Show organizers of the Atlanta International Area Rug Market are seeking nominations from AmericasMart exhibitors for this year's Retailer of the Year Awards. The awards, which aim to honor the most innovative area rug retailers, are set for 5:30 p.m. July 14 at the Georgia Aquarium. The semiannual market will run July 13-16.
Show organizers said that attendance for Coverings 2008,
held April 29 to May 2 in Orlando, Fla., fell slightly from 37,000 to 35,000
showgoers compared to last year’s event in Chicago. However, Coverings
management added that attendance was up 3.8 percent over the last outing in
Orlando, in 2006. Organizers said the increase in Orlando attendance points to
the “hardiness” of the tile and stone segment in the area.
Flooring industry consulting firm The Claims Advisor said it
plans to host an educational conference on hardwood flooring featuring more
than 40 industry experts in August. Along with speaker sessions, the planned
Hardwood Flooring Summit will also include breakout classes, expert panels and
debates. The event is set for Aug. 14-17 in Atlanta.
About
300 employees at a Beaulieu of America plant in Dalton, Ga., were evacuated
Tuesday afternoon after a fire broke out in a ventilation system near the roof,
company officials and local press reports confirmed. The May 13 fire at a
Memofil Plant on Fifth Ave. in Dalton was brought under control by the Dalton
Fire Department, which remained on the scene through late afternoon.
The World Floor Covering Association recently wrapped up a two-city media
tour with stops in New York City and Des Moines. The WFCA asked more than
thirty Surfaces 2008 exhibitors to showcase their newest products in the tour,
including green flooring derived from corn and leather tiles made using
recycled car seats.
Husqvarna, an Olathe-Kans.-based maker of
diamond tools and cutting equipment for the construction and stone industries,
has purchased Meco -- Masterpiece Engineering Co. The Prescott, Ariz.-based
company is a leading producer of floor saws for cutting concrete and asphalt.
According to Husqvarna, Meco posts annual sales of about $9 million, with most
revenue in the U.S. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The Long Island Floor Covering Association is gearing up
for “LIFCA Tool Time 2008.” The free annual event offers “an evening of
demonstrations about the latest in tools for the floor covering industry” and
also features Q&A sessions with industry experts from leading manufacturers.
The Tool Time show is set for 5-9 p.m. May 28.
Industry experts from major mills and manufacturers are set
to review the INSTALL curriculum May 19-20 in Las Vegas. To ensure the training
modules for carpet, resilient and standard skills are up to date, members of
INSTALL are asking experts from partnering mills and manufacturers to offer
their input and advice. The modules are developed by the United Brotherhood of
Carpenters’ International Training Fund (CITF).
Tile maker Questech Corp., based in Rutland, Vt., was
recently recognized with the Vermont Governor’s Award for Environmental
Excellence and Pollution Prevention. One of three companies singled out for the
honor, Questech received the award for reducing emissions at its plant through “a
unique combination of chemistry, process and engineering.”
Frank Peters, an
industry veteran with experience at companies including Armstrong, Shaw and
most recently Mohawk, has been named president of the Mohawk Flooring Division.
He will be responsible for residential and commercial sales, marketing,
manufacturing and distribution for Mohawk’s complete line of carpets, rugs and
hard surface flooring. He succeeds Monte Thornton, who recently announced his
retirement after 15 years as a Mohawk executive.