Construction Starts Declined 9% in April on Nonbuilding Weakness
Boston, MA, May 22, 2025—Total construction starts were down 9% in April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.03 trillion, according to Dodge Construction Network.
Today's Flooring News
Keep up to date with the most recent news in the flooring industry. Today's News...As it happens! We update this news several times a day so you can stay connected.
Välinge 's Darko Pervan Honored by Swedish Royal Patriotic Society
Viken, Sweden, May 22, 2025-At the Swedish Royal Patriotic Society’s annual ceremony on May 21 at the House of Knights, Darko Pervan of Välinge Innovation and the Bjelin Group was one of eight presented with business medals, honored ‘for transforming the flooring industry with a clever invention and building a world-leading company.’
Kährs Sales Down 15.9% in Q1
Nybro, Sweden, May 22, 2025-Kährs net sales for Q1 2025 were 541 Euros, a decline of 15.9% compared to 643 Euros in Q1 2024.
Families Earning Median Income Must Spend 36% on Mortgage
Washington, DC, May 22, 2025-Despite solid income gains and lower home prices, Americans still continue to face major housing affordability challenges, according to the latest data from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Cost of Housing Index (CHI).
Pennwood Products Suffers Fire
East Berlin, PA, May 22, 2025—A fire broke out on the roof of Pennwood Products the morning of May 21.
Schluter Releases Product-Specific EPD for Uncoupling Membrane
Plattsburgh, NY, May 22, 2025––Schluter-Systems has achieved a sustainability milestone: the release of the first product-specific Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for an uncoupling membrane in North America.
Initial Jobless Claims Declined by 2,000 in Week Ending May 17
Washington, DC, May 22, 2025—In the week ending May 17, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 227,000, a decrease of 2,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 229,000, according to the Department of Labor.
Architecture Billings Index Declined to 43.2 in April
Washington, DC, May 21, 2025—The AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) dropped to 43.2 in April, down from 44.1 in March. This decline reflects an accelerated decrease in billing activity.
Home Depot Sales Rose 9.4% in Q1, Earnings Down 5.6%
Atlanta, GA, May 20, 2025-The Home Depot reported sales of $39.9 billion for Q1 2025, an increase of 9.4% from Q1 fiscal 2024.
Lowe's Q1 Sales Declined 2.3%, Earnings Down 6.5%
Mooresville, NC, May 21, 2025-Lowe's reported total sales for Q1 2025 were $20.9 billion, a 2.3% decline compared to $21.4 billion in the prior-year quarter.