NEW YORK -- DuPont announced at a presentation May 13 that it hopes to increase the number of DuPont Flooring Centers at retail from 150 to 300 outlets across the country. Also, the company plans to increase the ranks of its Stainmaster Galleries in existing retail stores from 1,800 to 2,500. The company expects to meet these goals by mid-2003.

"We've almost doubled our sales force," explained Gary Johnston, global brand manager for DuPont Stainmaster carpet, in reference to DuPont's strategy for meeting its expansion goals. "More people in the field makes it easier to call on retail service accounts, and get more people involved (in our expansion)."

Also at the presentation, DuPont provided an overview of the Stainmaster rugs product line, the newest entry in the Stainmaster program.

Many of the rugs - such as higher-end color-on-color patterns in the Soho Collection and florals in the Laura Ashley Collection - have been previously shown at either Surfaces or the High Point, N.C. interior furnishings market.