• Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • A&D
  • INSTALLATION
  • MARKETS
  • AWARDS
  • EDUCATION
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MEDIA
  • EMAGAZINE
  • SIGN UP
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Breaking Flooring News
  • eNewsletters
  • PRODUCTS
  • Carpet & Area Rugs
  • Hardwood
  • Installation Products
  • Installation Tools & Equipment
  • Laminate
  • Resilient
  • Specialty
  • Tile & Stone
  • MARKETS
  • Commercial
  • Residential
  • AWARDS
  • Installation Awards
  • Top Flooring Products
  • EDUCATION
  • Continuing Education
  • Webinars
  • Sponsored Insights
  • MEDIA
  • FLOOR Podcast
  • Videos
  • TISE 2025 Videos
  • eBooks
  • EMAGAZINE
  • eMagazine
  • Archive Issues
  • Contact
  • Advertise
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
    • Breaking Flooring News
    • eNewsletters
  • PRODUCTS
    • Carpet & Area Rugs
    • Hardwood
    • Installation Products
    • Installation Tools & Equipment
    • Laminate
    • Resilient
    • Specialty
    • Tile & Stone
  • A&D
  • INSTALLATION
  • MARKETS
    • Commercial
    • Residential
  • AWARDS
    • Installation Awards
    • Top Flooring Products
  • EDUCATION
    • Continuing Education
    • Webinars
    • Sponsored Insights
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MEDIA
    • FLOOR Podcast
    • Videos
    • TISE 2025 Videos
    • eBooks
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP
Shows and Events for FlooringCarpet and Rugs

Conventions, Obamacare and the Soft Touch Experience

By Dave Foster
Conventions, Obamacare and the Soft Touch Experience
February 14, 2013
Every year Mohawk holds a convention for its aligned dealers, its Floorscapes and ColorCenter retailers. We had an opportunity to attend last year’s the event in Orlando, and what an event it was, drawing in excess of 1,600 attendees. While we were there we conducted loads of interviews, one of which was with David Duncan, Senior VP Marketing at Mohawk; check it out now in the TalkFloor.com archives.

Now anyone who knows David knows that he’s not only a walking idea machine, but a bona fide character as well. I only wish that I had had my camera close by when David made his grand entrance on the general session stage with his “Flying V” guitar in a performance that would have put Jimi Hendrix to shame.

Although you won’t find that particular stellar performance in the archives, you will find David outlining what was really the big news of this whole get together and that was product innovation and the new products the company rolled out at this event.

The big news was in carpet and soft was the story from Wear-Dated Embrace, the company’s new soft nylon launched to complement SmartStrand and SmartStrand Silk. David talks about the company’s brand new approach to marketing soft to consumers while they’re inside a retail store and the research the company did to determine preferences. They basically entice consumers to just touch and rub their hand over a selection of carpet samples on new, very cool and very tempting displays and, once the touch happens, for many their whole belief system about carpet changes and soft becomes a very important part of a decision.

We had an opportunity to talk with a number of retailers at the convention to see if this touchy-feely thing really performs as planned and every single person we spoke with answered with an enthusiastic “Yes!” You can also listen to a number of conversations in the archives and hear it for yourselves. 

One more thing you may want to also check out on the site: if you’re a floor covering retailer, you definitely have found no scarcity of things to worry about especially with all of the mayhem in Washington and the perpetually uninspiring and unpredictable economy. And even though healthcare for the last several years been an incessant source of apprehension for most businesspeople now that Obamacare is about to enter your future, you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet.

Because this new legislation will be such an overarching part of the economy and because the new law imposes new compliance regulations and employer mandate taxes – not to mention an overabundance of indirect costs for both small and mid-size businesses – we invited David Pennington, the president of Advanced Insurance Strategies, to join us on TalkFloor.com.

By the way, David is also the mayor of Dalton, Ga.

In the TalkFloor archives you can listen to David talk about the tax increases associated with the new law; 10 of its 18 new tax hikes have yet to kick in. He talks about the specifics of the new costs this law brings, and the flood of compliance regulations you’ll have to deal with. Also of prime interest, he discusses the penalty employers will have to pay if coverage is dropped, the exchanges, and how the law will change the basic way healthcare will be delivered in the U.S. If you run a business, Obamacare will most assuredly be a new source of worry; David may help clarify it for you.

These are only some of the audio and video interviews we post daily on TalkFloor. There are lots more; we just don’t have the space to talk about. Also, we’d love to hear your thoughts as to some of the industry people you’d like to see on TalkFloor; send your thoughts to me at davefoster@talkfloor.com.

KEYWORDS: commercial market flooring retailers marketing and sales

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Dave foster author
A pioneer in the industry’s digital media, Dave Foster launched the industry’s first news and information websites, culminating with TalkFloor.com, the industry’s first site offering both audio and video interviews and industry news as it happens. Now with BNP, Foster will continue to travel the industry interviewing its movers and shakers and offering his thoughts in this blog.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • resilient flooring

    The 7 Types of Resilient Flooring

    The resilient flooring category is comprised of many...
    Resilient Flooring
    By: Resilient Floorcovering Institute
  • QuickDrain USA’s ShowerLine linear drain

    Tips for Curbless Shower Installation Using a Linear Drain

    Consider these four tips when planning for a curbless...
    Flooring Installation
    By: Darryl Jones
  • 2024 New Flooring Product Guide

    2024 New Flooring Products Guide

    We explore this year's introductions in area rugs,...
    Commercial Flooring
    By: FLOOR Trends & Installation Editors
You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

close

1 COMPLIMENTARY ARTICLE(S) LEFT

Loader

Already a Registered User? Sign in now.

Manage My Account
  • eMagazine
  • eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Subscription Customer Service

Retailers Share Top Takeaways from Shaw Flooring Network Convention

Retailers Share Top Takeaways from Shaw Flooring Network Convention

Shaw Flooring Network Retailers Report Post-Election Sales Surge

Shaw Flooring Network Retailers Report Post-Election Sales Surge

SolidTech R: Sustainable, High-Performance Flooring from Bottle to Floor

SolidTech R: Sustainable, High-Performance Flooring from Bottle to Floor

What Shaw Flooring Network Dealers are Banking on for 2025

What Shaw Flooring Network Dealers are Banking on for 2025

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the FLOOR Trends & Installation audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of FLOOR Trends & Installation or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Woodura Herringbone 2.0
    Sponsored byBjelin

    The Herringbone Floor of the Future

Popular Stories

company branding

Branding and Marketing Strategies for Flooring Contractors

how to properly trowel adhesive

Flooring Adhesives Education: The Key to Preventing Costly Installation Failures

Woodura Herringbone 2.0

The Herringbone Floor of the Future


Download the Free Moisture Meters Guide

Events

December 1, 2030

Webinar Sponsorship Information

For webinar sponsorship information, visit www.bnpevents.com/webinars or email webinars@bnpmedia.com.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Growth Challenges in the Flooring Industry

What’s holding you back from growth in 2025?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

2025 BNI Interiors Square Foot Costbook

2025 BNI Interiors Square Foot Costbook

See More Products

FLOORtalk podcasts - Listen Now

Related Articles

  • DeGraaf Interiors team

    How to Create an Exceptional Retail Experience

    See More
  • single-family housing

    Business to Stay the Same for the Second Half of 2017

    See More
  • talk floor

    CAP Carpet’s Levon and Aaron Pirner Discuss The Flooring Project and Its New Concept and Approach to Retail

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • Ultimate_Carpet_Manufacturing_and_Claims_Training_Manual_bleed-2 (2).jpg

    The Ultimate Carpet Manufacturing, Inspection and Claims Training Manual

  • M:\General Shared\__AEC Store Katie Z\AEC Store\Images\Flooring images\new FL site\oriental-rug-cleaning.gif

    Oriental & Specialty Rug Cleaning

  • interior design.jpg

    On Interior Design

See More Products
×

We’re rolling out the red carpet of flooring knowledge!

Stay in the know on the latest flooring retail trends.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletters
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
    • Breaking Flooring News
    • eNewsletters
  • PRODUCTS
    • Carpet & Area Rugs
    • Hardwood
    • Installation Products
    • Installation Tools & Equipment
    • Laminate
    • Resilient
    • Specialty
    • Tile & Stone
  • A&D
  • INSTALLATION
  • MARKETS
    • Commercial
    • Residential
  • AWARDS
    • Installation Awards
    • Top Flooring Products
  • EDUCATION
    • Continuing Education
    • Webinars
    • Sponsored Insights
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MEDIA
    • FLOOR Podcast
    • Videos
    • TISE 2025 Videos
    • eBooks
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP