| Meet Our Team |
|
|
Kemp Harr, Publisher
Kemp is the publisher and owner of Floor Focus Magazine and Floordaily.net. Prior to publishing, Kemp spent over 20 years in marketing—initially with two consumer products companies (Lego toys and Shakespeare Fishing Tackle) and then he moved over to B2B marketing as Vice President of Marketing for SI Corporation—an Industrial textile company whose largest product line was carpet backing. After Shaw Industries bought SI, Kemp decided to leave the corporate world and pursue his entrepreneurial itch. At age 45, he decided to listen to Theodore Roosevelt and avoid becoming one of “those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”
Kemp holds a BS in Communications from the University of Tennessee and has completed several advanced marketing courses at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.
Kemp and his wife Anne split their time between the company’s HQ in Chattanooga and their home in Amelia Island.
|
|
|
Meg Scarbrough, Managing Editor
Meg Scarbrough is the managing editor of Floor Focus and a veteran journalist with more than 20 years of experience wrangling words, deadlines and editorial teams into award-winning shape. She previously steered the editorial ship at Firecrown Media, leading strategy and content for iconic titles like FLYING and Sailing—yes, that’s airplanes and boats. Meg holds a journalism degree from the University of South Carolina–Spartanburg and now lives in Chattanooga with her partner, Wilson, and four rescue dogs who firmly believe they’re in charge.
|
|
|
Darius Helm, Executive Editor
Darius Helm has been an editor with Floor Focus since 1999. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, Tracey Robinson, a painter and printmaker. Prior to Floor Focus, Darius was first a contributing editor, then editor-in-chief, for Travel World News—where he worked with Floor Focus production manager, Karen Rochette. He received his BA from Yale University in 1988, attended high school in northern England, and grew up in Iran and Portugal.
|
 |
Jessica Capets Chevalier, Features Editor
Jessica Capets Chevalier grew up in western Pennsylvania and attended Geneva College (BA, writing; BA, English) and Penn State University (MFA, writing). Previously, she taught English courses at Penn State, University of Tennessee Chattanooga and Salem College as well as founding Alchemy Spice Company, an artisan food manufacturer, and overseeing operation of the business until its sale in 2009. She joined Floor Focus in 2010 and lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina with her husband Christian, son Arlo, daughter River and dogs.
|
|
|
|
Morgan Luffman, Ad Manager
Morgan, a proud Dalton, GA native, might not come from a flooring family, but she’s certainly carved out her own path in the industry. Armed with a degree in Marketing from Georgia Southern University, she’s lived the fast-paced city life in Las Vegas and Atlanta before returning to her hometown roots. With a wealth of experience in media advertising, Morgan is passionate about helping businesses flourish while building lasting connections along the way. When she’s not navigating the world of marketing, you’ll find her enjoying life as the self-proclaimed "cool aunt" and loving dog mom to Steele.
|
|
|
Karen Rochette, Production Manager
Karen’s journey began with books and manuals in the Army using hot wax and camera ready mechanicals. The real world catapulted her into modern times when she moved on to work in service bureaus where it was necessary to learn any and all software and computer platform in order to meet customer requirements. It was an easy shift to Production Manager from there and Karen worked at two different travel magazines prior to settling in at Floor Focus in March of 1999. The journey didn’t stop there though. Karen hung up her snow shovel and headed for warmer climates to join the new Chattanooga headquarters of Floor Focus in March of 2007. Floor Focus—it’s not just a job, it’s an adventure.
|
|
|
Anne Harr, Art Director
Anne grew up in the small town of Russellville, KY and attended Hollins University where she graduated with a degree in Art and Art History. She became Art Director of Floor Focus Magazine when she and her husband purchased the magazine in 2006. In addition to being Art Director, Anne manages the accounting and human resource departments of the magazine. When not working, Anne and Kemp enjoy spending time traveling on their boat.
|
|
|
Santo Torcivia, Research Partner
Santo is the magazine’s primary resource for statistical data that helps make Floor Focus the leading authority for market based intelligence. Santo is the author of the annual US FLOOReport, a detail forecast and analysis of the US flooring industry by product, channel, and major player. His firm, Market Insights also produces the County Penetration Report, a county based historical and forecast of flooring sales by product type to consumers, builders, and commercial accounts by county, metro area, and state, including an estimate of the number of retail and contract outlets selling flooring by type in each designated geography. Prior to starting Market Insights in 1997, Santo was employed for 16 years by Mannington Mills as Vice-President for Business Analysis & Planning.
A graduate of Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, where he majored in economics, Santo makes his home in Reading, PA and is the proud father of three daughters.
|
At Floor Focus, we deliver in-depth coverage of the latest flooring trends, challenges and innovations across both the residential and commercial markets. Our mission is to educate and entertain industry professionals with the insights they need to grow their business and stay ahead of the curve. From trend analysis and expert interviews to real-time market reporting, we bring readers closer to the action through original research and on-the-ground reporting.