Global supply chain issues have made every manufacturer rethink their sources of supply. For LM Flooring, this meant a strategic shift out of Shanghai, China, and into nearby Cambodia. Kevin Whaley, vice president of sales and product, LM Flooring, offers insight into wood production and styles.

Manufacturers are advancing their self-leveling underlayment products and technologies, making them more effective and easier to use. Mapei’s Jeff Johnson, Floor Covering Installation Systems Product Manager, shares an update on these products and what contractors and installers should keep top of mind when working with them.

Roby Isaac knows first-hand the importance of exposing youth and budding talent to a world of design and creation. Benefiting from such exposure during high school himself, Isaac’s participation in a design apprenticeship set an early foundation and the roadmap for his career in design. As vp of commercial design at Mannington Commercial, Isaac is paying his formative experience forward—spearheading the manufacturer’s involvement in the Design Your World Education Program, a program developed by IIDA, the commercial interior design association, and Chicago-based After School Matters, to create early exposure and opportunity for Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) students to careers in interior design and architecture.

Don Roberts, CEO of multi-location retail operation, Central Alabama Flooring, along with managers from three of his company’s five locations discuss their business outlook.

NeoCon, the commercial design show held at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago, takes place October 4-6. Today we’re speaking with Byron Morton, vice president of leasing for the Mart, about what to expect at this year’s show.

Floor Trends' Associate Publisher and Editor Tanja Kern recently connected with AHF President and CEO Brian Carson and Vice President Don Finkell to learn about AHF's acquisition of American OEM and the future of domestic manufacturing.

From the Floor Covering Education Foundation, Jim Aaron, executive director, and Don Roberts, chairman, offer an update on their efforts to recruit and train installer candidates and develop curricula.