It was a family affair at Mohawk Edge Summit in Aurora, Colorado, where about 600 attendees representing nearly 300 Edge-aligned retailers gathered to explore strategies for increasing profitability and market leadership. 

Mohawk reported 7.5% year-over-year growth in 2024, notable in an industry-wide decline of 10%, according to Jeff Meadows, president of residential sales. 

"Family is our why," Meadows said. "It's why we wake up, it's why we go to work, and it's why we build our business," acknowledging the multi-generational nature of many businesses in attendance, with companies passed down through parents and grandparents."

Mohawk Industries Chairman and CEO Jeff Lorberbaum delivered an optimistic outlook for the flooring industry, predicting a significant rebound in 2025 driven by falling interest rates and pent-up demand in the housing market.

"After this year's cuts, the mortgage rates started declining," Lorberbaum told the audience of independent retailers. "Mortgages are expected to be under 6% as we end next year." He noted that Harvard's Joint Center for Housing is predicting a return to normalized residential remodeling in the second half of next year.

The CEO highlighted several positive indicators for the industry's recovery, including rising home equity levels and aging housing stock that needs updating. "The median age of a home today is 40 years old," Lorberbaum explained. "The kitchen, the bedrooms, the living room, all the spaces are begging to be updated."

A key factor in the industry's potential rebound is the current state of home ownership. According to Lorberbaum, homeowners have unprecedented levels of equity, with the average American home having $325,000 in equity—up $130,000 since the pandemic began. This financial position could fuel renovation spending as homeowners invest in improvements rather than relocating.

"Independent retailers still sell three times as much flooring as the home centers because the consumer values the assistance you give them, the knowledge you have and your expertise to help them choose the right product for their use," Lorberbaum said.

Looking ahead to 2025, Mohawk expects existing home sales to increase by up to 9%, while single-family housing construction is projected to grow between 5% and 10%. These improvements, combined with expected interest rate cuts and increasing consumer confidence, suggest a positive outlook for the flooring industry after several challenging years.

A Winning Playbook 
Paul De Cock, president of Flooring North America, outlined the company's ambitious strategy for market leadership and partner success. He detailed Mohawk's three-pillar approach, dubbed the "three Rs"— relentless customer focus, ruthless simplification, and reinvestment in people and planet. 

"Everything we do, every action we take is focused on creating an edge for you and your consumers," De Cock said. "We want to be the envy of the industry because our brands are better, our service is better, our products are better."

De Cock announced significant manufacturing expansions.  "After putting two new lines in the last three years, Mohawk's board just approved another increase in our production capacity and capability," De Cock said. "Each of these lines represented an investment of more than a hundred million dollars."  

As the only resilient flooring manufacturer in the United States with both East and West Coast operations, Mohawk emphasized its unique position to serve partners across the country with innovative technologies, such as its signature HDX technology. De Cock highlighted plans for brand expansion, including a new Karastan Black Label luxury line extension for 2025. Mohawk's commitment to sustainability was also highlighted as a key strategic priority. "Sustainability is no longer considered a bonus, but rather a must-have in everything we do," De Cock said, outlining the company's vision to lead in innovative, sustainable, and healthy products.

Capturing Next-Generation Shoppers
Mohawk is leveraging the power of its brands to capture, educate, and convert next-generation shoppers. 

“This is a key differentiator for us, and it's a growth driver for you,” Kelli Widdifield, SVP, and Chief Marketing Officer told retailers during the opening session. “We've delivered to in-market shoppers, those people most likely to purchase flooring in the next 12 months.”

Mohawk is driving flooring purchases through amplified shopper media campaigns that deliver refined, intentional, and engaging messaging for its hero products and master brands through national public relations campaigns, paid search, YouTube, Pinterest, and other social channels.

“Over two billion impressions and over eight million video views on YouTube for our products and brands in the last year,” Widdifield said. “As a result, our brand.com site traffic is up 33% this year in a down market.”

In addition, the company reported that customer leads grew by 86%, and there were 42% more “where to buy” searches.

For 2025, she reported that the team plans to double down on shopper marketing and is relaunching the Pergo brand with new products and price points, promoted with fresh shopper campaigns. 

Providing a consistent in-store experience is the next hurdle, and in response, Mohawk launched a new Edge Stores program that delivers premium benefits and support for an elevated retail experience to the company’s most aligned Edge customers. The company also announced the Edge Experience Academy, which will include six hours of virtual training for retail store associates. 

"We're only getting started," Widdifield said. "Our playbook is working."