In a move that fundamentally changes the way it does business, Faus said it will begin working directly with specialty retailers to promote and market the company's full line of Fausfloor laminate products, merchandising and programs. Previously, Faus worked indirectly with retailers through a distribution network.
In a recent letter to distributors, Dennis Jarosz, sr. vp sales and marketing for Congoleum, said the company would raise prices 3 to 6 percent on its products to help offset the escalating cost of raw materials. Congoleum is one of a number of resilient makers in the past several weeks that have announced price hikes.
BNP Media, the parent company of National Floor
Trends, and Imago Trade Shows are set to launch the first
National Disaster Reconstruction Expo June 17-18, 2009, at the Earnest N.
Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Designed as “the first event to
consolidate the disaster reconstruction industry,” NDRExpo will include product
demonstrations, discussions of capabilities and challenges in the business, and
networking opportunities for disaster management professionals across the
industry.
David Wootton, an industry veteran
with close to 20 years of experience including as the former president of
Columbia Flooring and Harris-Tarkett, has joined the Floor Covering Institute
as a faculty member. In his new role, he will offer assistance to businesses on
strategic development and global sourcing, turnarounds, and mergers and
acquisitions. Additionally, he will work with corporations to strengthen their
strategic teams, networks and key personnel.
With an eye toward broadening the impact of its Green Edge
sustainability initiative, Shaw Industries has announced two new ‘green’
efforts. The flooring maker has become a “founding reporter” of greenhouse gas
reporting agency The Climate Registry. Additionally, Shaw said it is partnering
with the U.S. Department of Energy to find ways to reduce energy usage in its
plants by 25 percent in the next 10 years.
Chip Wade, an Atlanta-based carpenter and home remodeling contractor featured on HGTV's Designed to Sell, has been named Mohawk Industries' newest celebrity spokesman. On the show, which he joined last year, Wade heads a team that is responsible for turning around three-room makeovers in just a few days.
Following similar announcements from Armstrong and Mannington,
Tarkett Commercial said it will raise prices on its commercial VCT flooring to
help offset the higher costs of raw materials. Beginning July 1, Tarkett will
increase prices on its VCT flooring by 5 percent
For the second year in a row, Invista said it will offset the carbon footprint associated with traveling for each attendee who visits its Antron carpet fiber showroom at NeoCon 2008. For each visitor to Merchandise Mart Suite 10-111 in Chicago, Invista will donate emissions reductions credits to Leonardo Academy's Cleaner and Greener Program, which retires the credits.
In
a move that follows a similar announcement from Armstrong, and is potentially a
harbinger of price hikes across the laminate and vinyl flooring categories,
Mannington said it will raise prices on select commercial and residential vinyl
products as well as laminate floors beginning July 7.
Citing increased material costs, Armstrong said it will
raise prices 3 to 5 percent on select vinyl and laminate flooring products
beginning July 7. Additionally, the company announced that its LVT prices would
rise 5 to 10 percent.