After taking a
careful look at the way cosmetics and other consumer products are merchandised,
Tarkett Residential says it has created an in-store system that addresses the
main concerns of retailers and shoppers. The company says the three-tower
merchandiser for its FiberFloor fiberglass-backed line of resilient floors
maximizes the product’s visual impact in the showroom while minimizing the
unit’s footprint.
NFT's 10th annual directory is the industry's
definitive source for everything from listings of products to
compendiums of manufacturers, distributors and industry
associations/markets. Directories of sales agents, buying groups and
schools are also included. No matter what segment of the industry you
work in, this is the guide you'll want to refer to all year long.
Mannington Mills garnered five
first place nods (and one runner up mention) to emerge as the big winner in
this year’s NFT Styling Excellence Awards. Voted on by showgoers
at Surfaces and online, the awards honor the best high-style products in
flooring.
Mannington took top honors in areas including: Ceramic
(Serengeti Slate), Laminate Floors (Time Crafted Maple), LVT (Ashford Walnut),
Merchandising (Adura Elements display) and Wood (Stonehenge Walnut). “It’s an
honor to know that we are making products that resonate with our customers,”
said Ed Duncan, Mannington’s sr. vp residential marketing. “We believe that our
continued success in this area is due to Mannington’s commitment to styling and
design, in every category.”
Resilient
floor tile has been specified for commercial interiors for decades. Yet, these
products have not made it into Main Street commercial applications on a regular
basis. Vinyl composition tile (vct) and its predecessors va tile and asphalt
tile have been around for so long that many facility managers and flooring
retailers often just select vct samples when thinking of hard surface options.
NFT asked laminate flooring
manufacturers to weigh in on the issue of sustainability. It is hard to argue
that ‘green’ has become an increasingly important aspect of the industry, but
how does this translate to a product that is a composite of natural and manmade
materials? Here is what they had to say.
Architects
and interior designers are once again encouraged to bring their top clients to
Coverings. The show, set for April 29 to May 2 at the Orange County Convention
Center in Orlando, Fla., will continue the popular “Bring Your Client” program
that was launched last year in Chicago as a means of building better relations
between the design community and those who retain their services.
If
adhesives work best when pressure is applied, the current business climate may
be perfect. Rising fuel prices have greatly increased production costs,
environmental issues have never been more prominent and builders are demanding
supplies that help speed construction. At the same time, contractors, installers
and DIY consumers can afford to be fussy: they have never had more flooring
adhesives to choose from. In short, those competing in the adhesives market are
faced with a number of sizeable challenges on numerous fronts.
While
design innovation has long been a top priority for laminate makers, they agree
that the focus on fashion is changing the complexion of the category. In a
trend some manufacturers call “negative growth,” they note that interest in
high-end product has been rising, though it has not been enough to offset
sluggish market conditions in the overall laminate business.
At a time when many makers of residential
flooring are eyeing the commercial market, Bentley Prince Street is taking a
different approach. The company, which is based in City of Industry, Calif., was
on hand at a recent design show in Santa Monica to promote bps rugs, a line of upscale
area rugs that are designed to expand flooring options for the home.
Hunkered down but not backing
away would seem to summarize the mindset among those on hand for Surfaces this
year. While the effect of a soft housing market could be seen in nearly every
corner of the show, the overwhelming sentiment was one of confidence that the
storm clouds looming over the flooring business will lift in 2008.
Even those who were bracing for a somber Surfaces said they
were pleasantly surprised by the tone of the show.
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