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.

Asian Producers: Equal Quality at One-Third the Pr

Beijing, China, January 4--Suppliers in mainland China, Taiwan and India feel their products now take on quality-conscious markets in Europe and North America.

Kmart December Same Store Sales Off 2.6%

Troy, MI, January 3--Kmart Holding said Monday that it expects to generate operating income of about $250 million for November and December of 2004, an increase of 10 percent year-over-year.

UK Largest Underlay Company on the Block

Rossendale, England, January 3-- Britain's biggest maker of underlay for carpets and laminate floors has been put up for sale by venture capitalist Rutland Partners.

Pakistani Government May Provide $3B in Export Ref

Lahore, Pakistan, January 3--Punjab Minister for Investment, Industries and Commerce Muhammad Ajmal Cheema has said that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is willing to provide up to $3 billion worth of export refinancing to small and medium exporters.

Cedar Flooring, for the Closet

Huntington, WV, January 3-- Cedar is an especially aromatic wood and has other benefits too. Moths hate cedar, making the material an excellent choice for hope chests and closet flooring, according to the Huntington, West Virginia Herald-Dispatch.

Invista Nylon Plant in Chattanooga Humming After D

Chattanooga, TN, January 3--More than $4 billion changed hands when DuPont sold its Invista unit earlier this year to Koch Industries Inc., but Invista's manager in Chattanooga said little is different at his plant, according to the Chattanooga Times/

Chicago Purchasing Managers Index Declines in Dec

Chicago, IL, December 30--A gauge of business in the Chicago area, a center of U.S. manufacturing, fell for a second month as employment gains slowed, a private survey found.

Online Shopping Traffic up 26%

San Francisco, CA, December 30--Visits to Web shopping and classifieds sites jumped 25.6 percent from the year-ago holiday season and peaked on Thanksgiving Day, Internet research company Hitwise said.

Help-Wanted Advertising Index Dips

New York, NY, December 30--The Conference Board’s Help-Wanted Advertising Index – a key barometer of America's job market – dipped one point in November. The Index now stands at 36. It was 38 one year ago.

Forecasters See Slower Growth in 2005

Washington, DC, December 30--Despite soaring oil prices and a slumping dollar, the United States enjoyed a banner year in terms of economic growth in 2004, but the new year is likely to see a significant slowdown, private economists say.