Citing increased raw material costs, Armstrong Commercial
Floor Products said it will increase the price of its Natural Creations luxury
vinyl tile line effective Sept. 1. The price will rise 6 percent, according to the
company.
Show organizers say that Coverings will return to the
McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago for the 2009 convention.
Coverings, the annual tile and stone show traditionally held in Orlando, Fla.,
touched down in Chicago this year to great success, according to organizers.
Plans call for the 2008 show to be held in Orlando, then rotate between the two
cities from year to year.
Trainingspace,
an online training company that offers professional and customized courses for flooring
retailers, residential builders and interior finish contractors, recently
logged its 10,000th hour of training. To celebrate, Trainingspace
awarded iPods to one trainee in each of its three training segments. Meghan
Dooley from Avalon Carpet, Tile and Flooring (retailer segment); Beth Davis
from Ryland Homes (builder segment); and Sara Thibodeau of SuperFloors
(contractor segment) were recognized.
Organizers of the Surfaces trade show said they plan to add
three new exhibit pavilions for the annual meeting set to run from Jan. 30 –
Feb. 1, 2008. In addition to a New Product Pavilion, the show will include
specific exhibit areas devoted to Decorative Concrete items and Hand-Crafted
Tile. The new product showcase will be situated adjacent to an entrance area to
help maximize exposure.
Laminate flooring maker Faus Group had added three flooring
veterans to its management team, including two executives who were formerly
with distributor Hoboken Floors. Ken Freedman, formerly vp of national accounts
for Hoboken, has been named director of Fausfloor sales. Steve Ehrlich, most
recently Hoboken’s senior vp of marketing, has joined as product development
director. Additionally, Jeff Berl has been elevated to national sales manager.
The World Floor Covering Association is seeking nominees for
induction into the organization’s Floor Covering Industry Hall of Fame. A
veritable “Who’s Who” of the flooring industry, the Hall of Fame includes 35
industry luminaries with significant accomplishments in the industry as well as
the community.
Andrew Aufiero, who served as the president of the Certified
Floorcovering Installers from 2004 to 2006, died July 28 while awaiting a liver
transplant. He was 53. Remembered for his passion in promoting the needs of
certified installers and his quirky sense of humor, Aufiero and his wife
Cynthia were instrumental in keeping installers both informed and entertained.
Mohawk Industries has partnered with Global FloorCare Solutions to form a national network of authorized floorcare service centers. Founded by Brian and Trecia Warren, both former Mohawk executives, Global FloorCare
Commercial flooring veteran Al Kabus has been named
president of The Mohawk Group. He will be responsible for overseeing sales,
marketing and customer operations for the business unit’s six commercial carpet
brands: Karastan Contract, Durkan Commercial, Durkan Hospitality, Lees Carpets,
Mohawk Commercial and Bigelow Commercial. Kabus has nearly 30 years of
experience in the interiors industry, including at the helm of several software
companies providing consulting services to the commercial segment.
Highly regarded industry executive Edward Muchnick, chief
financial officer of CCA Global Partners, died July 17 due to complications
from cancer. He was 62.
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