Citing "significant cost increases" in fuel and raw materials, Mannington Mills said it has taken the step of raising prices on its commercial sheet vinyl and VCT products...
Joe Grady, an internationally recognized authority on flooring installation issues, and a long-time columnist for National Floor Trends and Floor Covering Installer magazines, died Friday, Dec. 9, following a prolonged battle with respiratory complications from rheumatoid arthritis. He was 79.
Commercial flooring giant Tarkett has agreed to acquire Johnsonite, a manufacturer that is based in Chagrin Falls, Ohio and best known for its specialty rubber floors and wall bases. The deal stands to significantly extend Tarkett's distribution and visibility while aligning Johnsonite with one of the world's largest flooring suppliers.
Mohawk and 3M have teamed up to create a new generation of carpet and hardwood flooring that will offer an advanced form of Scotchgard protection. 3M said it has developed a "total-fiber protector" that is specially formulated for Mohawk carpet and Solutia Wear-Dated fiber. The new formulation, Scotchgard Protector Advanced Repel Technology, is described as "an integral part of the carpet manufacturing process that provides advanced deep-down protection." It is designed to be well suited to high-traffic areas including entryways, stairwells and hallways.
Insufficient demand and increased production costs have prompted Dow Chemical Canada to halt production of Woodstalk, which has been positioned as a more environmentally-friendly, high quality alternative to wood-based fiberboard and particle board. In announcing its decision to shut the division that produces Woodstalk-Dow BioProducts in Elie, Manitoba, Canada-Dow Chemical officials said demand "was not at a level high enough to generate the returns necessary to sustain the business." The company added that increased natural gas and oil "made it ever more difficult to justify continued operation of the business and the plant." It will cease manufacturing the material by Dec. 31.
Carpet One and its membership are pitching in to make the holidays brighter for underprivileged children this season. For the eighth consecutive year, the retail cooperative will make a corporate donation to the Toys for Tots Foundation, while Carpet One stores nationwide have agreed to donate thousands of books to children in need. The effort is in keeping with Carpet One's ongoing support for children's literacy programs. The company says it has helped bring more than 340,000 books to deserving children over the years. "As a parent, I know how important it is for kids today to learn to enjoy reading at an early age," said Evan Hackel, president of Carpet One. "This is a wonderful cause that I'm happy to be able to support. I'm proud that our members recognize the importance of children's literacy and are supporting the cause in their local communities."
Georgia-Pacific Corp., a paper products company that also supplies products to the flooring industry, has agree to be acquired by Koch Industries, Inc. for about $21 billion. Koch, based in Wichita, Kan., manufactures pulp, paper and fibers and operates a range of business including refineries and pipelines. When finalized, the deal stands to create the nation's biggest private company. It will also give Georgia-Pacific a greater level of vertical integration and a steady source of raw material. The proposed acquisition comes less than two years after Koch acquired Invista BV, a nylon fibers business that makes Lycra and Stainmaster, from DuPont Co. In addition to building materials, Georgia-Pacific's consumer brands include Dixie paper cups and Quilted Northern bath tissue.
Innovision Flooring Corp., the U.S. distributor for LG Floors, has added two regional distributors: E.J. Welch Co. which services Missouri, Illinois and Iowa; and Gilford Flooring Inc. whose territories include Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan and western Ohio.
Homeowners in the Gulf Coast area who are repairing hurricane damage may be eligible for a rebate when they purchase Tarkett's Nafco flooring, the company said. The one-time rebate offer of 50 cents per square foot will apply to every Nafco "Good, Better and Best" product including PermaStone and PermaStone Modular purchased between now and Dec. 31.
Mohawk Industries, Inc. has named William C. ("Chris") Wellborn as its chief operating officer. Wellborn, has served as president of the Mohawk subsidiary Dal-Tile since March 2002 and was previously an executive vice president and CFO of Dal-Tile. In announcing the appointment, Mohawk chairman and CEO, Jeffrey S. Lorberbaum, praised Wellborn for his success at the helm of Dal-Tile and said he was well suited to continue Mohawk's expansion beyond its roots as a carpet supplier.