The twin engines that drive the tile market-creativity and technology-will be the force behind many of the 1,100 manufacturers presenting their latest creations at Cevisama 2006, Feb. 7-11 in Valencia, Spain. This year, more than 90,000 visitors from 145 countries are expected to converge in the newly renovated and expanded Feria Valencia.
Carpet backing, though left largely unsung, is an important piece of the carpet puzzle. A high-quality backing can help block moisture vapors that could ruin a luxurious carpet. The product can also be engineered to extend the overall durability of the floor. Additionally, certain types of backing are designed to create a softness underfoot that most any homeowner would prize.
More consolidation, a worsening shortage of skilled labor, supply pipeline issues, uneasiness about the Internet replacing brick and mortar stores...these are just some of the curves expected along the road leading to 2010. But the forecasts we gathered from retailers and distributors also anticipate a far more efficient distribution system, stronger buying groups, better product lines and, perhaps most important, consumers who appreciate, and respond to, quality flooring.
Most of the top flooring manufacturers in the world say they wouldn't think of missing Surfaces-which is the prime reason they establish their presence with hulking, impossible-to-miss exhibits.
National Floor Trends recently spoke to some of the key executives at StonePeak Ceramics, a division of GranitiFiandre that is making its presence felt in the U.S. market.
The theme of Mohawk Industries' Sixth Annual Floorscapes convention was "Beyond Expectations," though perhaps a more appropriate name would be "Changing Expectations."
There is not the slightest hint of bitterness or anger as Barbara Tedrowe recalls her heart break: Her son Darrin-a star athlete, a college student and a newlywed-was critically injured in a 1983 motorcycle accident that rendered him a quadriplegic. It was a hit- and-run accident and the other driver has never been identified. Darrin's neck was broken in the crash and he was paralyzed from the chest down. He was confined to a wheelchair for more than 20 years until kidney failure claimed his life in 2004. During that time Barbara cared for him, encouraged him and neither complained about her son's situation nor allowed herself the luxury of self-pity.
I am fortunate to have been a part of this industry for the most exciting years in the history of floor coverings. It has been 50 years marked by a multitude of dramatic events that impacted on the industry and its people. By the way a great many more had a positive than a negative impact. This article isn't a trip down memory lane; rather it's a recap of key events impacting the industry between the start of my career in 1955 and today. Few in 1955 could have foreseen that the industry would reach today's heights with a wide array of products that were not even on the horizon back then and technology that created so many important breakthroughs.
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