Floor Focus Magazine

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Recent Floor Focus Magazine feature articles in chronological order with a 60 day delay. Use the search bar at the top to find specific articles or content. To subscribe or order back issues online, use the Subscribe link under the Floor Focus tab in the menu bar. Contact us if you need information on reprints.

Trends in the Corporate Market - Feb 2013   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier discusses design's role in the modern workplace with Rabaut Design Associates founder Jo Rabaut in the context of two corporate case studies in Atlanta, an investment firm and an interactive advertising agency.

Color Trends 2013 - February 2013   Full Article
Kaye Gosline, creative director for Tarkett North America's residential business, discusses the significance of residential trend shifts, and Roby Isaac, creative manager for Mannington's commercial hard surfaces, looks at commercial color trends.

Carpet Tile: 21st Century Flooring - February 2013   Full Article
Editors Jessica Chevalier and Darius Helm offer a comprehensive report on the carpet tile industry, including statistics, trends, challenges and new markets, as well as a look at the top four U.S. carpet tile producers: Interface, Shaw, Tandus and Mohawk.

Other FloorFocus Articles
Distribution Panel - February 2013   Full Article
Floor Focus discusses the state of the distribution business, including consolidation, challenges and threats, and new technologies with Bruce Zwicker, president and CEO of Haines, and Scott Rozmus, president of FlorStar Sales.

Commercial Resilient: Industry Update - Feb 2013   Full Article
Editor Darius Helm reports on the state of commercial vinyl flooring, including environmental progress, trends, new technologies and highlights from leading manufacturers, as well as a short report on linoleum on its 150th anniversary.

World Flooring: Domotex 2013 - February 2013   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr reviews this year's Domotex show, held annually in Hannover, Germany, providing an overview of the world's largest floorcovering show.

Strategic Exchange - February 2013   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr discusses the demise of Gulistan and the advantages of a diverse range of suppliers, as well as the Centiva-Tandus alignment, highlights from Shaw's dealer convention, and the coming alignment of trade shows in Vegas in 2015.

Designer Forum - February 2013   Full Article
Kris Kirchner, owner of K2J, Inc., an Atlanta based design firm, describes its Tanner Medical Center project in Carrollton, Georgia, and flooring's role in the emergency department addition and operating room renovation.

Focus on Leadership - February 2013   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr interviews David Meberg, president and CEO of Consolidated Carpet, one of the industry's largest contract dealers, with topics ranging from the state of business in the New York area to installation certification and going green.

Best Practices - February 2013   Full Article
Contributing editor Sonya Jennings profiles Flooring America & FA Design Build, a retailer with three locations in Virginia and Maryland whose secret to success includes a set of strategies for significantly increasing average sales.

Surfaces: The Conference - January 2013   Full Article
Editor Darius Helm discusses the importance of the education programs offered at Surfaces, as well as the growing importance of design.

Beyond Las Vegas - January 2013   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr and editor Jessica chevalier review new product offerings from firms not participating in the Surfaces show, featuring Shaw and Mohawk, and also including Karndean, Mirage and Marazzi.

The Backing Business - From January 2013   Full Article
Editor Darius Helm reports on the carpet backing business, covering everything from raw material pricing and backing innovations to indepth reports on all the producers, from the mills to the independent manufacturers of backings and backing materials.

Trends in the Retail Sector - January 2013   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier takes a close look at the retail sector of the commercial market through interviews with a range of commercial interior designers, covering the role of retail design, trends in the flooring types and clients' priorities.

Industry Forecast - January 2013   Full Article
Contributing editor Santo Torcivia of Market Insights LLC offers analysis, statistics and near-term forecasts of the domestic housing market, flooring channels and product categories.

Strategic Exchange - January 2013   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr discusses a range of topics, including Mohawk's Marazzi acquisition, ultra-soft carpets, whether or not consumers are focusing on value-priced products, and Hurricane Sandy's silver lining.

Designer Forum - January 2013   Full Article
Brenda Smith, a senior associate at Perkins+Will, describes how the surrounding environment helped inform the aesthetic of a new healthcare facility in Newnan, Georgia and how flooring was incorporated into the design.

Focus on Leadership - January 2013   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr interviews Rick McConnell, president of Hanley Wood Exhibitions, about the business of running trade shows and how Hanley Wood keeps the Surfaces show relevant for residential flooring professionals.

People Power - January 2013   Full Article
Contributing editor Scott Humphrey examines how to have an impact on others, offering examples from his personal and professional life, as well as the lives of public figures like Zig Ziglar and Eddie Robinson, former football coach at Grandbling State.

Best Practices - January 2013   Full Article
Contributing editor Sonya Jennings profiles Great Western Flooring Company, a Chicago based retailer that has figured out how to adapt to the shift away from builder business.

Wood Cuts - January 2013   Full Article
Contributing editor Michael Martin, CEO of the National Wood Flooring Association, discusses issues of lumber supply and what can be expected now that hardwood flooring demand is starting to pick up.

Design Ovations - January 2013   Full Article
Kristin Dorais, a senior designer at Integrated Architecture Interiors, offers her design picks, including carpet tile from Shaw and Interface, textural rugs from Scott Group Custom Carpets, and loose-lay resilient flooring from Roppe.

Facility Managers Survey 2012 - December 2012   Full Article
Editor Darius Helm analyzes the results of the biennial facility managers survey. The survey covers everything from the responsibilities and challenges of facility managers to favorite products and manufacturers in both carpet and hard surface flooring.

The Rug Market - December 2012   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier takes a close look at the area rug business, focusing on how ecommerce is impacting the industry. The article also examines price points and marketing strategies, including those using multimedia.

Greenbuild 2012 - December 2012   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr reviews this year's Greenbuild show, held in San Francisco in mid November. The report on the leading green building show includes highlights from several key flooring producers and an overview of the conference.

Healthcare Design Conference Review - Dec 2012   Full Article
Contributing editor Ruth Simon McRae reports on this year's Healthcare Design Conference, held in Phoenix, Arizona in early November, including highlights from key flooring manufacturers.

Surfaces Preview - December 2012   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier puts together images and text on product introductions for Surfaces 2012, featuring dozens of the top flooring producers in every flooring category.

Strategic Exchange - December 2012   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr, referencing the presidential election, points to the need for compromise in order to move forward as a nation, and also discusses how to balance technology at retail and reflects about the holidays.

Designer Forum - December 2012   Full Article
Sally Dinsmoor of Sally Dinsmoor Design discusses the design of Bikini Joe's, a sports bar and grill, and how a "borderline tacky" aesthetic guided the design. Flooring elements include Centiva vinyl tile, Daltile porcelain tile and Mohawk Carpet tile.

Best Practices - December 2012   Full Article
Editor Brian Hamilton profiles Residential Design Services, an Anaheim, California based retailer with eight locations and 25 years serving the industry. Part of the secret to its success comes from a diverse product offering that goes beyond flooring.

Tuft Talk - December 2012   Full Article
Contributing editor Frank Hurd talks about what carpet retailers can learn from successful auto dealers, including how to build and maintain customer loyalty and how to build long lasting relationships.

Focus 100 Retail - November 2012   Full Article
Editor Darius Helm takes a close look at the state of the independent floorcovering retailer. The article includes an analysis of the housing market, updates from top retailers, builder contractors and buying groups, and the annual Top 100 list.

Residential Interior Design Trends - November 2012   Full Article
Contributing editor Sonya Jennings interviews three residential interior designers—Joe Tice, Robert Wright and Jennifer Dumoulin—each covering different parts of the nation, about what's hot in residential flooring.

Fiber Focus: TruSoft - November 2012   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr interviews Dixie's Paul Comiskey and Tuftex's Bob Burton about Invista's new ultra-soft fiber, Stainmaster TruSoft. The two firms have an exclusive on the product for the first year.

Building Store Traffic - November 2012   Full Article
Contributing editor Sonya Jennings discusses the use of new and traditional marketing strategies with independent flooring retailers, including Phil Shrimper of JP Flooring, Jeff Macco of Macco's Flooring, and Steve Brannen of Carpet King/Flooring Expo.

Cersaie: The Global Tile Show - November 2012   Full Article
Contributing editor Ruth Simon McRae reviews this year's Cersaie show, held annually in Bologna, Italy. The global ceramic show, which reported a 20% increase in attendance to 100,000 visitors, featured 900 exhibiting companies from 33 countries.

Strategic Exchange - November 2012   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr discusses Mohawk's acquisition of Pergo, which has made Mohawk into the dominant global laminate producer, and also weighs in on whether wool fiber can gain share in the U.S. carpet and rug industry.

Designer Forum - November 2012   Full Article
Deborah Elliott, co-founder of ID Studios, describes the A&D firm's approach to its design of San Diego's Thomas Jefferson School of Law, an approach that incorporated the surrounding natural environment and coastal culture.

Focus on Leadership - November 2012   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr interviews Jeff Buttitta, president of Tarkett North America, about everything from Tarkett's brand strategy for its diverse flooring operations to its recent acquisition of Tandus, one of the leading commercial carpet mills.

Best Practices - November 2012   Full Article
Editor Brian Hamilton profiles Ambassador Floor co., a retailer based in Chesterfield, Missouri whose unique selling system includes not putting prices on products to encourage potential clients to connect with sales staff.

The Top 250 Design Survey - October 2012   Full Article
Editor Darius Helm breaks out and analyzes this year's survey of top designers. The survey covers everything from top projects, new markets and hot products to designers' priorities and top problems, along with favorite flooring manufacturers.

Starnet: A 20-Year Retrospective - October 2012   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr puts together testimonials, historical essays from founding members, photos, timelines and focus pieces to illustrate Starnet's impact on the commercial flooring industry over the last two decades.

Hardwood Update 2012 - October 2012   Full Article
Editor Brian Hamilton takes a look at the domestic hardwood market, covering statistics and trends, as well as highlights from leading distributors and manufacturers, along with a report on retailers.

Raised Access Flooring - October 2012   Full Article
Editor Brian Hamilton examines the raised access flooring market, including the latest innovations, with a focus on Tate Access Floors, which is the market leader, and Haworth, which is better known for its office furniture lines.

Strategic Exchange - October 2012   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr takes a close look at Tarkett's acquisition of Tandus, a leading commercial carpet mill, and also discusses the political climate, the strengthening of the housing market, and the shift away from opulence in the commercial market.

Designer Forum - October 2012   Full Article
DesignPoint's Pamela Sullivan describes the process of creating a headquarters for Avantor Performance Materials, including how flooring products like Bentley Prince Street broadloom and tile from Casa Dolce Casa played a role.

Focus on Leadership - October 2012   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr interviews Bentley Prince Street's Anthony Minite about the firm's new ownership, its market focus going forward, branding, hard surface strategies, and approaches to sustainability, now that the firm is no longer part of Interface.

People Power - October 2012   Full Article
Contributing editor Scott Humphrey weighs in on the topic of true leadership. Humphrey poses several questions to help pinpoint what makes truly great leaders with enduring influence.

Best Practices - October 2012   Full Article
Editor Brian Hamilton profiles Touch of Color Flooring, a Pennsylvania based retailer that has found ways to expand during the downturn.

Design Ovations - October 2012   Full Article
Elizabeth Levine, a senior associate at TVS Design, discusses some of her favorite new products, including Milliken's Color Wash tile, Bentley Prince Street's flatweaves, J+J's Emerge tile, Loophouse Rugs, polished concrete, and reclaimed hardwood.

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