CarpetsPlus ColorTile’s Dunn Visits Member Stores

CHATTANOOGA, TENN.—For the fifth consecutive year, Ron Dunn, co-CEO of CarpetsPlus ColorTile, and his wife Sandy road-tripped across the U.S., visiting member stores.

“We’ve developed a nice three-part rhythm to each stop,” said Ron. “Meeting staff, touring the store, learning how each business has evolved and is currently running; then reviewing key products, suppliers, best practices, new marketing initiatives and growth opportunities.”

According to Ron, since he visits stores personally and discusses topics first-hand, he can take his findings back and add them to the group’s collection of best practices, which are then published in the company’s Proven Ways books and videos.

“I appreciate Ron taking the time to come visit us in Davenport, Iowa,” said Eric Langan, owner of nine Carpetland USA locations in Iowa and Illinois. “I enjoyed giving him a tour of our Davenport location, and showing him some of the updates we’ve already made and are planning on making within our store.”

For more, call (800) 261-6456 or visit carpetspluscolortile.com.

NWFA/NOFMA Certification for Lewis Bros. Lumber

ST. LOUIS—Lewis Bros. Lumber Co. has earned National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA)/NOFMA Mill Certification.

“We are glad to add Lewis Bros. as another committed partner in the NWFA/NOFMA certification program,” said NWFA’s president and CEO, Michael Martin. “This quality-verification program is about maintaining a high standard in the industry, but it also is about uniting manufacturers that share this understanding. Together, we are building an ever-strengthening program.”

According to Martin, NWFA/NOFMA certification shows that a manufacturer’s wood flooring meets or exceeds the industry standards for grade, configuration, moisture content and average board length. Certified mills are inspected a minimum of two times per year to ensure consistent grade standards are met.

“Although we are new to the flooring market, we are extremely proud of the product that we manufacture,” said Jeff Lewis, president of the company. “The NWFA/NOFMA certification is another way to show that we are committed to our products.”

For more, call (636) 519-9663 or visit nwfa.org.
 

Study Reveals AmericasMart’s High Economic Impact

ATLANTA—AmericasMart Atlanta’s global wholesale trade operations have set new all-time performance records in an independent study of the 7.1-million-square-foot trade mart/trade show complex’s impact on the local and regional economy, according to Jeffrey Portman Sr., AmericasMart’s vice chairman, president and COO.

The study—entitled “The Economic Impact of AmericasMart Atlanta”—was designed, executed and reported by Georgia State University Andrew Young School of Policy Studies associate dean, Sally Wallace, and economics professor David Sjoquist. The research documents AmericasMart’s performance over the 12-month period ending Aug. 31, 2014, its most recent reporting period.

Visit americasmart.com, or call (404) 220-3000 for more.
 

H.J. Martin Recognized for Outstanding Service

GREEN BAY, WIS.—H.J. Martin and Son was named Service Provider of the Year in The Daily Reporter’s Newsmakers of the Year awards.

Recognized for its outstanding achievements and community-building initiatives, the publication highlighted the 50-plus educational facilities completed by H.J. Martin this year, the service provided to its many national retailer clients and the cross-divisional services at automobile dealers across Wisconsin.

“Service has been a pillar of our company for over 80 years, so it seems appropriate that we would be recognized in that area,” said Edward Martin, CEO of the company. “We can’t thank our many talented employees enough for their significant role in this achievement. Without them, it would not be possible.”

Also recognized by the publication was the work of H.J. Martin in prominent hospitality projects, including new fan and player amenities at the Green Bay Packers’ Lambeau Field.

For more, call (920) 494-3461 or visit hjmartin.com.

Milliken Releases Inaugural Sustainability Report

SPARTANBURG, S.C.—Milliken’s floor covering division has released its first-ever sustainability report.

“To Milliken, success is grounded in intentional environmental stewardship and has been for more than a century,” said Jim McCallum, president of the global Milliken floor covering division. “This report sheds light on the lofty expectations of a holistic approach to sustainability that we set for our company to create innovations that ‘do good’ for the world.”

The report addressed chemical and human health impacts, recycled content and recyclability, resource consumption, supply chain impacts of products and employer of choice. Highlights from the report included: achieving zero waste to landfill goals for 22 years; reducing energy consumption by 13.6%; reducing water consumption by 35.7% and completing Declare transparency labels for Milliken PVC-free broadloom and modular carpet.

Visit millikencarpet.com, or call (864) 503-2020 for more.

FCDA’s Powerhold Broadens Market Reach

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.—The Floor Covering Distributor Alliance (FCDA) has broadened the market for its Powerhold brand in Ohio, South Carolina and Wisconsin.

“The members of FCDA are leaders in their markets, which fuels their growth into new markets,” said Dan Lee, president of FCDA and CEO of Professional Flooring Supply. “As they grow, so does the number of floor covering installers and flooring contractors who have access to the full line of Powerhold products.”

According to Lee, there are approximately 630 products sold under the Powerhold brand. Included are tools such as tile cutters and seaming irons, as well as supplies ranging from adhesives to tack strips to surface protection products.

For more, call (800) 868-4583 or visit powerhold.com.

Invista’s Camden Plant to Reduce Air Emissions 

CAMDEN, N.J.— The natural gas boilers at Invista’s nylon fiber manufacturing site near Camden, N.J., will lead to a significant reduction in air emissions, according to the company.

Invista Camden anticipates a reduction in more than 50,000 tons per year of carbon dioxide as a result of the $30 million project. This is equivalent to removing more than 9,500 passenger vehicles from the road, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“This project signifies Invista’s continuing commitment to environmental excellence,” said Juan Flores, site manager at Invista’s Camden plant. “In addition to significantly reducing air emissions, we expect the new boiler system to also increase the efficiency of Camden’s power operation.”

The Camden site began operations in 1950 and produces nylon polymer and fiber for products such as Stainmaster carpet, Antron carpet fiber and fiber used in the automotive industry.

For more, call (877) 446-8478 or visit Invista.com.

Manufacturers Recognized by U.S. Department of Energy

DALTON—Shaw Industries and Bentley Mills were both honored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for their contributions in energy cost savings and participation in the Better Buildings, Better Plants Program.

“Shaw’s energy reduction strategy is one of the cornerstones of our ongoing sustainability efforts,” said Paul Murray, vice president of sustainability and environmental affairs at Shaw. “We remain focused on reducing the amount of energy used to manufacture our products both to decrease the amount of emissions impacting our environment and to decrease our costs.”

According to Maya Henderson, sustainability manager for Bentley, the company’s sustainability program is rooted in a strong culture of environmental stewardship and social responsibility. “Each day we work to meet a challenge—not only to provide quality carpet products, but to also take innovative steps to aid in the resiliency of the built environment and regeneration of the natural world.”

According to the DOE, manufacturers in the Better Buildings, Better Plants Program have racked up an estimated $2.4 billion in cumulative energy cost savings over the last five years.

PFS Secures New PA.-Based HQ

KING OF PRUSSIA, PA.—After suffering a damaging fire that destroyed its offices and warehouse, Philadelphia Floor Store (PFS) has secured a 45,000 square-foot facility in King of Prussia, Pa., that will serve as its North American headquarters.

Located just two miles from the company’s previous location in Conshohocken, Pa., the new facility is twice the size, according to Mike Glavin, founder of PFS.

“We were incredibly fortunate to find such a great space so close to our previous location,” he said. “We had hoped to limit the impact the relocation would have on our contractors, suppliers and employees. The building is ideal in terms of access to local highways and proximity to our customer base.”

The King of Prussia location will include PFS’ pro shop, repair center and showroom, as well as several new features that are currently in development.

“This really is the perfect building for us. The additional space will allow us to enhance operational efficiencies, increase production capabilities, and grow the business in accordance with our long-term goals and objectives,” said Glavin.

For more, call (610) 940-5757 or visit phillyfloor.com.

NWFA Introduces Wood Studies Scholarship

ST. LOUIS—The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) has introduced the Education & Research Foundation Wood Studies Scholarship to promote the post-secondary study of forestry and related forestry sciences.

The $1,000 nonrenewable scholarship will be awarded to a current high school senior who will study forestry in an effort to advance and improve forestry practices for generations to come.

“Trees are a natural resource providing the raw materials that support the livelihoods of those employed in the forestry and flooring industries, including so many members of the NWFA,” said Michael Martin, president and CEO of the association.

The deadline for the scholarship is Monday, Feb. 1, 2016.

For more, call (636) 519-9663 or visit nwfa.org.

Tarkett to Join World Economic Forum in 2016

PARIS—Tarkett will join the World Economic Forum as a partner company in 2016.

Established in 1971, the World Economic Forum is a unique, non-profit organization which brings together world leaders in politics, industry, science and technology, and NGOs to discuss key industrial and global challenges.

Tarkett will contribute to the World Economic Forum discussions through a dual membership, engaging in both the Global Challenge initiative on the Environment and Natural Resource Security, and as an industry partner for Infrastructure and Urban Development. Tarkett will also contribute to Project MainStream, a multi-industry and CEO-led global initiative to accelerate innovation and help scale up the circular economy.

“I am convinced that business leaders as well as our teams have a major responsibility to not only deliver commercial success in a fully sustainable way, but also to lead the transformation towards the collaborative circular economy engaging all stakeholders,” said Michel Giannuzzi, CEO of Tarkett. “We believe, as the Forum does, that bringing so many leaders from different horizons together will help us find new solutions contributing to human development, resources preservation and sustainable growth.”

For more, call (610) 266-5504 or visit tarkett.com.

Dalton Wholesale Named Armstrong Elite Retailer

Lancaster, PA.—Armstrong has named Dalton Wholesale an Elite Retailer. Since opening in 2004, Dalton Wholesale has grown to a three-store operation, with locations in Adairsville, Ellijay and Jasper, Ga.

“I love that Armstrong is a company with a proud American heritage with a great product line, most of which are manufactured in the U.S. Armstrong has great name recognition and quality products,” said Barry McEntire, co-owner of Dalton Wholesale.

As an Elite Retailer, Dalton Wholesale provides exclusive services to customers on Armstrong products and specializes in Armstrong product knowledge and installation expertise. Armstrong Elite flooring showrooms display the broadest selection of Armstrong flooring in every product category, from hardwood to vinyl sheet and from laminate to luxury vinyl tile.

New Elite merchandising displays will be added to each showroom to provide an even wider range of hard surface floor covering options from which customers can choose.

For more, call (800) 651-4543 or visit daltonwholesalefloors.com.

HGTV’s McGillivray to Host KBIS DesignBites

ALPHARETTA, GA.—Scott McGillivray, of HGTV’s “Income Property,” “Flipping the Block” and upcoming “Moving the McGillivrays,” will host the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show’s (KBIS) first-ever DesignBites forum at KBIS 2016, taking place Jan. 19 through 21.

“I always tell homeowners that kitchens and bathrooms are the most important rooms when it comes to increasing the value of any home,” said Scott McGillivray. “KBIS’ new DesignBites forum is a fantastic opportunity for brands to unveil their latest kitchen and bath innovations and solutions to market in a fun and engaging way.”

McGillivray’s passion lies in educating homeowners to make smart renovation and investment decisions, and he will do the same for KBIS attendees by helping them learn about brand-new kitchen and bath designs unveiling at KBIS.

For more, call (877) 267-4662 or visit KBIS.com.

Editor’s note: For complete coverage of these and other industry news stories, visit our website at floortrendsmag.com, where you can also sign up for a free subscription to our daily enewsletter, TalkFloor.