What were subscribers tuning into in 2024? Check out Floor Trends & Installation’s top 10 podcasts for the year.

1 Floor Covering Education Foundation: Progress Report 2024

Leaders at the Floor Covering Education Foundation (FCEF) offer an update on the organization’s progress in increasing awareness and recruiting people to flooring installation, how they are connecting individuals to quality flooring installation in the industry, and how they are providing scholarships for training.

2 Southwind Building Products Celebrates 30 Years

Southwind Building Products celebrates its 30th anniversary during a transformative period marked by significant investments and strategic shifts. We recently spoke with Drew Hash, president and CEO of Southwind, to learn more about the company’s recent wins and what the future looks like as its owner, F9 Investments, looks for new partnerships.

3 Floors By Southern Boys' Reuben Potter on Marketing Strategies for Flooring Installers

In this digital age, our lives have become increasingly connected, yet at the same time, we are influenced by trends that are easily repeatable. Personal expression is becoming more important than ever in interior design, and area rugs are one way that consumers can easily add creativity and a unique attitude to their personal spaces.

 
4 CARE Executive Director Bob Peoples Discusses Recycling Challenges and California's AB 863 Bill

Bob Peoples, executive director of Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE), attended The Flooring Sustainability Summit where he spoke on carpet recycling. Here, he talks more in-depth about the Summit, the history of CARE, and the AB-863 California carpet recycling bill.

5 CFI Acquires NFIC: A Natural Next Step for Flooring Education 

The International Certified Flooring Installers Association (CFI) recently acquired the Natural Fiber Installers Certification (NFIC), a specialized training and certification organization focused on natural fiber flooring products. NFIC Founder PJ Arthur and Steve Abernathy, COO of the World Floor Covering Association, share how the acquisition will make certification more accessible to installers and promote the craftsmanship of natural fiber installations.  

6 CFI FCICA Leadership on Training, Growth and Business

On location at the second-annual joint 2024 CFI FCICA Convention in Orlando, Florida, leadership from the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA)—the parent organization for the Certified Flooring Installers (CFI)—and the Floor Covering Installation Contractors Association (FCICA) provide an update on membership, training and what installers have to look forward to in 2025.

7 Synchrony's Vince Lowe Talks Consumer Shopping Trends and the Future of Retail

Synchrony released a Future of Retail report that revealed data about consumers' shopping expectations for the future. Vince Lowe, senior VP and general manager home specialty and flooring with Synchrony, discusses the highlights and reveals how technology is shaping the shopping experience over the next several years. 

8 IUPAT's David Winkler on Training, Partnerships and the Future of Flooring Installation

 David Winkler, regional director of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) District Council 5, discusses the importance of training, provides insight into the inner workings and benefits of IUPAT, and dispels some common misconceptions about trade unions.  

 
9 Ray Mancini on the New UCX Brand and the Future of Distribution

Three leading flooring distribution companies—The Belknap White Group, JJ Haines & Company, and Swiff-Train Company—recently merged to form a new brand, Ultimate Customer Experience (UCX). UCX CEO Ray Mancini discusses the merger, his outlook for 2025, and the future of distribution.

10 Buckle Up for Growth in 2026-2027 

Bill Blackstock, president and CEO of the Resilient Floor Covering Institute, projects a rebound in resilient flooring starting mid-2025. Listen in as he shares an update on RFCI's fall meeting, his outlook for single-family and multifamily housing, and the commercial flooring sectors.