a moisture and temperaturemeasuring device. User friendlyand non-destructive, Hmboxprovides accurate data to deter-mine the potential for a properfloor covering installation.“The Hmbox monitors the

job site and vapor emissionscoming from different floorconstruction materials,” saidScott Taylor, sales representa-tive, Fidbox. “It uses a cellularconnection where [installers]can monitor a completed jobsite without ever having to goback.”For added convenience, the

Hmbox uses a cellular connec-tion—an upgrade from theFidbox, which uses Bluetoothtechnology to download data.The Hmbox sends two transmis-sions a day via the cellular con-nection and within those trans-missions the device sends 24

readings or one per hour. Thereadings contain the relativehumidity (rH) of the ambientroom conditions along withtemperature and also the vaporemission in a rH value for thesubfloor and a temperature.What’s more, these readings canbe viewed and printed from acellular device.“Up until now people have

just been able to go to the jobsite and take readings,” Taylorexplained. Unlike some prod-ucts that generate unreliablereadings, he said the accuracy ofHmbox is 0.5%. “Armstrong hastested it and said it is highlyeffective.” While the Hmbox was

developed after the Fidbox andoperates differently, there arecertain advantages to using eachproduct. “The Hmbox batterylasts two years and after thatyou can actually unscrew thebacking and replace the bat-tery,” Taylor said. “The Fidboxlasts six years but you can’treplace the battery.” Fidbox’slonger battery life is due to itssingle download of data per day,unlike Hmbox’s twice-a-daytransmissions. As Taylor explained, the two

systems actually work in tan-dem. “The Hmbox is seen as ourpre-installation product and theFidbox is the post-installationtool.”

Continued from page 22Underlayments ment products have a dual pur-

pose. Schönox DSP, for example,is a self-leveling compound thatcan also be used as an overlay-ment. This applies to applica-tions where customers require adurable coating for concrete thatcan be polished.“The flexibility and product

attributes of of Schönox DSP arefinding wide appeal in new con-struction, remodel and renova-

tion projects where leveling aswell as a top surface can beaccomplished in one process,”said Doug Young, executive vicepresident. Many underlayment manu-

facturers seek to leverage insightgained from consumer testingwhen developing products thatoffer desired performance fea-tures and benefits. “Our productdevelopment team then uses

these insights, developing inno-vative solutions for this categorythat maximize the comfort andperformance of our underlay-ment,” said Jeff Briney, vice pres-ident of sales, Innocor FoamTechnologies, maker of theCUSHIONcor memory foamcarpet cushion product. “It’smade with gel memory foam thatprovides the comfort and sup-port consumers crave underfoot.”

sound isolation to neighboringrooms on the same floor level,the level below or above. As aresult, floor coverings requiredifferent underlayments in orderto achieve the desired acousticalperformance and comply withbuilding codes.”Some of the latest underlay-

The Hmbox uses cellular connection to transmit data.

installation

Hmbox: A novel way to measure vapor emissions By Lindsay Baillie


duces documents for your cus-tomers to take with them, keepstrack of orders and helps withpurchasing—especially specialorders. Our software keeps trackof inventory, creates invoices,does sales analysis and handlesthe bookkeeping. It helps withpricing, gross margin and profit.” According to Flannick,

FloorPro III ERP differs fromgeneral purpose software in thatthe latter doesn’t always handleinventory. “Most off-the-shelfsoftware cannot handle issueslike converting between squarefeet, cartons and pieces, but oursoftware can,” he explained. “Oursoftware is designed to seamless-ly handle various dye lots and runnumbers of the same SKU.” In addition to its multiple fea-

tures and functions, FloorPro IIIERP is also customizable basedon what the retailer is looking toaccomplish. “Few companies dothat these days and if they do itcosts a small fortune,” Flannicksaid. “Depending on what it is,

we do most custom programmingfor free or at a reduced cost.”

Comp-U-FloorComp-U-Floor ERP, packagedwith Hosting service along withthe web and Mobile solutions,allows retailers to have a com-plete ERP that can be accessedfrom anywhere via the web ormobile device. This allows aretailer to have a system that hasminimal startup investment andlow monthly costs.“We support thousands of sat-

isfied flooring industry usersthroughout North America forwhom our point-of-sale, orderprocessing, business-to-business,inventory, purchases, installationmanagement and integratedaccounting provide the founda-tion for growth and profitability,”said Mark Wiltgen, sales andmarketing manager.The Comp-U-Floor ERP is

available to retailers of all sizesand can be tailored to automateand streamline many processes.

Communication with customersis seamless via email. Purchasingcan be automatically generatedthrough the sales order and com-municated to suppliers via theweb using the B2B module. Butthe best part, according to thecompany, is the retailer can addmore locations and turn on morefeatures as the company grows, atno additional cost. “Our packageis unique and can be tailored tovarious business models in theflooring market,” Wiltgen said.“The user is in total control ofhow the system functions basedon their business requirements.”

DancikDancik Navigator provides a sin-gle, affordable solution for man-aging a flooring retailer’s businessfrom sales and customer relation-ships to operations and account-ing. In short, the program offerstotal business management andB2B solutions. Unlike generic software solu-

tions, Dancik says Navigator sup-ports integrated, industry-specif-ic functionality that encompassessales, inventory, warehousing,logistics, purchasing, operationsand financials. The program,which is mobile compatible, uti-lizes a point-and-click interfaceand is adaptable as businessneeds change.Navigator also comes with

add-on modules to increaseshowroom productivity. DNav-showroom manager reduces theneed to write or extend selectionsby hand. It manages customer

selections by room and area, ana-lyzes product trends and person-alizes appointment calendars. Dancik’s DNav-edi provides

B2B solutions that allow the userto create sales analysis transmis-sions for suppliers and buyinggroups, provide customized pricelists to customers, invoice cus-tomers in their preferred units ofmeasure, accept orders, connectto banks, credit companies andother businesses while offeringreal-time web services.

MeasureSquareThe MeasureSquare estimatingapplication is specificallydesigned for retail flooring andcan be used both onsite and inthe showroom. This app enablesonsite measuring utilizing a laserdisto and offers an accurate esti-mate to customers.MeasureSquare estimating soft-ware also aims to maximize retailsales associate efficiency where itmatters most.“Measure estimating software

is critical to [the retailer’s] salesprocess,” said Steven Wang, presi-dent. “The MeasureSquare esti-mating app solves [the RSA’s]problem of selling right on thespot. It makes sales reps lookmore professional to win moresales, which then increases con-version rates.”According to Wang, the esti-

mating app saves RSAs 60% oftheir time by measuring with alaser meter while eliminating80% of manual errors. The appli-cation also creates seam dia-

F looring industry softwaredevelopers are constantlyupgrading their programs

to help retailers, installers andcontractors become more effi-cient at estimating, measuring,job scheduling and inventorymanagement. Following is an overview of

programs designed to help maxi-mize efficiency for both retail andcommercial operations.

American Business Software(ABS)ABS’s FloorPro III ERP is anindustry-specific system designedto handle most office and ware-house functions for flooring,ceramic tile and stone retailers. “Our software helps auto-

mate a lot of the paperworkprocesses in the front office aswell as inventory and warehous-ing functions in the back office,”said Joseph Flannick, president.“It helps you prepare quotes, pro-

technology

By Lindsay Baillie

New software aims to maximize efficiency

RFMS’s Measure Mobile application allows users to create accurate drawings onsite.

ture is designed maximize effi-ciency for property managementflooring businesses. This featurecomplements the software’s RMWeb Calendar, an online installa-tion scheduling product. “One of the most integral fea-

tures is the streamlined design,which allows for fluid order tak-ing based on the conversationwith the property managementclient,” said Kelly Oechslin, mar-keting coordinator. “This meansthe order taker can move backand forth within the programbased on the flow of the conver-sation. The on-screen prior jobcomparison tool allows for com-paring the current order to thelast time the unit was serviced,


grams, which are available forcustomer review. The same dia-grams and cuts are also availablefor installers and are more accu-rate than hand sketches. “This program is easier to

learn on mobile devices like aniPad/iPhone,” Wang explained.“It works alone but can also beused to collaborate with officeand field reps through theMeasureSquare Cloud. The appli-cation can also be integrated withmanagement software.”

NivBen SoftwareNivBen Software offers theFlooring Estimator ProfessionalSystem 2040 to retail and com-mercial businesses alike. Thisprogram and its many featuresare designed to eliminate inaccu-rate measuring and estimates forall types of flooring. “It’s a program that reduces

[incorrect] measuring,” DennisBenton, president, said. “It cantake dimensions off blueprintsand lay the blueprint out on thedigitizer and then trace the walls.The program will do wood, vinyl,tile, carpet, carpet tiles—it willalso tell you how much padding isneeded and how much seaming isinvolved. All of this saves youtime and money, and it is muchmore accurate.” According to Benton, other

programs often fail to showimportant information such asseam layouts. NivBen’s FlooringEstimator system shows fillpieces, seam layouts and labels. Itincludes a color-coded feature toidentify rooms with differentflooring, a proposal/sample man-agement program, a work orderform and quick key estimatorprogram. The program also cre-ates more accurate drawings,according to NivBen. “You have aprintout that you can give toinstallers, which is a big [deal],”Benton said.

Pacific SolutionsPacific Solutions sells three pri-mary products: management,estimating and measurementsoftware. Of the managementprograms is JobRunner, specifi-cally created for commercialbusiness. What makes this pro-gram unique, according to PacificSolutions, is its exclusivity inintroducing a business process tocommercial business. “Quite often in commercial

flooring businesses are usingExcel to calculate their budgetsand determine [the cost of thejob],” said Bob Noe Jr., president.“Then they’ll go over to a pro-gram like Microsoft Word andtype up the bid for presentationpurposes for the client. Then theygive it to the accounting depart-ment, which re-enters the job

into a program like QuickBooks.So they end up using three sepa-rate systems for the job, whichopens up room for errors. Whenall this information comestogether in a project manage-ment system it takes the wholebusiness out of separate silos andputs them all together.”JobRunner’s ability to consoli-

date information and eliminateerrors is what makes this programso efficient, Noe explained. “Wegive [businesses] a tool that canrevolutionize redundant tasks andthe passing of information fromdifferent departments,” Noe said.That is, of course, if retailers oper-ate within the scope and design ofhow the system is designed. “If asoftware system has a streamlinedprocess it can create an efficientpath for the job to travel.”

QFloorsQFloors’ QPro Software, sched-uled to be released in February, isa browser-based system offeringcustomers brand new software,customizable features and opera-tional efficiencies. “Over the last two to three

years we’ve put in effort toupgrade to the newest technolo-gy,” said Chad Ogden, CEO andpresident. “We’ve had to com-pletely rewrite our software torun in a web browser. With thisnew software you can write with-in Chrome or Firefox, and we’rethe first in this industry toattempt to do this. The technolo-gy tools we’re using are less thantwo to three years old.” Ogden believes most of the

software that is flooring specificis getting old and requires multi-ple clicks. As technology evolves,newer systems are needed tomake software navigation easier. Ted Schultz, national director

of sales, said QPro’s easy-to-usenature translates to fewer clicksto complete tasks, which in turnresults in greater efficiency. “On abrowser-based program all youneed is a browser and as long asyou have the URL you can accessthe site,” he explained. The QPro Software—which

was created without sacrificingfeatures, according to QFloors—allows companies to create cus-tom features and transport theminto the software.

RFMSRFMS’s Measure Mobile applica-tion is designed to streamlineworkflow while ensuring RSAsuse up-to-date pricing and prod-ucts. “Our Measure Mobile appli-cation allows for the mobilemeasuring of a room, estimatingof quantity needed and comingup with a drawing onsite,” saidKurt Wilson, product manager.“The application helps retailers

stand out and provide a greatexperience for the customer.” For example, when a cus-

tomer walks into a flooring storeand asks an associate for the priceof a product, oftentimes that RSAhas to walk away from the cus-tomer to find out the cost, Wilsonstated. Similarly, if the customerasks about multiple products theassociate may have to walk awaynumerous times. “With MeasureMobile the associate can look upprices from a device either in theshowroom or the home.”One of the many benefits of

the Measure Mobile estimatingsystems is the fact that it’s gearedspecifically toward the retailsalesperson. Another key featureof Measure Mobile is it interfaceswith RFMS. “Features like thechecklist tool and photo featureare designed for quick quote cre-ation and to provide photosdirectly to customers andinstallers,” Wilson said.

RollmasterThe RollMaster PropertyManagement Quick Order fea-

allowing for reduction of errorsand duplicate job entry.”The RollMaster Property

Management Quick Order fea-ture is specifically designed toexpedite the processing of prop-erty management order taking. “It is further differentiated by

the numerous other PM-focusedfeatures that are integrated with-in the streamlined design,”Oechslin explained. These fea-tures include a property managerreporting hierarchy, the ability toprogram multiple levels of specialpricing, the advanced templatedesign, the add-on wireless bar-coding software and equipment,the inventory projection reportsand a customizable web portal.

Comp-U-Floor ERP’s customizablefeatures allow businesses to create tailored programs.

ResilientSheet❑ Armstrong❑ Beauflor❑ Congoleum❑ IVC❑ Mannington❑ Mohawk❑ Shaw❑ Tarkett❑ Other________

Commercial❑ American Biltrite ❑ Amtico❑ Ecore ❑ Flexco❑ Forbo❑ Johnsonite❑ Parterre ❑ Roppe❑ Tandus/Centiva❑ Toli❑ Other________

LVT A❑ Armstrong❑ Congoleum❑ IVC❑ Mannington❑ Mohawk❑ Shaw❑ Tarkett

LVT B❑ Amorim ❑ Beauflor❑ Beaulieu America❑ Cryntel ❑ DuChateau ❑ EarthWerks ❑ Eternity❑ Karndean❑ Metroflor❑ Novalis❑ Raskin Industries❑ USFloors/COREtec❑ Other________

CarpetGroup A❑ Beaulieu America❑ Dreamweaver/

Engineered Floors❑ Mohawk❑ Shaw

Group B❑ Dixie/Fabrica/

Masland ❑ Godfrey Hirst❑ Kraus❑ Lexmark❑ Marquis

Industries ❑ Milliken❑ Phenix❑ Royalty/Moda❑ Southwind❑ Stanton❑ Tuftex❑ Other_________

Commercial❑ Bentley❑ Interface ❑ J&J/Invision ❑ Mannington

Commercial❑ Mohawk

Commercial❑ Pacificrest ❑ Shaw Contract ❑ Tandus/Centiva❑ Other_________

HardwoodGroup A❑ Armstrong❑ Mannington❑ Mohawk❑ Shaw

Group B❑ Alston❑ Anderson❑ Columbia❑ DuChateau❑ Eternity❑ Hemisphere

Imports❑ HF Design❑ HomerWood❑ IndusParquet❑ Johnson

Premium❑ Lauzon❑ Max Woods❑ Mercier❑ Mirage❑ Mullican❑ Preverco❑ Provenza❑ Satin Flooring❑ Somerset❑ Triangulo❑ Urbanfloor❑ USFloors❑ Wickham❑ Other_______

Area Rugs❑ 828 International❑ Capel❑ Couristan❑ Feizy❑ Harounian Rugs❑ Karastan❑ Masland❑ Milliken❑ Mohawk❑ Momeni❑ Nourison❑ Oriental Weavers❑ Stanton❑ Other_________

LaminateGroup A❑ Armstrong❑ Mannington❑ Mohawk❑ Pergo❑ Quick•Step❑ Shaw❑ Tarkett

Group B❑ Alloc/Berry Floor❑ Eternity❑ Inhaus❑ Kaindl❑ KronoSpan❑ Swiss Krono❑ Other________ Tile

Group A❑ Dal-Tile❑ Mohawk❑ ShawGroup B❑ American Marazzi❑ Bellavita❑ Crossville❑ Emser❑ Florida Tile❑ Florim❑ Mediterranea❑ MS International❑ Ragno❑ Stone Peak❑ Vitromex❑ Other_________

Cushion/Underlayment

❑ Carpenter❑ Diversified Foam❑ Fabricushion❑ Foam Products❑ Healthier Choice❑ InstaFloor❑ Leggett & Platt❑ Loxcreen❑ MP Global❑ Pak-Lite❑ Other________

Best OverallManufacturer

1._________________2._________________3._________________


(First of two parts.)

“I’ve cut my weekly workhours in half andincreased my revenue

by 27%,” Earl Swalm, a dealerfrom Saskatchewan, told merecently. I was hosting a master-mind meeting consisting of asmall group of flooring dealers,including Swalm. Prior to themeeting, he had set a goal todramatically cut his workschedule and grow his business,and he quickly accomplishedthis goal by using a proven,three-step system. Many otherdealers have achieved big trans-formations in their businessesand lives by using this system.In this series you’ll learn thisthree-step system and how youcan use it to achieve any goal inyour business.

Step 1: Defining your bigrocks. Picture a large glass jar, apile of gravel, a mound of sand,a bottle of water and three bigrocks on your desk. Your task isto fit the gravel, sand, water and

big rocks into the jar. So youbegin by pouring water into thejar. Then you add the gravel,and then the sand. You are ableto partially fit one big rock intothe jar, but most of it is stickingout the top. There’s no way youcan fit in the other two rocks.So you start over. This time youput the big rocks in first. Thenyou add the gravel and it fills inaround the rocks. Then you addthe sand and it sifts down intothe gravel. Finally you pour inthe water and it soaks into thesand; it all fits. The key, obviously, was to

put the big rocks in first. Yourbig rocks are metaphors for the

important goals you have foryour business. The gravel, sandand water are the day-to-dayactivities that go into running aflooring business. Have you ever set a

New Year’s resolution toachieve a goal in your busi-ness, but when Decemberrolled around you hadn’taccomplished it? Chancesare you didn’t put the bigrocks in first and insteadallowed your days to be filledwith the gravel and sand of day-to-day activities. An importantkey to accomplishing your bigrocks is to put them into yourschedule first. The gravel, sandand water will fill in the spacesaround the rocks. Do it theother way around and you’lllikely never reach your goals.You’ve also got to make

your rocks/goals specific. Moreimportantly, you have to estab-lish a deadline. Most dealershave goals that are too vague.For example, many dealers tellme they have a goal to “make

more money.” Here is how youcould clarify this rock:“Increase my average monthlyrevenue from $80k to $100kby June 1.” This rock is meas-

urable, you can benchmarkyour progress and come June 1you’ll know whether youachieved it. Following are a few more

examples of vague vs. definedrocks:

Vague: “I want to closemore sales.”

Defined: “I will implementweekly sales trainings by thefirst week of January in order toincrease each salesperson’s close

sale rate from 30% to 40% byApril 1.”

Vague: “I want to workless.”

Defined: “By March 1 I willcut my weekly work hoursfrom 50 to 35.”

Vague: “I want to stopselling.”

Defined: “StartingJanuary 15 I will no longerwork the sales floor.”Finally, it’s important to

write down your rocks. If it’snot written down it’s not agoal—it’s a fantasy. Your assign-ment is to clearly define two orthree big rocks you’d like toaccomplish in 2017 and writethem down. In Part 2 of this column I’ll

cover the next two steps (TimeBlocking and Results-ProducingTasks) you’ll need to accomplishthese rocks.

Proven tips to ensuring success in the coming year

marketing mastery

YOU HAVE TO MAKE YOUR GOALS

SPECIFIC. MORE IMPORTANTLY, YOUHAVE TO ESTABLISH A DEADLINE.

JIM AUGUSTUSARMSTRONG

Jim Augustus Armstrong specializes in providing turnkey marketing strategies for flooring dealers. For a complimentary copy of Jim’s book, “HowFlooring Dealers Can Beat the Boxes and Escape the Cheap-Price Rat-Raceof Doom Forever,” visit beattheboxestoday.com.

http://beattheboxestoday.com


Floor Covering News550 W. Old Country Rd.Suite 204Hicksville, NY 11801

FOR A QUOTE CONTACT

Nadia Ramlakhan

[email protected] Call: 516.932.7860Fax: 516.932.7639floorcoveringnews

f c n ew s . n e t December 5/12

COMMERCIAL SALESMANWe are currently seeking to hire an experienced Commercial Flooring Salesman. Must have portableaccounts. We pay highest commission rate in the industry, 33% of gross profit plus benefits. We’re a26 year old family business in the Washington, D.C. area. Fun, relaxed place to work. We are the land

of misfit toys. Please respond to [email protected]

OUTSIDE SALES REPRESENTATIVESFERMA FLOORING is a growing importer and national distributor for

flooring of hardwood (solid &engineered), luxury vinyl & bamboo, laminate based in New Jersey. We are looking for Sales Representatives covering territories of NY, NJ, CT and MD&VA respectivelyfor B2B sales. Related knowledge and experiences are required. Please fax resume to 732-225-

5290 or email to [email protected] or [email protected]

COMMERCIAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE WANTEDMETRO WASHINGTON DC AREA

We are seeking an experienced sales person to join our growing company. Candidate will need toestablish relationships with new and old business in the construction markets. We pride ourselves

in doing things right the first time!Please submit your resume to [email protected]

SALES MANAGERS/AGENTSNature Flooring is looking to hire full time sales managers andagents to open territory and bring sales, must have customer

base. Currently looking for these areas: CA, VA, IL, MO, OH, MI, WV,GA, AL, FL, TX and surrounding States. Please email your resume

to: [email protected]

SALES AGENTSRhodium floors in West Hollywood is seeking on the road salesagents for their unique products, US wide. Amazing opportunityfor advancement. Please call Roy at 323.306.9999 or email

resume to [email protected]

CAREER OPPORTUNITIESBUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES CAREER OPPORTUNITIES CAREER OPPORTUNITIESBUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

1 CENT/SF FLOORING ESTIMATINGFast & Accurate - Callidus Takeoffscommercialflooringestimating.com

WE HELP DEALERSPrivate labels, specialty mills & etc.

Call us now at 800-228-4632 www.carpetbroker.com

COMMERCIAL CARPET INSTALLERS NEEDEDHow would you like to work for one of the largest commercial carpet installation companies in the

country? Mastercraft Floor Covering specializes in Hotel and Casino work. Installers with aminimum of three years experience preferred. Must be willing to travel (travel expenses paid by thecompany). Requirements include: Owning necessary hand tools. Excellent work ethic. Ability towork in a fast paced environment while maintaining quality. Reliable transportation. Work well withothers. Follow direction. Pay rate is $20.00 to $30.00 per hour based on ability and experience.

Qualified applicants should email their resume along with three business references [email protected] or contact Denna at 517.404.1028

DIRECT LVP5 mm lose lay, 20 mil wear layer $ 1.454 mm clic 20 Mil Wear layer $ 1.39

EVA Padding .102 mm glue down, 12 mil wear layer .55Ask about our special container prices.Call or email for your free samples:

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HARRIS-TARKETT LIQUIDATIONRetail Display Racks, Machinery,

Shop Supplies, Tools, Motors, More!http://www.ebay.com/usr/harriswarehousingjc

[email protected] Call Steve 423-676-4220

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

SALES PROFESSIONALSMercier Wood Flooring, the leading Canadian Harwood flooringmanufacturer, is seeking to hire a territorial Sales Professional,preferably from the Portland (OR) or Seattle (WA) markets to cover

the North Western region of the US. Dealer/Distributorrelationships and experience is a must. Travel and overnights willbe required. Great position for a motivated individual looking for a

career. Please e-mail resumé [email protected]

CLOSEOUTS WE BUY IT ALL!Midwest retailer buying closeout inventories of

laminate, tile, carpet, hardwood, stone 1ST & 2NDSEmail your inventory to: [email protected]

816-761-1777 X 10

REGIONAL SALES MANAGER IN MIDWESTD&M Flooring is seeking experienced and highly motivated

Regional Sales Manager in the Midwest.Must have strong relationships with key customers (Flooring

Distributors, Retailers, Builders, A&D etc.)-Health benefits

-IRA-Base salary + commission

-Earning potential $100,000 plusPlease email resumes to [email protected]

www.dm-flooring.com

SALES/ACCOUNT MANGER POSITION AVAILABLE AT SHERLAND & FARRINGTON, INC.

One of the leading Flooring contractors in NYC is seeking experienced and motivated people tocover the NYC and tri state area. Responsibilities include business development by calling on end

users, architects, designers and contractors to achieve business relationships and sales.Knowledge of commercial floor covering products, estimating and installation methods required.

Portfolio of existing clients preferred. E-mail resume to [email protected] or call 212.206.7500

TERRITORY MANAGER FOR MIRAGE HARDWOOD FLOORSLocation: Texas (must reside in Dallas, Houston, Austin or San Antonio)

Territory Covered: Texas and Oklahoma markets.Job Description: Sell through distribution to retail, builder, and commercial markets. Experience in floor covering

sales required along with basic computer skills and working knowledge of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

Overnight travel will be required with this position.Compensation: Competitive compensation package will be offered.

Please submit resume with complete job history included to [email protected]

PHENIX FLOORING IS GROWING AND IS SEEKINGCANDIDATES FOR A TERRITORY MANAGER POSITION

Territory: Central-Southern Virginia (Including Virginia Beach) - Richmond and RoanokeThis is an excellent opportunity for a knowledgeable, experienced Floorcoverings Sales Professional to align with a rapidly growing manufacturer in an established territory.

Phenix is a privately owned company based in Dalton Georgia which specializes in the manufacturing and distribution of residential flooring to the nation’s top retailers.

Benefits include:•Health, Life, and Disability Insurance •401K with Company Match •Paid Vacation

Compensation:•Base Salary plus Commissions •Paid Business Expenses

Interested Candidates may apply via e-mail to [email protected] or by fax: 706-279-8284

Phenix Flooring is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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PERSONALASSISTANT

Personal Assistant needed to organize

and help. Basic computer skillsneeded good withorganization.

We are ready to pay $376 per weekinterested person should contact:

[email protected]

MARKETPLACE MARKETPLACEMARKETPLACEMARKETPLACE MARKETPLACE

CAREER OPPORTUNITIESCAREER OPPORTUNITIES

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

WE BUY USED CARPETCUTTING MACHINES

407.509.3030

TERRITORY MANAGERSMinnesota/The Dakotas and Orange County/San Diego area

Godfrey Hirst, one of the most respected high end carpet manufacturers in floor covering, is seekingimmediate placement for Territory Managers in 2 territories: Minnesota/The Dakotas and Orange

County/San Diego area. This is an excellent opportunity for a floor covering sales person. These territoriesoffer great growth potential as well as a lucrative salary and commission structure.

Responsibilities include management of the territory, working with floor covering dealers by presentingthe company’s extensive product range through product knowledge presentations, follow through with

orders and a complete understanding of the territory.

If interested, please contact Nate at [email protected]

EZ CUT MK 10 FOR SALE

Located in SeattleCall Jim

206 306-0200

www.fidbox.net • 866-890-1986

http://gmail.com

http://www.fidbox.net

http://godfreyhirst.com



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