Berkshire's Earnings Off , Shaw’s Pretax Earni
Omaha, NE, May 8--Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s reinsurance business, which led Warren Buffett's company to a record 2003 profit, helped cause a 10% drop in first-quarter earnings.
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.
Payrolls Up, Unemployment Rate Down
Washington, DC, May 7--Payrolls grew at a rapid pace for a second month in a row, driving the unemployment rate lower and suggesting that the "jobless recovery" has finally bloomed into a real recovery.
Productivity Rises
Washington, DC, May 6--Productivity rose in the opening quarter of the year even as employers added to payrolls, while new filings for jobless benefits plunged last week to their lowest level in more than three years.
Fed Holds Rates...For Now
Washington, DC, May 4--The Federal Reserve moved a step closer toward raising interest rates for the first time since 2000, saying strong economic and jobs growth has defused the deflationary threat that preoccupied the central bank for a year.
Feltex Returns To New Zealand Ownership
Auckland, New Zealand, May 5, Feltex Carpets Limited confirmed its intention to list on the New Zealand sharemarket through the launch today of a public offering of its shares.
Shaw Acquisition Brings New Product Lines to Deale
Dalton, GA, May 4--Shaw Industries’ purchase of the North Georgia operations of the Dixie Group in December 2003 introduced a number of new products and markets to the company.
New Home Sales Rise
Washington, DC, Apr. 26--Sales of new homes rose to a record 1.228 million annual rate in March, exceeding forecasts.
Durable Goods Orders Jump
Washington, DC, Apr. 23--Orders for long-lasting durable goods surged again in March, as U.S. factories sought to keep up with unexpectedly strong demand for a broad array of products, a Commerce Department report on Friday showed.
BASF to Increase Prices on Styrene-Butadiene Latex
Charlotte, NC, Apr. 11--Effective May 1, or as contracts allow, BASF will raise prices in the U.S. and Canada on all Styrofan carboxylated styrene-butadiene emulsion polymers supplied to the carpet industry by $0.03 per dry pound.
Carpet One Plans Expansion
Manchester, NH, Mar. 30--Carpet One, the largest floorcovering retailer in North America with more than 1,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada, announced today a growth plan to add 250 new Carpet One stores over the next five years.