Recent Interviews

May 21, 2012—Barbara Marcy, Director of Product Design for Durkan Hospitality, and Kemp Harr discuss current design trends from this marketshare leader and Mohawk's new investments in tufted print carpet technology.

May 18, 2012—Lindsey Waldrep, VP of Marketing with Crossville, and Kemp Harr discuss Crossville's presence at the Hospitality Design expo and its new exclusive partnership to distribute large format thin tile manufactured by Laminam (System Ceramics) out of Italy. Listen to the interview to hear Lindsey's perception of the show and the Laminam fit in Crossville'l overall plan.

May 17, 2012—Sam Barry, Director of Marketing with Shaw Hospitality, and Kemp Harr discuss Shaw's focus this year on natural looking dyes and rugs over hardwood in addition to their normal tufted and printed pattern program. Listen to the interview to hear where the business is moving and what Shaw is doing to react.

May 16, 2012—Anthony Minite, President of Bentley Prince Street, and Kemp Harr discuss Bentley's fit in the hospitality market and their wide range of products targeted for that market. Listen to the interview to hear Anthony talk about the investments the company has made to be able to offer competitively priced products for this market. Bentley Prince Street offers broadloom, modular, tufted, woven carpets plus area rugs for this market.

May 11, 2012—Three A&D Professionals from Wight & Company and Kemp Harr discuss the Naperville High School project that won the Vision's 2012 Grand prize award. Listen to the interview to hear about Wight & Company, which has a focus on the design of education facilities.

May 5, 2012—Kurt Zanelotti, Owner of contract Carpet Systems in Beltsville, Maryland, and Kemp Harr discuss the favorable changes to Maryland's Workplace Fraud Act which makes it easier to use sub-contractor installers and still be in compliance with Maryland state law. Listen to the interview to hear who helped fund the lobbying efforts to get this law changed. Also learn why the state legislators had singled out the floorcovering companies as their target when the law was first written.

May 8, 2012—Lee Blair, SVP of Sales for Durkan Hospitality, and Kemp Harr discuss next week's Hospitality Design show which starts one week from today in Las Vegas. Listen to the interview to hear more about the state of the hospitality market, who attends the show and about Durkan's message at the show.

May 4, 2012—Jack Thomasson, Builder and Project Manager for HGTV and Kemp Harr discuss the 2012 HGTV Green Home just outside of metro Atlanta in Palmetto, GA. Listen to the interview to hear about the Shaw Industries' hardwood, tile and rugs used in this project. Also learn specifics about how this home earns its "green" rating.  For photos of the home and the event go to Floordaily.net Recent Industry Events.

May 3, 2012—Jim Walters, Chairman of the Board for WFCA and Partner with Macco's Flooring, and Kemp Harr discuss the recent National Floorcovering Alliance (NFA) meeting in Tucson and this week's WFCA board meeting. Listen to the interview to hear Jim talk about the WFCA's key initiatives and the search process for finding a new president and CEO. Jim also discusses the recent uptick in business with his flooring retail stores operation in Wisconsin.

May 2, 2012—Brendan McSheehy, Vice-Chair with the Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE), and Kemp Harr discuss the highlights of CARE's annual meeting held last week in San Diego. Listen to the interview to hear more details of CARE's annual report and their timing on replacing their Executive Director, Georgina Sikorski, who is retiring soon.

April 30, 2012—Ralph Boe, CEO with Beaulieu of America, and Kemp Harr briefly discuss business conditions for the first four months of 2012 and details around Beaulieu's recent restructuring news. Listen to the interview to hear more about the key leadership changes at Beaulieu.

April 27, 2012—Sam Roberts, a leading flooring retailer in Houston (owner of Roberts' Fine Floors) and Kemp Harr discuss current business conditions in Houston and the highlights from this week's National Floorcovering Alliance meeting held this week in Tucson, Arizona. Listen to the interview to hear more details.

April 25, 2012—Eva Perez de Vega and Ian Gordon, two designers with E+I Studio in New York, and Kemp Harr discuss the concept and theme behind the Ceramic Tiles of Italy hospitality booth at Coverings 2012. This year, the Italian trade association did a contest and E+I won. Listen to the interview to hear more about their design and why it won first place.

April 24, 2012—Mara Villanueva Heras, VP of Residential Marketing with Armstrong, and Kemp Harr, discuss the company's role in the new Vision House at Disney's Epcot theme park. Listen to the interview to hear more about this 3-year exhibit, which opened on Earth Day, and the sustainability message behind this sponsorship.

April 23, 2012—Jeanne Matson, President and CEO of Starnet, and Kemp Harr discuss the highlights of Starnet's annual meeting held last week in Puerto Rico. Listen to the interview to hear details about the meeting, Starnet's relevance in the marketplace and about its new Chairman of the Board - Bill Croswell with CraftCroswell.

April 20, 2012—Recorded at Coverings 2012 in Orlando, FL, Svend Hovmand, Chairman Emeritus of Crossville Tile and Member of the Board of Directors of Coverings, TCNA and CTEF and Kemp Harr discuss current initiatives in the tile industry. Listen to the interview to hear more about the certified installers program, the new standard of coefficient of friction and more on the happenings in the ceramic tile industry.

April 19, 2012—Lindsey-Ann Waldrep, VP of Marketing with Crossville, and Kemp Harr discuss the latest products and programs introduced at Coverings 2012 this week in Orlando. Listen to the interview to hear about the new Shades collection and Crossville's early adoption of the Green Squared Sustainability initiative rolled out by the Tile Council of North America.

April 18, 2012—Recorded on the opening day of Coverings 2012 in Orlando, FL, Donato Grosser, D. Grosser & Associates, and Kemp Harr talk about how the Italian Tile Association is faring in the U.S. market overall and during this economic recession. Listen to the interview to hear more about what is going on in the Italian Tile Industry today.

April 17, 2012—John Wells, President of Interface Americas, and Kemp Harr, discuss year end results for Interface and global branding changes for the company. Listen to the interview to hear more about Interface and the philosophy behind its success.

April 13, 2012—Don Finkell, CEO of Shaw's hardwood business, and Kemp Harr, discuss trends in the hardwood industry and how business is improving in general. Listen to the interview as Don talks about the U.S. market and how it compares to markets overseas, design trends, opportunities for greater wood sales in the U.S., technical innovations, and demographic trends that could spur the industry.

April 12, 2012—Enos Farnsworth, Chairman of the NWFA Convention and Director of Sales with High Performance Subfloors, and Kemp Harr discuss the key factors behind the increased attendance at the NWFA meeting and his new role as Sales Director with High Performance Subfloors. Listen to the interview to hear details about the enthusiasm at the show and about Enos' new focus on Schonox subfloor products.

April 11, 2012—Rick Holden, Chairman of the NWFA and principal of Derr Flooring, and Kemp Harr discuss the overall health of the wood flooring industry and the highlights of the NWFA conference at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Kissimmee, Fla. Listen to the interview to hear more about the wood flooring industry and the NWFA conference.

April 10, 2012—Bill Griese, Green Initiative Manager with the Tile Council of North America, and Kemp Harr, discuss the Green Squared ANSI Certification for sustainable tile products. Listen to the interview to hear more details about how a product gets certified under this standard.

April 9, 2012—Michael Martin, President and CEO of the National Wood Flooring association, and Kemp Harr discuss all of the changes that the association has made to enhance the attendee experience at the annual hardwood flooring show which takes place this week in Orlando. Listen to the interview to hear about the A&D education track and other new additions to the show.

April 5, 2012— David Jolly, CEO with J&J Industries, and Kemp Harr, discuss J&J's continued focus in select sectors of the hospitality market. Listen to the interview to hear David talk about the overall health of this sector and where J&J is putting its focus for the future.

April 4, 2012—Bart Bettiga, Executive Director with the National Tile Contractors Association, and Kemp Harr discuss the key education and training sessions that have been added to the Coverings Expo and agenda this year. Listen to the interview to learn more about how to optimize your time at Coverings in Orlando starting on April 17th.

April 3, 2012—Mike Gorey, CEO with Propex, and Kemp Harr discuss Propex's growth strategy in the carpet backing business. Listen to the interview to hear Mike talk about innovation as the key driver as Propex attempts to take marketshare in the backing business.

April 2, 2012—Aaron Pirner, Owner of Cap Carpets in Wichita and a WFCA Board Member, discusses Chris Davis' memorial gathering in Anaheim last week. Listen to the interview to hear a few of the highlights and also hear Aaron talk about where the board stands on finding a new leader for the WFCA. Chris Davis was the President and CEO of the World Floor Covering Association for 18 years. He passed away in late February.

March 30, 2012—Bob Plann, Sr. Partner with ReSource Arizona, and Kemp Harr talk about market conditions for this successful commercial flooring contractor and about the highlights of last week's Fuse Alliance meeting in Stone Mountain, Georgia.

March 29, 2012—Dave Gheesling, CEO of the FEI Group; Allison Rea, Director of FEI's Marketing; and Kemp Harr discuss the latest housing statistics and FEI's upcoming performance summit. Listen to the interview to hear more details about how FEI—a membership organization of flooring and cabinet contractors focused on the housing market—is preparing their members for success as the market improves.

March 27, 2012—Jack Raidy, President of W.F. Taylor, and Kemp Harr discuss the EPA's recent action plan which puts scrutiny on the use of polyurethane flooring adhesives. Listen to the interview to hear Jack explain the background on this issue and the alternative Modified Silane (MS) products that are safer to use.

March 23, 2012—Ron Lee, Executive Director with Fuse Alliance, and kemp Harr discuss the highlights of the organization's annual meeting. Listen to the interview to hear how Ron's membership of 70+ commercial flooring contractors are seeing business conditions and what their expectations are for the remainder of the year.

March 22, 2012—Darrell Paulson, Chairman of the IICRC Board, and Kemp Harr discuss the organization's decision to change its name back from The Clean Trust to the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration. Listen to the interview to hear Darrell talk about how the organization will use both names: IICRC as the name for the institute of inspectors, cleaners and restorers and The Clean Trust as the service mark.

March 21, 2012—Kermit Baker, Chief Economist with AIA, and Kemp Harr discuss the February architecture billings index released today which shows a fourth month of positive activity with architects. Listen to the interview to hear Kermit say that he feels that the economic recovery finally has some traction.

March 16, 2012—Dan Frierson, Chairman of The Dixie Group, and Kemp Harr discuss Dixie's fourth quarter and the year end results for 2011. Listen to the interview to hear Dan talk about how his product-driven company achieved profitability last year, in spite of the difficult economy.

March 15, 2012—Don Finkell, Shaw's CEO for Hardwood Flooring, and Kemp Harr, Publisher of Floor Focus Magazine, discuss the retail concept store in Shanghai, China. Listen to the interview to hear Don talk about the strategy behind this retail store, how flooring is sold in China and how the market has evolved in the past 10 years.

March 14, 2012—Santo Torcivia, an Independent Flooring Economist who publishes a quarterly report called the Market Monitor, and Kemp Harr discuss his latest report which was released yesterday. Listen to the interview to hear Santo talk about where the economy is today, mild marketshare gains by the home centers, and share shift between flooring categories.

March 13, 2012—Andrea Guidetti, Export Manager from Fiandré in Italy, and Kemp Harr discuss the latest news from one of the most innovative tile companies in Italy. Listen to the interview to hear about their name change, their heritage as the company who developed the porcelain category and their latest architectural skin product—called Extreme. This interview was recorded in Sao Paulo at the Revestir Brazilian tile expo.

March 12, 2012—Russell Grizzle, President and EO of Mannington Mills, and Kemp Harr discuss Mannington's acquisition of Amtico—an international manufacturer of LVT flooring. Listen to the interview to hear Russell talk about the strategy behind the decision to buy Amtico and the integration plans moving forward.

March 9, 2012—Antonio Carlos Kieling, CEO with Anfacer (the Brazilian trade association for tile manufacturers), and Kemp Harr discuss Antonio's recipe for drawing such a large crowd to the Annual Revestir Brazilian tile show. Listen to the interview to hear Antonio discuss the size of the crowd, the tie-in of great speakers, and the cause of the decline in Brazilian tile imports into the U.S.

March 8, 2012—Marcio Muller, VP of North American Sales for Eliane, and Kemp Harr discuss Eliane's position as the largest tile producer in Brazil and the only Brazilian tile company with a presence in the U.S. Listen to the interview taped yesterday at the Revestir Brazilian Tile Expo in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

March 7, 2012—Shannon Bilby Vogel, Director of Social Media for Creating Your Space, and Kemp Harr discuss how the new social media website Pinterest can help flooring retailers and consumers. Pinterest, the fastest growing social media website, organizes photos around topics of interest, which can help anyone who's thinking about remodeling. Nearly all of the use of Pinterest is by women.

March 6, 2012—Elena Grant, VP of Marketing for the Coverings International Tile Trade Show, and Kemp Harr discuss the upcoming show in Orlando in April. Listen to the interview to hear more about Coverings Central, which will have sessions focusing on social media and how it pertains to the tile industry. Also hear about the new Coverings Installation and Design Awards, recognizing the synergy between design and installation, and another new event, Contractor Days.

March 5, 2012—John Baugh, Managing Director with Stifel Nicolaus, and Kemp Harr discuss the 4th Qtr and Year end results for Mohawk, Armstrong and Interface—three of the publicly traded companies in the floorcovering industry. Listen to the interview to hear John give a brief summary of each company's performance and give his outlook on where we stand economically as it relates to the interior furnishings market.

March 2, 2012—Frank Peters, former President of Mohawk's Flooring Division, and Kemp Harr discuss the highlights of his career in the floorcovering industry. Listen to the interview to hear Frank discuss his decision to retire and the future outlook for the industry.

February 28, 2012—Dennis Blake, Former Chairman of the World Floor Covering Association, and Kemp Harr discuss Chris Davis' entry into the floorcovering industry and a few of his achievements. Listen to the interview to hear a brief historic perspective on the talents Chris brought to the industry. Chris Davis died of lung cancer on February 22, just a few days after he was diagnosed with the disease.

February 27, 2012—Steve Silverman, President and COO with Abbey Carpet and Floor, and Kemp Harr discuss the highlights of last week's annual convention in Dallas, Texas. Listen to the interview to hear Steve talk about his buying groups impressive sales performance and their continued focus on consumer advertising.

February 23, 2012—Bobby Glennon, CEO with Floor Force, and Kemp Harr discuss how this website developer has refined its offering as it changed its name from Rooms Alive to Floor Force. Listen to the interview to hear Bobby talk about the size of his target audience, and how they are positioning their website development service tailored for flooring retailers.

February 22, 2012—Sandy Mishkin, President and Co-Founder of CCA Global Partners and Kemp Harr discuss Sandy's recent induction into the WFCA Hall of Fame. Listen to the interview to hear Sandy talk about the highlights of his career and what an honor it is to be part of this group of floorcovering leaders.

February 21, 2012—Thomas Smith, President of Cooperativa Ceramica d'Imola, North America, and Kemp Harr discuss Imola's recent name change here in North America and their aggressive growth plans. Listen to the interview to hear about Imola's heritage in the world tile market and their strengths here in North America.

February 20, 2012—Jack Mishkin, Owner of J-Mish, and Kemp Harr discuss the latest trends on the luxury side of the carpet market. Watch the video to see J-Mish's latest carpet designs, updated brand image and hear Jack talk about the luxury side of the carpet market.

February 17, 2012—Roger Farabee, Sr. VP of Marketing with Unilin, and Kemp Harr discuss the new laminate introductions for Quick-Step for Surfaces 2012. Watch the interview to see more information about Reclaimé and several other new products as well as learn more about the trends in the laminate flooring business.

February 16, 2012—Victoria Redshaw, the leading trend forecaster with Scarlet Opus, and Kemp Harr discuss her process for determining the future fashion trends for the interior furnishings market. Watch the interview to see some of the summary panels that Victoria has developed to communicate these new trends.

February 15, 2012—Keith Lacognata, VP of Sales with FreeFit, and Kemp Harr discuss FreeFit's innovative LVT design which is 100% adhesive free. Watch the video to learn more about this unique product and its rapid growth. New for 2012 is Intaglio which features a sculpted three dimensional texture.

February 14, 2012—Peter Spirer, Max Windsor's Head of Sales and Marketing, and Kemp Harr discuss Max Windsor's unique fit in the engineered hardwood business. Watch the interview to learn about the new Europa collection and learn more about Max Windsor.

February 13, 2012—Kathy Young, Director of Residential Marketing with Shaw Industries, and Kemp Harr discuss last week's event where Shaw launched its sponsorship of the St. Jude Dream Home program. Listen to the interview to hear more details about this program and the tone last week at the International Builder Show in Orlando.

February 10, 2012—Invista's Gary Johnston, Director of Brands; T.M. Nuckols, Director of Innovation; and Kemp Harr discuss the introduction of the two latest carpet fiber innovations in the Stainmaster family—TruSoft and SolarMax. Watch the interview to hear more details about these new fiber introductions and how they will be positioned in the market.

February 9, 2012—Jeff Krejsa, VP of Marketing for Tarkett and Johnsonite in North America, and Kemp Harr discuss the latest introductions from the world's largest producer of resilient products. Watch the interview to hear Jeff talk about Johnsonite's new Mainstreet retail display, Tarkett's new phthalate-free vinyl products and the company's ongoing Balanced Choice marketing approach.

February 8, 2012—Erin Valencich, Interior Designer and Spokesperson for Quick-Step, and Kemp Harr discuss the latest design focus in the residential remodel sector. Watch the interview to hear Erin's latest collaborations with Quick-Step—a leading brand in the laminate flooring business.

February 7, 2012—Clint Hubbard, President and CEO; Jamann Stepp, VP of Sales; and Kemp Harr discuss Home Legend's year over year growth and new products for 2012. Watch the video to get more details on Home Legend's bamboo, cork, engineered hardwood, laminate and new LVT collection.

February 6, 2012—Mark Shannon, Executive VP of Sales at Crossville, and Kemp Harr discuss Crossville's message at Surfaces 2012. Watch the video to see what makes Crossville successful and see what's new for 2012.

February 3, 2012—Mannington Mills' Kim Holm, President; Ed Duncan, VP of Marketing; Joe Amato, VP of Design and Kemp Harr discuss Mannington's optimism for 2012 and the highlights of their new product introductions. Watch the video to see more details about Mannington's new products and styling focus for 2012.

February 2, 2012—Ralph Boe, CEO of Beaulieu of America, and Kemp Harr, discuss Beaulieu's upbeat expectations for 2012, as well as some of the company's products that help distinguish Beaulieu in the marketplace. Watch the interview as Boe discusses some of Beaulieu's promising new products that were introduced at Surfaces.

January 27, 2012—Mara Villanueva-Heras, Vice President of Marketing for Armstrong Residential, and Kemp Harr discuss Mara's perception of her first Surfaces Expo and Armstrong Residential's new product introductions for 2012.

Chris Davis, President and CEO of the World Floor Covering Association, and Kemp Harr discuss Surfaces attendance, the number of independent flooring retailers and some of the WFCA's initiatives for 2012.

Gary Cissell, Director of Flooring at Nebraska Furniture Mart, and Kemp Harr discuss current flooring sales at one of the Midwest's largest retailers. Recorded at Surfaces, listen as Gary talks about January sales and how they are up significantly from a year ago, partly due to pent up demand, as well as how store financing is helping drive sales, and how carpet sales seem to have turned around.

Eric Demaree, President of Carpet One, and Kemp Harr, discuss the record attendance at last week's very upbeat meeting in Houston. Listen to the interview to hear Eric talk about three primary topics at the meeting, including proprietary brands, sustainable merchandising systems, and how retailers can grab the customer's attention through digital online marketing, effective prospecting, and having a presence in local communities they serve.

Jennifer Mendez, VP of Government Relations for CRI, and Kemp Harr discuss new legislation proposed in Washington State (senate bill 6341) that would cost the carpet industry millions of dollars in reclamation fees. Listen to the interview for more details.

Georgina Sikorski, Executive Director for the Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) and Kemp Harr discuss the highlights of this week's CARE board meeting. As part of this meeting, Werner Braun was elected board chairman. Listen to the interview to hear more details of key initiatives that CARE will focus on for the next five years. CARE's annual meeting is scheduled for April 25th to the 27th in San Diego, California.

Alex Jaurequi, VP of Commercial Carpet and International Sales, and Kemp Harr discuss why Mannington Commercial chooses to exhibit at Domotex in Hannover, Germany every year. Listen to the interview to hear who Alex meets with and why those customers buy Mannington's carpet.

Dr. Andreas Gruchow, Sr VP with Deutsche Messe, and Kemp Harr discuss the highlights of the Domotex Expo in Hannover, Germany. Domotex continues to be the largest international flooring show in the world, and it traditionally attracts over 40,000 attendees. Listen to the interview to hear how the show continues to evolve to attract more participation.

Scott Sandlin, VP of Shaw's Hard Surface Business, and Kemp Harr discuss the Canadian import laws which prohibit the import of products that have been produced using prison labor--even if it is voluntary. Listen to the interview to hear Scott talk about how Shaw and Anderson are reacting to the discovery of these import restrictions.

Steve Sierachi, VP of Residential Marketing with Shaw Industries, and Kemp Harr discuss Shaw's six winter market events which kick off this evening in Chicago. Listen to the interview to hear Steve talk about their anticipated increase in attendance, their show schedule and some of the product highlights for 2012.

Ron Lee, Executive Director with ReSource Commercial Flooring Network, Michel Vermette, senior vice president for commercial and international business with Mohawk, and Kemp Harr discuss the motivation behind the decision for ReSource and Mohawk to form an alliance. Listen to the interview to hear more details about this alliance and hear Ron and Michel talk about their outlook for 2012.

Steve Griffith and Gary Johnston, CMO and Director of Stainmaster Marketing (respectively) with Invista, and Kemp Harr discuss the latest ultra-soft fiber from Stainmaster that will be introduced at Surfaces this year. Listen to the interview to hear more details about its durability and the consumer promotion planned for this new carpet innovation.

Jan. 4, 2012 -- Kermit Baker, chief economist with the American Institute of Architects, and Kemp Harr discuss what may lie ahead this year for commercial and residential construction and remodeling. Listen to the interview to hear Baker talk about the slow upward trajectory of the economy and how he expects continued volatility this year.

Tom Davis, retiring President and CEO of Mannington Mills, and Kemp Harr discuss the highlights of his career in the flooring industry. Listen to the interview to hear Tom talk about the past and the future from his perspective as an industry leader.

Terry Gray, senior vice president of marketing with NRF Distributing, and Kemp Harr discuss NRF's decision to expand their distribution partnership with Johnsonite and Tarkett. Listen to the interview to hear more about NRF and details about this decision.

Michael Martin, CEO with the National Wood Flooring Association, and Kemp Harr discuss the new standard for factory finished solid wood flooring. Listen to the interview for more details.

Keith Campbell, Chairman of Mannington Mills, and Kemp Harr talk about Mannington's solid growth in the last year, and its continuing prospects for growth next year, even in this down economy. Listen as Campbell talks about the various product categories and how he's optimistic that pent up demand will help drive sales next year. He also talks about the pending change at CEO.

December 13, 2011--Scott Sandlin, VP of Shaw's hard surfaces business, and Kemp Harr discuss Anderson's recent decision to focus on two core brands. Listen to the interview to hear Scott talk about Anderson's continued focus on their distribution partners and their new retail Preferred Partner program.

John Wells, President of Interface Americas, and Kemp Harr discuss Floor Focus' December article on Ray Anderson and some of his character traits that led to his visionary achievements. In addition, John and Kemp discuss carpet tile's marketshare growth, which has recently taken a leadership position versus broadloom in a few of the commercial vertical sectors. Listen to the interview for more details.

To read the article about Ray Anderson from the December issue of Floor Focus click here.

Onuora Ogbukagu, Spokesperson for Domotex Germany, and Kemp Harr discuss the highlights for Domotex 2012--the largest flooring expo in the world. Listen to the interview to hear details about the wood flooring summit, the changes in the exhibit hall layout, and a few of the featured exhibitors for this annual show which is scheduled for January 14 to 17  in Hannover, Germany.

Amie Gilmore, Show Manager with Hanley Wood's Surfaces Expo, and Kemp Harr discuss the key exhibitors and anticipated attendance for Surfaces, which is scheduled for January 24-26 in Las Vegas. Listen to the interview to hear more details about the show overall, Designer Day, and the education classes that are being offered.

Joe Tuttolomondo, General Manager with XL Brands, and Kemp Harr discuss XL Brands' headquarter expansion in Dalton, Georgia. Listen to the interview to hear Joe talk about XL's growth, adhesive trends, and concrete moisture issues in the commercial flooring market.

Kent Clauson, VP of Brands with Mohawk, and Kemp Harr discuss several of the research projects that he has conducted to streamline Mohawk's brand message. Listen to the interview to hear about the Smartstrand consumer satisfaction research and about Mohawk's new market optimization tool for dealers.

Tom Lape, President of Mohawk's Residential and Commercial Carpet Business, and Kemp Harr discuss the highlights of Mohawk's Floorscapes and Colorcenter aligned dealer convention held last week in Nashville. Listen to the interview to hear Tom talk about some of the new products and programs as well as the business outlook for 2012.

Greg Waleke, CEO of Redi Carpet, the largest multi-family flooring contractor in the country, and Kemp Harr, discuss the 30th anniversary of the firm and what has enabled the company to become so successful. Listen to the interview to learn why the firm has focused on the replacement business and intentionally avoided the builder market.

Beth Shoshan, RVP for Bentley Prince Street in New York, and Kemp Harr discuss the annual Interior Design Best of Year Awards which is scheduled for tonight in Manhattan. Listen to the interview to hear more details about this big annual awards event that recognizes design excellence in the interior furnishings market.

Stefan Hoher, Director of Marketing Technology for Tuftex, and Kemp Harr discuss the release of his new book called Marpeting - which was written to help carpet retailers be more successful by using marketing and advertising techniques that are used every day by seasoned advertising professionals. This book is free to all Tuftex dealers and refreshingly, it does not promote Tuftex carpet but does offer some great tips that retailers can use to be more successful.

Bob Murray, VP of Economic Affairs with McGraw-Hill, and Kemp Harr discuss his Construction Outlook Publication for 2012. Listen to the interview to hear Bob say that construction spending for 2012 will be up 10% for for single-family housing, up 18% for multi-family housing, up 8% in commercial buildings but slip 2% in institutional buildings (McGraw-Hill puts schools and hospitals in the institutional category).

Victoria Redshaw, Interior Trends Forecaster with Scarlet Opus, and Kemp Harr discuss the current trends in the interior furnishings market and her upcoming presentation at the Surfaces Expo. Listen to the interview to hear details about what the consumer wants to know about a product before they buy, and what her buying trends are telling us about the frequency and quality of the products she buys.

Lou Morano, Owner of Capitol Carpet and Tile (a six store flooring retailer in Palm County, Florida), and Kemp Harr discuss Lou's recent business success. Listen to the interview to hear more details and also hear Lou talk about the upcoming Mohawk Floorscapes/Color Center meeting scheduled for next week in Nashville, Tennessee.

Paul Friederichsen, Owner of Brand Biz, and Kemp Harr discuss the Future Focus awards created to identify and give recognition to the rising leaders of the floorcovering industry. Listen to the interview to hear more details about this noteworthy initiative and the process for nominating candidates.

Alexander Collot d'Escury, Chief Commercial Officer for Desso, and Kemp Harr discuss recent independent research by TNO in Holland that proves carpet absorbs more particulates from the air than hard surfaces. Listen to the interview to hear how the European carpet market is using this information to reverse the trend by asthma and allergy doctors to advise patients to remove their carpet.

Michael Vogel, CEO and Founder of the DCS Partnership Group, and Kemp Harr discuss the DCS Annual Meeting that was held last week in Sonoma, California. This year the meeting was focused on the builder sector of his business. Listen to the interview to hear the highlights of this meeting and the tone of the flooring contractors who focus on this sector of the market.

Gary Cissell, Director of Floors for Nebraska Furniture Mart, and Kemp Harr discuss NFM's decision to open its 4th superstore location in The Colony, a suburb of Dallas, Texas. Listen to the interview to hear more details about this new store and about the current sales levels for flooring in NFM's existing stores in the Midwest.

Frank Hurd, COO with the Carpet and Rug Institute, and Kemp Harr discuss the highlights of CRI's annual meeting held last week in Dalton. Listen to the interview to hear more details about the meeting, changes to the Board of Directors, how the carpet industry is tracking for 2011 and about the CRI's reduced budget moving forward.

Dan Natkin, Director of Hardwood and Laminate at Mannington Mills, and Kemp Harr discuss last week's decision by the International Trade Commission to affirm punitive duties on engineered hardwood flooring imported from China. Listen to the interview to hear details from Dan, who has attended most of the hearings on this case.

Michelle Miller, Executive VP of the North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors, and Kemp Harr discuss the highlights of this year's annual meeting held this week in Nashville, Tennessee. Guest speakers this year were Dr. Barry Asmus (economist), Stuart Varney (TV Journalist), and Jonathan Trivers. Listen to the interview to hear more details about the health of this sector of the floorcovering industry.

Jonathan Train, president of the Alliance for Free Choice in Jobs and Flooring, and Kemp Harr, discuss the International Trade Commission's decision to impose duties on engineered hardwood that's imported from China. Listen to the interview to hear how the average 4.5% duties will affect the industry and how the rates will be reviewed in the years ahead.

John Baugh, Managing Director with Stifel Nicolaus, and Kemp Harr discuss the 3rd quarter performance for Mohawk, Armstrong and Interface. Listen to the interview to hear more details about each of these publicly traded companies and hear John talk about the outlook for next year.

Kermit Baker, a Harvard economist who tracks the commercial and residential construction sectors, and Kemp Harr discuss Kermit's outlook on current economic conditions and the outlook for 2012. Listen to the interview to hear Kermit talk about the slow and steady improvement in both sectors.

Neil Poland, President of Mullican Flooring, and Kemp Harr discuss Mullican's news this week that they are moving their entire Johnson City operation and headquarters to a new facility and expanded its footprint to include a new engineered flooring line. Listen to the interview to hear more details about this decision and also hear Neil talk about the current and future outlook for hardwood flooring in the U.S.

Steve Roan, VP of Sales with Karastan, and Kemp Harr discuss last week's furniture show in High Point, North Carolina. Listen to the interview to hear how this show compares to the other rug markets and where the consumer buys rugs today versus a few years ago.

Phil Koufidakis, Owner of Baker Brothers, a seven-store retail chain in Phoenix, Arizona, and Kemp Harr discuss Baker Brothers' 10% growth, web marketing strategy and product mix. Listen to the interview to hear how this NFA member has grown in the past year.

Jim Mudd, President of the NFA, and Kemp Harr discuss highlights of the National Floorcovering Alliance's Fall meeting in Napa Valley, California. Listen to the interview to hear Jim talk about the overall health of this buying group's memebership and about his own business, Sam Kinnaird's Flooring, in Louisville, Kentucky.

Gary Cissell, Director of Floors at Nebraska Furniture Mart, and Kemp Harr discuss retail flooring volume at NFM's three midwest stores. Listen to the interview to hear Gary talk about recent success he had with a "private sale," his sales mix of hard surface versus carpet, Stainmaster's new TruSoft Fiber and the membership tone at the Fall National Floorcovering Alliance meeting in Napa Valley, California.

Kelly Taylor, Owner of Ambassador Floor Company in St. Louis, and Kemp Harr discuss his recent decision to join the National Floorcovering Alliance (NFA). Listen to the interview to hear more about this retailer's business and business conditions in St. Louis.

Ralph Boe, CEO of Beaulieu of America, and Kemp Harr discuss Beaulieu's recent success at refinancing its $230 million credit facility and the current state of the carpet market. Listen to the interview to hear Ralph talk about market conditions and demand versus supply from a total carpet industry standpoint.

Dave Gheesling and Jay Smith, CEO and President of FloorExpo, and Kemp Harr discuss the highlights of FloorExpo's annual meeting held last week in Palm Springs, California. FloorExpo is the largest membership group of flooring contractors who focus on the single and multi-family residential builder market. Listen to the interview to hear how positive attitudes can effect business growth.

Nia Evans, vice president of sales (flooring industry) for GE Capital, and Kemp Harr talk about private label financing for flooring retailers and how it can lead to greater sales. Listen to the interview to find out how private label financing can lead to higher average ticket sales and help increase close rates, among many other benefits. Also listen to find out why GE Capital has been able to increase its footprint in the flooring industry in recent years.

Erin Dempsey, Environmental Manager for Centiva, and Kemp Harr discuss Centiva's rapid growth and personality that has positioned them as one of the leading commercial LVT suppliers in the U.S. Listen to the interview to hear Erin talk about Centiva's key sustainability initiatives.

Diane Martel, vice president of environmenal planning and strategy for Johnsonite/Tarkett, and Kemp Harr, discuss Johnsonite's environmental message at Greenbuild 2011. Listen to the interview to hear Diane talk about Johnsonite's latest products, some of which incorporate 4.4% walnut shells. Diane also talks about the firm's new digital technology and its emphasis on becoming a Cradle to Cradle company by 2020.

Jeanne Matson, President and CEO of Starnet, and Kemp Harr discuss the highlights of Starnet's membership meeting held this past weekend in Chicago. Listen to the interview to hear how the largest group of commercial flooring contractors is doing during these challenging economic times.

Doug Hayes of Florida Tile, and Kemp Harr, discuss Florida Tile's sustainability efforts, including its recent incorporation of Ecoscorecard to help architects and designers understand the sustainable attributes of Florida Tile products. Listen to the interview to hear why the company moved its headquarters to Lexington, Kentucky, and how that plays into the company's sustainability message. The interview was recorded at Greenbuild.

Frank Douglas, VP of Business Development for Crossville, and Kemp Harr discuss Crossville's recent acquisition of Master Tile in Texas and Oklahoma. With this acquisition, Crossville now owns 21 distributor locations. Listen to the interview to hear Frank discuss Crossville's overall channel stratgy and their continued growth during these economic times.

Dennis Darragh, Forbo's General Manager for North America and Asia Pacific, and Kemp Harr discuss why Forbo's growth has outpaced the market in recent years and some of the issues with the current LEED point system. Listen to the interview to hear more.

Bill Reynolds, Director of Marketing and Engineering with Tate Access Floors, and Kemp Harr discuss Tate's latest innovation at the 2011 Greenbuild Expo in Toronto. Listen to the interview to hear Bill talk about one of the most innovative new flooring products we uncovered at Greenbuild. This phase change material is built into the flooring panels to store thermal energy and reduce peak energy demand. It does this by changing from a solid to liquid at 75 degrees Fahrenheit. As part of this interview, Bill also talks about the commercial penetration of access panel flooring in the U.S.

Howard Elder, Director of Research and Environmental Affairs for J+J/Invision, and Kemp Harr discuss J&J's new water filtration system, the decline in the number of carpet exhibitors at Greenbuild, and shortfalls with the LEED point system as it relates to rewarding the right attributes for sustainable carpet.

Sean Ragiel, President and Owner of Carpet Cycle, and Kemp Harr talk about Carpet Cycle's business as the leading recycler of post consumer carpet in the Northeast. Based in New Jersey and recently expanded into Toronto, Carpet Cycle has built a successful business around removing old carpet, separating it into components and selling those components into new end-use markets. Listen to this brief interview to hear more details.

Peter Greene, Vice President of Marketing at Interface, and Kemp Harr, discuss Interface's commitment to Environmental Product Declarations and how it fits into the company's Mission Zero effort. Interface is the first North American carpet company to have EPDs, which it first received two years ago. Listen to the interview to find out how EPDs figure into the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED program.

Paul Murray, Vice President of Sustainability for Shaw Industries, and Kemp Harr, discuss Shaw's presence at the annual Greenbuild show in Toronto. Listen to the interview to find out more about Shaw's cradle-to-cradle philosophy for product development, its takeback program, and how it's soliciting sustainability ideas from show attendees.

Paul Murfin, President of IVC-US, and Kemp Harr discuss IVC's aggressive growth plans, channel strategy and product fit. Listen to the interview to hear Paul talk about his plans now that he's been in this position for four weeks.

Nate Kredich, VP of Residential Market Development with the U.S. Green Building Council, and Kemp Harr discuss how sustainability initiatives are giving new homes a competitive edge over existing homes. Nate also discusses this week's Greenbuild Show in Toronto and the best way to navigate and prioritize where attendees should spend their time.

Darrel Collier, Synthetic Fibers Analyst with Tecnon Orbichem, and Kemp Harr discuss the increase in polymer prices since the beginning of 2011 for Polyester, Polypropylene, Nylon 6 and Nylon 6,6. Listen to the interview to hear Darrel talk about each polymer that's used to make carpet, how much it's gone up since the beginning of the year and why.

Howard Brodsky, Co-CEO of CCA Global, and Kemp Harr discuss last week's Alan Greenberg Charity Golf Event that was held at Barnsley Gardens in Georgia and raised $160,000 for the Floor Covering Industry Foundation (FCIF). Listen to the interview to hear more about this event, the FCIF and about current market conditions with CCA's members.

Ryan Fason, a ceramic tile consultant with p.a.t.t.i., and Kemp Harr discuss tile trend observations from this year's Cersaie show in Bologna, Italy. Listen to the interview to hear Ryan talk about the show and what it takes to be successful at selling as a retailer.

Armando Cafiero, managing director of the Italian Ceramic Tile Association, and Kemp Harr, from the Cersaie show in Bologna, Italy, discuss the growth of Cersaie, the largest ceramic tile show in the world. Listen to the interview to hear Armando talk about Italian tile, where use is growing, and how his association plans to increase its tile sales in the U.S.

Hector Narvaez, head of marketing and sales for Marazzi USA, and Kemp Harr discuss activity at the Cersaie show in Bologna, Italy, where the interview was recorded. Listen to the interview to learn who attends the world's largest tile show and why. Find out how the show is similar in some respects to the North American Auto Show, as well trends Narvaez is seeing this year.

Steve Fitzgerald, owner of CC Carpet in Dallas, Texas, and Kemp Harr discuss Fitzgerald's grand slam promotion, in which the store reimbursed customers for their September purchases after Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers hit a grand slam. Listen to the interview as Fitzgerald talks about the details of the program and how it has resulted in national publicity.

Franco Rossi, President of Aquafil USA, and Kemp Harr discuss Aquafil's sustainability achievements, which have been summarized in a recent company report. Listen to the interview to hear Franco talk about Aquafil's key sustainability achievements, its re-polymerization plant in Slovenia, and current market conditions.

Dean Harris, Design Principal with JPC Architects in Bellevue, Washington, and Kemp Harr discuss JPC's winning entry in the anuual Vision Design Awards. Listen to the interview to hear more about JPC, their winning entry, the Vision Design Awards and about current business conditions for this design firm.

Sam Burger, VP of Sales for Lexmark, and Kemp Harr discuss the highlights from the Hospitality Design Boutique show which is currently underway at the Miami Convention Center. Listen to the interview to hear Sam talk about the traffic and business conditions from the floor of the show.

Ron Dunn, Co-CEO with Alliance Flooring, and Kemp Harr discuss key take-aways from Ron's "trip across America" where he and his wife personally visited with 100 members in a 30 day period. Listen to the interview to hear some great success tips on product diversity, focus on fashion (with vignettes and Ipad presentation tools).

David Duncan, Vice Persident with Mohawk, and Kemp Harr discuss Mohawk's "Operation Rebuild" hurricane relief initiative to help retailers and consumers recover from the effects of Hurricane Irene in the Northeastern U.S. Listen to the interview to hear David talk about what Mohawk is doing for their dealers to get them back in business and for the consumers--by offering extended credit through a program developed with GE Money.

Kaye Gosline, Creative Director with IVC, and Kemp Harr discuss the highlights from the first day of the Maison show in Paris. Listen to the interview to hear Kaye give a designer's perspective on this semi-annual international home and gift show.

Kurt Zanelotti, Owner of Contract Carpet Systems in Beltsville, Maryland, and Kemp Harr discuss the workplace fraud act of 2009. Listen to the interview to hear how this state law is complicating the relationship between flooring retailers and their installation contractors.

Jonathan Young, CEO of Brintons Americas, and Kemp Harr discuss the Carlyle Group's acquisition of Brintons for $64 million. Listen to the interview to hear more details about this deal and some valuable information about the company's market focus and plans for profitable growth.

Jon Pierce, General Manager with Pierce Flooring and Design--an 8-store flooring retailer in Montana, and Kemp Harr discuss how they view the internet and social media in their promotional mix. Listen to the interview to hear more details about the ratio of promotion spending that Pierce applies to web marketing.

Anthony Minite, President of Bentley Prince Street, and Kemp Harr discuss Bentley's Couture Design promotion where students at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising collaborated with Anthony's staff to create striking ladies dresses made out of carpet. Listen to the interview to hear the strategy behind this Los Angeles themed fashion promotion and go to this link to see the dresses being worn by models in a recent TV news program.

Peter Spirer, Marketing Director with Max Windsor, and Kemp Harr discuss Max Windsor's move into the vinyl flooring sector with a new LVP (luxury vinyl plank) collection. Up to now, Max Windsor has focused only on the engineered wood category. Listen to the interview to hear Peter talk about the strategy behind this decision. And for those listeners who have been in this business for a while, this is the same Peter Spirer who was formerly CEO of Horizon Carpet.

Richard Longwill, with Airbase Carpet Mart, a 12-store retail chain in the Delaware/Pennsylvania region, and Kemp Harr discuss business conditions overall but especially as a result of Hurricane Irene. Listen to the interview to hear more details and also how Airbase competes with the national home centers.

Thomas Trissl, President of Centiva, and Kemp Harr discuss the strategy behind Centiva's rapid growth and details around its sustainability initiatives. Listen to the interview to hear how this American based commercial LVT producer is doing now that it's part of the Tarkett family.

Jim Walker, CEO with Certified Floorcovering Installer, and Kemp Harr discuss the highlights from last weeks CFI Convention, how the prolonged recession has affected the installer trade and the promising outlook that the new S600 ANSI standard for installation could require qualified installation as a pre-requisite for warranty coverage. Listen to the interview for more details.

Cathy Buchanan, Showroom Manager at Independent Carpet One in Westland, Michigan, and Kemp Harr discuss the Carpet One Healthy Living installation program. Healthy Living was rolled out last summer as a value added differentiation program to help separate the Carpet One installation experience from other retailers and big box stores. Listen to the interview to hear Cathy give more details and also talk about current market conditions in her market.

Chris Abbate with Novita Communications, and Kemp Harr discuss some of the highlights upcoming Cersaie show in Bologna, Italy. Listen to the interview to hear more about the show and some of the noteworthy global design speakers.

Kermit Baker, the chief economist with the American Institute of Architecture, and Kemp Harr provide an update on the latest AIA billing index and what it tells us about where we are in the economic recovery. Listen to the interview to hear Kermit provide more details about the commercial interiors market and also the residential housing market in his role with Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies.

Werner Braun, President of the CRI, and Kemp Harr discuss the recent decision to reorganize the Carpet and Rug Institute. Listen to the interview to hear Werner discuss the elimination of the ten committees and issue teams which will be replaced by one leadership council and three panels. Through this decision, the CRI hopes to streamline its ability to be effective in achieving its goal of removing the barriers that hinder the growth and profitability of its membership.

Dean Thompson, President of the Resilient Floor Covering Institute, and Kemp Harr discuss the status of the NSF 332 environmental standard for resilient products. Listen to the interview to hear what products this standard covers, what attributes it evaluates, how many levels of compliance there are and what individual producers are doing to get certified.

Jenny Cross, Mohawk's Director of Sustainability, and Kemp Harr discuss the highlights of Mohawk's second annual Sustainability Report. Listen to the interview to hear more details about Mohawk's third party validation with this report.

Robert Fry, an economist with DuPont, and Kemp Harr discuss the current state of the economy based on the latest events in Europe and the recent volatility of the U.S. stock market. Listen to the interview to hear Robert say that the odds are in favor of us seeing steady but slow growth for the next several years.

Tim White, a financial planner with Wells Fargo, and Kemp Harr discuss some of the reasons for the current volatility in the stock market. Listen to the interview to hear Tim talk about the fundamentals and how we should react in this situation.

Dan Hendrix, President and CEO of Interface, and Kemp Harr discuss Ray Anderson's entrepreneurial style and drive that enabled him to not only create Interface as the leader in the modular carpet business but also empowered him to change the way industrial companies should view the environment. Listen to this short interview to hear more details about Dan talk about Ray.

Dan Frierson, Chairman of the Dixie Group, and Kemp Harr discuss Dixie's 2nd Quarter performance and outlook for the coming months. Listen to the interview to hear how Dixie has been outpacing the industry in carpet sales in both the residential and commercial sectors.

Sam Roberts, owner of nine retail stores in Houston, and Kemp Harr talk about what it takes to be successful selling better-end flooring products in this current economy. Listen to the interview to hear Sam, who is an NFA member, talk about his focus on credibility and quality.

Scott Perron, President of Big Bob's Flooring Outlet, and Kemp Harr discuss Vinnie Virga's decision to open a minimum of 17 Big Bob's stores in New England and upstate New York. Listen to the interview to hear more details about Virga becoming Big Bob's newest and largest franchisee.

Tracy Hammond, VP with Dutco Worldwide, and Kemp Harr discuss details around the new U.S. debt agreement that should be signed into law today. Tracy has an enlightened perspective as a Washington insider who also serves as the lobbyist for the Carpet and Rug Institute. Listen to the interview to hear details about the compromises that were made on both sides of the isle.

Charlie Dilks and Jeff Meadows, with CCA Global and Beaulieu of America respectively, and Kemp Harr discuss the new Resista Refresh carpet collection--one of the major product launches rolled out at the Flooring America and Carpet One conventions this week in Anaheim. Listen to the interview to hear Charlie give details about why CCA Global picked Beaulieu's carpet to update the Resista carpet assortment in all Carpet One and Flooring America stores. To help with this launch, Resista will be advertised this Fall on cable television stations.

Eric Demaree, President of Carpet One Floor and Home and Kemp Harr discuss Carpet One's tone of membership and what Carpet One members are doing to gain market share. Listen to the interview recorded at the CCA Global Convention in Anneheim, CA to hear more about Carpet One's retail approach and about some of the new products being rolled out at the convention.

Keith Spano and Jim Duff, Co-Presidents of Flooring America and Flooring Canada and Kemp Harr discuss some of the highlights from this week's Flooring America Convention in Aneheim, CA. Listen to the interview to hear more about how the members are feeling about the state of retail based on current market conditions, the new Flooring America 3 year plan and some of the new products being introduced.

Jack Raidy, President and owner of W.F. Taylor, and Kemp Harr discuss Taylor's new pressure sensitive flooring installation film that has been developed as an alternative to troweled-on flooring adhesive. This innovative new film can be used on install carpet tile, luxury vinyl tile, VCT, Sheet flooring and even wall base. Listen to the interview with Jack to hear more about this product and current business conditions.

Georgina Sikorski, Executive Director with CARE, and Kemp Harr discuss the smooth implementation of California AB 2398, a new state law that requires consumers to pay a $.05 per square yard recycling fee on all new carpet purchased in California. Listen to the interview to also hear more about CARE's 2 Billion yard milestone and where most recycled carpet is used today.

Santo Torcivia, the leading economist who focuses on the Flooring Industry, and Kemp Harr discuss the latest edition of the U.S. FLOOReport. Listen to the interview to hear Santo talk about his economic outlook, anticipated increases in exports with reductions in imports, continued shifts in where consumers buy flooring and which product categories will grow in the coming years.

Tom Levi, President and Co-owner of Levi's for Floors, and Kemp Harr discuss Tom's growth and continued success as an independent flooring retailer in central Ohio. Listen to the interview to hear more about his successful strategy.

Dr. Chad Moutray, Chief Economist with the National Association of Manufacturers, and Kemp Harr discuss Chad's outlook for economic growth for the second half of 2011. Listen to the interview to hear Chad discuss why he has a positive outlook for the second half of the year.

Ron Braam and Mike Junkins with Manufacturers Chemicals, and Kemp Harr, discuss the company's success at moving away from petroleum based chemicals to chemicals made from plants or waste stream by-products. Manufacturers Chemicals produces yarn processing lubricants, specialty dyes, levelers and dispersants. Now owned by publicly traded Synalloy, Manufacturers Chemicals is one of the original core chemical suppliers to the carpet industry.

Kermit Baker, a Harvard Economist with the Joint Center of Housing Studies and the American Institute of Architecture and Kemp Harr discuss both the residential and commercial markets. Listen to the interview for an update on residential housing and commercial architectural projects.

Phil Koufidakis, President of Baker Brothers (an 8 store retail flooring chain in Phoenix) and Kemp Harr discuss this week's unprecedented dust storm and current sales conditions in the greater Phoenix area. Phil also discusses changes he is making to his internet marketing tools to increase store traffic.

Gary Cissell, Director of Flooring at Nebraska Furniture Mart, and Kemp Harr discuss his year over year sales trends and how retail flooring is trending in the Midwest. Listen to the interview to hear Gary talk about how creativity and promotion are key components in today's retail flooring market.

Scott Perron, President of Big Bob's Flooring Outlet--a 37-store buying group, and Kemp Harr discuss how the highlights from their annual meeting held this past week in Kansas City. Listen to the interview to hear how their members are doing, how they position themselves to consumers and other highlights from the meeting.

Frank Hurd, VP and COO with the Carpet and Rug Institute, and Kemp Harr discuss California's Office of Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) unfounded concern for caprolactam as a potential hazard to humans. Despite recent data proving otherwise, OEHHA is attempting to reduce the allowable exposure levels of caprolactam by a factor of 50. This action could have a far reaching impact to the use of Nylon 6 fiber in commercial applications.

Natalie Jones, VP of Brand Development for Mannington Commercial, and Kemp Harr discuss the Vivendi Collection, which won a Best of NeoCon Gold award in the new healthcare category. Listen to the interview to hear details about Mannington's collaboration with HOK on this new product, plus more details about the traffic at NeoCon.

Laurie Lyza, Director of Marketing for Crossville Tile, and Kemp Harr discuss Crossville's new Main Street collection, a minimalistic, urban looking collection, and the firm's new recycling partnership with Toto--a leading producer of porcelain plumbing products. Listen to the interview to hear more Crossville's news at NeoCon 2011.

Cresta Bledsoe, Global Creative Director for Milliken, and Kemp Harr talk about Milliken's Best of NeoCon Silver award in the resilient category for the Rinascita Collection. This new product is a collaboration between Milliken and Spinneybeck. Listen to the interview to hear more about this and other key NeoCon news for Milliken.

Sara Meier and Paul Lewandowski, the two winners of Mannington Commercial's tx:style design contest, and Kemp Harr discuss their background and their experience turning a concept into a carpet design. Listen to the interview to hear details about the contest and each of the two winners talk about their experience.

Jackie Dettmar, VP of Product Development for the Mohawk Group, and Kemp Harr discuss the Best of NeoCon gold award in the fiber category for Smartstrand, which Mohawk is now using in a running line contract carpet collection. Listen to the interview to hear more about the "What Moves You" collection and about Mohawk's other key introductions at NeoCon 2011.

Reesie Duncan, Creative Director for Shaw Contract Group, discusses On the Edge, which won a Best of NeoCon Gold award in the modular category. Other topics include The Music Project and Shaw Contract's move to increase the recycled content of its nylon fiber. Listen to this interview recorded at NeoCon 2011 to hear more about Shaw Contract's new products and about the show traffic compared to other years.

Terry Mowers, VP of Product Development for Tandus, and Kemp Harr discuss Tandus' Best of NeoCon awards and their new product design approach called Sero Design Technology. Listen to the interview to hear about Tandus' Editors Choice Award and their Silver Healthcare award. Terry also explains the expansion of scale that Tandus is now using in their Sero design approach.

Mark Brunelle, National Sales Manager with USF Contract, and Kemp Harr discuss their Best of NeoCon Gold award for Cork Decor - a new collection of cork tiles that is produced with a PVC wear layer for high traffic commercial applications. Listen to the interview to hear more details about this product and where these products are being used in the commercial market.

John Wells, President of Interface Americas, and Kemp Harr discuss Interface's NeoCon presentation in Chicago, the expansion of their Re-Entry program into Canada and their use of recycled nylon from Aquafil. Listen to the interview to hear about the offices of the future and how Interface's sustainability initiatives have evolved.

Valerie Ottaviano, Creative Director with Bentley Prince Street, and Kemp Harr discuss the collection that won Bentley Prince Street a Best of NeoCon Gold Award for broadloom carpet. Listen to the interview to hear more about The Silver Screen collection and other details around Bentley Prince Street's NeoCon presentation in Chicago.

David Vita, EVP with Beaulieu commercial, and Kemp Harr discuss Beaulieu's decision to consolidate their commercial business under the one Bolyu brand name. Listen to the interview to hear the strategy behind this decision and their contract commercial focus moving forward.

Mark Falanga, Sr VP with MMPI (the leading official for NeoCon), and Kemp Harr discuss the anticipated attendance for NeoCon, which starts next Monday morning in Chicago. Listen to the interview to hear Mark talk about the "don't miss" highlights for this year's annual commercial interior furnishings show.

Peter Conant, Principle with Conant Architects in New York, and Kemp Harr discuss Peter's core focus for the IIDA as he steps into the role as President for the coming year. Listen to the interview to hear more about this and about his expectations for NeoCon this year.

Jim Walters, upcoming Chairman for the World Floor Covering Association, and Kemp Harr discuss the role of the organization and its focus for the coming year. Listen to the interview to hear Jim talk about his background and how Macco's Flooring is currently doing at retail in Wisconsin.

Tracy Hammond, VP with Dutco Worldwide (the lobbying firm for the Carpet and Rug Institute), and Kemp Harr discuss the current partisan paralysis in Washington, DC. Listen to the interview to hear an insider's perspective on when we might start seeing any positive legislative movement that will allow our economy to start to move forward.

Greg Colando, President of InterfaceFlor, and Kemp Harr discuss where Interface's four urban retail stores fit into its consumer marketing strategy for the company's residential modular tile products. Listen to the interview to hear more about how it picks store locations, as well as information on product styling and future plans.

Graham Howerton and Jay Smith with the FEI Group (formerly Floor Expo), and Kemp Harr discuss the strength of the multifamily housing sector. Listen to the interview to hear current and future statistics about occupancy, growth, and changes in the types of flooring used in the rental markets.

Stefan Hoher, Director of Market Technologies for Tuftex, and Kemp Harr discuss the strategic marketing decisions that this west coast carpet producer has made to make it stand out in the market place. Listen to the interview to hear Stefan talk about the many brand changes, who its targeting and where it fits in Shaw's overall brand strategy.

Summer Turner, Owner of two House of Carpets retail stores in Middle Tennessee, and Kemp Harr discuss market conditions at retail and what she is doing to grow her business. Listen to the interview to hear Summer give details about her business and a brief recap of the recent WFCA board meeting in New Orleans.

John Baugh, Managing Director with Stifel Nicolaus, and Kemp Harr discuss the 1st quarter results of the publicly traded floring companies. Listen to the interview to hear a quick summary of Mohawk, Armstrong and Interface's performance and outlook.

Pamela Rainey, Design Manager for Shaw Hospitality, and Kemp Harr discuss current design trends related to flooring in the hospitality market. Recorded at the HD Expo show in Las Vegas last week, Pamela also discusses Shaw's best of show award for a new carpet collection called Global Reason and for their booth display.

John McIntosh, VP of Sales and Marketing with Signature Hospitality Carpet, and Kemp Harr discuss Signature's approach to the hospitality market. Listen to the interview recorded from the floor of the Hospitality Design show in Las Vegas to hear more details about what Signature is doing to set themselves apart in this market.

Jennifer Busch and Kemp Harr discuss her decision to leave Contract Magazine and join InterfaceFlor as VP A&D Market Development. Listen to the interview, recorded at the HD Expo in Las Vegas, to hear more details about Jennifer's move and her new role.

David Jolly. President of J&J Industries, and Kemp Harr discuss J&J approach to the hospitality market with their newly acquired Templeton brand. Listen to the interview (recorded from the floor of the HD Show in Vegas) to hear David talk about J&J's strategy for the hospitality market.

Jack Thomasson, Builder and Project Manager for HGTV and Kemp Harr discuss the 2011 HGTV Green Home from the Stapleton area of Denver, CO. Listen to the interview to hear about the Shaw Industries' hardwood, tile and area rugs used in this project. Also learn specifics about how this home earns its "green" rating.

Xavier Steyaert, CEO of IVC-USA, and Kemp Harr discuss the grand opening of IVC's Dalton Georgia vinyl sheet flooring plant. Listen to the interview to hear details about its capacity and IVC's long-range strategy for market penetration in the U.S.

Chris Abbate, President of Novita Communications, and Kemp Harr discuss the annual ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair) held this week at the Javits Convention Center in New York City. This show is the U.S. version of the Milan Furniture Show held in Italy in April. Listen to the interview to hear about the improved tone and traffic and other highlights.

Bruce Odette, Owner of Carpet Exchange in Denver, and Kemp Harr discuss his decision to support Shaw's HGTV licensed flooring products in all 19 of his retail stores. Listen to the interview to hear Bruce talk about market conditions and the benefits of this new program with Shaw Industries and HGTV.

Gianni Mattioli, President and CEO of Marazzi USA, and Kemp Harr discuss Marazzi's recent gift to the North Alabama Red Cross to help victims of the recent tornados in the area around their plant in Florence Alabama. Listen to the interview to hear more about this and about current market conditions in the U.S. ceramic/porcelain flooring market.

Steve Merrick, Owner, President and CEO of Somerset Hardwood, and Kemp Harr discuss Somerset's decision to expand its U.S. based production by building an engineered hardwood plant in Crossville, Tennessee. Listen to the interview to hear more details about Somerset and its expansion.

Santo Torcivia, an economist who focuses on the floorcovering industry, and Kemp Harr discuss his projections for the growth of the hardwood market in the U.S. Listen to the interview to hear Santo discuss the role Lumber Liquidators and the home centers play in this market and other details that affect this market.

Georgina Sikorski, Executive Director with CARE, and Kemp Harr discuss the Carpet America Recovery Effort's annual report which was released at last week's annual CARE convention. Listen to the interview to hear a quick review of how CARE is doing on its mission to divert post-consumer carpet from landfills.

Bill Kilbride and Jenny Cross, the leaders of Mohawk's sustainability initiatives, discuss Mohawk's top 5 ranking in the GreenBusiness Works Southeastern Corporate Sustainability Rankings. Listen to the interview to hear details of how Mohawk was picked for this honor and where sustainability fits in Mohawk's strategic plan.

Don Finkell, CEO with Shaw's Hardwood Business, and Kemp Harr discuss hardwood flooring trends from Don's vantage point. Listen to this interview which was recorded last week at the NWFA show in San Diego to hear Don talk about business conditions and the consumers preference for hardwood flooring.

Ed Korczak, Executive Director and CEO of the National Wood Flooring Association, and Kemp Harr discuss the hardwood flooring market and this week's annual hardwood show. Listen to the interview to hear details about product trends, sales volumes and Ed's outlook for the future in this surface sector. Ed will be retiring at the end of this year.

Kermit Baker, a Harvard Economist with the Joint Center for Housing Studies, and Kemp Harr discuss the outlook for remodel activity for the remainer of 2011. Listen to the interview to hear Kermit's latest read on the housing market including his opinion of Bernanke's speech yesterday.

Anthony Minite, President of Bentley Prince Street and Kemp Harr discuss the latest developments with this upscale commercial carpet brand. Listen to the interview to hear where they are focusing their energy in 2011 to take advantage of the recovery we are seeing in the commercial market. Specifics include new tufting equipment, Ipad sales force tool, and employee developent.

Doug Giles, Director of Marketing with Universal Textile Technologies, and Kemp Harr discuss UTT's new recycling partnership with Yellowstone National Park. Listen to the interview to hear details around how UTT recycles Yellowstone's plastic bottles into high performance backing products for the residential, commercial and synthetic turf markets.

Ann Derr, Principal with JPC Architects, and Kemp Harr discuss JPC's grand prize winning entry for this year's Vision Design Awards. Listen to the interview to hear Ann talk about this project, where the firm specializes and how its business has been affected by the recession. The Vision Design Awards are sponsored by Bentley Prince Street, Centiva, Crossville and Johnsonite and it was created to reward interior design that effectively integrates flooring design with the overall design of the space.

Jeff Meadows, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer for Beaulieu of America, and Kemp Harr discuss the global market conditions that are resulting in higher carpet prices. Listen to the interview to hear Jeff explain why nylon, polyester and Polypropylene prices are at an all time high and what effect that has on the carpet industry.

Richard Friedman, President of DFS Flooring, and Kemp Harr discuss the strategy that has resulted in this Southern California commercial flooring contractor's 25% growth in the last two years. Listen to the interview to hear more about DFS' balance of maintenance to PI (product and installation) business. Also listen to Richard briefly talk about the highlights of this year's Starnet meeting in Phoenix.

Jeanne Matson, President of Starnet, and Kemp Harr discuss the highlights of Starnet's annual meeting held in Phoenix, Arizona this week. Listen to the interview to hear how the largest co-op of commercial flooring contractors is doing as the economy starts to show signs of life in the commercial flooring sector. Also hear more details about Starnet's annual design contest.

Clint Hubbard, CEO with Home Legend, and Kemp Harr discuss the recent acquisition of Baker's Creek hardwood flooring in Edwards, Mississippi. Listen to the interview to hear more details around the strategy behind this acquisition, including U.S.-based manufacturing, expanded product offering, and export opportunities.

Michael Martin, who has been hired to replace Ed Korzack as the head of the National Wood Flooring Association at the end of the year, and Kemp Harr discuss his background and the role of the association. Listen to the interview to hear where his focus will be as he takes the helm of this association.

Norm Voss, President and CEO of Kronotex USA, and Kemp Harr discuss the changes in the laminate market in the last year. Listen to the interview to hear Norm talk about the Kronotex's expansion, new technologies and future pricing.

Steve Roan, VP of Karastan Rugs, and Kemp Harr discuss the traffic at this week's High Point Home Furnishings Show in North Carolina. Listen to the interview to hear Steve talk about their decision to exhibit at this show after a 6-year absence.

Bob Holm, Principal with HDR Architecture, and Kemp Harr discuss Holm's recent healthcare office building project in Omaha that won a Powerbond award from Tandus. Listen to the interview to hear Bob talk about his preference to use carpet--especially in pediatric healthcare environments.

Tyrone Johnson, Amtico's North American President, and Kemp Harr discuss Amtico's decision to drop its Stratica non-PVC line of resilient flooring. As you will hear in the interview, Amtico developed this product in 1998 to satisfy the need for specifiers who were concerned about using PVC based flooring, but today demand does not warrant the continued offering of the product. Listen to the interview to hear Tyrone give more details and also talk about current market conditions.

Charlie Monroe, president and chairman of Card-Monroe, discusses the new book, Tufting Legacies, which talks about the history of the carpet industry from the standpoint of the machinery that made carpet available to the masses. Listen to the interview to find out more about the inventors of the technology and how it played a key role in making Dalton, Georgia the carpet capital.

Dan Frierson, Chairman of The Dixie Group, and Kemp Harr discuss Dixie's year end results and current market conditions. Listen to the interview to hear more about where Dixie is finding business today and what sets the company apart.

Ed Duncan, VP Marketing for Mannington Mills, and Kemp Harr discuss the success of the Mannington Makes Noise initiative, which promotes American manufacturing. Listen to the interview to hear more details about this campaign and also hear Ed discuss current flooring market conditions.

Ron Dunn, Co-President with Alliance Flooring, and Kemp Harr discuss the annual Alliance Flooring Convention held last week in Orlando. Listen to the interview to hear more about the tone of their members, the highlights of their meeting, details around their cleaning and maintenance program and their new website.

Sean Cilona, Director of Marketing with Florida Tile, and Kemp Harr discuss Florida Tile's new products introduced at Coverings 2011. Listen to the interview to hear more about how they achieve these new visuals and also learn more about Florida Tile's new programs for 2011.

Hector Narvaez, Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing at American Marazzi, and Kemp Harr discuss Marazzi's new product introductions and growth strategy for 2011. Listen to the interview recorded at Coverings 2011 to hear more.

Michael Johnson, Professor with the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, and Kemp Harr discuss how he designs with tile, what it's like to be a recent graduate with a degree in architecture and why tile makes a great flooring surface.

Frank Douglas, Vice President of Business Development for Tennessee tile firm Crossville, and Kemp Harr, recorded at Coverings 2011, discuss Crossville's 25th anniversary in the industry and the firm's history of being the first domestic producer of large unit porcelain tile. Listen as Douglas talks about Crossville's new products, its business outlook, and some of the company's recent innovations.

Svend Hovmand, president of the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation, and Kemp Harr discuss from the Coverings 2011 show the most recent updates to the TCNA Handbook, the most comprehensive guide for tile contractors and tile specifiers. Listen to the interview to hear what's included in the new guide and how the organization hopes to have 1,000 certified installers by the end of the year.

Donato Grosser, a consultant with the Italian ceramic tile trade association, and Kemp Harr discuss the recovery of the U.S. consumption of tile following the recession. Listen to the interview to hear Donato give his prediction that the market may grow 15% this year.

John Baugh, Managing Director with Stifel Nicolaus, and Kemp Harr discuss the fourth quarter results for Mohawk, Armstrong and Interface. Listen to the interview to hear John's outlook on each company's performance and how it relates to current market conditions.

Frank Hurd, COO with the CRI, and Kemp Harr discuss the congressional meetings held this week to proactively address legislative issues that are important to the carpet industry. Listen to the interview to hear who attended these meetings and what was discussed. At the end of the interview we also discuss the progress that's been made to implement California AB 2398 on July 1st.

Gary Asbury, Co-President of Professional Testing, and Kemp Harr discuss a recent peer review validation of the XRF test method that CRI uses to test vacuum cleaners and hot water extraction equipment as part of its Seal of Approval process. Listen to the interview to hear Gary talk about X-ray fluorescence testing, where it is used, and what this peer review means to the industry.

Jonathan Train, Product Manager with Swiff-Train and Spokesperson for the Alliance for Free Choice and Jobs in Flooring (AFCJF), talks about the recent deadline extension on the Anti-Dumping ruling for Chinese sourced engineered hardwood flooring. Listen to the interview to hear the background on this debate and where it stands today.

Keith Campbell, Chairman with Mannington Mills, and Kemp Harr discuss today's launch of Mannington's "Make Some Noise" campaign designed to promote the fact that most of its products are made in the U.S. Listen to the interview to hear how Mannington plans to use social media and the Internet to promote this message. Go to www.ManningtonMakesNoise.com to see this creative message around keeping Americans employed.

Ron Lee, Executive Director of the Resource Commercial Flooring Network, and Kemp Harr discuss the business condition improvements his members are seeing in the marketplace. Listen to the interview to hear the highlights of their meeting in San Francisco and more details around business conditions within this group of commercial flooring contractors.

Jennifer Hoff, Executive Director with NTP who hosts the Coverings Show, and Kemp Harr discuss the highlighted speakers and programs for the upcoming Coverings Expo in Las Vegas in mid-March. Listen to the interview to hear what Jennifer thinks are the most important events to see.

Glenn King, VP of Marketing for Beaulieu Commercial, and Kemp Harr discuss recent organization changes and strategy that have resulted in marketshare gain for Beaulieu's "nimble" commercial carpet business. Listen to the interview to hear more about this and about Glenn's background in the industry.

Interior designer Shashi Caan of the Shashi Caan Collective, and Kemp Harr, discuss recent work by the International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers to build more respect for the profession and greater clarity for what interior design specialists do. Specifically, she talks about the IFI Design Frontiers: Interiors Entity, an effort that included designers and architects from 76 countries to develop a consensus about the profession. It resulted in the IFI Interiors Declaration, which will be released next month. She also talks about the Floor Focus Visions Design Awards, which is taking entries through March 1.

Kermit Baker, an economist with the American Institute of Architecture, and Kemp Harr discuss the flat January billings index. According to Kermit, he's not too concerned with this flat reading and still thinks we are "clawing our way" out of this recession. Listen to the interview to hear more details about this and his view of the residential remodel outlook for 2011.

Ed Korczak, CEO of the NWFA, and Kemp Harr discuss the contributions that Virgil Hendricks, the National Wood Flooring Association's founding president, made to the hardwood business. Listen to the interview to hear details about Virgil's business career. Hendricks passed away on February 19, 2011.

Paul Murray, Shaw's new VP of Sustainability and Environmental Affairs, and Kemp Harr discuss Paul's background and the challenges he faces as he takes the leadership role in Shaw's sustainability efforts. Listen to the interview to hear more details.

Jeff West, VP of Marketing and Product Development for Patcraft, discusses his new role as head of marketing and how Shaw positions the Patcraft brand versus the Shaw Contract brand. Listen to the interview for more details.

Peter Greene, VP of Marketing with InterfaceFlor, and Kemp Harr discuss the strategy behind Interface's decision to add to executive positions focused on the design community. Listen to the interview to hear more about Jennifer Busch and Vicki deVuono's new role at Interface.

Recorded at Surfaces, Erinn Valencich, Quick-Step's spokesperson and style expert, discusses residential trends and what role flooring takes in the designs she does for her clients. Watch the video to see how drastically a room can change based on the color of the floor used underneath the furniture.

Steve Silverman, President and COO of Abbey, and Kemp Harr discuss the new products and programs rolled out last week at the annual Abbey Carpet and Floor meeting in Reno, Nevada. Listen to the interview to hear more about Abbey's new Softique Nylon carpet fiber and about its annual consumer advertising program.

Recorded at Surfaces--David Duncan, VP of Marketing for Mohawk, and Kemp Harr discuss a recent consumer satisfaction ranking for SmartStrand versus other fiber types and Mohawk's brand extension of Wear-Dated into PET fibers. Watch the video to see how Mohawk is promoting these brands in 2011.

Filmed at Surfaces, Laurie Lyza and Kemp Harr review a few of Crossville's new product introductions for 2011, its new smartphone app and its upcoming anniversary celebration. Watch the video to see what's new with Crossville.

Recorded at Surfaces, Kim Holm and Joe Amato discuss the Bargain Basement theme, the pace set in the first day, and highlights of new Mannington products for 2011. Watch the video to hear Kim's optimistic outlook for business in 2011.

Recorded at Surfaces, Ralph Boe and Patricia Flavin discuss Beaulieu's new product introductions and dealer programs for 2011. Watch the video to see and hear about HealthyTouch and Beaulieu's new consumer website. As part of this program, listen to Ralph talk about why Beaulieu thinks Polyester will soon become the preferred fiber in the residential market.

Recorded at Surfaces 2011, Jamann Step and Clint Hubbard discuss its continued growth and expansion through new products, expanded sales force and expanded customer base. Watch the video to see more about Home Legend's expansion, which includes a new bamboo plant, and hear details about its GreenGuard certification.

Recorded in the Surfaces Trends Hub, Victoria Redshaw and Shelly Pond with Scarlet Opus discuss their trend predictions for interior furnishings for the future. Scarlet Opus is a trend forecast company based in the UK that hosted the new Trend Hub Area sponsored by Floor Focus Magazine at Surfaces 2011. In this new area, Surfaces attendees were able to get a glimpse into the future of where interior design is headed in 2012. Watch the video to discover how Scarlet Opus is able to make these predictions.

Roger Farabee, Sr. VP of Marketing for Unilin, and Kemp Harr discuss Quick-Step's newest product introductions for Surfaces 2011 including the new Decorwood. While this product installs as easily as laminate, it is constructed using a direct print process that gives a more realistic look. Watch the video to see more of this product and the other new Quick-Step introductions for 2011.

Scott Humphrey, Director of Shaw's Flooring Network, and Kemp Harr discuss the highlights of Shaw's Aligned Dealer Conference held in Orlando this week. Listen to the interview to hear about the attendance, key speakers and Shaw's focus for this meeting.

Recorded live from Surfaces 2011, Gary Finseth, VP of Marketing with Tarkett, and Kemp Harr discuss Tarkett's leadership in the global hard surface category, current market conditions and Tarkett's new product introductions. Watch the video to see detailed footage of Tarkett's new product assortment for 2011.

Recorded live from Surfaces 2011, Neil Poland, President of Mullican Flooring, and Kemp Harr discuss Mullican's market focus, current market conditions and Mullican's new product introductions. Watch the video to see shots from the Mullican booth at this years' show at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

Chris Davis, President of the World Floor Covering Association, and Kemp Harr, discuss today's flooring retail environment and the characteristics of retailers that have thrived during the recession. Also listen as Davis talks about the WFCA membership and how the organization is trying to reposition itself by working more closely with other flooring associations.

Gary Cissell, Director of Flooring for Nebraska Furniture Mart, and Kemp Harr talk about the profile of today's consumer from Cissell's perspective, and the trend Cissell is seeing toward more wood and luxury vinyl tile sales. Cissell also discusses his "crazy promotions" to drive shoppers into his store.

Franco Rossi, President of Aquafil, and Kemp Harr discuss Aquafil's new $21 million facility in Slovenia to produce caprolactam from recycled nylon 6 for its Econyl polymer. The caprolactam produced is as good as virgin material. Econyl, which contains 100% recycled content, and is produced in a nearby polymerization plant, is used in its Alto Chroma BCF carpet fiber. Also hear more details about the Aquafil business.

Bill McWhirter and David Smith with BMW and Associates, and Kemp Harr discuss the drivers behind the rapid growth of the modular carpet tile market. Listen to the interview to hear details on the market size, growth and key share holders. BMW has been publishing a bi-annual report on this market for 14 years.

Joe Williams, Vice President of International Sales for Beaulieu of America, and Kemp Harr discuss the strategy behind Beaulieu's consistent presence at Domotex in Hannover, Germany. Listen to the interview to hear more about Beaulieu's popularity in international markets.

Don Finkell, CEO of Shaw's Hardwood Business, and Kemp Harr discuss the hardwood trends and innovations revealed at this year's Domotex Show in Hannover, Germany. Listen to the interview to hear Don (who is an expert in the hardwood field) discuss his perspective on what he saw at the show.

Stephan Kuhne, board member of Deutsche Messe, and Kemp Harr, discuss this year's Domotex Hannover show, the largest professional floorcovering show in the world. Listen to the interview to find out how the floorcovering market is doing in different parts of the world, as well as how Domotex continually tries to add new features, such as the first Wood Flooring Summit next year.

Vinnie Virga, President of Flooring America and Flooring Canada and Kemp Harr, discuss the highlights of his convention in Texas last week. Listen to the interview to hear more details and also learn about consumer research that reveals what today's consumer is looking for when she buys flooring.

Georgina Sikorski, Executive Director for CARE, and Kemp Harr discuss the details of the new California AB 2398 law which sets aside a nickel per yard on the purchase of new carpet to be used as an incentive to reduce the amount of post consumer carpet in the landfill. Listen to the interview to hear more about this law and the requirements for carpet mills and importers who sell carpet in California to register with the state.

Eric Demaree, President of Carpet One Floor and Home, and Kemp Harr discuss the highlights of this week's Carpet One Convention in Dallas, Texas. Listen to the interview to hear details on how the group's membership is doing, information on a few of the key speakers, and some new product initiatives for 2011.

Jay Flynn, VP of Marketing for Bridgeway Interactive, and Kemp Harr discuss the International Builder Show, which opens today in Orlando, Florida. Listen to the interview to hear more about this show, its anticipated growth and why people come to the show.

Jim Dion, an author and expert on retail buying habits, discusses his upcoming seminars scheduled for Monday, January 24th in Las Vegas. In the morning, Jim talks about how to beat the big boxes and in the afternoon Jim leads a seminar of consumer buying trends. Listen to the interview to hear more about Jim's credentials and his topics at Surfaces.

Drew Holland, Marketing Manager with Healthier Choice, and Kemp Harr discuss his company's new Flexitions flexible transition moldings. Listen to the interview to hear more about this new innovative polyurethane product.

Paul Friederichsen, Christine Whittemore and Scott Perron discuss the highlights of their Competitive Marketing Seminar scheduled for Monday, January 24 from 1 to 4 pm at the Mandalay Bay in Vegas as part of Surfaces 2011 Education Series. Listen to the interview to hear about the three areas of expertise that will be discussed--branding, web marketing and retail operations strategy.

Katherine León, Director of Sales for Hannover Fairs USA, and Kemp Harr discuss the highlights for Domotex Hannover—the largest flooring show in the world. Listen to the interview to hear Katherine provide more details, including a weather report.

Barbara Haaksma, VP of Marketing and Design for Milliken's flooring business, and Kemp Harr discuss Roger Milliken's legacy as the owner and 60-year leader of Milliken & Co. Listen to the interview to hear more about Mr. Milliken and what it was like to work alongside him--an industry icon who lived by the right principles for a company leader.

Kermit Baker, Economist with the American Institute of Architects, and Kemp Harr discuss November's AIA Billings Index, which rose to its highest level since December 2007. Listen to the interview to hear more about the magnitude of a 52 score and specific regional and market sector detail.

David Polley, former president of Lee's, Burlington, World, Mohawk Residential and Dixie Home, and Kemp Harr discuss what it takes to build a consumer brand in the flooring business. Listen to the interview to hear David give an historic perspective on the leading flooring brands of the past. David has recently started a small carpet company called VSP Flooring.

Santo Tocivia with Market Insights and Kemp Harr discuss Santo's recently published Market Monitor quarterly report focused on the outlook for the flooring market in 2011. Listen to the interview to hear highlights of Santo's report.

Victoria Redshaw, owner and trend forecaster with Scarlet Opus in the UK, and Kemp Harr discuss Designer Day and the Trend Area at Surfaces 2011. Hanley Wood is putting a major emphasis toward augmenting the Surfaces Show experience next year in Vegas and this component is sure to be popular. Listen to the interview to hear more details about this exciting new Surfaces dimension--which Floor Focus has agreed to put our name behind as the sole sponsor.

Valerie Ottaviano, VP of Product Design with Bentley Prince Street, and Kemp Harr discuss the strategy behind BPS's recent investment in two new tufting machines. Listen to the interview to hear Valerie discuss how they plan to use this new equipment and also hear Valerie describe the classic Bentley Prince Street look.

Steve Hillis, VP of Hospitality for J&J/Templeton, and Kemp Harr discuss Friday's acquisition of the Templeton Hospitality carpet assets. Listen to the interview to hear more about the strategy behind this acquisition and J&J's new strengths in the hospitality market.

David Wilkerson, Director of Sustainability for Shaw Industries, and Kemp Harr discuss yesterday's grand opening of the Clear Path Recycling plant in Fayetteville, NC--a joint venture with DAK America and Shaw. Listen to the interview to hear that this plant is on track to become the largest post-consumer PET bottle recycling plant in North America and also learn more specifics about its capacity and the rising interest of polyester carpet in the residential flooring market.

Click here to see photos of this eventhttp://www.floordaily.net/Gallery/GalleryDetails.aspx?Category=45

Robert Fry, Economist for DuPont, and Kemp Harr discuss the economic outlook for 2011. Listen to the interview to hear Robert talk about key indicators and why recovery will continue to be slow at least for the next two quarters.

Manny Llerena, VP of Retail Marketing for Mohawk, and Kemp Harr discuss the highlights of Mohawk's aligned dealer meeting in Washington D.C. Listen to the interview to hear more about its new product introductions, key speakers and education focus for 2011.

Click here to see photos from this eventhttp://www.floordaily.net/Gallery/GalleryDetails.aspx?Category=44

Joe Montemagni, Owner of Baystate Rug, and Kemp Harr discuss the changes he has made with his retail store in Chicopee, Massachusetts that have resulted in successful growth. Listen to the interview to hear Joe talk about advertising, sales training and his Floorscapes alignment with Mohawk.

Lou Morano, Owner of Capitol Carpet and Tile in Florida, and Kemp Harr discuss how Lou's business this year compares with last year. Listen to the interview to hear details around his promotion efforts, store expansion, and what he gets out of his Mohawk Floorscapes relationship.

Mark Rossolo, Director of Public Affairs for GreenGuard Envionmental Institute, and Kemp Harr discuss GreenGuard's "Pledge" initiative aimed at putting more teeth in USGBC's indoor air quality standard, which is currently under review. Listen to the interview to hear more about this issue.

Diane Martel, Tarkett's VP of Environmental Strategies and Planning, and Kemp Harr discuss Johnsonite's core message at Greenbuild and their goal to be transparent with all their sustainability achievements. Listen to the interview to hear more about Diane's new role in Ohio.

Laurie Lyza, Director of Marketing for Crossville, and Kemp Harr discuss the latest sustainability innovations from Crossville. Listen to the interview to hear about Crossville's new Sustainable Selection Chip Kit and also get an update on their Take-Back program introduced last year.

John Bradford, Chief Innovation Officer at Interface, and Kemp Harr discuss Interface's progress toward eliminating its dependency on oil by 2020. Listen to the interview to hear more from this interview recorded at Greenbuild 2010 in Chicago.

Bill Gregory, Director of Sustainability at Milliken, and Kemp Harr discuss the proper way to sort through and select a third party certification company. Listen to the interview to hear more on Milliken's Greenbuild message. As a side note, Bill will be retiring from Milliken this week.

Kim Matsoukas, Sustainability Manager with Bentley Prince Street, and Kemp Harr discuss the new energy management standard called ISO-50001 that BPS has been tapped to pilot in California. Kim also discusses Bentley's commitment to develop Environmental Product Declarations (EPD's) for its entire product line by the end of 2012.

Jenny Cross, Sustainability Director for Mohawk, and Kemp Harr discuss SmartStrand's entry into the commercial market and Mohawk's first annual Sustainability Report. Listen to the interview recorded from the Greenbuild show in chicago to hear more about Mohawk's sustainability message.

Glen Hussmann, CEO/President of Tandus, and Kemp Harr discuss Tandus' sustainability message from Greenbuild 2010 in Chicago. Listen to the interview to hear about Tandus' green products, its certified reclamation center, and its business outlook for 2011.

Piet Dossche, CEO of USFloors, and Kemp Harr discuss USFloors' investment in alternative energy. USFloors recently brought the largest solar power array in the State of Georgia on line. Listen to the interview to hear more details about this and USFloors' other green initiatives.

Damien Patton, founder of the successful FindAnyFloor.com website, and Kemp Harr discuss how the use of social media by both customers and businesses is affecting the industry. Listen to the interview as Patton talks about the influence of social media on website search engine rankings and how businesses need to begin a social media strategy if they are going to compete in the years ahead.

Thomas Rennie, with TLR Consulting, and Kemp Harr discuss the estimated 150 to 160 million pounds of new carpet fiber extrusion capacity that will be available next year despite the fact that carpet demand is down over 30% due to the Great Recession. Listen to the interview to hear why this new capacity is not a bad business decision. You will also hear that a second supply of Triexta is in the process of coming on-line.