floorcoveringnewsvolume 32number 14 I fcnewsnet I the publication more retailers prefer I December 1825 2017 I $200

NEWSPAPER

DALTONmdashThe World FloorCovering Association (WFCA)has named Jeffrey Lorberbaumchairman and CEO of MohawkIndustries to the organizationrsquosHall of FameLorberbaum is the47th inductee sincethe Hall of Famewas established in1992 He will bejoining a distin-guished list ofindustry pioneersand leaders includ-ing his parentsShirley and Alanwho foundedAladdin Mills Lorberbaum willbe honored during a ceremonyat The International SurfaceEvent in Las Vegas Jan 31

ldquoI nominated Jeff because hisleadership changed the industrywhile expanding Mohawk intoall flooring products to createthe largest flooring company inthe world with numerous acqui-

sitions exponential globalgrowth and ground-breakingfinancial returns for more than20 yearsrdquo said Larry NagleWFCA Hall of Fame member

president of NLNagle and founderof the FloorCovering IndustryFoundation ldquoI lookforward to honoringhis influentialimpact on ourindustry and wel-coming him into theHall of Famerdquo

The combina-tion of

Lorberbaumrsquos leadership ofMohawk into a global flooringpowerhouse his transformativeimpact on the industry and hislasting influence on how peoplebuy and sell flooring made him anatural choice for the Hall ofFame ldquoMohawk became a mem-ber of the WFCA in 2003 andsince then Irsquove had the pleasure

Continued on page 5

Mohawk IndustriesrsquoLorberbaum joinsWFCA Hall of Fame

Jeff Lorberbaum

Distributors retailers upbeat about 2018 prospects strife) could threaten the feel-good story the consensusamong flooring observers is2018 will be the best year in thelast decade

There is evidence to supportthis The ConferenceBoard forecast calls for28 growth duringthe final quarter of2017 and 25 growthin 2018 This wouldrepresent the econo-myrsquos best two-yearrun since 2005

ldquoI hate to jinxsomething but I willeat my hat if 2018 isnot a great yearrdquo SamPresnell owner ofThe Rug Gallery inCincinnati told FCNewsldquoSeldom does everything lineup There are so many positivesignsmdashconsumer confidencehousing sales remodeling

interest rates great products andlower taxes I am very excitedabout 2018 and we are readyrdquo

Presnellrsquos bullish sentimentwas shared by fellow retailersand distributors Many point to

the generally favorable trend ofthe economy and housing oth-ers view the pending tax bill asthe elixir for what ails them

ldquoI believe the tax billmdashif it

F looring retailers and dis-tributors are all but guar-anteeing that 2018 will be

a banner year for business withsigns pointing toward healthygrowth both residentially andcommercially While the known(shortage of skilled labor) andthe unknown (geopolitical

passes into law in a recognizableform of todayrsquos descriptionmdashwilldefinitely have a very positiveeffect on 2018 businessrdquo saidSam Roberts owner of RobertsCarpet amp Fine Floors with 12

locations in theHouston area ldquoI believeit will stimulate eco-nomic growth andalmost as importantlyincrease consumer con-fidence For my fellowcarpet and flooringdealers with SubchapterS corporations incomeshould increase nicelyand tax expense shouldsharply decreaserdquo

Scott Rozmus presi-dent and CEO of

Romeoville Ill-based FlorStarSales a top 20 distributorbelieves business will be good in2018 and could be strong if the

Snap a photo with yourSmartphone to link to ourfeatured site

Year in review

Natural disasters A series of high-profilemergers and acquisitions A new adminis-tration and bold policy approaches

designed to boost manufacturing and kick-start aslow-growth economy These were just some ofthe events and highlights that impacted the USfloor covering industry in 2017

Throughout the tribulations and turmoilfloor covering retailers distributors and manu-facturers demonstrated their tenacity and abilityto respond to the challenges In areas hard hit by

hurricanes flooding and fires we saw partici-pants across the channelmdasheven competitorsmdashreach out to lend a helping hand

Some of the headlines that stood out includeHurricane Harvey disrupts Houstonrsquos flooringbusiness Armstrong realigns divisions consoli-dates wood and resilient plants Industry bracesfor resilient price hikes Empire Today shuttersall physical locations and Engineered Floorscompletes purchase of Beaulieu

Complete highlights begin on page 12

FCNEWS TAKES A LOOKAT HIGHS LOWS OF 2017

By Ken Ryan

Continued on page 5

floorcoveringnewsvolume 32number 7 I fcnewsnet I the publication more retailers prefer I September 1118 2017 I $200N

EWSPAPER

The toughest of times often

bring out the best in peo-

ple That time-tested

mantra certainly applies to

the flooring industry which

is stepping up in a big way

in response to the natural

disasters that have stricken

Houston and Florida this

month The support from the

industrymdashon top of what

has already been pledged by

various charities associa-

tions and independent

donorsmdashis sorely needed

Texas Gov Greg Abbott puts

the damage from Hurricane

Harvey between $150 billion and

$180 billion making it more

costly than Hurricane Katrina or

Hurricane Sandy Meanwhile

Karen Clark and Co a Boston-

based firm that analyzes risk esti-

mated total losses from

Hurricane Irma including the

Caribbean at $25 billion Florida

accounts for most of the $18 bil-

lion in estimated damages in the

US followed by Georgia South

Carolina and Alabama

Following are several ways

industry suppliers and individu-

als are providing assistance in the

wake of the hurricanes

ArmstrongArmstrong Flooring has pl

edged

to donate 250000 square feet of

flooring to support rebuilding

Continued on page 21

Industry lends ahand in providing

disaster reliefBy Reginald Tucker

IN THIS ISSUE

MFA outlines its roadmap to the futurePAGE 3

Fall promos get retailers revved up PAGE 8

Advances in laminatelocking systemsPAGE 18

Playing for a causeThe 12 teams are set as

the

floor covering industry lsquosuits

uprsquo for FCNewsrsquo third annual

Fantasy Football for a Cause

PAGE 16

Mohawk and Naturersquos Big Springs

Water have teamed up to provide

bottles of water to the Houston area

SPOTLIGHT

NALFA celebrates 20 years of leadership innovation

and goals a recap of the state of

the laminate flooring industry

and most importantly the

unveiling of a new website more

indicative of 21st century

technology The improved web-

sitemdashnalfacommdashsports a

brand new look and feel

with updated content and

improved mobile access It

is designed to enhance the

experience of consumers

trade professionals and

industry members

ldquoWe are excited about

the redesign of our web-

siterdquo said Dan Natkin

NALFA president ldquoWe

have worked hard to make

the website user friendly for

consumers who are researching

their floor options while contin-

uing to be the voice for the lam-

inate flooring industry We are

proud of the final productrdquo

A few highlights of the

revamped site Fresh new look Reflecting a

more modern 21st century feel

the new-look nalfacom sitemdash

which features the NALFA 20th

anniversary logo atop the home-

pagemdashprovides easier navigation

NEW YORKmdashCurrent and long-

time members of the North

American Laminate Flooring

Association (NALFA) convened

here earlier this month to mark

a significant milestonemdash20

years in the business The event

included an update on the stan-

dards-setting grouprsquos objectives

By Reginald Tucker

Continued on page 24

by using the top tabs or clicking

on the photos ldquoConsumers can

also view all images on one site

instead of clicking through to the

various membersrsquo sitesrdquo

said Barbara June who in

addition to handling

legalmarketing matters

for Swiss Krono also serves

on the website committee

More consumer ori-

ented More consumers

are conducting research

online before they buy To

that end the site reflects

the customer as opposed

to NALFA corporate

Better responsiveness

ldquoWe didnrsquot have a respon-

sive mobile-friendly web-

sitemdashnow we dordquo June stated

The next step in the sitersquos

evolution according to June

will entail a search tool that lists

Dan Natkin NALFA president provided

an update on the state of the laminate

flooring industry in the US

Scan this QR code with your

smartphone to link to our fea-

tured site

Autumn often proves to be

the ideal time for new prod-

ucts and retail promotions to come together This f

all

selling season is no different as incentive-laden p

ro-

motions coupled with a slew of new product offerin

gs are hit-

ting the market as flooring manufacturers dig deep

into their

RampD war chests After what some dealers have te

rmed an

uneven year this fall infusion of products may be t

he catalyst

for a strong fourth quarter and positive end to 2017

See pages 10-11 for the preview

Fall Intros

NEW PRODUCTSAIM TO EXCITEDEALER BASE

NEWSPAPER

POSTMASTER Send address

changes to Floor Covering Ne

ws

Subscription Dept 151 Fairch

ild Ave Suite 2 Plainview NY

11803

SURFACES COVERAGE

volume 31number 16 I wwwfloorcoveringnewsnet I the industryrsquos preferred publication I January 1623 2017 I $200floorcoveringnews

MONEY-MAKING

STRATEGIESTO WIN IN 2017

Issues and answers

confronting retailers today

48 Limiting suppliers

50 Mistakes that will kill a business

52 Balancing family and career

56 Earning repeat customers

58 Turning bad breaks into

breakthroughs

60 Marketing to millennials

62 RSAs Salary vs commission

64 Cash and carry or installation

26 Opportunities in multi-family

28 How and when to expand

30 Top industry showrooms

34 Best business books

36 Potential impact of new OT rules

38 The Obamacare effect

39 Private label = retail salvation

40 Recruiting installers

42 Exit strategies

floorcoveringnewsvolume 31number 17 I fcnewsnet I the publication more retailers prefer I January 30February 6 2017 I $200

NEWSPAPER

IN THIS ISSUE

NFA bolsters vendorlineup at convention PAGE 5

Distributor partnershonored at SurfacesPAGE 26

Dealer share proven credit tipsPAGE 28

Cast your ballots nowCast your votes in FCNewsrsquoAward of Excellence competi-tion Log on to fcnewsnet andclick on the Award ofExcellence link or visit ourFacebook and Twitter pages

remarks as he linked the evolu-tion of Shaw over the past 50years with the partnership thecompany has developed with itsdealers over time ldquoWe takepride in having a partnershipmentalityrdquo he said ldquoWe neverwanted to just buy and sell prod-

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

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

LAS VEGASmdashBy most accountsthe 2017 International SurfaceEvent (TISE) was a success onseveral different fronts Vendorswitnessed brisk booth trafficparticularly on the first two daysof the exhibition retailersexpressed genuine interest inthe depth and variety of prod-ucts unveiled at the show andshow management reportedincreased participation in termsof both exhibitors and attendees

According to Informa

Exhibitions whichmanages the showthere was a 10increase in exhibitspace booked witha total of 734 com-panies taking up386000 squarefeet Amie GilmoreTISE show direc-tor was pleased with the finaloutcome of the show based onthe positive feedback fromexhibitors and attendees alikeldquoYou can really feel the energyon the floorrdquo she told FCNews

ldquoThis show isindicative of theindustry and setsthe tone for the yearin terms of newproducts and busi-ness If the vendorshave a good show itreally motivatesthem for the yearrdquo

For the most part exhibitorsand attendees interviewed byFCNews supported Gilmorersquosobservations ldquoThere was a largeincrease in traffic this yearwhich has made people much

more optimisticrdquo said AmirMajard Aladdin CarpetRockville Md ldquoMy goal was tofind new products and opportu-nities for my business and Ihave accomplished bothrdquo

Other dealers agreed citingnot only the many products ondisplay but the high level of pro-fessionalism among attendeesldquoThe quality has been amazingand the showroom is filled withfriendly people simply trying todo businessrdquo said JorgeContreras of Unique DesignCoverings Chula Vista Calif ldquoIam using this opportunity to

ORLANDOmdashSeveral thousandShaw Flooring Network (SFN)dealers were represented duringits biennial convention heldhere The three-day event

which coincided with Shawrsquos50th anniversary was jampacked with scores of new prod-ucts educational sessionsentertainment networkingopportunities and group activi-ties for the thousands of dealerfamily members who taggedalong for the ride

Dubbed ldquoConnect 2017rdquo theconference continually rein-forced the theme of Shaw work-ing closely together with itsretail partners to develop prod-ucts lead-generation programsand merchandising vehiclesdesigned to generate businessfor retailers ldquoThis event is allabout providing our retailerpartners with the tools theyneed to drive sales and repeat

businessrdquo said Aaron Johndirector of SFN and retail pro-grams during his openingremarks ldquoItrsquos also an opportuni-ty for retailers to connect andengage with one another toshare best practicesrdquo

Randy Merritt president ofShaw Industries echoed those

Suppliers pull out all the stops at SurfacesDealers distributors applaud industryrsquos innovative offerings

Dealers see extreme valuein Shaw Flooring Network

By Nicole Murray

By Reginald Tucker

From left Dealers and distributors flock Manningtonrsquos boothEngineered Floorsrsquo chairman and industry legend Bob Shaw is all

smiles and Tom Lape president Mohawk Residential presents Airo

Aaron John director Shaw Flooring Network and retail programswelcomes dealers to the general session on opening day

Continued on page 12

Continued on page 8

Surfacesrecaps

Carpet14Resilient16Wood18Laminate 22Tile 24

floorcoveringnewsvolume 32number 1 I fcnewsnet I the publication more retailers prefer I June 26 2017 I $200

NEWSPAPER

Perhaps more significant istotal industry sales surpassedthe $21 billion mark for the firsttime since 2007 when saleswere $22337 billion and vol-ume is at its highest level since2008rsquos 19905 billion squarefeet Also of note is the fact dol-lars are growing faster than vol-ume That is a reflection of con-sumers buying more expensivegoods in addition to a series ofprice hikes particularly on thecarpet and hardwood sides Theaverage selling price of all floor-ing in 2016 was $111 (same as2015) and up $002 from 2014and up $004 from 2013) Justto compare the average sellingprice of all flooring in 2006 was$094 One needs only to look atthe resilient category for anexplanation Ten years ago theaverage selling price for allresilient flooring was $064 In2016 it was $104 A decade ago

sheet vinyl vinyl compositiontile (VCT) and the low-costpeel-and-stick tile commanded75 of dollars Last year thatnumber plummeted to 33The increased usage of the high-er-cost LVT and WPC has beenan industry game changer But itrsquos not just resilientThe average ceramic tile pricehas increased from $095 to$120 a square foot over the last10 years and hardwood hasseen an average-square-pricejump from $221 to $248 persquare foot Even the malignedsoft surface segmentmdashwhichhas seen its share of the marketdip from 636 in 2006 to536 in 2016mdashhas seen anincrease in average pricing from$089 to $101 For the recordlaminate is the only categorywith pricing in decline goingfrom $130 a square foot in2006 to $109 in 2016

and 18 in volume in 2014 andrespective 55 and 38growth in 2013 In fact 2016rsquosfigures represent the seventhconsecutive year of dollargrowth and fifth straight year ofvolume increases FCNewsrsquo exclusive researchreveals total 2016 flooring salesof $21174 billion and 1913 bil-lion square feet (These num-bers are in wholesale dollarsreflecting the first point of sale)While the industry remains faroff the peak it reached in 2006when sales of $24175 billionand 2636 billion square feet(down 124 and 274respectively) were posted it hasgained back much of what waslost The low point for theindustry was 2009 when salesbottomed out at $16189 billionand 16625 billion square feet(in 2010) Since that time theindustry is up nearly 31 in dol-lars and 15 in volume

Scoring FlooringIndustry Stats for 2016

2012 20132014

2015 2016

-138

51

$1922120138 21174

$17541 $18536

Represents 2015ndash16 percentage change

Resilient TileRubber

WoodResilientLaminate

Tile

Rubber

CarpetRugs

Wood Laminate

Carpet Rugs

38

16980 17639 17956 18364 1913

(in billions of square feet)

(in billions of dollars)

2012 20132014

2015 2016

T he flooring industry in2016 continued itsrecovery from The GreatRecession While growth ratespale in comparison to the mid-2000s heydays the industry lastyear continued to post steadygains across the board withincreases of 51 in dollars and38 in volume This comes onthe heels of 44 growth in dol-lars and 32 in volume in2015 36 growth in dollars

Continued on page 10

IN THIS ISSUE

By the numbersFCNewsrsquo annual StatisticalIssue defines the flooringindustry in 2016 in terms ofdollars and units soldCarpetRugs 16Resilient 20Wood 26Laminate32Ceramic 36Commercial 40

Housing summaryThe US housing market didnot break any records in 2016but there was positive move-ment nonetheless PAGE 43

Total industry sales$21174 51

1913 38

floorcoveringnewsvolume 31number 23 I fcnewsnet I the publication more retailers prefer I April 24May 1 2017 I $200

NEWSPAPER

NEW YORKmdashThe floor coveringindustry came together enmasse earlier this month tohonor its own at the inauguralFootsteps to the FutureGala held here at OneWorld Trade CenterHonorees Jeff Lorberbaumchairman and CEO ofMohawk Industries andHoward Brodsky co-founder chairman and co-CEO CCA Global Partnersalong with Peter Dunnpresident of CBSTelevision Stations werefeted for their extraordi-nary support of Buildingfor Americarsquos Bravest aprogram of the StephenSiller Tunnel to TowersEndowment The foundation wasstarted to honor the memory ofStephen Siller a firefighter wholaid down his life to save otherson Sept 11 2001 Its goal is to

continue Sillerrsquos legacy throughits programs that support ournationrsquos first responders and cat-astrophically injured servicemembersIn 2011 the foundation offi-

cially began Building forAmericarsquos Bravest a programthat constructs smart homes forContinued on page 29

lsquoBuilding for Bravestrsquohonors LorberbaumBrodsky at galaBy Steven Feldman

IN THIS ISSUEMohawk shines on sustainability frontPAGE 3

Floors amp More gives members optionsPAGE 5

Self-leveling systemsease the task at hand PAGE 26

Best intros of 2016 Retailers cite a bevy of game-changing 2016 introductionsthat run the gamut from woodand laminate to soft carpet tohigh-performance LVTWPCproducts

PAGE 8

Jeff Lorberbaum Mohawk FrankSiller Stephen Siller Tunnel toTowers Foundation and HowardBrodsky CCA Global Partners

S P O T L I G H T

Trumprsquos policies aim to boost manufacturing the foremost authorities onall things related toonshoringmdashbelieves willgive US manufacturing amuch-needed shot in thearm ldquoIf President Trumpgets those things passed Isee millions of manufactur-ing jobs coming back to theUS over the next 10 yearsrdquoFollowing the electionof President Trump leadersof the Reshoring Initiativemdasha non-profit advisorygroup focused on bringingAmerican jobs back homeafter they were outsourcedto other countriesmdashrecom-mended a robust nationalstrategy to achieve thenPresident-elect Trumprsquos goal ofreturning millions of US manu-facturing jobs During the cam-paign Moser said candidateTrump focused on seemingly

uncomplicated actions such asimposing 35 to 45 tariffs onMexican and Chinese goodsrenegotiating trade agreementssuch as NAFTA and cutting thecorporate tax rate to 15

L ower corporate tax ratescoupled with a slightlyweaker dollar less regula-tion on business and renegotia-tionrestructuring of historicallylopsided trade deals These are thekey measures that HarryMosermdashpresident of theReshoring Initiative and one of

By Reginald Tucker

Continued on page 22

President Trump he notedwill need to utilize a broad-er portfolio of actions espe-cially those that are provenand can be unilaterallyimplemented by the USand passed by CongressldquoThe country has aunique opportunity toaddress a broad range ofeconomic and socialissuesrdquo Moser saidldquoReshoringrsquos success bring-ing back hundreds of thou-sands of jobs in the last sixyears despite the head-winds faced by US manu-facturing is proof that mil-lions can and will bebrought back when the head-winds are eliminatedrdquo

That movement may havealready begun Moser said By hiscount the rate of reshoring

Harry Moser president of the ReshoringInitiative says corporate announcementsproclaiming a commitment to bring manufacturing back to the US have doubled since November 2016

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

By Ken Ryan

T he Made in America mantra has been a rallying cry forAmerican manufacturing interests for many years Butthat movement has definitely gained steam in recentmonths following the election of President Donald Trump whosigned an executive order directing federal agencies to imple-ment the ldquoBuy American Hire Americanrdquo rhetoric of his cam-paign Itrsquos all part of the Presidentrsquos effort to prod US business-es to invest more money domestically and create jobs forAmerican workersStarting on page 12 FCNews highlights some of the newdevelopments in support of the Made in America movement

PATRIOTIC WAVEFUELS DOMESTIC

PRODUCTION

Houston-based Roberts Carpet amp Fine Floors iscounting on tax reforms to stimulate economic

growth and increase consumer confidence in 2018

8 I December 1825 2017 fcnews

ldquo

M

ldquo

ldquo

resilient

Anecdotal research showsfiberglass sheet vinylcontinues to capture

market share from felt productsBut thatrsquos not deterring manu-facturers from supporting thesub-category Many resilientflooring executives believe theproduct is still finding favor invarious markets Whatrsquos moreexecutives say feltrsquos unique char-acteristics will help it stay afloatin the sea of resilient products

While felt is part of a maturemarket executive say it still pro-vides greater durability oversimilar fiberglass backed vinylsheet products As Bill Furmanproduct marketing managerArmstrong explainedldquoSegments such as propertymanagement and builder stillput a high value on rip tear andgouge performance and feltproducts continue to do wellwith these customersrdquo

Beyond the productrsquos use inthose key end-use markets feltalso appeals to consumers look-ing for overall value ldquoPricedesign and performance allcome together to make it one of

the best values in flooringrdquosaid Kurt Denman chiefmarketing officer and exec-utive vice president ofsales Congoleum ldquoIt isincredibly durable and isthe original child-proofpet-proof waterproof floor-ingrdquo

Installation is anotherkey factor driving feltgrowth experts say Unlikeother types of flooring feltcan be installed with aperimeter fasten Supplierssay this type of installationis ideal for consumers look-ing to do a full kitchenremodel or install flooringbefore cabinets or anisland ldquoMany other typesof flooringmdashfiberglass-backed sheet includedmdashcannot have a perimeterinstallationrdquo said MaryKatherine Dyczko-Riglinproduct manager for resilientsheet vinyl Mannington ldquoThisfeature can make an installationjob much simplerrdquo

By utilizing feltrsquos well-known installation benefits andvalue proposition manufactur-ers are able to provide flooring

solutions for any budget

The fate of feltFCNews research shows felt fell6 in 2016 Despite this mar-ket-share loss suppliers say feltwill continue to hold its ownThis is a result of feltrsquos contin-

ued use in particular flooringmarkets as well as the productrsquosconstruction

ldquoThe move from felt to fiber-glass is definitely continuingrdquoManningtonrsquos Dyczko-Riglinsaid ldquoAs a large supporter of thefelt-backed products we haveexperienced a slower switchHowever we are continuing tosee increasing demand for fiber-glass We believe there will con-tinue to be a place for felt-backed products in the marketrdquo

Armstrong has also takennote of the slight shift and is tak-ing steps to provide enticingsolutions for both producttypes ldquoThere is a place for feltjust as there is a place for fiber-glass LVT VCT etc as long asit delivers on true value andinnovationrdquo Furman explainedldquoNot only do certain seg-mentsmdashsuch as property man-agement or buildersmdashcontinueto use felt-backed products butsome regions of the countryprefer the price and durabilitybenefits they offerrdquo

Some executives believe thebasic elements of constructionfor felt and fiberglass are rela-tively similar For example bothproducts contain a base or carri-er layer a gel and print layer anda wear layer However the realdifferences between these twoconstructions can be found inwhat goes into each layerldquoCongoleum uses natural lime-stone as the baserdquo Denmanexplained ldquoAs the nameimplies limestone makes for avery dense foundation that doesan incredible job of resistingindentation When we add ourUltraTec backing as in ourAirStep products you now have[more] versatilitymdashfully

adhered perimeter installand loose lay Unlike fiber-glass the limestone baseeliminates any restrictionson seamingrdquo

Even though fiberglasscontinues to capture mar-ket share its limitations inconstruction will allow forfelt to recapture a certainpercentage of marketshare As Denmanexplained ldquoWe haveenjoyed significant growthin manufactured housingand the recreational vehi-cle markets and modestgrowth in the builder andmulti-family segmentsOur retail business hasremained flat while others

have seen significant declinesAll told that means wersquore takingback market sharerdquo

To help felt gain marketshare in a heavily saturated mar-ket manufacturers are develop-ing new products as well as newdesigns for existing flooringldquo2018 is a year of felt revitaliza-tion for Manningtonrdquo Dyczko-Riglin said ldquoWe are overhaulingthe Mannington felt offering toallow retail salespeople to betterfocus their selling efforts onwhat consumers wantmdashthemost popular patterns We start-ed this effort this year by offer-ing the Revive collection inbase-grade felt lines to allowthese high-fashion looks to beaccessible to as many budgets aspossible In 2018 we will con-tinue this commitment to styleleadership by introducing newpatterns into these lines to keepthem freshrdquo

Armstrong for its part con-tinues to see success with itsStrataMax flooring which is thecompanyrsquos proprietary lime-stone-encapsulated felt-backedproduct ldquoStrataMax offersenhanced durability over tradi-tional felt products and it canbe loose laid like a fiberglass-based product offering the bestof both worldsrdquo Furman noted

In developing new productsfor the category Congoleum istaking into account all of feltrsquosappealing attributes ldquoIn addi-tion to our relentless pursuit ofdesign leadership we are care-ful to control costs to ensure ourproducts are competitivelypriced and deliver exceptionalvalue without any compromiseto our long-standing commit-ment to quality and perform-ancerdquo Denman stated

Congoleumrsquos felt-backed AirStep is a single solid sheet that can beinstalled over various subfloors

Felt finds its place within key market sectorsBy Lindsay Baillie

14 I December 1825 2017 fcnews

2017March

April

Armstrong Flooring realigns divisions merges production plants

By Ken Ryan

By Reginald Tucker

( THE HEADLINES )Wood State of industrymdashHousing sector engineered sales drive revenuesFCA Network convention Retail members praise industryrsquos best-kept secretMSI opens new innovation centerObit Mike Blanton Dalton Carpet One Floor amp HomeKarndean expands American marketing operationsFreadreacea returns as WFCA chairmanNWFA convention Education training take center stageCoverings recap Whatrsquos old is new againGalleher invests in custom wood finishing plantMohawk forms exclusive deal with Beazer HomesMullican Flooring to expand US productionNFA members tackles the issues in unison

( THE HEADLINES )Shaw LVT plant ramps upAlliance Flooring marks 20 years of growthWFCA selects 2017 Gold Standard Award winnersMike Zoellner calls it a career after 40-year runMSI updates expands showroom warehouseArmstrong recognizes wholesaler partners for 2016Galleher adds manufacturing capacityMyers Carpets celebrates 60 years in businessBentley Mills Balta join forces

sheet vinyl The price hikesmdashwhich are the result ofincreased costs of raw materialstransportation and manufactur-ingmdashare set to take effect inMay

Mannington is implement-ing a 3 to 6 price increaseon select residential vinyl sheetproducts in the US andCanada ldquoContinued increasesin raw material prices are anunfortunate reality in todayrsquosmarketplacerdquo said Jimmy Tuleyvice president of residentialresilient ldquoWe continue to focuson maximizing efficiencies andreducing cost however atsome point an increase has tobe passed throughrdquo

Forbo Flooring Systems isinstituting a 3 price increaseon all commercial and residen-tial flooring and sundry prod-ucts effective May 1 Pricing onthe companyrsquos newly intro-duced Marmoleum ClickCinchLOC product will not beaffected

Shaw resilient sheet productprices will increase by 4 to 7

starting in late May Congoleum also

said it is planning aprice increase on sheetgoods only according toKurt Denman chiefmarketing officer exec-utive vice president ofsales Details were notavailable at press time

Other major suppli-ers such as ArmstrongKarndean MetroflorRaskin IndustriesTarkett and USFloorstold FCNews they hadno plans to raise priceson any of their productlines ldquoAlthough raw materialprices have risen over recentmonths our ongoing manufac-turing efforts have allowed usto minimize the impact andcontrol our costsrdquo said JonGittrich marketing director

residential marketing TarkettldquoIf it becomes necessary towidely raise prices in order tomaintain our expected levels ofservice and quality then wewill communicate any changesdirectly to our customersrdquo

M annington Shaw andForbo are among thesuppliers raising prices

on resilient flooring mainly

Industry braces for resilient flooring price hikes

A rmstrong Flooringhas initiated theprocess of uniting its

commercial and residentialbusiness operationsSpecifically the realignmententails the integration of thecompanyrsquos residential andcommercial sales marketingand product managementteams The move also com-bines the resilient and woodmanufacturing operations

Under the new structureseveral key executive posi-tions have changed JoeBondi formerly senior vicepresident North AmericaResidential will now serve assenior vice president chiefproduct officer In this roleBondi will have responsibilityfor RampD design resilient andwood product managementmarketing customer serviceand pricing

Dominic Rice formerly sen-ior vice president commercialwill now serve as senior vicepresident global operations andmanufacturing Rice will overseeresilient and wood manufactur-ing environmental health and

safety quality engineering pro-curement demand and supplyplanning as well as ArmstrongFlooringrsquos Asia and Australiabusinesses Lastly BrentFlaharty formerly vice presidentof residential sales becomessenior vice president NorthAmerica region He will overseesales and sales operations

Don Maier ArmstrongFlooring president and CEOsaid the new structure will pro-vide enhanced support andgreater alignment with

dential respectively Under thisstructure each had dedicatedselling product managementand manufacturing resourcesBringing these two businessestogether and putting themunder common leadership reachof those functional capabilitiesaccording to Maier will allowArmstrong to be much morecoordinated and efficient inservicing the market

In an interview withFCNews Maier providedspecifics of the realignment andwhat it means to Armstrongrsquospartners ldquoProbably the bestexample I can give is LVT Wefound our customers or endusers were not viewing prod-ucts as commercially oriented

or residentially oriented butrather a continuum of perform-ance characteristics and appli-cation requirements to fit a spe-cific need So what yoursquore see-ing is the best of both worldswhere we still have the dedicat-ed resources on the street work-ing the AampD community andother retail end users but wersquollhave a consolidated offeringand no artificial walls builtbetween our product linesrdquo

In that same vein the unifi-cation of the wood andresilient operations will alsoprovide benefits to the end cus-tomer by consolidating centersof excellence to support bothbusiness segments and allowsharing of best practices

Armstrongrsquos customers anddistributors ldquoWersquore excitedabout what we believe this isgoing to be able to domdashmakeus quicker in the market-place more responsive toour retailersrsquo needs andmake it much easier for bothour retailers and distributorsto do business with us Thatrsquosthe genesis of itrdquo

According to Maier therealignment of the commer-cial and residential salesoperations has been in theworks since ArmstrongFlooring officially separatedfrom Armstrong WorldIndustries in April 2016ldquoItrsquos really about trying to

understand what the end mar-kets are looking for and how wecould structure ourselves to bet-ter serve those needs and deliv-er on our growth objectives Westarted at the very end with thecustomer and then worked ourway backward through distribu-tion and back throughArmstrong to look at how wecould better structure thingsrdquo

Prior to the realignmentArmstrong Flooring ran two fair-ly autonomous business unitsfocused on commercial and resi-

floorcoveringnewsvolume 31number 20 I fcnewsnet I the publication more retailers prefer I March 1320 2017 I $200

NEWSPAPER

A rmstrong Flooring hasinitiated the process ofuniting its commercial

and residential business opera-tions Specifically the realign-ment entails theintegration of thecompanyrsquos resi-dential and com-mercial salesmarketing andproduct manage-ment teams Themove also com-bines the resilientand wood manu-facturing opera-tions

Under thenew structureseveral key executive positionshave changed Joe Bondi for-merly senior vice presidentNorth America Residential willnow serve as senior vice presi-dent chief product officer Inthis role Bondi will have respon-

sibility for RampD design resilientand wood product managementmarketing customer service andpricing

Dominic Rice formerly sen-ior vice president commercialwill now serve as senior vice

president globaloperations andmanufacturingRice will overseeresilient and woodmanufacturingenv i ronmenta lhealth and safetyquality engineer-ing procurementdemand and sup-ply planning aswell as ArmstrongFlooringrsquos Asiaand Australia

businesses Lastly BrentFlaharty formerly vice presidentof residential sales becomes sen-ior vice president NorthAmerica Sales He will overseesales and sales operations

Continued on page 20 Continued on page 17

By Reginald Tucker

Excitement is building for the 2017 National WoodFlooring Association (NWFA) conference and exhibitionset to kick off April 11ndash14 at the Phoenix Convention

Center Named one of the 50 fastest-growing trade shows for fiveconsecutive years NWFA will feature scores of vendors show-casing the latest in hardwood flooring products installation toolsand accessories dynamic keynote speakers and expert technicaldemonstrations and a revamped educational structure designedto encourage attendees to increase their participation

TRAINING NETWORKING

PRODUCTS GALORE

Armstrong realigns divisions mergesproduction plants

By Reginald Tucker

IN THIS ISSUE

Fuse Alliancelooks to light a sparkPAGE 3

Gilford-Johnson welcomes retail partnersPAGE 5

Bravo profile seriesTingle FlooringPAGE 9

Cast your ballots nowCast your votes in FCNewsrsquoAward of Excellence competi-tion Log on to fcnewsnet andclick on the Award ofExcellence link or visit ourFacebook and Twitter pages

Don Maier

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

FCICA doubles down on educational initiatives ldquoFrom what I have seen over

the last six years I think thisgroup is as healthy as it has everbeenmdashnot just financially but interms of great memberretentionrdquo MikeNewberry chairman ofthe FCICA told FCNewsldquoThere is a renewed com-mitment and energy hereand we have a laser focusrdquo

The FCICArsquos flagshipprogram what Newberrycalls the grouprsquos ldquocorner-stonerdquo is the CertifiedInstallation Manager(CIM) program Thiseight-module curriculumprovides training tools andassessment for qualifiedprofessionals within the com-mercial flooring space To date29 have successfully completedCIM and there are 102 currentlyenrolled in the program In addi-

tion to technical issues installa-tion managers learn ldquosoft skillsrdquosuch as how to professionallyhandle irate customers and deal

with other issues that requirestrong interpersonal skills

James Bissler of Texan FloorService Houston said hebecame CIM certified because

SAN ANTONIOmdashFCICA the floor-ing contractors associationcommemorated its 35th annualconvention here by refocusingon its principal values educa-tion training and enhancing theskill sets of its core constituen-cymdashthe professional installationmanager

By Ken Ryan

Continued on page 14

he wanted to separate himselfand his company from the com-petition ldquoI have certifiedinstallers so it made sense to

take the next steprdquoNewberry said there

is strong momentum forthe CIM program whichis in its third year ldquoBeinga member is great butwhen you have non-mem-bers who want to partici-pate in the training pro-gram it says a lot about itsvalue Internally we feelCIM is the only programof its kind in flooring thatis training the projectinstallation managerwhich is a term we use

interchangeablyrdquoKelly Fuller director of edu-

cation said the CIM programhas information installation

Mike Newberrry FCICA chairman said member retention has never been stronger

Installation training is a big focus of NWFArsquos educational programming

N W F A 2 0 1 7 P r e v i e w

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

F

floorcoveringnewsvolume 31number 22 I fcnewsnet I the publication more retailers prefer I April 1017 2017 I $200

NEWSPAPER

PHOENIXmdashThere was certainlyno shortage of dazzling woodfloors accessories and installa-tion tools on display here earlierthis month at the annualNational Wood FlooringAssociation (NWFA) con-vention But make no mis-take The focus of thiseventmdashwhich is gearedspecifically to hardwoodflooring contractors dis-tributors and specialtyretailersmdashis on educationtraining and certification To that end during the

opening general sessionMichael Martin NWFApresident and CEO pro-vided attendees with anupdate on the associationrsquosnewly launched NWFAUniversity The online trainingprogram which officially kickedoff in July 2016 is based on

ldquopathwaysrdquo meaning studentscan choose between a graduatedcurriculum based on sales orinstallation modules (studentsmust pass prerequisite coursesbefore moving on to the next

phase) The initiative expandsNWFArsquos hands-on training pro-grams with online learningcourses that can be completedContinued on page 19

Continued on page 20

By Nadia Ramlakhan

ORLANDOmdashCoverings the largest tile and stone exhibition inNorth America returned to a familiar location earlier thismonth after being hosted in Chicago in 2016 Roughly 1100exhibitors from 40 countries showcased the latest trends tech-nologies and styling techniques in their respective categoriesacross 400000 square feet of exhibition space

COVERINGS 2017WHATrsquoS OLD IS

NEW AGAIN

NWFA

Education trainingtake center stageat annual expo

By Reginald Tucker

IN THIS ISSUE

NFA retailers tackle critical issues PAGE 5

Five steps to a better tile showroomPAGE 6

Bravo profile seriesCain amp BultmanPAGE 16

Solution vs piece dyedExecutives weigh the advan-tages and disadvantages ofsolution dyed and piece dyedand discuss the role technolo-gy plays in the colorationprocess

PAGE 8

Mercierrsquos Jean Philippe Dumas WadeBondrowski and Michel Collin greet attendees on day one

SPOTLIGHT

Resilient sheet price hikes on the horizonMannington is imple-

menting a 3 to 6 priceincrease on select residen-tial vinyl sheet products inthe US and CanadaldquoContinued increases inraw material prices are anunfortunate reality intodayrsquos marketplacerdquo saidJimmy Tuley vice presi-dent of residentialresilient ldquoWe continue tofocus on maximizing effi-ciencies and reducingcost however at somepoint an increase has to bepassed throughrdquoForbo Flooring Systems is

instituting a 3 price increaseon all commercial and residen-tial flooring and sundry prod-ucts effective May 1 Pricing onthe companyrsquos newly introducedMarmoleum Click CinchLOCproduct will not be affected

Shaw resilient sheet productprices will increase by 4 to 7starting in late May Congoleum also said it is

planning a price increase onsheet goods only according toKurt Denman chief marketingofficer executive vice president

Mannington Shaw andForbo are among thesuppliers raising prices

on resilient flooring mainlysheet vinyl The price hikesmdashwhich are the result of increasedcosts of raw materials trans-portation and manufacturingmdashare set to take effect in May

By Ken Ryan of sales Details were notavailable at press timeOther major suppliers

such as ArmstrongKarndean MetroflorRaskin Industries Tarkettand USFloors told FCNewsthey had no plans to raiseprices on any of theirproduct lines ldquoAlthoughraw material prices haverisen over recent monthsour ongoing manufactur-ing efforts have allowed usto minimize the impactand control our costsrdquosaid Jon Gittrich market-

ing director residential market-ing Tarkett ldquoIf it becomes nec-essary to widely raise prices inorder to maintain our expectedlevels of service and quality thenwe will communicate anychanges directly to our cus-tomersrdquo

Some resilient products will cost retailersmore money this quarter Shown is

Manningtonrsquos Lattice an LVS offering

Ragnorsquos new cotto look Epoca is shown as a shower wall with matching urban accents

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

F