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Pictured here, Teragren’s Craftsman II

No matter the product, consumers liketo buy from makers that align withtheir values and lifestyles, and pur-chase products that come with a storythey can share with their peers. Floorcovering is no different.

This, said Allie Finkell, executivevice president, Hearthwood (an Amer-ican OEM brand), is especially truewhen you move into authentic, naturalmaterials and higher end goods. “In aluxury category, it’s not enough to havea high-quality product, you have tohave a story,” she said.

And while wood-look productshave been gaining momentum in themarketplace, hardwood suppliers areplaying to their strengths by offeringcustomers strong stories to help sup-port the sale, particularly ones thatemotionally tie people to a product,explained Katie Ford, director of brandmarketing for Anderson Tuftex (AT).

“People pay more for goods that havestrong messaging — it’s shop local andorganic farmers’ markets; local artists;and, craft beers. All things that areunique and intentional,” she offered.

Storytelling also offers suppliers anopportunity to engage all of the senses,creating a competitive edge by offeringconsumers a unique buying experience,said Emily Morrow Finkell, CEO of

Story TellingPLAYING TO WOOD’SSTRENGTHS

Continued on page 9

The

Issue 2018

Whether on

the wall, there

design-driveninnovation tobe seen at the20th

Domotex asia/

By Mallory Cruise-McGrath

APRIL 9, 2018 • $4

2 APRIL 9, 2018 | FLOOR COVERING WEEKLY

ified than before. And we closelywatch the reputation managementside of it. Mohawk monitors andalerts us of any testimonial whetherfrom Google or Facebook, whereverit came from. If it is a negative one,it gives us the opportunity to react toit quickly which is key.”

GETTING ON BOARDAdopting and acclimating to a

new way of doing things is usual-ly daunting. But that’s not the casewith Omnify, according to retailersthat are taking advantage of theomni-channel platform.

Phillips added that onboardingwas easy. “My rep is really accessible.Any changes happen almost instanta-neously. He did a couple of interviewswith me over the phone; took somecontent from our site, like hours andlocation — they had a complete checklist. It took about three or four weeks.After that, we did some additionalminimal tweaking. Within an hourand a half, changes were made. We’vebeen really happy with that. Our siteis more professional looking,” he said.

Phillips added that what attractedhim to Omnify was that FloorForce, aMohawk Omnify partner, in fact, spe-cializes in websites for flooring. “Theyunderstand us well and our site relaysthat better than it did,” he said.

A D V E R T O R I A L

By Amy Rush-Imber

Digital SimplicityMohawk’s Omnify puts omni - channel tool in retailers’ hands

[Calhoun, Ga.] In today’s digital age,having an effective online presencecan be a daunting task for most floorcovering retailers. But with Omnify,Mohawk provides retailers with a sim-ple solution that guides them throughthe process offering tools such as au-tomated content, reputation manage-ment and lead generation.

“The biggest thing for me is the sim-plicity part of it. As a dealer, we havea lot going on, we are a single site lo-cation and I don’t have a person ded-icated to our online presence so theautomated marketing content thatgoes out in a timely fashion, like salesthrough Mohawk, we never have toworry about. It takes all the fuss outof it,” explained Craig Phillips at Bar-rington Carpet in Akron, Ohio.

Seth Arnold, vice president, residen-tial marketing at Mohawk, said thatthe worry-free aspect is exactly thepoint of Omnify. “The age of the single

channel retailer is over,” he explained.Omnify, he added, is targeted to themid-size retailer that wants somebodyto help them take the lead on theirdigital marketing efforts. “It costs lessand it’s easy to manage. Mohawk is in aunique position — our scale and reachallows us to leverage this digital plat-form to get the kind of support inde-pendent retailers need for the future.”

The proof, however, is in the metricsand Harry Shillings of Spring Carpetsin Spring, Texas, said, “Before Omnify,my close rate on leads was less than50 percent. Now it is 80 percent-plus.Omnify is quick and powerful.”

MARKETING ENGINEA few components that Omnify

delivers are a website, content mar-keting, and capturing and nurturingconsumer leads.

“[Retailers] need a website and con-tent marketing — all the content these

retailers need not just for their websitebut social sites and blogs. A retailer maywant a sale to show up on his websitebut simultaneously on Facebook andYelp. Next, they need lead-nurturingplatforms. They don’t just want peopleto find their sale. They want to some-how get that customer on the hook.They need landing pages and market-ing automation,” Arnold said.

Shillings said that while Omnify pro-vides content, it’s not overwhelming.Plus, it allows him to put all of his sup-pliers’ lines on his site which, as a stock-ing dealer, is important to his business.“It has made a huge impact,” he noted,adding, “It’s been the best social mediaand website connection I’ve ever beenassociated with in my business.”

Omnify helps drive better qual-ified leads to answer an ongoingchallenge for retailers of gettingin-market consumers in store.

Scott Allen at Carpet Corner in Kan-sas City, Kan., said that Omnify has im-pacted the initial contact he has with thein-market consumer, explaining, “Moreelectronic communication at the startand more shop-at-home opportunities.Omnify has been more effective at driv-ing leads to us via online. We get two tothree times more leads than I was ableto do with my local internet marketingrepresentatives. I believe it is the dif-ference between dealing with a generalmarketer versus something that is spe-cific to flooring.” Allen added that beforeOmnify, his marketing effort was “oldschool” — 60 percent print, 30 percentT.V. and 10 percent online.

Barrington Carpets’ Phillips saidthat Omnify’s lead generation, ad-vertising and reputation manage-ment tools are what he uses readily.“We get a boost during certain sales.We put more marketing dollars intoit and get leads that are more qual-

“IF YOU’RE NOT A BIGCOMPANY WITH MORE

RESOURCES AND IN-HOUSEMARKETING, IT GIVESTHE AVERAGE DEALERTHE OPPORTUNITY TOBE RELEVANT IN AN

AFFORDABLE MANNER.”— CRAIG PHILLIPS, BARRINGTON CARPET

“WE HAVE GOT TO REMOVE THE COMPLEXITY AND THEFRICTION IN CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND CONSUMER

EXPERIENCE. DON’T LET YOUR BUSINESS LANGUISH BECAUSETHIS DIGITAL STUFF IS HARD. MOHAWK HAS PUT SOMETHINGTOGETHER TO COMPETE WITH LARGE NATIONAL RETAILERS.”

— SETH ARNOLD, MOHAWK

“OMNIFY HAS BEEN MORE EFFECTIVE AT DRIVING LEADS TO US VIA ONLINE. WE GET

TWO TO THREE TIMES MORE LEADS THAN I WAS ABLE TO DOWITH MY LOCAL INTERNET MARKETING REPRESENTATIVES.”

— SCOTT ALLEN, CARPET CORNER

FLOOR COVERING WEEKLY | APRIL 9, 2018 3

N E W S

By Sharyn Bernard

PRESSURE ON LUMBER BRINGS PRICE HIKES

As lumber and energy costs continue to soar, several wood flooring suppli-ers have indicated that they will enact price increases going forward.

Armstrong was first to announce a 5 percent to 7 percent increase on sol-id hardwood products in the United States and Canada, effective in May.

Tim Baucom, executive vice presi-dent, residential division at Shaw In-dustries, confirmed a price increase of a minimum of 10 percent on its solid hardwood products, beginning April 2. “After months of resisting doing so, we must now raise prices to cover the cost of raw materials needed to make our solid hardwood products,” Baucom said.

Pat Oakley, vice president of market-ing for Mullican Flooring, confirmed the company also will institute price increases on solid and select engineered products 5 to 7 percent, effective May 1.

Wood Markets, a consulting com-pany, warned in December to expect record-level lumber prices in 2018, due to the continuation of U.S. duties on Canadian lumber exports and the strong U.S. housing market.

BUILDDIRECT SETS SIGHTS ON FUTURE GROWTHBy Sharyn Bernard

[Vancouver, B.C.] Now that Build-Direct has secured financing and has emerged from its creditor protec-tion in both Canada and the United States, it is poised to continue its expansion plans to disrupt the home improvement business.

In March, the company closed on $43 million in financing — both new and converted interim funds — and creditors approved its plan to emerge from both the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) in Canada and Chapter 15 of the U.S. Bankrupt-cy Code, which the company entered into in October 2017. These funds and its positon ensure the company can proceed with its growth strategy.

“We are really well-capitalized and set up for success,” said Suzanne Mer-cier, chief legal and people officer, in an interview with FCW. “This means we can execute our operating plan, we can fund future growth opportuni-

ties,” and fully operate the day-to-day business. “We’re really excited about the position we are in.”

The financing deal and emergence from creditor protection took five months, which Mercier attributed to the creditors’ support and BuildDi-rect’s healthy position.

“It was what we expected but my un-derstanding is it was faster than usual. I think it was due to the fact we had a lot of support from our various stake-holders and we didn’t have any signif-icant obstacles. And the reality is we were performing better than expected during CCAA. That inspired lot of con-fidence. We ran a really tight process and there was a lot of momentum.”

BuildDirect will continue growing all segments of its business, she said. While homeowner and DIY users will remain a core segment, the company plans to focus on and grow its Build-Direct Pros business. “It’s an integral

part to the industry that is under-served, and it represents a significant portion of our revenue. There’s a tre-mendous opportunity to market to them and one of the last industries where digital disruption hasn’t hap-pened. We are well-positioned to take advantage of that.” She added that professionals account for one-third of the company’s revenue and growing.

She said professional customers spend more and shop more frequent-ly. “We think there’s a great oppor-tunity to tap into that segment and

Q1 2018 looking up[Highland Beach, Fla.] U.S floor coverings sales (defined as supply, calculated as shipments minus ex-ports plus imports) continued to grow at relatively strong rates in the first quarter of 2018 as homeowners continued to gain confidence from an improving economy. Gains in employ-ment and personal income has given non-moving homeowners confidence to invest in new flooring, according to Catalina Research.

Gains in consumer purchases are finally reflecting the pent-up demand that accumulated over the recession and the weak recovery from 2009 to 2016. This is significant since residen-tial replacement sales represent about 50 percent of total floor coverings sales.

Buyers of existing homes usually drive the residential replacement mar-ket; however, existing home sales have flattened over the past year. As a result, floor coverings retailers are increasing their reliance on non-movers. Home-owners are reluctant to sell their homes due to rising interest rates and limits on the deductibility of interest and prop-erty taxes. Instead, homeowners are spending on home improvements.

Builders also continue to provide

growth opportunities despite the slowdown in overall starts. Builders are receiving a boost from stronger gains in single-family starts, which are larger than the multi-family units they are replacing.

Meanwhile, the commercial market could become a drag on floor cover-ings sales growth since spending on nonresidential building construction is slowing. These trends indicate that U.S. floor coverings dollar sales could have increased by 5.5 percent in the first quarter of 2018. Square foot sales increased an estimated 4.3 percent. These gains are similar to those seen in 2017. Average prices rose an estimat-ed 0.9 percent, the same rate as 2017. Foreign-sourced products continue to make inroads in the market due to competitive pricing. In the first quar-ter of 2018, square foot imports could have increased by 8.7 percent, while average selling prices rose some 0.7 percent. On the other hand, domestic shipments increased an estimated 0.2 percent, while average prices could have climbed by 2.6 percent.

Domestic and foreign-based manu-facturers, however, are both increas-ing their emphasis on hard surface

flooring. Hard surface flooring could have accounted for 55.1 percent of to-tal dollar floor coverings sales in the first quarter of 2018, and 50 percent of square foot sales. This is up from 53.4 percent and 48 percent, respec-tively, in the first quarter of 2017. Conversely, soft surface flooring lost ground, especially wall-to-wall carpet. The sharpest industry gains continue to be seen in the resilient flooring sector driven by soaring demand for luxury vinyl tile, which includes WPC and hybrid products primarily made of plastics. Ceramic tile could have been the number two growth sector in square feet, while wood flooring could have been number two in dollars. Wood flooring is showing stronger gains in dollars as pricing strengthens along with lumber prices.

Floor coverings could continue to increase in the 5 percent to 5.5 percent range in dollars and about 4 percent in square feet in the second quarter of 2018 since consumer confidence remains on an upward trend as dis-posable income increases due to the tax cut legislation. Commercial market sales could also receive a boost from the slashing of corporate taxes.

make the whole experience better for customers as well.”

Overall, Mercier said the industry has been supportive of BuildDirect throughout the process, and she and other company executives are looking forward to the next phase, which in-cludes growing the site and adding new suppliers. “We are well-position to sus-tain and grow as leader in the industry. And we are thankful for the support we had from our suppliers and many others,” she said. “We’re so excited about the future of BuildDirect.”


N E W S

[Shanghai] There was no shortage of design-right and innovative products to be seen at Domotex asia/China-floor, celebrating its 20th anniversary here last month. Highlights include hard surface products — multilayer flooring (MLF) products like WPC and SPC, in particular — for both residential and commercial spaces featuring the latest in digital printing technology as well as hardwood prod-ucts with unique visuals well-suited for wall applications.

By Caroline Alkire

NRF GOES GLOBAL & LOCAL[Uncasville, Conn.] This year, NRF Distributors’ Northeast Floor Covering Market, themed “Around the World With NRF,” welcomed 120 vendors and more than 1,500 attendees to its convention here last month at the Mo-hegan Sun. Special signage created by the distributor’s marketing team pointed out a plethora of products from around the world.

The Italian section featured Interce-ramic USA, Marazzi and more, show-ing off trending tile products, many of which featured artisanal design. In the China section, luxury vinyl tile (LVT) — from vendors such as EarthWerks — dominated. Meanwhile, the American section boasted wool carpet products from Godfrey Hirst, as well as carpet tile, which were both cited as popular soft surface products coming into 2018. Retailers were encouraged to bowl on

Tarkett’s ProGen MLF. Dealers cited NRF’s variety of options

as beneficial to their business. “NRF has an extensive product offering,” said re-tailer Joseph Gagne of Ballston Carpet in New York. “In this industry, service is key, and NRF’s service allows me to bet-ter help my customers.”

Besides a wide breadth of product offerings, NRF also offers its customers marketing tools. NRF’s marketing team was on hand, promoting a social cam-paign the company launched in October.

“We want to help NRF’s customers promote themselves with social media,” said Hayley Adelott, partner develop-ment manager, Social Made Simple. “We create and boost social posts that feature the products dealers sell.”

The campaign has seen success, but NRF’s social team stressed they hoped to receive an even better reception.

“These posts ben-efit the retailer and the vendor, because the vendor’s name is getting out there,” ex-plained Lynne Burney, social media market-ing coordinator, NRF.

What’s more, Terry Gray, senior vice president of marketing for NRF, revealed the company’s new focus is helping retailers at the local level. NRF will kick off a “Shop Local” campaign in April, featuring the tag-line: “Service, Honesty, Options, Pric-ing (SHOP), Local Shops Do It Better.”

Gray explained NRF will wrap its trucks with product advertisements. “We have 65 trucks on the road at all times, and we plan to brand them with our vendors’ products, so consumers will recognize the brand and look for the

Norman Pomerleau (left), president and founder of NRF, sits on the showroom floor with Peter Riccardo.


20 years of innovation & countingSuppliers pull out all the stops at Domotex asia/Chinafloor 2018

Honing MLF, SPCThe MLF category continues to

gain steam and for that reason there was a significant focus on using the latest technology to improve upon the popular category.

“It took laminate 15 years to break into the market whereas it took this category two to three years. The whole category has taken a leap forward faster than any other product catego-ry in the past,” said Coretec president Piet Dossche.

The MLF category has evolved significant-ly, moving from a basic construction to the large breadth of visuals and plank sizes now avail-able, and not to mention water-resistant and wa-ter proof properties.

“We’re looking at new developments to stay ahead of the curve, spe-cifically with the new technology we have in the States and in Eu-rope,” Dossche said, adding the company also sees great opportunity in developing a true en-

gineered stone product. Indeed, luxury vinyl

tile (LVT) and MLF are continuing to drive growth and change in the global flooring mar-ket, said Harlan Stone, group CFO Halstead/Metroflor. “There is starting to be a more consistent use of terms in the industry which should help everyone make good decisions and buy with greater confidence,” he said.

The SPC category is also bringing with it an environmental story as SPC products are comprised of 60 percent stone, something that resonates with consumers, offered FirmFit president Thomas Baert. FirmFit came to the show armed with its line of on-trend and realistic wood visuals on long and wide planks with a limestone core.

“The FirmFit core is a white lime-stone core with no added staining agents,” said Baert. “It’s not just about a look for Chinese consumers, it’s about sharing with them the environ-mental benefits of the product.”

As well, added marketing manag-er Jerome Nurenberg, FirmFit’s en-

hanced aesthetics, sound absorption and EIR allow it to meet a variety of consumer needs.

Well known for its quality and envi-ronmentally-conscious products, Nova-lis featured its new HDC (SPC) core product with waterproof and sound reducing properties.

Novalis’ vice president of sales and marketing Steve Ehrlich said SPC will in fact revolutionize the way rigid core products are perceived in Asian markets, ultimately taking share from hardwood. “SPC will change demand for hardwood because of its weight, rigidity and ability to be well-suited for both commercial and residential spaces,” he said.

Continued on page 12

InnoMaster is bringing new PMMA wall panel products to market for the booming commercial sector.

Jan, Julien and Piet Dossche shared Coretec’s messag-ing and growth plans at Domotex asia/Chinafloor.

products at local retail shops.”In fact, Gray shared she recently ran

into a woman who told her she had seen a black and white floor on one of NRF’s trucks, loved it and went looking for it at local retail stores. “The most import-ant thing for us is product recognition,” Gray said. “We want to help our custom-ers and their consumers.”

Added Ballston Carpet’s Gagne, “NRF is truly number one in servicing and has quality goods. They are always one step ahead of everyone else.”

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B U S I N E S S B U I L D E R


Taking on installationScott Humphrey sets the record straight about MagneBuild and itsability to solve today’s crisisOne thing the floor covering industry can agree on today is that installation isindeed in crisis. The World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) has taken thischallenge on, first by bringing the CFI under its umbrella and this year bring-ing a new platform, MagneBuild, to market as a solution. Here, Scott Humphrey,WFCA CEO, shares with FCW the vision, intent and promise of MagneBuild.

—Amy Rush-Imber

FCW: What was the journey to identify MagneBuild as an installation solution?Humphrey: The WFCA embraced the installation crisis many years ago when webegan to see its current and potential devastating impact on the industry. Threeyears ago, we began talks to acquire key assets of CFI (Certified Flooring InstallersInternational), and finalized acquisition of those assets in the fall of 2015. CFI con-ducted a survey with its members confirming that the crisis was getting worse withmany installers soon retiring and a very small group coming in to replace them.

At the CFI convention that November, I met the inventor of the MagneBuildinstallation system. During this same period, we were opening the first installationtraining school in Forney, Texas. There was great promise with many industry lead-ers committing to sending students to the school, but by April of the following year,it became obvious that the school alone would not be able to bridge the gap betweenthe need for qualified installers and those available to meet the need.

One possible solution would be a technology that allowed us to extend the careerof the existing installer pool while significantly diminishing the wear and tear on theirbodies. We were on the lookout for anything that would expedite the process of instal-lation for all product categories. When I saw the MagneBuild installation platform, Iwas blown away by the simplicity of it and knew we had found our solution.

FCW: What attracted you to the MagneBuild technology?Humphrey: The WFCA’s purpose statement defines our reason for existence: “Weexist to ensure the success and profitability of the professional flooring dealer, and torepresent their common interest.” With that foremost in our minds, we were attract-ed to the MagneBuild Installation technology because it helps to address so many ofthe key challenges impacting the success of professional flooring dealers today:

The Installation Crisis: The MagneBuild system allows installers to be trainedquickly, install two to four times more in a given day (depending on product), elim-inates wear and tear on the body and substantially decreases the cost of labor tothe consumer over the lifecycle, as the magnetic base is a one-time investment andremains down for all subsequent installations.

Extended Buying Cycles: One key issue negatively impacting professional flooringdealers is the lengthening buying cycle of consumers — one of the key reasons forthis is the hassle of replacement. The MagneBuild technology makes replacementdramatically easier, decreasing to hours what normally takes days. It eliminates oneof the key reasons for non-replacement, especially in the commercial sector — ex-tended down time for product removal and replacement has great cost to businesses.

Interchangeability & Flexibility: Because the magnetic base is a permanent mag-net, it loses less than 1 percent of its magnetic hold every 100 years. Once the base isdown, the commercial and residential consumer is no longer bound to one productfor an extended period of time — flooring could be changed out seasonally withoutdamaging the magnetic base or the top layer product during take up, allowing themto be reused or repurposed. Consumers will now have the option of changing fromone product category to another since all categories of product — carpet tile, wood,laminate, ceramic/stone, LVT/WPC/SPC — work with the same magnetic base layer.

Extended Consumer Reach: The patent pending on MagneBuild’s system pat-ent is not limited to flooring. In fact, the MagneBuild system can be utilized al-most anywhere in the field of construction where a strong bond is necessary.

The simplicity of this technology might lead some to promote it as a DIY prod-

uct. We strongly believe that this wouldbe detrimental to the industry and spe-cifically to our member base of pro-fessional commercial and residentialflooring dealers.

Environmental Responsibility: The platform uses industrial recycled com-ponents as raw materials, and provides for a nondestructive replacement pro-cess. The old flooring is simply removed and reused, possibly donated to orga-nizations like Habitat for Humanity. The magnetic underlay does not need tobe replaced, eliminating another product that now finds its way into landfills.

FCW: How does the technology work?Humphrey: To install the MagneBuild system, one simply rolls out the flexible mag-netic base. It comes in a 3-foot width (100 square feet to a roll) and generally requiresno adhesive. A receptive layer containing a proprietary blend of ingredients includinga pre-oxidized iron powder is either adhered to the back of a flooring product at theend of the manufacturing process, or blended into the product during the final stag-es of the manufacturing cycle. The technology creates a bond that has been testedto hold approximately 50 pounds per square foot in shear strength. Peel-and-stickmagnetic for walls and receptive 2’ x 2’ squares have also been developed that can beattached to an existing flooring product for retrofit application.

FCW: What is the process to get this technology to retailers?Humphrey: The MagneBuild products have been developed by MBS (MagneticBuilding Solutions), who holds exclusive rights to the MagneBuild technology andpatent licensing, and will maintain control and distribution of the magnetic base.This model is designed to ensure quality and consistency of the platform. MBS willsupply the market with MagneBuild platform components (magnetic base, recep-tive sheet, etc.) through distributors and manufacturers world-wide. Through li-censing agreements, we will work with manufacturers in each product category toproduce products designed and certified to work with the MagneBuild platform.Those manufacturers will follow their traditional distribution models to channel theproduct to their customers. The technology will not be limited to WFCA members,though we do plan on providing incentives to our members who adopt the platform.

FCW: What are the goals of MBS?Humphrey: To draw consumers back into specialty flooring stores and simplifythe selection and utilization of product in the commercial sector. We are still anonprofit that simply owns a portion of a for-profit technology — a practice thatis not uncommon. Any profit we make will go toward our focus of doing moregood for our members and our industry. Financial motivation has never beenthe determining factor in the decisions we make. This type of technology is goingto be developed and WFCA wants to ensure that it helps, not hurts, the flooringretailer and contractor.

It has always been our plan to get the platform launched and then help to hirestrong management that shares our heartbeat for professional flooring dealers.WFCA will maintain a voice in the direction of the platform through board partici-pation, but our passion and focus is the work of the association.

FCW: What will the impact on the industry be?Humphrey: Early adopters will find themselves on the cusp of a major paradigmshift, MagneBuild offers an installation process that is not product specific, but ableto work with any product category. One that puts decorating and design decisionsback into the hands of consumers. Retailers will find a product differentiator thatis driving a new generation of customer into their stores — a customer they willbe seeing more often because of the ease of replacement. Commercial dealers willdiscover that they are preferred because of the flexibility of product and the dramat-ically decreased down time required for product replacement.

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F E A T U R E

“With TecWood, we can offer the per-formance of vinyl with the look and feel of wood consumers are looking for.”

Homegrown & SuStainableHearthwood’s story is rooted in do-

mestic manufacturing — its products are 100 percent American-made from raw materials that are 100 percent American-grown — messaging the company is passionate about, especial-ly in today’s day and age of shop local.

“Many of our distributors leverage this messaging in their print materials but the biggest advantage for our retail customers is the boutique-like service we can provide because we manufac-ture here. There’s local inventory and faster turnaround time, giving our cus-tomers peace of mind,” said Finkell.

Made right and made right here in the U.S. at its Pittsburg, Tenn., Plant HW, Shaw is making it easy for its re-tailers to sell the messaging of its Cra-dle to Cradle Certified Silver EPIC Plus line of engineered hardwood, said Da-vid Wilkerson, Shaw’s director of sus-tainability and product stewardship.

EPIC Plus, in fact, uses approxi-mately 50 percent less newly harvest-ed wood than conventional 3/8” engi-neered flooring due to its high-density Stabilitek core which is made from re-cycled post-industrial wood fiber.

Focusing on wood’s natural benefits should be front of mind but often it is messaging that gets lost in the shuffle, said Mannington’s Natkin. “We focus on hardwood’s natural benefits — it’s not made out of plastic, not made with glue. It’s the most sustainable product you could have. We’re con-stantly growing new trees and that’s a key part of hardwood’s messaging that gets lost with product.”

Emily Morrow Home. “Because the marketplace has gotten

so competitive, I think as an industry we have lost sight of the significance of appealing to the senses; touching and smelling the wood, feeling the weight of it,” she said. “But knowing a prod-uct’s story — from the tree in the forest to the way it’s cut to reveal the most beautiful part to the hand touching — all adds to the overall experience.”

And while storytelling is indeed key to success in today’s competitive retail environment, it is equally as import-ant to make sure the stories being told are relevant, simple and consistent all the way down to the consumer, said Jason Sims, marketing brand direc-tor, distribution, Mohawk Industries.

“If we don’t make it easy to tell our products’ stories today we won’t be successful tomorrow,” he said.

Handcrafted & deSign-rigHt Perhaps one of the most important

stories suppliers are currently sharing is the handcrafted and artisanal approach they are bringing to their products.

“Hardwood is an artisanal product and instead of machines printing high-lights and lowlights on each board, we’re making those decisions in the moment of where to hand-apply a highlight or a lowlight,” said Morrow Finkell.

AT’s trademark is delivering prod-ucts that are intentionally designed and crafted with care, a popular senti-ment for today’s consumers, Ford said.

“Take, for example, Old World — customers love that product’s story because we have a great process called NOA which naturally oxidizes the

wood so it looks like it’s been aged out in nature which is what consumers are looking for,” she explained.

Hardwood has the ability to do things from a design perspective that can’t be achieved in imitation products, and it’s those qualities that Mannington highlights, said vice president of hard-wood and laminate Dan Natkin.

“We’re doing things design-wise to bring out those natural visuals that can’t be replicated in printed prod-ucts whether it’s variation from plank to plank or hand-staining. We play textures and colors off of each other to stay ahead,” he said.

Performance factorTech-driven stories touting wood’s

improved performance value are ap-pealing consumers, particularly those with active households, and elevates the story around hardwood versus imitators, noted Armstrong Flooring’s director of brand marketing Ebeth Pitman. The company has been put-ting muscle behind its Diamond 10 Technology for added durability.

“Our newest introduc-tions in solid hardwood — Paragon and Appala-chian Ridge — feature our exclusive Diamond 10 Technology for the ultimate in scratch resis-tance. The clarity of the wearlayer is a particu-larly strong selling point; the non-cloudy appear-ance is huge,” she said.

As well, Armstrong Flooring recently re-cruited world champi-on competitive wood chopper Martha King to serve as brand am-bassador for the com-pany’s New Look of Tough promotion,

giving RSAs a unique opportunity to tout the beauty and toughness of Paragon.

Quick-Step is looking to be the face of high performance in flooring and for that reason, it touts the enhanced core construction found in its TrueTEK line of engineered wood.

TrueTEK’s core construction also al-lows the company to work with differ-ent species, creating unique visuals.

“The starting point for us has been making the core better than anyone else and with our core construction, we are addressing stability issues. This allows us to play around with dif-ferent species and stains and visuals,” said Sims.

With Mohawk’s TecWood, consum-ers no longer have to choose between performance and style and design, ac-cording to the company. The line’s HDF core allows the floor to better withstand extreme temperature changes and al-lows Mohawk to push the limits on the lengths and widths of the boards.

“TecWood’s enhanced engineered construction results in a more stable, denser engineered hardwood product and we’re able to do that because of the HDF core,” said Angela Duke, senior brand manager at Mohawk Industries.

“OUR INDUSTRY GETS CAUGHT UP IN SPECS AND

PRICES BUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT INSPIRATIONAL DESIGN, IT ELEVATES YOUR BRAND AND PRODUCT TO A

WHOLE NEW LEVEL.”— KATIE FORD, ANDERSON TUFTEX

“WITH HEARTHWOOD, WE HAVE THE ELEMENT OF BEING A WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS. IN FLOOR

COVERING, THE MAJORITY OF THE PURCHASING DESCISIONS ARE BEING MADE BY A WOMAN AND SO WE’RE ABLE TO DEVELOP MARKETING THAT CONNECTS WITH THOSE CONSUMERS BECAUSE WE’RE PART OF THAT DEMOGRAPHIC — IT FEELS

MORE AUTHENTIC.”— ALLIE FINKELL, HEARTHWOOD (AN AMERICAN OEM BRAND)

Story TellingContinued from page 1

Armstrong Flooring’s The New Look of Tough promo-tion, with lumberjill Martha King, allows retailers to share Paragon’s beautiful but tough story.

Emily Morrow Finkell created the Designer Sample House to store her samples while also communicat-ing her brand’s messaging in the “blink of an eye.”


F E A T U R E


Restoring IndependenceNWFA, Gary Sinise give back to those who give the most

[St. Louis] Since joining forceswith the Gary Sinise Foundation’sR.I.S.E. (Restoring IndependenceSupporting Empowerment) pro-gram in 2015, the National WoodFlooring Association (NWFA) hasbeen involved — be it through thedonation of hardwood flooring orinstallation services — in the build-ing of more than 30 customizedsmart homes for wounded veterans.

A recent recipient, Army Mas-ter Sergeant Cedric King’s legswere amputated after stepping ona pressure plate improvised explo-

sive device (IED) on July 25, 2012during his third deployment to Af-ghanistan. He also sustained disfig-urement on his right hand. On Feb.3, 2017, his life changed again whenhe and his family received the keysfor their customized home in Dulu-th, Ga.

“The foundation has allowed myfamily and I to gain a new life, en-abled us to become a tighter family,and turned a tragedy into a blessing,”King shared with FCW.

Planting roots in Duluth has also giv-en the Kings an opportunity to become

part of a community.“We found a com-

munity we can investin and not have to saygoodbye. We can creatememories at school, bea part of graduation andsuch,” said King.

For more on the Kings’story, visit FCW1.com

BOSTON BOUNDAn avid runner since high school, Army Master Sergeant Cedric King iscurrently training to once again run the Boston Marathon which takes placethis month. “Boston was my first marathon and will always hold a specialplace in my heart. It’s like the Super Bowl of running, a marathon everyrunner aspires to run,” shared King. “After I had my amputation, I decidedI will run twice as far as I had before and as soon as I finished Boston thefirst time, I just kept going.”

Making a differenceWhile the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) was instrumental in thebuilding of Army Master Sergeant Cedric King’s customized smart home, italso helped with the process of selling his old house. In fact, the NWFA outfittedKing’s old home with new hardwood flooring to make it easier to sell.

This opportunity to have its entire membership involved in the homebuilds is just one of many reasons NWFA was attracted to the RI.S.E.program, said association president and CEO Michael Martin.

“In addition to donating material for the flooring in each R.I.S.E. home,NWFA members also donate logistics for delivery and installation, so we’reable to involve the entire supply chain, which includes all NWFA membertypes,” said Martin, adding, “An important component of the program is toprovide community support for the veteran and his or her family. ”

Army Master Sergeant Cedric King and his family movedinto their customized smart home in February 2017.

C R A F T E D W I T H A M E R I C A N I N G E N U I T Y.

Performance Technology for Natural Hardwood


N E W S

5,000hours on average are required to develop

a new product that meets Mirage quality standards.

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99.3%shipping date, which is given within 24 hoursof an order.

200they receive the Mirage seal of quality.

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FACTSABOUT MIRAGE QUALITY

20 yearsContinued from page 4

FirmFit president Thomas Baert sharedwith FCW all the ways the brand’s prod-ucts are “Fit for when life happens.”

Novalis’ John Wu and Steve Ehrlichwelcomed attendees at their booth.

Kentier RCB marble LVT

Nox Corporation had its new Gene-sis line on display which the companyis calling the new standard in hybridLVT due to its many features and ben-efits including high impact resistance,waterproof properties, better stabil-ity against temperature changes andsound absorption technology.

Välinge is focusing on optimizingthe performance of its product tobetter suit the needs of MLF prod-ucts, director of locking technology,

flooring, Laetitia Kimblad sharedwith FCW at the show. For instance,the company’s 5GI locking systemwas launched last year but has beenoptimized for better performance.

“Our 5GI locking system can be usedto install patterns like herringbone andchevron,” Kimblad added.

EYE ON COMMERCIALIvan Yu, general manager, Asia,

at Armstrong, said the Chinese gov-ernment recently reported a GDPgrowth rate of 6.9 percent in 2017.This growth in the economy andspending is encouraging companies

to look to new market segments —commercial in particular — and de-velop quality products to meet mar-ket needs.

“The market in general is movingfrom quantity to quality. China isspending more money on hospitalsand senior care — more than 10 per-cent of the population is 60-plus andwe see a change in senior care lookingfor better product solutions,” said Yu,adding the company is seeing new op-portunities in the growing senior careand office segments.

Armstrong indeed is looking to bea solution provider and is launch-ing 10 new products this year whilealso expanding its offering of Di-amond 10 coating. In senior carespecifically, Armstrong is launchingmore wood visual LVT products andgrowing its carpet tile offering forthe office sector.

Wall panels too made a big splashhere at the show, most notably as theyare growing in demand from design-ers for commercial interiors.

Digital printing is InnoMaster’sspecialty and the company camearmed with new products that are adesigner’s dream. InnoMaster’s newPMMA wall panels for commer-cial spaces feature digital printingon acrylite. PMMA is a transparentthermoplastic often used as a light-weight or shatter-resistant alterna-tive to glass.

“We are the first to use this mate-rial. We take a picture and digitallyprint it on a PMMA base so it has thisbeautiful high gloss look,” said mar-keting manager Meredith Wu.

Start with nature.Finish with style.

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HARDWOOD

Hardwood customers want sophistication

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P R O D U C T


By Elise Linscott

Engineered to sellWhile opening price point engi-neered wood is facing competition from other categories that boast wood-like visuals, innovation and technological advancements, such as longer and wider planks, are keeping the category growing.

In fact, according to Dan Natkin, vice president of wood and laminate for Mannington, mid- to upper-end engi-neered wood products are competing with imitation wood products quite well.

“There is a tremendous amount of innovation occurring in engineered wood from improved finishes, more subtle distressing techniques and multi-layer staining that is nearly impossible to replicate in a printed product,” Natkin said.

Adding texture like those often seen in higher-end engineered wood floors can also help prevent damage to the floor, said Paul Rezuke, vice president of U.S. sales at Wickham Hardwood Flooring, which debuted its engi-neered wood collection in 2017.

“I think we’re realizing that depend-ing on the application, the more tex-tured the floor, whether it’s brushed or handscraped, the more durable and resistant it will be toward normal wear and tear,” Rezuke said.

Rezuke also said that while there’s of-ten a craze over new products like with the initial launch of laminate, the hype often fades, and he expects wood to continue to hold its share of the market.

New engineered hardwood prod-ucts entering the market also have enhanced style and design benefits, using advanced technology to achieve increased stability and planks that are wider and longer planks than what’s available in solid hardwood, accord-ing to Priscilla Bergeron, brand man-ager at Lauzon Flooring.

Justin Hypnarowski, product man-ager for Armstrong Flooring, added that while products such as luxury vi-nyl tile (LVT) and laminate offer looka-like products, there still isn’t anything that can truly compete with genuine hardwood from a value equation.

“It’s organic, natural and renew-able, and of course, since it is natural, less pattern repeat,” he said. “More so, hardwood flooring adds value to a home. It is a great long-term in-vestment and can actually become a strong resale argument, exceeding the initial installation cost of the floors.”

While new product categories are often popular initially, some suppliers said they don’t consider wood to be in competition with imitation products.

“We are not competing with imita-tion wood products — they are trying to compete with us,” said Michel Col-lin, director of marketing for Mercier Wood Flooring.

Design DirectionThe big trends in wood right now

play up color variation and use chemi-cal stains or thermal treatments to cre-ate color movement in the planks, said Allie Finkell, executive vice president, Hearthwood. The brand’s engineered wood flooring replicates dynamic color shifts by hand-layering the company’s standard water-based stains for more consistency from run to run.

“There are more reclaimed textures happening in wood with band saw marks and then also the opposite — less scraping and more wire-brushed textures,” she said. “The other trend in wood that differentiates it from faux products is the large format. So far, you don’t see seven-foot or eight-foot-long LVT or WPC boards, but that is the most popular in wood.”

Pat Oakley, national sales manager for Mullican Flooring, said Mullican is seeing greater demand for sawn en-gineered products with 3 mm and 4 mm veneers and longer lengths. “Re-active stains and fumed products are trending up as well,” Oakley said.

Natalie Cady, hardwood catego-ry manager for Shaw Floors, said the company is seeing a demand for lighter colors and textures that really showcase the natural characteristics of the wood.

“We’re seeing less texture and rich stain, you have all that natural char-acter coming through in new engi-neered products,” she said.

Continuing to tell the engineered wood story will help keep the category afloat and remain competitive into the future, said Adam Ward, senior prod-uct director, hardwood and laminate for Mohawk Flooring.

“Most people understand they’re choosing wood because of the natural beauty of the product, and while the al-ternatives like WPC and laminate and ceramics have advanced greatly over the years, they’re still no substitute for the real thing, and consumers choosing hardwood understand that,” Ward said.

New engineered wood products showcase the natural texture and character of the wood, as seen here in Controlled Chaos from Hearthwood.

Engineered wood products offer enhanced design benefits like wider planks, such as those offered in the Urban Loft series from Lauzon.

Advancements in technology have led to increased durability for engineered hard-wood products, like with Metropolitan Chic from Mohawk’s new TecWood line.

P R O D U C T


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Narrow FocusTimeless & classic looks return

While wider, longer boards continueto trend, there is also a resurgence tothree- and five-inch planks, a morevintage format that lends itself tosmaller footprints such as residentialbuildings in major metropolitan areas.

Sara Babinski, design managerhardwood for Armstrong Flooring,said that while narrow planks neverreally fell out of favor, she expects aslow uptick in demand as this narrowplank trend begins its exposure in themarketplace — similar to what the in-dustry is experiencing as dark-coloredhardwoods give way to lighter andblonder looks.

“As we move into 2018, trendsabound and one includes the resur-gence of the timeless, classic look ofnarrow hardwood flooring, with amodern twist,” Babinski said. “The1900s seem like a bygone era, butstrip hardwood 1.5 inches and up to3 inches, were common; as was 3.25inch hardwood. With wide widthhardwood dominating the marketright now, consumers and design-ers are looking for this old classic inupdated colors, textures and mattefinishes. The almost delicate look ofthese narrower planks, when com-pared to wide width hardwood, is afresh interior contrast.”

Adam Ward, senior product direc-tor, hardwood and laminate for Mo-hawk Flooring, said there are a cou-ple of primary factors influencing thepopularity of narrow planks.

“One in fact is with the rise of thewider, longer planks, all of thoseproducts are produced with sawn faceor sliced veneers,” Ward said. “Thetree being round will only generatea certain amount of wider, longerplanks, so there’s still an abundanceof narrow planks, 3 inches and 5 inch-es wide. We’re seeing manufacturersrespond to that from a yield issue anddesigning products that accentuatenarrow plank sizes.”

Regional differences, history, aes-thetics and space size all play a role incustomer demand.

“From a regional standpoint, we’reseeing that primarily in your large ur-ban metro areas such as the New Yorkmetro area, San Francisco, Chicago— those places typically have small-er spaces and the buildings going up,condominiums and high rises, don’t

have open rooms that lend themselvesto wider, longer planks. They’re typi-cally 600-, 800-, 1,000-square feet,and narrow planks fit the space betterthan wider planks, which would lookblocky,” explained Ward.

The narrower plank widths also lendthemselves to distressed visuals andvariation without overpowering thedesired effect, said Natalie Cady, hard-wood category manager, Shaw Floors.“Lighter colors are also showcased innarrow width planks,” she said.

Matt Rosato, hardwood categorymanager for Anderson Tuftex, saidthat older, more historic homes arean easy fit for narrow planks; howev-er, even new construction that wantsto emulate a handcrafted, tradition-al look can be a good fit for narrowplanks. Anderson Tuftex’s new Fac-tory hardwood combines both mapleand hickory, with nail holes for addedvintage character.

The return to narrow planks rep-resents a bold move to a format that

was once quite popular in the home.The difference from wider, longer for-mats is how the plank and wood spe-cies feature surface character, uniquestaining and a satin gloss finish, noted

Narrow hardwood planks, like those seen in Armstrong Flooring’s RusticRestorations line, lend themselves well to urban spaces and lighter color palettes.

Joe Amato, vice president of residen-tial styling at Mannington Mills.

“We are at the beginning stages ofthis trend with a lot of interesting po-tential,” he said.

P R O D U C T


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On Solid GroundHardwood launches hit the mark

The onslaught of products mimick-ing wood visuals in the marketplace hasn’t dampened the consumer de-sire for the real thing. Solid hardwood continues to sell, and manufacturers said they are concentrating on in-creasing its performance and high-lighting its authentic visuals.

Armstrong Flooring’s research, for example, shows that solid hard-wood is still the most coveted flooring choice by consumers for its timeless beauty and the considerable value it adds to a home, said Justin Hypna-rowski, product manager for Arm-strong Flooring.

“Natural hardwood flooring is an affordable luxury that adds timeless style and sophistication to any space and never goes out of style,” Hypna-rowski said. “Hardwood has always been an American favorite, and over the last several years that tradition has returned with renewed vitality.”

Since hardwood visuals them-selves are indeed trendsetters, this

has also expanded hardwood’s ap-plications in the home and further cemented its market share, accord-ing to Jerome Goulet, product man-ager for Mirage.

“Floors, accessories, furniture and wall coverings made of wood are definitely hot interior design trends,” Goulet said. “People are looking for chic, rustic décor by using reclaimed wood in many ways. It keeps the warmth of the homes of yesteryear, but in a modern design. Since wood is actually a big trend and always will be, the hardwood market is still run-ning strong.”

Adam Ward, senior product di-rector, hardwood and laminate for Mohawk Flooring, said that while solid hardwood is not expected to grow at the rate of categories such as Wood Plastic Composite (WPC), it has seen a resurgence. “They’re seeing the need to come back to sol-id, which was neglected for a while, to refresh those offerings and get

current trends, which have shifted back toward more natural tones and whites that customers want,” he said. “There’s still a market for solid, par-ticularly at the higher end, so updat-ing colors with updated trends was needed in the market.”

Dan Natkin, vice president of hard-wood and laminate for Mannington Mills, said that despite competition from newer product categories with wood visuals, hardwood still has a de-fined market segment and consumer

demand that will continue.“The category is experiencing

modest growth despite pressures from competing products,” Natkin explained. “In the end, the consumer that desires real wood will purchase real hardwood.”

An OriginAlThere continues to be a desire

among consumers for that specif-ic visual, and solid hardwood has a very unique platform to work with,

Neutral browns and grays, as seen in Armstrong Flooring’s Appalachian Ridge offering, continue to be in demand.

Suppliers, like Mohawk with its SolidWood line, have upped their focus on solids.

P R O D U C T


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Lighter colors and subtle textures are popular in today’s hardwood offerings andin domestic species like maple, as seen in Hallmark’s Organic above.

Mullican’s Wexford in white oak is in line with today’s consumer demand fornatural, traditional hardwood looks which solid products provide.

said Natalie Cady, hardwood categorymanager for Shaw Floors.

“Solid hardwood is also one of thetruest visuals that hardwood really at-tains to because that was the origina-tor,” Cady said. “There’s a tremendousdesire for innovation as well as styleand design and solid has ability to hitall of those.”

While the hardwood market hasbeen impacted by lower cost imitationwood looks, the category will contin-ue to benefit from the story the oth-ers can’t tell, said Pat Oakley, nationalsales manager for Mullican Flooring,adding that hardwood flooring is theonly product that upgrades the valueof the home and is authentic, naturaland sustainable.

“Consumers in traditional solidmarkets in the Northeast and Mid-west are requesting color and designfor solid hardwood that parallelswhat they see from engineered prod-ucts,” Oakley said. “This includeswider widths, dual stains, low gloss

and brushed textures. Mullican re-cently introduced our Wexford col-lection which is the first domestical-ly produced European-styled whiteoak collection.”

MAPPING SALESHardwood remains especially

popular specifically in areas such asthe Northeast (New York, New Jer-sey and Boston), the Midwest (theoutskirts of Chicago as well as Iowaand the lower half of Wisconsin),Shaw’s Cady said.

Sylvia Bulanek, marketing man-ager for Hallmark Floors, said thatthere has always been a demand forsolid wood, especially in certain re-gions and climates. And today, sheexplained, makers are more in-linewith what consumers want, help-ing to buoy the segment. “Now thatpre-finished, solid wood floors areoffered in wider 5-inch planks, thedemand has naturally increased,”she said.

Manufacturers, including Mirage and its Sweet Memories Collection, are now focus-ing on launching new solid products because of its classic and timeless style.

P R O D U C T


By Rylie Frederick

NEW BRAND ON THE BLOCKAi.r Hardwoods promises value, looks & sustainability

[Norcross, Ga.] Ai.r Hardwood de-buted earlier this year under Lifecore,a division of Samling Global USA,promising consumers an environmen-tally-friendly flooring option that’s alsotrend-right and a sound value, accord-ing to the company.

Samling, a lumber and forestrycompany, generates Ai.r Hardwoodproducts from a single mill in China,Lynn Basinger, brand manager, said. Itsources wood from multiple locations

around the globe but manufactures inone factory. “All nine collections and40 SKUs come out of the same mill.This gives us complete control over thequality and consistency of the engi-neered product and finishes,” Basing-er said, adding that it also guaranteesthat its woods contain low amounts ofvolatile organic compounds (VOCs).No formaldehyde is added.

The company’s UV-hardened seal-ant traps any remaining VOCs within

the wood, Basinger said. These as-pects have earned them the IndoorAir Advantage Gold from SCS GlobalServices, a third-party testing com-pany. “One out of every three homeshas someone who is affected by asth-ma, allergies, migraines or other con-ditions that make them susceptibleto the triggers from VOCs,” Basing-er said. “We believe a healthy homestarts from the floor up.”

What’s more, Jim Fiore, North

Ai.r Hardwood’s Amara combines trendy visuals with sustainable attributes.Ai.r Hardwood said it offers a flooring option for every customer such as Allegra.

American vice president, said thecollections visuals deliver on marketdemands with “styles, designs andtrends that are cutting-edge, but stillwell within what the consumer islooking for.”

This collection of engineeredwood can be floated, stapled or fullyadhered to the ground. Basinger rec-ommends the company’s non-toxicadhesive, which helps maintain theflooring’s hypoallergenic qualities.

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A sustainable legacy[Pennsauken, N.J.] In recent years,there has been significant growth inthe number of environmentally-soundflooring products and practices. Forconsumers, it’s important for sustain-able flooring to be functional on top ofbeing eco-friendly — a mantra TesoroWoods has lived by since its beginnings.

As a national distributor, TesoroWoods offers a wide variety of wood,bamboo and cork. But making hard-wood an ecological choice for con-sumers is a company goal, said AndyGallo, CEO.

“At Tesoro Woods, we are involvedwith every aspect of the flooring, fromthe raw material sourcing, all the waythrough production of the flooringand the shipping to our customers,”he told FCW. “It’s all about knowingyour sources. All of our wood comesfrom two sources: wood that’s sal-vaged, reclaimed or recycled, andwood that’s harvested from properlymanaged forests or plantations.”

As for the company’s Portuguesecoast cork and California coast strandbamboo, Gallo said he believes these

segments align perfectly with Tesoro’sgoals. “Cork and bamboo are consid-ered to be very sustainable becausethey are naturally rapidly renewable,they usually take 15 years or less to fullymature. We take the time to really vetour suppliers to be sure that they arefollowing the best practices to providesustainable floors.”

Gallo said the industry as a wholeis more focused on sustainability,something company founder WilliamJopling identified early on.

“Our founder, William Jopling, setus on this path many years ago,” Gal-lo said. “He always had a personalinterest in the company being goodstewards of the planet. Since his pass-ing in November 2016, it’s been veryimportant to us at Tesoro Woods thatwe continue his legacy and vision. Webelieve that it’s the right thing to do.”

Jopling traveled extensively tosource material, and in the process,helped build flooring mills and fac-tories all over the world. He broughtsustainable forms of engineeredwood in exotic species to the U.S. at a

William Jopling and Andy Gallo in the

first Wood Flooring International office

building in February 2001.

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time when solid hardwood ruled themarket, recalled Gallo.

Soon, the two partnered and togeth-er created Wood Flooring Internation-al (WFI) in 1998, the predecessor toTesoro Woods.

Gallo promised that Tesoro Woodswill continue to follow Jopling’s leg-acy and will lead the mission of sus-tainability. “Companies have beenputting more energy and effort intobeing green over the years, but we stillhave a long way to go.”

B U S I N E S S B U I L D E R


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For over a century, the forestry industry was at the heart of the Canadian economy. During this period, more than half the men in this country worked in a wood-related trade. Lumberjacks, carpenters, and log drivers all risked their lives in search of the best woods our forests had to offer. This dedication to the work still drives us at Mercier Wood Flooring.We craft our � oors using all the latest technologies, but it’s our great-grandfathers’ devotion that inspires us to innovate further. Because for us at Mercier, � ooring is a family affair.

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PRODUCTION EN STUDIO

B y M a r t i n S i l v e r

Workers’ Compensation

Martin Silver, a New York practicing attorney, and former floor covering in-staller and salesman, at both retail and manufacturer levels, can be reached at 631-435-0700 and at [email protected].

Every state in the U.S. has a workers’

compensation law. Although these laws are, in fact, state laws and will vary from state to state, their purpose, intent and content are all very similar. The purpose of workers’ compensa-tion laws are, as stated by one court, “...to make reasonable compensation for injuries sustained, or death in-curred, by reason of such employment a part of the expense of the lines of business included within the definition of hazardous employments, and ulti-mately to require such compensation to be paid by the consumer.”

These laws provide that an employ-ee is entitled to compensation if the employee’s injury or death arises “out of, and in the course of the employ-ment.” Workers’ compensation bene-fits have been referred to as “no fault benefits.” This is because an injured or disabled employee is entitled, with almost no exception, to receive such benefits regardless of whether the employee or the employer was negli-gent in causing the injury.

In all states, employers are, for the most part, required to carry workers’ compensation insurance to provide for the benefits to an injured employee, as provided under the law. One question that often arises in this context with-in the floor covering industry is the definition of “employee” as opposed to the definition of “subcontractor,” and whether or not coverage must be provided to individuals defined as sub-contractors. This is important because the insurance companies will attempt to collect premiums for all whom they consider to be employees. On the oth-er hand, the employer will attempt to avoid paying premiums for certain individuals because they are not em-ployees but rather are subcontractors.

The issue of whether a particular installer is an employee or a subcon-tractor is a factual one to be deter-mined under the facts and circum-stances of the relationship between the parties. The main issue is one of control. A judge will look at the same factors that the IRS uses in their de-termination of employee versus inde-pendent subcontractor.

As we noted above, these laws pro-vide that workers’ compensation insur-ance must be provided by an employer for all its employees. In most cases,

such insurance must also be provided for all those paid as “subcontractors” but who do not have their own insur-ance to cover either themselves or their employees or their sub-subcon-tractors. That’s where many employ-ers run into trouble.

The insurance company will initial-ly compute an employer’s premium based upon what the employer tells them regarding their installers and

other employees. But later on, when the insurance company does an actual audit of the company’s books, it may determine that payments made to “in-dependent” installers are subject to be included in the premium calculation if the employer cannot show proof that the independent carried their own insurance. That’s when the employer suddenly gets hit with a huge, addi-tional, “adjustment” to its original bill.

Either your installer is your em-ployee, or he must have his own workers’ compensation insurance. There is no other way.

P R O D U C T


By Lauren Moore

Fiberglass or feltSheet vinyl products boast a range of benefits

Not all sheet vinyl is the same. Tra-ditionally, sheet vinyl has been a felt-backed product, but within the past decade, fiberglass-backed products have come on the scene in the U.S., tak-ing the majority of sheet vinyl’s market share over felt-backed products.

According to Mary Katherine Dy-czko-Riglin, product manager, residen-tial sheet vinyl with Mannington Mills, this shift is largely due to the fact that fiberglass products are easier to install than their felt-backed counterparts.

“When people are making the switch from felt-backed to fiberglass products, it’s almost always about the install,” she said. “Retailers don’t have the install-ers, or their installers aren’t as reliable, and there aren’t as many felt installers. It’s just easier, in many cases, to install fiberglass.” Fiberglass-backed sheet vi-nyl can be glued down using a pressure sensitive releasable adhesive method or loose laid; felt-backed products can be perimeter installed or by using a full-spread adhesive.

Jay Jacobs, national sales manager for builder/multifamily with Congo-leum, disputed the idea that fiber-glass products are easier to install than felt-backed products, saying that the reason fiberglass products have gained share is because fiber-glass manufacturers offered bet-ter-looking sheet vinyl products than felt manufacturers when they first entered the U.S. market. “The prod-uct was just prettier,” he said.

The righT fiTFor most customers, the choice be-

tween a fiberglass product versus a felt product comes down to personal pref-erence and perception. Mannington manufactures both fiberglass and felt-backed products to fit all needs and price points, Dyczko-Riglin pointed out. “For example, in our Revive Col-lection, we provide all of our unique designs in luxury vinyl sheet, which is fiberglass, and our three grades of felt lines. Some people like one, some like

another, and it provides a variety of price points,” she said.

Armstrong Flooring also offers both felt and fiberglass products. “While we do forecast the shift from felt to fiber-glass to continue, Armstrong contin-ues to bring industry leading designs to our felt structures because we know there are still segments of the market and consumers that want a felt prod-uct. When a felt back product is in-stalled correctly, it is a durable vinyl sheet flooring solution,” said Bill Fur-man, channel marketing manager.

Felt products’ durability, in fact, is a big selling point. While this can mean sacrificing comfort underfoot, because the product is denser, that makes it more resistant to ripping, tearing or gouging.

However, a fiberglass product is easy to repair, pointed out Amie Fos-ter, senior product director for sheet vinyl with IVC. “Let’s say you’re mov-ing a refrigerator, and that creates a rip in the floor. The fiberglass allows for you to cut out and repair a small section — you don’t have to do a full replacement,” she shared.

Fiberglass products also tend to be more dimensionally stable, Furman pointed out. “Fiberglass vinyl won’t shrink, warp or change size after ex-posure to wetness, or crack after re-peated handling,” he said.

However, as a result of that dimen-sional stability, a fiberglass product won’t shift with a house. “Because fiber-glass doesn’t move, you need to make sure when the fiberglass is installed it doesn’t have pinch points,” Dyczko-Ri-glin explained. For example, if a fiber-

glass product is being installed in a kitchen with an island and cabinets, the installer needs to wait until those other appliances or fixtures are installed, then cut the sheet around those products and make sure there is breathing room.

A felt product, on the other hand, is able to move with the house. “Keep in mind, these are tiny movements you wouldn’t even notice, until you saw your floor was pinched against the wall,” Dyczko-Riglin pointed out. “But felt will give with the way the house moves.” In that same kitchen install, the installer can roll out the felt-backed product and install items like cabinets or islands on top of the floor. “You’re paying for flooring that you’re covering up, but the installa-tion might be faster,” she said.

Mannington’s Revive Collection, including Versailles above, is available as both a fiberglass and a felt product.

PhoTo CorreCTionVersatrim’s Slimcap with a PVC core, pictured above, was incorrectly iden-tified in FCW’s March 2018 Flooring 101 Multilayer Flooring Guide.

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Retailing at light speed

Ba s e d o nwhat I ob-served last

year, 2018 will continue to create mas-sive changes on the retail landscape atspeeds that used to seem crazy to us.The local landscape is evolving withphysical and online becoming blurredwith the two existing harmoniously inthe eyes of the consumer.

Thank goodness we are not in thegrocery business! Amazon’s WholeFoods and Walmart are both expandingtheir same day delivery. Forget clicks,consumers can use their voice-activat-ed devices to order as well.

More and more brick-and-mortarretailers are exploring new ways tocombat these pure play online retail-ers. Speed seems to be evolving intoa bigger buying decision factor formany consumers on a wide varietyof products and across many differ-ent channels. We are seeing moreand more brick-and-mortar retailersoffering “Click and Collect,” or BuyOnline, Pick Up in Store (BOPUS).

In a recent report I read, “2017Click and Collect Retail ConsumerPreference Study” by Bell and How-ell, 56 percent of the respondentswanted a quick in and out experience,76 percent wanted to save shippingcosts and 54 percent needed theitem that day. Lastly, 83 percent ex-pected to hear in less than 24 hourstheir order was ready for pickup.

In case you haven’t noticed lately,even Home Depot is shifting strate-gies, including flooring. It shows onlinequantities in stock by SKU and by lo-cations. Plus, flooring consumers canset up an online measure appointmentor set up a meeting with an in-storeflooring specialist to explore their op-tions. These two Home Depot onlinestatements I absolutely love — “TheHome Depot’s flooring installation pro-fessionals and contractors are local,licensed, insured and undergo a thor-ough background-screening process.”And, “Simply take your purchaseback to any Home Depot and get yourmoney back instantly or exchange forsomething else.” Wow! Who will I trustwith my flooring purchase?

Google, who I swear is going forworld domination, is making changesthat will also help and hurt smallerretailers. Google’s Google My Busi-ness page is constantly evolving withposts, insights, reviews and more.

John Simonson of Webstream Dy-namics & GetFiveStarReviews.prohas been helping flooring compa-nies with their online marketing forover 19 years. He can be reached [email protected]

Now, Google has recently announcedretailers will soon be able to add a de-scription to their Google My Businesspage. Will we still need a website?

Google has also been testing, in 30cities, local service ads with “GoogleGuaranteed” services. Once vettedby a third party, Google is adding itsguarantee to consumers using ap-proved locksmiths, HVAC, plumbers,electricians and garage door services.

I would not want to be a service pro-vider who is not approved.

There’s more. Google announcedit is teaming up with Walmart, HomeDepot, Target, etc. under a new pro-gram called “Shopping Actions.”Retailers can list their products onGoogle Search, Google Express andGoogle Assistant and in exchange,pay Google a part of the purchase.You could go from search to shopping

cart and instant checkout. Just thinkhow this might influence shoppers.

One thing I am certain about — it’sno longer business as usual.

S T Y L E & D E S I G N


[New York] FCW recently attended the Maison & Objet 2018 design discussion in the Robert Allen showroom, at the Decoration and Design Building, here.

Patty Carpenter, development specialist Maison & Objet, pointed to trending hues, popular color combinations and talked-about fabrics.

[New York] FCW attended Country Floors’ “Kitchen Talks Session” here at the retailer’s showroom. Commentators included Sharon Blaustein, founder and principal designer of B Interior; Dina Deleasa-Gonsar, creator of DishItGirl.com food blog; and, Meghan McNeer, Domino magazine visual director, who also moderated the event.

Blaustein touted natural stone and its inherit beauty. “It’s warm, it’s rich — I love the veining. That being said, if you have a very active household, you should handle with care. I think it’s gorgeous. We’re seeing a lot of imitation right now, but there’s nothing like the real stone. Nothing can compare.”

Blaustein added that while brass has been popular in the past few years, it’s showing up in subtle new ways. “Not only does it work very well with neutral palettes and wood, it’s also warm and complements stainless steel,” she said.

Keen on kitchensBy Ryane DeFalco

By Caroline Alkire

Sharon Blaustein, Meghan McNeer and Dina Deleasa-Gonsar

The session was sponsored by Summer Water Rosé and From The Source furniture store.

ConCrete suCCess Moderator McNeer spoke to the biggest trend she has seen so far in 2018. “Concrete is really having a moment. Concrete isn’t just gray anymore, you can make it any color you want. We’re really seeing it in any color now,” she explained.

As an interior designer, Blaustein has also seen a lot of concrete and con-crete-look products. “There’s a lot of Italian influence. It’s about being very seamless, very little grout lines. Just clean and minimalistic,” she said.

Carpenter cited key colors trends from the 2018 Maison & Objet show, pointing specifically to the three primary colors as being prominently seen at the show, as well as hues like mint chip, smoked salmon, quartz white and desert sun.

Carpenter also pointed to trending colors palettes such as freshwater pearls (a combination of pastels), as well as nature-inspired patterns including butterflies, spotted patterns like cheetah and leopard print, birds, bugs and beetles.

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[New York] Hardwood isn’t the only one dishing on-trend looks like long andwide boards, subtle texturing and a neutral color palette. Bamboo, in fact — par-ticularly those products offered by Teragren, a Hallmark Floors company — isbringing its own unique spin to today’s most sought after visuals, proving thissustainable darling has it all.


The strength and durability found in

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COUNTER EQUATIONA beautiful and sustainable alternative to standard butcher block, the coun-tertop collection from Teragren presents six stunning styles from traditionalto contemporary.

Teragren’s Craftsman II lends itself to

a traditional look with contemporary

versatility. The wider, longer planks

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Each extra-wide engineered plank found

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With the timeless look of a narrow

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pedigree of Teragren bamboo.

All of Teragren’s countertops come in

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or countertop. The slabs can also be

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room of the home.

Teragren’s Xcora Strand tops are most

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conjunction with a durable polyure-

thane finish, can make an excellent

surface for both work and play.

Teragren’s PureForm Traditional (seen above) and Butcher-Block styles are food-

safe and can be used directly as a cutting surface.



WHAT’S HOT IN HARDWOODBy Caroline Alkire

Whether it’s on the walls or on the floor, hardwood options expand, offering the classic, natural designs consumers love. Here, industry experts gave FCW some insight on today’s hardwood trends and those on the horizon.

OppOsite cOlOrs attractFrom warm to cool or dark to light, hardwood trends have seen quite a transition in the past 10 years. Now it seems consumers aren’t gravitating towards just one hue.

“The trend is moving toward either dark or light color palettes,” explained Sara Babinksi, design manager for Armstrong Flooring.

According to Joe Amato, vice president of residential styling, Mannington, the hardwood palette is “the most diverse it’s ever been.”

“Everything is dusted in white these days,” Amato added.

UniqUe stainingBesides color and size, industry professionals pointed to unique staining tech-niques as a big trend coming into 2018.

“You can create really unique looks with staining techniques,” revealed Man-nington’s Amato. “You can use these techniques to create dimensions and varia-tion, we put a lot of effort into staining, because we want to find something that gives the wood more character through color.”

Allie Finkell, executive vice president of American OEM, explained the big-gest thing the industry is seeing is the use of reactive chemicals and thermal treatments. “They create color movement within the planks,” she said. “We re-create the look of these treatments using our water-based stains and some hand applied highlights and low lights.”

“Colors have moved significantly to the cooler end of the color spectrum, from reds, orange-reds and reddish-browns to gray-browns, grays, variations of black, whites and light-flaxen neutrals,” said Emily Morrow Finkell, CEO of Emily Morrow Home. Morrow Finkell’s Coastal Luxe product in Surf Shack, pictured above, boasts beachy, light colors.

On the opposite side of the color spectrum, trending products such as Mohawk’s Solid Wood, above, feature darker hues.

“This emerging light category would include natural tones, blonde woods and white washed woods,” said Sara Babinski, design manager at Arm-strong, adding that gray tones, such as those pictured here in Armstrong’s Woodland Relics mixed species engi-neered hardwood, are here to stay.

Mannington’s Cider Mill hardwood, pictured here, boasts depth and character because of the unique staining techniques used to create it.

Staining can create color and movement in planks, seen here in American OEM’s Tall Timbers Homecoming hardwood.



Size SpectrumSuppliers agree: large formats are selling. In fact, Matt Rosato, Anderson Tuftex’s product manager, hardwood and carpet, believes larger planks are standard.

Now however, suppliers are predicting a shift back to narrower planks, and some even released narrow width products at The International Surface Event.

Natalie Cady, hardwood category manager, Shaw Floors, explained size also de-pends on region. “We’re seeing longer planks in the Southwest and Midwest,” she said. “The Northeast ... region won’t typically trend past a 5-inch board.”

FiniShing touchWith exotics on the way out, low gloss, matte finishes and oil rub finishes are taking over hardwood.

“Today consumers want an emulated oil rub look finish,” said Mannington’s Amato, adding that the finish has a velvety sheen to it.

“De-glossed matte finishes have been developed to match up with the look of the high-maintenance oil-rubbed finishes but in UV water based stains that are easy to maintain, not requiring the regular waxing or buffing of the oil-rubbed products,” explained Emily Morrow Finkell, CEO of Emily Morrow Home.

Delicately DiStreSSeDBoth wire brushing and distressing were cited as popular textures in the hardwood category.While wire brushing is seen across all planks, distressing — also popular — is more calculated.

“Light wire brushing is a way to ac-cent natural beauty,” said Adam Ward, senior product director, Mohawk.

And according to Mannington’s Amato, the industry is seeing a resur-gence of rustic textures. “We’re notic-ing wire brushing with the addition of saw marks,” he said.

“Wire brushing, cerusing and face-sawn visuals are also big trends and are important because each give high-definition emphasis to the beauty of sliced white oak wood grain,” said Morrow Finkell, referencing her Mari-time hardwood, pictured here.

On Anderson Tuftex’s Old World in Her-ringbone, pictured above, every plank is wire brushed for depth and character.

Shaw’s Provincetown hardwood in Hyannis, pictured here, features a low gloss finish. “Our visual aspiration is to showcase the natural beauty of the wood,” said Natalie Cady, hardwood category manager with Shaw. “This lends itself to lighter stain and finish.”

Products such as Emily Morrow Home’s First Leaf hardwood, above, features a de-glossed matte finish.

Here, Hearthwood’s Dynamic Earth hardwood collection features the wider, longer planks consumers love.

Mannington’s Carriage Oak, pictured here, was released at The International Sur-face Event 2018 and boasts smaller plank widths and an on-trend white wash.

Anderson Tuftex launched a product this year called Factory, which features narrow planks sized about 3 ¼-inches wide.


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F L O O R C O V E R I N G W E E K L YThe industry’s leaders shined a light on sustainablepractices & progress at GreenBuild 2017.See story on page 6.

NEW CHANNELS OPENUP PREMIUM MARKET

Life of

The entire home furnishings industry was battered badly by the Great

Recession of 2008 and it was slow to rebound. But as the economy

bounced back, the housing market came back too, and subsequently,

home furnishings saw corresponding gains. And the economy has not

just recovered, it has boomed, at least in some markets — the luxury

home furnishings market is one of them, floor covering included.Pamela N. Danzinger, an internationally recognized expert and re-

searcher on the luxury and influencer market, noted that the home fur-

nishings market in total (which includes furniture, flooring, home textiles

and more) lagged in the recovery — not returning to health until 2014

— but it’s back to its pre-recession peak, which she pegs at $288 billion. The real estate market has definitely improved — the National As-

sociation of Realtors reports that average sales prices have increased

4.2 percent over last year, even while the market is relatively flat due to

low inventory. Meanwhile, the United States Census Bureau reported

September 2017 housing starts at 6.1 percent over last year’s numbers.

All of those homes need to be furnished. “The home furnishings category just recovered from the losses that

the industry underwent,” Danzinger said. “It really has been a slow and

painful recovery.” But now that it’s back, she said that the key difference

By Sharyn Bernard

Continued on page 8

Carlisle’s Designer Collection rugs pair nicely with its wide plank hardwood.

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F L O O R C O V E R I N G W E E K L Y80 years, four generations — Swiff-Train continues

to grow strong. Stories begin on page 10.

DISTRIBUTORSDIVERSIFY 18

VALUE EQUATION 20

FAMILY TENETS & FLOORING FOCUS DEFINE MANNINGTON’S FUTURE

Gesco’s big picture 9

BACK TO SCHOOL WITH BELKNAP WHITE 13

8

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dolorer iore pre mpore es am, con pedi volup tatum vent face pudae expellu ptiusam rem experfe riatis dolupta que volor erovid quas quo ditas usam rem experfe riatis dolupta que volor erovid quas quo ditas coren ti astye rtem dolorer iore pre mpore es am, con pedi volup tatum vent face pudae expellu ptiusam rem experfe riatis rfe riatis dolupta que volor erovid quas quo ditas usam rem experfe riatis dolupta que astye rtem dolorer iore pre mpore es am, con pedi volup tatum vent face pudae expellu ptiusam rem experfe riatis vent face pudae expellu coren ti astye rtem dolorer iore pre es, con pedi volup tatum vent face pudae expellu ptiusam rem experfe riatis rfe riatis dolupta que volor erovid quas quo ditas usam rem experfe riatis dolupta que astye rtem dolorer iore pre mpore es am, con pedi volup tatum volor erovid quas quo ditas usam rem experfe riatis dolupta que volor erovid quas quo ditas coren ti astyertem mor-tem quas quo pedi vovent face pudastyertem mortem quiseerovid quas quo ditas coreni astye rtem dolor-er iore pre mpore es am, con pedi volup tatum vent face olor erovid quas quo ditas coren ti astye rtem dolorer iore pre mpore es am, con pedi volup tatum vent face pudae expellu ptiusam rem experfe riatis rfe riatis dolupta que volor vent face olor ti astye rtem dolorer iore pre ptiusam rem experferovid quas quo usam rem experfe riat expert.Otasped exceatu rissita

Mohawk knows de wae. let us sing. *endless

GOOD DAY FOR FLOORING

countertops for an opportunity to growtheir businesses. See story on page 6.

[Las Vegas] Not to be outdone by the industry darling mul-tilayer f looring, laminate suppliers brought water-resistant features as well as beautiful visuals to the show floor at The International Surface Event here in 2018.

There was a distinct focus on domestic species such as oak and hickory when it came to visuals, in light grays and brown tones. And, suppliers offered more details in patterns and varied formats and textures.

In the U.S., design is often the biggest focus for consum-ers, according to Swiss Krono USA president and CEO Erik Christensen. Design, he said, is a core value for Swiss Krono.

THE LOOK OF LAMINATESUPPLIERS DELIVER UNIQUE VISUALS

Shaw’s Repel


By Elise Linscott

(PART 2)Coverage continues inside


FEBRUARY 26, 2018 • $4

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WHAT HAPPENED IN

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Exhibitors at TISE 2018 brought innovation &

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APRIL 24, 2017 • $4

INTERNATIONAL LIVING FUTURE

INSTITUTE RAISES THE BAR

FOR SUSTAINABILITY

Transparency transforms

BY ELISE LINSCOTT

Full DisclosureClarifying the conversation for a healthier population

See story on page 15

Entries begin on page 17

2017

Across the country, consumers are becoming more

interested in knowing what the products they’re

buying are made of. This has also spread into floor-

ing, where makers are being asked to provide more

information about the ingredients in their prod-

ucts. That’s why many rely on third-party certifiers

and Declare labels — though there’s still a long way

to go in the global transparency discussion, partic-

ularly as imported products like resilient flooring

continue to gain market share.

“Being upfront is very important,” said Noah Chit-

ty, director of technical services for Crossville. “It sets

the bar and establishes the standard. In our 31-plus

year history, we’ve always maintained this approach.”

Crossville also errs on the side of being conser-

vative — for example, some of its tile products may

have color options that contain 20 percent recycled

material yet other colors may have no more than 4

percent, in which case the company states that such

products have “4 percent or more” recycled content

instead of saying they have “up to 20 percent,” Chit-

ty said. This is because lighter colors take more new

materials to make, whereas darker tiles can use more

recycled materials.According to David Kitts, Mannington Mills’


FCW EXCLUSIVE Mohawk revealsmarketing muscle behind SmartStrand Silk

Reserve. See story on page 6.

FEBRUARY 20, 2017 • $4

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Abbey Carpet & Floor’s Steve Silvermanand Phil Gutierrez talk to members about anew consumer website, exclusive productofferings and more at its Solutions 2017convention. See story on page 6.The

32

MFA sets the standard 25

TRANSFORMING THE MARKET 10

WHAT’S IN A NAME 8UNDERSTANDING MLF PRODUCTS

DISCOVERINGA NEW CATEGORY 14

GUIDE TO MULTILAYER FLOORING

THE INDUSTRY’S BUSINESS NEWS & INFORMATION RESOURCE


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- Amy Rush-Imber

Accentuating the positive

If you excludethe year or so Icovered the arearug category back

in the early ’90s atHFD/HFN, hardwoodwas the first floor-ing segment I reallyspent significanttime covering.

A lot has changedsince I first started

writing about hardwood. One of the first conver-sations I had was about the growth of engineeredhardwood — then an aggressive estimate was thatit was nearly 15 percent of hardwood business.That number grew dramatically over the years —partly driven by lumber price increases and partlyby the demand and desire to create different visu-als. Today, solid wood has gained strength and wehear its virtues touted again.

Indeed, hardwood faced many challenges over thelast eight or so years. It took a beating during theGreat Recession. The independently-owned sawmillsstruggled and many closed. Raw material pricingsoared, putting pressure on flooring suppliers. Pric-es increased and, as demand grew again, supply wasstressed. At one point, we reported that hardwoodpricing cumulatively reached a nearly 20 percentincrease over the course of a year. Solid hardwoodagain faces pressure from lumber and some of theindustry’s largest suppliers will be posting increasesbetween 5 percent and 10 percent this spring.

There were other issues impacting the categoryas well. I spent time in Washington as Americanmanufacturers squared off with importers of en-gineered hardwood from China. At the end, therereally were no winners. Both U.S.-based importers

and U.S. makers faced challenges. And while muchChinese production moved to other parts of theworld and U.S. production eventually ramped up,they continue to have tough competition today.

Everyone can agree that hardwood is the con-sumer dream — gorgeous grains and colors, a goodperformance story and, today, a sustainability storyto go along with it. But the demand for hardwoodvisuals led to every hard surface flooring catego-ry seeking to mimic it, and they did spectacularly.Hardwood now isn’t just competing inside its sector,it now competes for market share against laminate,luxury vinyl tile and ceramic tile.

Still, hardwood has so much in its favor. Thereis nothing like the real thing. This year at TISE, wesaw the very best hardwood has to offer and greatstories to go along with it. Beautifully hand-touchedhardwoods, wide and long planks and colors from richneutrals to grays and blacks, stunning looks abound.

There is such a strong sustainability story that theindustry has fully embraced. Look for more on theprogress made in this area in the next issue of FCWwhen we talk to leaders such as Don Finkell, CEO ofAmerican OEM, who devoted themselves to bringingthe Lacey Act, and enforcement of it, to light, andworking to make deforestation a practice of the past.

Few categories have faced such challenges fromboth outside and inside the industry in such a shortperiod of time. And yet, hardwood remains theflooring that today’s homeowners aspire to. AndNWFA CEO and president Michael Martin has beena great champion for the category, facing its chal-lenges head on with fresh ideas.

There are a lot of bright minds in the hardwoodarena from designers and suppliers to importersand distributors. I have no doubt that hardwoodwill make some noise in the coming year, touting itsstrong points — of which there are many!

* From liquid accidents.© 2018 INVISTA. All Rights Reserved. STAINMASTER and the STAINMASTER family of marks and logos are trademarks of INVISTA. C09988 FCW

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story telling - bowe · storytelling also offers suppliers an opportunity to engage all of the...

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