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Regardless of where you fall in the political spectrum, you are likely looking forward to a change in Washington. If you are a business owner or manager, you are especially excited by the prospects of a new cadre of leaders generating optimism among consumers.

For the last few years, anything green has received incredible attention. The high price of oil, the threat of global warming, and a strong economy have caused us to view the world through green-tinted glasses. I don’t know about you, but I sometimes feel like I am drowning in a sea of green.

The recent spate of mergers caused me to wonder why we--the valued customers of these companies--were not consulted about their unions. I know we could pick better partners.

Bob Haggard, president of NOFMA, spoke to NFT recently about having his more than 100-year-old organization become part of the National Wood Flooring Association. He said the merger was in the works for a little more than a year and was necessary to ensure NOFMA would not lose its "brand awareness," particularly its grading and certification system.

Greetings.

First off:  Happy Holidays from the staff of National Floor Trends.

With only a couple of weeks left in the year, many in the flooring industry are eager to say good riddance to 2008. We are all looking forward to a new year that will bring a new outlook and new opportunities. I think it is safe to say we all have had enough of the gloomy economic news that will forever be associated with the year now drawing to a close.

The construction market stinks. The stock market brings constant pain. The financial bailouts grow more insane by the day. Manufacturers are struggling. Nonprofits are laying off staff. Retailers are filing for bankruptcy.

Bellbridge Carpets, a Wools of New Zealand Brand partner based in Benicia, Calif., recently worked with students at the nearby Harvest Park Middle School in Pleasanton to test the ecological properties of recycled wool carpet. The school's Ecology Club designed an experiment to measure plant growth when cocoa fiber and recycled Bellbridge carpet were used as liners for the planters. It became quickly apparent the wool-lined planters helped create much healthier flowers.

KISSIMMEE, FLA. -- Mohawk used the annual convention of its Floorscapes dealers here to roll out a new store-within-a-store boutique concept centered on the relaunch of the company's CustomWeave line. Mohawk officials assured dealers on hand  for the 10th annual meeting that the new initiative will help emphasize value over price, which they said was crucial to surviving the economic downturn.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, we have a few weeks before the Christmas spirit peaks and we have to be nice to people. Now is the perfect time to take advantage of people and make some easy money for your company.

Greenbuild touched down in Boston Nov. 19-21 for a show that offered some of the latest "green" products and services available. The event covered virtually every segment of the construction industry, from flooring to plumbing to roofing and beyond. It was a reminder that flooring is only one of many important components that goes into making a green building "green."

To see a slideshow of images from the show, click here.