Subtle innovation, rather than in-your-face change, was the distinguishing characteristic at January's Atlanta International Area Rug Market. From a styling perspective, the event was a far cry from the rug markets of the past two years when vendors bombarded buyers with flashy developments in fiber, yarn, dyeing, and weaving technology.
"Super Naturals" is how Leonard Ludovico, Congoleum's vice president of Styling, describes the new resilient patterns out on the flooring market today. Taking their cue from Mother Nature, resilient manufacturers are seeking to "perfect" nature when they create the look of stone, ceramic and wood.
I am sick and tired of being sick and tired about two things: installers screaming for more money, and retailers saying there is an installation crisis. However, both camps are right in their assertions. As I see it, our industry's mission is to work together, to eliminate the injustices each of them heaps on the other, by putting our energy and effort into solving our two biggest problems -- installer education and proper compensation.
The floor covering retailer of the latest century faces the same challenge as his counterpart in the last: How to attract consumers, then keep them coming back for more. And while better customer service, more pricing options, and a keener ear for consumer concerns and needs helped unlock the doors for many new entrepreneurs, the key to keeping those doors open may lie in expanding product lines past the traditional and into the additional.
Cevisama, Spain's annual showcase for its ceramic tile industry, will hold court in Valencia, Spain from Feb. 27 through March 3 at the Feria Valencia. The five-day event will feature more than 900 exhibitors, and record-breaking attendance is expected.
As the dates for Surfaces -- the largest tradeshow in the floor covering business -- draw near, the annual anticipation that attendees feel is not based entirely on the prospect of enthusiastic wheeling and dealing across the more-than 470,000 square feet of exhibition space. Their excitement is also fanned by the prospect of sharing in the latest educational developments and technical innovations available to the industry.
Whether you sell floor coverings, home furnishings or just about any other consumer product, don't be surprised if someday soon a customer comes to you demanding goods in pearlescent and nature-inspired hues.
The Desert Passage located at the Aladdin Hotel lifts its ceilings up toward the Nevada sky as if it has always been a part of the Las Vegas strip and the desert landscape that surrounds it.
One of the most challenging installations an installer can face is the installation of flooring around a fixed object. It does not matter what the product is - vinyl, ceramic, wood, laminate - it just does not matter. Fortunately, with a little pre-planning, finesse, and the right tools, you can install laminate flooring around the object perfectly.
One of the more recent and exciting projects involving Tile of Spain has been its association with The House of Tomorrow II in Seven Hills, Nev., a suburb of Las Vegas.
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