Floor Focus Magazine

Visual, Insightful, Trusted Resource

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.

Focus 100 Retail   Full Article
Editor Darius Helm and publisher Kemp Harr report on the state of the independent flooring retailer and contractor business. The article profiles leading retailers and contractors, as well as the independent buying groups, and includes the Top 100 list.

2011 Retail Display Awards   Full Article
Judges Jim Dion and Brian Dyches choose the three top displays from entries across North America. Home Building Center, Vernon, British Columbia is the winner; second is Magnum Opus, Concord, Ontario; and third is Berkeley, California's Floor Dimensions.

Building Retail Store Traffic   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier discusses successful strategies for increasing store traffic for independent flooring retailers, and interviews a handful of retailers to find out what they've been doing to reach out to potential customers.

Other FloorFocus Articles
Cersaie: the Global Tile Show - November 2011   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr reviews Cersaie, the largest ceramic tile show in the world, held annually in bologna, Italy. Harr discusses trends and innovations from the top ceramic and porcelain producers.

Residential Market Flooring Trends - Nov 2011   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier analyzes the flooring trends through case studies of key sectors in the housing market, like custom homes, entry level and high end spec homes, and multi-family properties.

Greenbuild Review   Full Article
Editor Darius Helm and publisher Kemp Harr report on the highlights of the tenth annual Greenbuild show, held this year in Toronto Canada. The report includes new products and programs from more than 30 flooring exhibitors.

Strategic Exchange - November 2011   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr discusses the significance of carpet mill closings and also gives his impressions on meetings he attended for two groups: Starnet, the commercial flooring contractor group; and the National Floorcovering Alliance, made up of retailers.

Designer Forum - November 2011   Full Article
Kristin Dorais, a senior interior designer for Integrated Architecture Interiors, writes about how flooring was used to help create a corporate persona for the international headquarters of Global Forex Trading in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Best Practices - November 2011   Full Article
Editor Brian Hamilton profiles Carefree Carpets of Charlotte, North Carolina, an independent flooring retailer that focuses on traditional strategies and a good deal of common sense to drive sales in the residential flooring business.

Successful Selling - November 2011   Full Article
Jim Dion, president of Chicago based Dionco Inc., discusses various ways of combating cognitive dissonance, or buyer's remorse, when selling floorcoverings to homeowners.

Legacy of a Visionary Leader - December 2011   Full Article
In this tribute to Interface founder Ray Anderson, Ray's associates share their thoughts on what made the environmental pioneer a leader and a visionary.

The Top 250 Design Survey - October 2011   Full Article
Editor Darius Helm analyzes responses from this year's survey of designers from the top A&D firms, including how they're adapting to the competitive commercial market, what's working and what isn't, and their favorite carpet and hard surface producers.

Understanding Concrete Moisture - October 2011   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier takes a close look at the issues surrounding concrete installation, focusing on why moisture is a problem, the best moisture testing methods, and how to effectively avoid installation failures.

Hardwood Update 2011 - October 2011   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier takes a look at the hardwood flooring business, reporting on hardwood's growing appeal, style preferences by region, and the retailer's battle with big boxes to maintain their share of the business.

Strategic Exchange - October 2011   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr discusses the role of consumer confidence in the economy, and also reports on trends at Cersaie, the global tile show held in Bologna, Italy, and introduces Floor Focus' new project about young industry leaders--Future Focus.

Designer Forum - October 2011   Full Article
Andrea Hartley Bishop, a designer with Rabaut Design Associates, reports on the challenges Rabaut faced when designing a new space for Atlanta-based Venadar. Flooring solutions ranged from InterfaceFlor tiles to Capri cork and Lonseal sheet vinyl.

Focus on Leadership - October 2011   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr interviews Mia Marshall, a principal at EHS Design, discussing how she found out she wanted to be a designer, the route she has taken through the business, and the specific skills designers need to succeed in the market.

People Power - October 2011   Full Article
Contributing editor Scott Humphrey discusses life lessons he has learned from Elbert Shaw, including the importance of integrity and strong values, how we impact the lives of others, and why it's productive to show affection and appreciation.

Best Practices - October 2011   Full Article
Editor Brian Hamilton profiles Pasadena Floors, a Maryland flooring retailer that has leveraged its installation expertise, customer service and attention to detail to sustain its business despite tough market conditions.

State of Sustainability 2011 - Aug/Sep 2011   Full Article
Editor Darius Helm provides comprehensive updates on sustainability in flooring and the built environment along with highlights from carpet mills, resilient and hard surface producers, and manufacturers of adhesives, underlayments and backings.

A&DPanel on Sustainability - Aug/Sep 2011   Full Article
Editor Jessica chevalier interviews sustainability specialists from Mancini Duffy, Perkins+Will and HOK, on everything from trends in sustainability to the impact of the recession on the green movement and the role floorcoverings play.

Industry Panel on Sustainability - Aug/Sep 2011   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr interviews sustainability directors from Mohawk, Shaw, Mannington, Forbo and Bentley Prince Street, covering a range of topics, including the bio versus petro debate, the role of LEED, and environomental product declarations.

Ceramic Tile's Game Changing Transition - A/S 2011   Full Article
The TCNA's Bill Griese reports on developments in the greening of ceramic tile, with a special focus on the TCNA's leadership in the creation of Green Squared, a new standard for ceramic tile product sustainability.

Laminate Report - Aug/Sep 2011   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier discusses the state of the U.S. laminate flooring industry, reporting on market conditions, trends in style and construction, and highlights from the top laminate flooring producers.

Summer Rug Market Review - Aug/Sep 2011   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier reports on the Atlata Summer Rug Market, including design trends and new products from some of the leading rug producers.

Strategic Exchange - Aug/Sep 2011   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr offers highlights from the summer Flooring America/Canada and Carpet One convention, including the Healthier Living carpet installation system, and also discusses the U.S. debt crisis and the growth in luxury spending.

Designer Forum - Aug/Sep 2011   Full Article
Pam Caffrey, director of marketing for John Poe Architects, writes about her firm's design of the Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Dayton, Ohio, which was funded by Joan Kroc, wife of the founder of McDonald's.

Focus on Leadership - Aug/Sep 2011   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr interviews Patti Fasan and finds out how she got into the ceramic tile business and the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated industry, along with some insights into the challenges facing the industry.

Monetary Wisdom - Aug/Sep 2011   Full Article
Alan Saltzman talks about the importance of branding through a discussion of some of the world's most significant brands, like Coca-Cola and Rolls Royce, and offers specific strategies for how flooring retailers can boost their brand.

Best Practices - Aug/Sep 2011   Full Article
Editor Brian Hamilton profiles Avalon Carpet, Tile & Flooring, a 53 year old operation based in New Jersey with 14 locations, and finds out how the retailer competes against both big boxes and mom and pop retailers.

Survey 2011: What the Retailers Think - July 2011   Full Article
Editor Darius Helm analyzes data from hundreds of retailers reporting from every region in the nation to find out the state of the business, the biggest problems, leading strategies for increasing traffic and sales and retailers' favorite manufacturers.

Athletic and Sports Flooring - July 2011   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier provides an overview of the sports flooring industry, from resilient flooring and hardwood to artificial turf, and takes a look at some of the key issues surrounding sports flooring applications.

NeoCon 2011 - July 2011   Full Article
Floor Focus' staff reports on this year's NeoCon show, held in June in Chcago's Merchandise Mart, including trends in design and product innovation, highlights from commercial floorcovering manufacturers, and images of notable new products.

Designing Homes with Area Rugs - July 2011   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier discusses area rugs with top residential designers, focusing on the role of area rugs in designing a space, area rug aesthetics, strategies for pairing clients with the right rugs, and some of their favorite area rug vendors.

Strategic Exchange - July 2011   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr analyzes the strongest parts of the flooring market--multi-family housing and commercial replacement--and offers his thoughts on the importance of vacations.

Designer Forum - July 2011   Full Article
Mark Herman, founder and principal at design firm MArK, discusses the importance of wayfinding and contrast in designing a center for children with visual impairments, and describes how flooring choices helped fulfill these objectives.

Focus on Leadership - July 2011   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr interviews Olga Robertson, president of the FCA Network and finds out how she rose through the ranks in the flooring world, the challenges of being a woman in this industry, and how she thinks the business can be improved.

Digital Evolution - July 2011   Full Article
Jay Flynn from Creating Your Space takes an indepth look at consumer e-commerce trends as well as how major consumer brands market online, and offers suggestions on how flooring retailers can amplify their websites to capture more clients.

People Power - July 2011   Full Article
Contributing editor Scott Humphrey offers insights into the importance of seeking out and responding to feedback through the story of a young singer who embaced the process and transformed into a full-fledged superstar.

Best Practices - July 2011   Full Article
Editor Brian Hamilton profiles My Flooring America, a six-store retail chain based in Webster, Texas. The firm recently doubled its revenues to about $35 million with its acquisition of ProSource locations.

Commercial Market 2011 - June 2011   Full Article
Editor Darius Helm analyzes the state of the commerical market, including a report on global conditions, a section on flooring categories, and a comprehensive overview of the various commercial market sectors.

Installation Update - June 2011   Full Article
Editors Jessica Chevalier and Darius Helm take a look at the state of installation in both the residential and commercial sectors, including updates on standards and certifications.

Innovation: Valinge Wood Fiber Floors - June 2011   Full Article
Editor Darius Helm takes a close look at Valinge's latest innovation, a laminate flooring that replaces the top paper layers with high impact wood dust, and the technologies that will help it compete with the best products in the flooring industry.

NWFA 2011 Annual Convention - June 2011   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr provides an overview of this year's National Wood Flooring Association convention and offers insights into the state of the hardwood flooring industry.

HGTV Green Home - June 2011   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr reports on this year's Green Home, in Stapleton, Colorado, including its use of green flooring materials and other environmnetal attributes.

Strategic Exchange - June 2011   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr talks about hopes for a strong summer season, IVC's new position as a domestic vinyl producer, and the departure from the U.S. market of Colombia based Orchid Ceramic, along with thoughts on how to keep Americans competitive.

Designer Forum - June 2011   Full Article
Lori Klein, director of design at Posen Architects, discusses building a new space for the New Jersey Sharing Network, an organ procurement organization, including the use of recycled materials to emphasize the group's life sustaining mission.

Focus on Leadership - June 2011   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr interviews Shashi Caan, founder of The Collective, about how she came to do architecture and design, key role models, women in design and plans for the future.

Wood Cuts - June 2011   Full Article
Frank Kroupa, technical training director for the NWFA, discusses the strategies for creating successful commercial hardwood installations.

Best Practices - June 2011   Full Article
Editor Brian Hamilton profiles Dugan's Paint and Flooring, a 140 year old firm based in Sedalia, Missouri, whose fashion and project focus has helped it maintain its position in the competitive marketplace.

Annual Report 2011 - May 2011   Full Article
Editors Jessica Chevalier and Darius Helm, along with Santo Torcivia of Market Insights/Torcivia, analyze the state of the flooring market, including 2010 revenue statistics and in-depth reports on all the flooring categories.

Hospitality Market Update - May 2011   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier examines the state of the hospitality industry, reports on recent increased activity, debates luxury versus lifestyle, discusses the role of sustainability and takes a close look at flooring choices.

Social Media & Mobile Marketing Update - May 2011   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier takes a look at the social and mobile technologies in the marketplace and how they can be used by everyone from manufacturers to retailers to reach out into the marketplace to gain clients and drive brand awareness.

Brands: Managing the Message - May 2011   Full Article
Dick Whitney, an independent consultant, charts the top flooring brands in terms of spending on consumer advertising over the last five years and offers insights into brand focus.

Scarlet Opus Trend Forecast for 2012 - May 2011   Full Article
Victoria Redshaw, founder of Scarlet Opus, and Shelly Pond, the trend forecasting firm's interior design leader, lay out, with vivid imagery, their view of the six key design trends coming next year.

Strategic Exchange - May 2011   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr discusses the merits of home ownership and also examines whether Americans are focused on making the right choices and maintaining traditional values. Harr also reports on the latest annual Starnet meeting.

Designer Forum - May 2011   Full Article
Jenny Anderson, a senior designer at Hendrick, writes about her firm's design of Atlanta based Packforum, an innovation and learning center for the food packaging industry, including the role of flooring in capturing the vision of the center.

Focus on Leadership - May 2011   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr interviews Matt Espe, Armstrong's new CEO, focusing on the skills and experience Espe brings to the firm as well as strategies for the future.

People Power - May 2011   Full Article
Contributing editor Scott Humphrey talks about the Masters golf tournament as a metaphor for how to run a business successfully and with integrity.

Best Practices - May 2011   Full Article
Editor Brian Hamilton profiles Lippert Tile Company, a Wisconsin based comercial contractor that has been in business for over 60 years, and the tools the firm has developed to succeed in the competitive commercial market.

2011 Vision Awards - April 2011   Full Article
Floor Focus profiles this year's Vision Award commercial design winners through word and image. Categories are corporate, healthcare, education, retail and hospitality. This year's grand prize winner was in the corporate category.

Hardwood: State of the Industry - April 2011   Full Article
Editor Darius Helm takes a look at factors impacting the hardwood industry, including Department of Commerce investigations into Chinese engineered hardwood, and reports on highlights from prominent manufacturers.

Building Revenue thru Cleaning & Maintenance-04-11   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier takes a look at cleaning and maintenance programs and how they are being adopted in both the residential and commercial flooring industries.

Software Review - April 2011   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier takes a look at software developments in both the Residential and Commercial markets including mobile technologies and building information modeling (BIM).

Coverings 2011 - April 2011   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr and editor Darius Helm report on the highlights of this year's Coverings tile and stone show, held in Las Vegas at the Sands Convention Center in mid March, featuring extensive photo coverage.

Strategic Exchange - April 2011   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr discusses an upturn in flooring sales driven by remodeling, and also comments on the mood at Coverings and consumer trends.

Focus on Leadership - April 2011   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr interviews Jeanne Matson, president and CEO of Starnet, the commercial flooring contractor cooperative, focusing on challenges facing women in the corporate world and how she has made it all work.

Best Practices - April 2011   Full Article
Editor Brian Hamilton profiles Southern Floorcovering & Interiors, a North Carolina based florocovering retailer (also a Shaw Design Center) that has been focusing on diversification as a way of growing its business.

Healthcare: Senior Living Market - March 2011   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier offers a comprehensive report on the state of the senior living market, covering everything from industry statistics to color and design, sustainability and flooring requirements.

Surfaces Highlights 2011 - March 2011   Full Article
Floor Focus' editorial staff reviews the Surfaces flooring show, held this year at Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay. The review features highlights of new products, with imagery, along with a report on trends.

Ceramics Technology & Design - March 2011   Full Article
Editors Darius Helm and Jessica Chevalier examine the latest technological developments in the ceramic tile industry and their impact on tile performance and design.

Carpet Fiber Update - March 2011   Full Article
Editor Darius Helm reports on trends in the carpet fiber industry, including the shift from staple to filament yarns and the growth of polyester face fiber in the residential carpet market.

World Flooring: Domotex 2011 - March 2011   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr discusses highlights from the largest flooring show in the world, held anually in January in Hannover, Germany.

Strategic Exchange - March 2011   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr discusses the rise of consumer sentiment, along with highlights of Shaw's Aligned conference, durties on engineered wood and Mannington's viral video.

Designer Forum - March 2011   Full Article
Jeff Taylor, a founding principal officer of Design Studio, Inc., describes how his firm used flooring to produce a creative, collaborative space for the headquarters of Firaxis Games.

Focus on Leadership - March 2011   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr interviews Kathy Young, Shaw's residential marketing director, about her role at Shaw and the role of women in general in the flooring industry.

Best Practices - March 2011   Full Article
Editor Brian Hamilton reports on Independent Carpet One, a Michigan floorcovering retailer that has found a way to succeed in the tough Detroit market.

Commercial Color Trends 2011 - February 2011   Full Article
Kaye Gosline, creative director for Milliken Floor Covering, provides an in-depth look at color trends within the commercial market, including insights into the market segments and regional differences.

Residential Color Trends 2011 - February 2011   Full Article
Emily Morrow, Shaw's director of color, style and design, reports on color trends in the residential market, including a discussion of earth tones and neutrals and observations about trends among accent colors and richer hues.

Vinyl: Building Marketshare - February 2011   Full Article
Editor Darius Helm takes a look at the share gainers in the vinyl category--luxury vinyl and glass-backed sheet goods--along with an update on producers in that category and on environmental progress.

Trends in Education - February 2011   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier reports on insights into the K-12 and higher education markets culled from interviews with leaders in the architect and design community.

Carpet Tile's Commercial Landscape - Feb 2011   Full Article
Editor Darius Helm provides an overview of the carpet tiles business, and reports on carpet tile's progress by commercial category--corporate, government, education, healthcare, retail and hospitality.

Atlanta Winter Rug Market - February 2011   Full Article
Editor Brian Hamilton reports on this winter's Rug Market at AmericasMart in Atlanta and provides highlights of new offerings from some of the leading area rug producers.

Strategic Exchange - February 2011   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr discusses prospects for growth in the industry, along with floorcovering price increases and the growth of polyester carpet. Harr also reports on advancements in the greening of fiber from Shaw Industries and Aquafil.

Designer Forum - February 2011   Full Article
Susan Dellwo, a founding principal of Washington based Design Source, writes about the different types of flooring used in the headquarters of People to People Ambassador Programs, based in Spokane, Washington.

Best Practices - February 2011   Full Article
Editor Brian Hamilton reports on Molyneaux Tile Carpet Wood, a Pennsylvania based chain of eight flooring stores, focusing on sales staff, installaiton and the firm's unique approach to purchasing.

Wood Cuts - February 2011   Full Article
Ed Korczak, executive director of the National Wood Flooring Association, comments on the overall long-term health of specialty flooring retailers, and the nature of the advantage specialty retailers have over home centers.

People Power - February 2011   Full Article
As an alternative to a New Year's resolution, contributing editor Scott Humphrey suggests making New You resolutions and offers a plan for how to help people succeed in their goals.

Surfaces Show Guide - January 2011   Full Article
A guide to this year's Surfaces convention, held for the first time in Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay, featuring tips for getting around quicker, a floor plan of entire casino, and a look at the seminars and courses being offered at the show.

Beyond Las Vegas - January 2011   Full Article
A look at new products from firms not exhibiting at Surfaces, including Shaw and Mohawk, Armstrong, Anderson, StonePeak, Model, Faus and Mirage.

Retail Trends - January 2011   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier takes the pulse of consumers with the help of retailers from all around the country, with a special focus on identifying and targeting today's consumer, along with trends in product categories and demand for green products.

The Backing Business - January 2011   Full Article
Editor Darius Helm reports on the latest developments in the carpet backing business, including highlights from both mill and independent producers, along with an update on underlayment producers for both hard and soft surface flooring.

Channel Wars - January 2011   Full Article
Flooring analyst Santo Torcivia offers insights, with charts, into the shifting fortunes of the various flooring channels, including the state of smaller flooring retailers and the rise of the flooring contractor.

Adapting 2 Win-Two Leading Perspectives - Jan 2011   Full Article
Two FloorExpo members, Doug Chadderdon of Great Floors and Nicholas Freadreacea of The Flooring Gallery, talk about their approaches to business in the current market.

Strategic Exchange - January 2011   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr discusses Tarkett's acquisition of Centiva and the U.S. Commerce Department's investigatin of Chinese hardwood dumping. Harr also examines the intersection between ethics and buiness, arguing that the two are not mutually exclusive.

Designer Forum - January 2011   Full Article
Ken Kornberg, president of Kornberg Associates Architects, writes about the design and performance challenges in upgrading Castilleja School in Palo Alto, California, and flooring's role in everything from branding to safety.

Focus on Leadership - January 2011   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr interviews Patricia Flavin, Beaulieu's senior vice president of marketing, about her hourney through the corporate world, key role models and the secrets to her success.

Best Practices - January 2011   Full Article
Editor Brian Hamilton reports on DeGraaf Interiors, a Michigan based firm that survived the collapse of the housing market by diversifying into the multi-family housing market.

Facility Managers Survey 2010 - December 2010   Full Article
Editor Darius Helm analyzes the results of the biennial survey of facility managers, including wish lists, top problems, sustainability issues, and facility managers' favorites hard and soft surface manufacturers.

Surfaces Preview - December 2010   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier previews Surfaces 2011, with photos and product description for producers of rugs, broadloom, hardwood, bamboo, cork, laminate and resilient flooring.

Rug Report - December 2010   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier takes a look at the rug business through the eyes of retailers, including sales strategies, style and construction, and online sales.

Greenbuild Review - December 2010   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr and editor Darius Helm report on Greenbuild 2010, held in Chicago at McCormick Place West, including highlights from manufacturers of carpet, cork, vinyl, hardwood, bamboo and backings.

NAFCD Distributor Marketplace - December 2010   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier reports on the National Association of Floor Covering Distributors' annual Distributor Marketplace, held in Colorado Springs at the Broadmoror resort in mid November.

Strategic Exchange - December 2010   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr closes out the year with a quick look at the residential and commercial markets, as well as some commentary on websites and social media, and also weighs in on the significance of the mid-term election results.

Designer Forum - December 2010   Full Article
Tami Bopp, leader of Hahnfeld Hoffer Stanford's interior design practice, discusses how her firm approached the design of its new Texas offices and how it used flooring to achieve its design goals.

Focus on Leadership - December 2010   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr interviews Randy Weis, head of RD Weis, an East Coast contract dealer, covering everything from the state of the market to highlights from the fall meeting of Starnet Worldwide Commercial Flooring Partnership.

Best Practices - December 2010   Full Article
Contributing editor Sonya Jennings profiles Wesboro Flooring, a floorcovering retailer based in Ottawa, Ontario that has gained a competitive edge by creating a post-consumer carpet recycling program.

Wood Cuts - December 2010   Full Article
Ed Korczak, executive director of the National Wood Flooring Association, writes about how the demand for beauty and variety in hardwood flooring has helped fuel global trade.

People Power - December 2010   Full Article
Contributing editor Scott Humphrey examines the role of leadership in organizations and offers up his idea of essential qualities that define a good leader in today's market.

Focus 100 Retail - November 2010   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr and editor Darius Helm report on the state of the residential market, covering the top 100 retailers and residential contractors, along with industry statistics and analysis and a report on buying groups.

Boosting Sales Through Store Design - Nov 2010   Full Article
Retail consultant Jim Dion discusses all the different ways to approach designing the retail environment to create the ideal atmosphere to make clients ready to buy.

Residential Interior Design - November 2010   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier turns to five high-end residential designers--Jeff Chojnacki, Linda Woodrum, Linda Merrill, Maria Killam and Molly McGinness--to outline and translate current trends in the market.

Cersaie: The Global Tile Show   Full Article
Editor Darius Helm reports on Cersaie, the annual ceramic tile show held in Bologna, Italy. The report includes a section on trends, as well as highlights from some of the leading producers.

Strategic Exchange - November 2010   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr discusses growth in luxury vinyl tile, reports on the National Floorcovering Alliance's fall meeting, gives his take on the second generation SmartStrand challenge and talks about residential design.

Designer Forum - November 2010   Full Article
Michael Lutz, a design team director at VeenendaalCave, reports on flooring's role in the design of AECOM's Atlanta offices, including its use of floorcoverings from Tandus, Marazzi, EcoSurfaces and Chilewich.

Best Practices - November 2010   Full Article
Contributing editor Sonya Jennings profiles Crest Wholesale Carpet & Flooring, an independent flooring retailer based in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Tile Files - November 2010   Full Article
Ceramic tile expert Ryan Fasan discusses strategies for stocking inventory that drive sales and offers insights on focusing sales teams and navigating the selling process.

The Top 250 Design Survey - October 2010   Full Article
Editor Darius Helm reports on the results of this year's designer survey, covering everything from markets, projects problems and priorities to environmental issues and designers' favorite carpet and hard surface manufacturers.

Hardwood Update 2010 - October 2010   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier takes a close look at the hardwood industry, including a statistical overview, a look at trends, and highlights from the big hardwood players.

Specifying Concrete - October 2010   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier uses a case study of a travel agency installation to distill a set of critical and essential issues unique to polished concrete installations.

Strategic Exchange - October 2010   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr looks at a range of issues, including the difficulties people are having getting credit, the dissolution of Wilsonart and Creston Carpet Mills, and California's consumer fee for carpet diversion.

Designer Forum - October 2010   Full Article
Margaret McDonald, principal at Arcturis, discusses how her architecture and design firm approached the task of creating The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, Missouri.

Focus on Leadership - October 2010   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr interviews David Oakey, Interface's principal designer and a leader in cutting edge carpet tile design, covering everything from design inspiration and mentors to the future of carpet tile.

Best Practices - October 2010   Full Article
Contributing editor Sonya Jennings profiles Abbey Carpets Unlimited of Napa, California, including how the retailer has achieved success with a non-commissioned sales staff.

People Power - October 2010   Full Article
Contributing editor Scott Humphrey offers tips on how to make the retail environment stand out to make the most of the fall selling season.

Carpet Sustainability Review - Aug/Sep 2010   Full Article
Editors Darius Helm and Jessica Chevalier take a close look at the highlights of the year in carpet sustainability, including fiber breakthroughs, reclamation updates, and other leading issues.

Resilient's Improving Eco-Profile - Aug/Sep 2010   Full Article
Editor Darius Helm discusses the latest developments in the greening of resilient flooring, with a focus on waste streams for both PVC flooring and rubber flooring.

Importing Green - August/September 2010   Full Article
Editor Darius Helm takes a look at the environmental burden of shipping products like cork and bamboo, comparing transporting by rail or road with transporting by ocean frieght.

Laminate Update 2010 - August/September 2010   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier writes about the state of the laminate flooring industry, including updates on all the major players and a look at pricing and all the latest trends.

Summer Rug Market Review - August/September 2010   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier reports on the Atlanta Rug Market and reviews products from several of the leading area rug manufacturers.

Strategic Exchange - August/September 2010   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr discusses challenges facing independent retailers and home center strategies, along with the pitfalls of Internet sales. In addition, Harr reports on CCA Global's summer convention.

Designer Forum - August/September 2010   Full Article
Sue Firestone, chairman and founder of sfa design, discusses her firm's renovation of San Francisco's historic Ghirardelli chocolate factory into a residential space and hotel.

Best Practices - August/September 2010   Full Article
Contributing editor Sonya Jennings reports on Baystate Rug, a Massachusetts based dealer that employs a unique branding strategy to win business.

Successful Selling - August/September 2010   Full Article
Contributing editor Lisbeth Calandrino writes about the most effective techniques for getting customers off the fence and turning them into buyers.

Wood Cuts - August/September 2010   Full Article
Ed Korczak, executive director of the National Wood Flooring Association, writes about hardwood's cradle-to-grave environmental story.

Tile Files - August/September 2010   Full Article
Tile expert Patti Fasan examines the environmental profile of ceramic tile and makes a case for its sustainability.

Survey 2010: What the Retailers Think - July 2010   Full Article
Editor Darius Helm reports on the results of this year's survey of independent retailers, including regional data, covering everything from process to product. Also included are retailers' favorite manufacturers in all six flooring categories.

Multi-Family Housing Report - July 2010   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier dissects the multi-family housing market and takes a close look at the performance of its various components in comparison to single-family housing, as well as trends in floorcovering use.

Neocon 2010 - July 2010   Full Article
Floor Focus' editorial team reports on the NeoCon World's Trade Fair, held annually in chicago, with indepth reports and photo coverage of new products from the leading comercial flooring producers, as well as reports on trends and the NeoCon winners.

Strategic Exchange - July 2010   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr discusses economic data including housing stats, then turns to the mod at NeoCon 2010, the new HGTV Green Home, and the impact on installers of the EPA's new lead paint law.

Designer Forum - July 2010   Full Article
Kris Kirchner, the owner of K2J, Inc., writes about the levels of planning required in her firm's design of Northside Hospital-Forsyth Women's Center, including the use of flooring from firms like Mannington, Toli, Estrie and Shaw.

Focus on Leadership - July 2010   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr interviews Bentley Prince Street's Anthony Minite, with a focus on the firm's design collaboration, including its work with designers like Clodagh and Robert A.M. Stern and partnerships with Crossville and Parterre.

People Power - July 2010   Full Article
Contributing editor Scott Humphrey writes about how seeking out and accepting feedback is key to growth, both personal and professional.

Best Practices - July 2010   Full Article
Contributing editor Sonya Jennings reports on Speers Road Broadloom, a Canadian flooring retailer bsed in Oakville, Ontario, with a focus on the firm's many strategies for building relationships and finding customers.

Commercial Market 2010 - June 2010   Full Article
Editor Darius Helm and Santo Torcivia of Market Insights/Torcivia provide an overview of the state of the U.S. commercial market, including statistics from 2009 and estimates for 2010, as well as a look ahead at 2011.

Coverings 2010 - June 2010   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier reports on the annual stone and tile show, held this year in Orlando, Florida, focusing on new products and trends in design and innovation.

Finding Effective Business Discriminators-Jun 2010   Full Article
Seminar leader Sandy Smith writes about how successful businesses target their customers, using examples from a range of operations, including Netflix and Southwest Airlines.

Strategic Exchange - June 2010   Full Article
Publisher Kemp Harr looks at the buying habits of the different generationc and also reports on HD Expo, Shaw's Tigressa fiber promotions and pending energy efficiency legislation.

Designer Forum - June 2010   Full Article
Editor Jessica Chevalier reports on the new BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee headquarters, located in Chattanooga, and the challenges A&D firms HKS and tvsdesign had to overcome in preparing the facility for a LEED-NC Gold rating.

Best Practices - June 2010   Full Article
Contrbuting editor Sonya Jennings reports on Carpet Plus, a Chalottesville, Virginia based retailer that makes the most out of advertising and promotion to keep customers walking through its doors.

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