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.
Mohawk Commercial Carpet Group is significantly increasing its commitment to technology that produces highly realistic carpet samples printed on paper. The approach, pioneered by the Tricycle Inc. of Chattanooga, Tenn., greatly reduces the cost and environmental impact of producing samples. Mohawk, which has been using the technique for its Lees division, now plans to expand its deal with Tricycle to cover all Mohawk Commercial brands.
Tarkett Commercial president Gilles de Beaumont has been named president of The Resilient Floor Covering Institute (RFCI) for a two-year term that will begin next year. He succeeds Brian Carson, senior vp innovation for Armstrong, who has served as president of the trade organization since 2003. In his role as president, de Beaumont will be responsible for the organization's business affairs, while continuing to work with its board of directors
Mohawk representatives are set to hit the road for 35 regional dealer meetings. Beginning in December with events in Florida and moving across the nation through February, this year's regional show schedule marks the third year Mohawk has hosted local events to educate dealers and promote its products. The undertaking, "Across The Nation - National Product Tour 2006," is designed to accommodate dealer needs in each Mohawk distribution region. The events will include single city, multi-day events as well as traveling shows that will cover specific areas in a single day.
Shaw Industries has announced its schedule of winter shows that will begin with a three-day meeting in Chicago, Jan. 5. The company say the 27-city tour will Shaw representatives with an opportunity to give customers a level of individual attention they seldom find at large trade shows. "Regional events have given us and our customers what we both want and expected - quality time," says Scott Sandlin, Shaw's vice president of marketing.
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