NAFCD Names New Distributor Members
Chicago, IL, April 18, 2018—The North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors (NAFCD) is pleased to welcome its newest distributor members into the NAFCD distribution network.
Today's Flooring News
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Industrial Production Rose 0.5% in March
Washington, DC, April 17, 2018—Industrial production rose 0.5% in March after increasing 1.0% in February; the index advanced 4.5% at an annual rate for the first quarter as a whole, according to the Federal Reserve.
March Housing Starts Rose 10.9% YOY
Washington, DC, April 17, 2018— Privately-owned housing starts in March were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,319,000, the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development jointly announced.
Global Sawlog Prices Rose 1% in Q4
Seattle, WA, April 17, 2018—In the quarter four 2017, the Global Sawlog Price Index (GSPI) rose 1% from the previous quarter to reach just over $76/m3.
Stanton Names Two Regional VPs
Syosset, NY, April 17, 2018—Stanton Carpet announced key changes to its West Coast sales leadership. Rich Crawford was promoted to Western regional vice president of Antrim, Rosecore and Crescent.
March Retail Sales Rose 4.5% YOY
Washington, DC, April 16, 2018—Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for March 2018 were $494.6 billion, an increase of 0.6% from the previous month, and 4.5% above March 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Builder Confidence Fell One Point, Remained Positive, in April
Washington, DC, April 16, 2018—Builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes edged down one point to a level of 69 in April on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) but remains on firm ground.
Distrib. Trade Sales & Manufacturers Shipments Ticked Up in Feb.
Washington, DC, April 16, 2018—The combined value of distributive trade sales and manufacturers’ shipments for February was estimated at $1,430.4 billion, up 0.4% from January 2018 and was up 5.8% from February 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Dal-Tile's Oklahoma Facility Earns OSHA Star of Excellence
Dallas, TX, April 16, 2018—Dal-Tile’s production facility in Muskogee, Oklahoma was recently recognized by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for “zero recordables and zero lost time accidents” during 2017.
Consumer Sentiment Declined in Early April
Ann Arbor, MI, April 13, 2018—Consumer sentiment fell 3.6% from March’s 101.4 rate to 97.8 in early April, according to preliminary results from the University of Michigan Survey of Consumers.