Evan Hackel is
relinquishing his day-to-day responsibilities as president of Carpet One Floor
& Home to oversee a new web-based venture set for launch by Carpet One’s
parent, CCA Global Partners. Assuming the top position at Carpet One will be
Eric Demaree, a 32-year veteran of flooring who joined CCA three years ago
after 11 years at Home Depot.
“You never know who’s swimming
naked until the tide goes out,” said Shaw president Randy Merritt, evoking a
quote from Warren Buffett that drew knowing nods and laughter from the retailers
on hand. He was speaking at a retreat for members of the three-year-old Shaw
Design Center program. His point, of course, is that the challenges facing the
flooring industry are very much like the receding water in Buffett’s metaphor:
They have a way of revealing short comings that would otherwise stay
covered-up.
If
adhesives work best when pressure is applied, the current business climate may
be perfect. Rising fuel prices have greatly increased production costs,
environmental issues have never been more prominent and builders are demanding
supplies that help speed construction. At the same time, contractors, installers
and DIY consumers can afford to be fussy: they have never had more flooring
adhesives to choose from. In short, those competing in the adhesives market are
faced with a number of sizeable challenges on numerous fronts.
As it happens, Abbey Carpet &
Floor threw a better Oscar party this year than Vanity Fair.
Who would have predicted that? The magazine canceled its soiree out of concern
that the Hollywood writer’s strike could mean sad faces and uneaten hors
d'oeuvres. Abbey, which was in Southern California celebrating its 50th
Anniversary, threw a lavish bash using the Academy Awards as a theme. It was two-days before the actual Academy
Awards (and 60 miles away), but a very memorable night. They even had souvenir
Oscar statues to go along with great food and outstanding entertainment. Thank
you, Abbey! Thank you so very much.
Our exclusive survey of more than 290 floor covering dealers finds high hopes for the category in 2008. There is also growing interest in wood species beyond oak: Bamboo, pine and pecan make the list of top sellers.
Growth expectations may have been softened by market conditions, but it is clear that hardwood will remain a driving force in the flooring business this year; second only to broadloom carpet in popularity. Still, it is also evident that this venerable category is undergoing some changes.
As a native New Yorker who grew
up a short hop from Giants Stadium, I anticipated this year’s Super Bowl with
mixed emotions. I was thrilled that the Giants made the big game but I also knew
the Patriots were a powerhouse. I feared the game would be a depressing experience; equal measures boredom and
frustration. Like many of you, I had similar concerns going into Surfaces this
year. I knew the show has never been more important, but attending is a
business decision. Given the market conditions and recession fears that have
gripped our industry, I thought it possible that attendance would be way down
and that the people who did show up would be about as effervescent as high
school kids in detention.
Top executives on the
manufacturing side of the flooring industry have a two-word message for
retailers who have paused to lament the sour market conditions seen over the
past year:
It looks like floor covering retailers have heard enough about slumping market conditions.
Their expectation for the coming year is an industry-wide rebound that will be most visible in the hardwood and ceramic tile categories. Although NFT’s year-end poll of more than 400 retailers identified the economy as the biggest factor determining the industry’s future, the survey results suggest it won’t be the only factor. Respondents listed their top areas of investment as marketing followed by showroom design, technology and training.
The sense of urgency seen these
days in the flooring business may make this year’s meeting the most important
Surfaces ever. A great many flooring dealers traveling to the show were hit
hard last year by the ripple of a lousy housing market. They’ve come to Las
Vegas in search of solutions, fresh ideas and maybe a little encouragement.
Given the show’s deep roots in our industry and the major improvements added
this year, they have most certainly come to the right place.
An ambitious slate of products-including 70 new hardwood entries-and the debut of a benchmarking tool that encourages retailers to compare bookkeeping figures were among the highlights of Mohawk Industries seventh annual Floorscapes meeting.