Today's Flooring News

Ed Vaske Named COO of Virginia Tile

Livonia, MI, April 21, 2022—Virginia Tile Company has announced the hire of Edmund ‘Ed’ Vaske as chief operating officer.

Dollar Reaches Two-Year high

New York, NY, April 21, 2022—The dollar is reaching fresh nearly two-year highs, lifted by looming interest-rate increases from the Federal Reserve, strong U.S. growth and geopolitical jitters overseas, reports the Wall Street Journal.

NALFA Reports on Annual Spring Meeting

Washington, DC, April 21, 2022—The North American Laminate Flooring Association met in March for its annual spring meeting. Traditionally held at NC State University, the Association’s academic and testing house member, NALFA members were thrilled to be back in Raleigh, North Carolina together.

Initial Jobless Claim Decline by 2K to 184K in Week Ending April 16

Washington, DC, April 21, 2022—In the week ending April 16, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 184,000, a decrease of 2,000 from the previous week's revised level, according to the Department of Labor.

Architectural Billings Rose from 51.3 in February to 58.0 in March

Washington, DC, April 20, 2022—The Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score for March was 58.0, up from a score of 51.3 in February, according to The American Institute of Architects (AIA). Any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings.

Existing-Home Sales Declined 2.7% in March

Washington, DC, April 20, 2022—Total existing-home sales dipped 2.7% from February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.77 million in March, according to the National Association of Realtors. Year-over-year, sales fell 4.5% (6.04 million in March 2021).

Dirk Sullivan of Hawthorne Tile Named NTCA Tile Person of the Year

Flowood, MS, April 20, 2022—Dirk Sullivan, founder and president of Hawthorne Tile in Portland, Oregon, was recognized as Tile Person of the Year by the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) at its 75th anniversary reception during Coverings, which was held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Mortgage Applications Declined 5.0% in Week Ending April 15

Washington, DC, April 20, 2022—Mortgage applications decreased 5.0% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending April 15, 2022.

Housing Starts Rose 3.9% YOY in March

Washington, DC, April 19, 2022—Privately-owned housing starts in March were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,793,000, 0.3% above the revised February estimate of 1,788,000 and 3.9% above the March 2021 rate of 1,725,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Federal Judge Throws Out Mask Mandate for Public Transportation

New York, NY, April 19, 2022—A federal judge in Florida declared the Biden administration’s Covid-19 mask mandate for public transportation unlawful, throwing out its requirement that travelers in the U.S. wear masks on airplanes, trains, taxis, buses and other forms of mass transit, according to the Wall Street Journal.