Fuse Alliance at 20 Years: From Re:Source roots to an independent future – March 2026
By Meg Scarbrough
This year marks a major milestone for Fuse Alliance as the organization celebrates two decades of evolution, steady growth and collaboration as a network of commercial flooring contractors. What evolved into a dealer-led movement to preserve independence has grown into a network of more than 190 member companies operating across more than 280 locations throughout the United States and Canada, representing roughly $2.3 billion in sales and services.
While Fuse Alliance officially launched in 2006 as a dealer-owned organization, its story reaches back more than a decade earlier-into a period when manufacturers, contractors and distributors were redefining how flooring moved through the value chain. The creation of Re:Source, Interface’s distribution and contractor network, reflected a broader industry experiment with ownership, alignment and service delivery. What followed was a gradual shift away from manufacturer ownership and toward a collaborative model built around independent contractors.
The following reflections, from those who helped shape the organization’s early years, offer a firsthand look at the decisions and relationships that ultimately led to the formation of Fuse Alliance.
THE EARLY YEARS: RE:SOURCE AND THE INDUSTRY SHIFT
When people talk about the beginnings of Fuse Alliance, John Wells says you must start with what was happening across the commercial flooring industry in the mid-1990s. Manufacturers were rethinking distribution, and several companies were exploring ways to move closer to installation and service.
“There was a lot of movement around distribution, and it wasn’t just one company driving it,” says Wells, former president of Interface Americas. “DuPont was exploring ways to push its Antron brand deeper into the commercial value chain, and Shaw was looking at similar strategies on both the residential retail and commercial sides.”
At Interface, those conversations were tied to a broader expansion of the company’s reach. The acquisitions of Bentley Mills in California and Prince Street in Georgia extended the company beyond carpet tile and heightened its focus on how flooring moved from manufacturer to jobsite.
“There was a growing concern across the industry that dealers and contractors might end up aligned exclusively with one manufacturer or another,” Wells says. “Part of what drove the creation of Re:Source Americas was both offensive and defensive-we wanted to better understand the value chain and make sure our network remained strong and connected.”
That philosophy reflected a broader realization taking hold across the industry.
“At the time, manufacturers were beginning to realize that, while we all believed our products were important, what the customer really cared about was a flawless installation delivered on time and on budget,” Wells recalls. “We even created a catchy little slogan that was ‘Carpet comes installed.’”
Ron Lee, who worked within Interface’s dealer network efforts before becoming CEO of ReSource America, remembers the period as what many called the industry’s “distribution revolution.”
“In the fall of 1995, the commercial flooring industry saw a wave of consolidation as contractors were being purchased by manufacturers like Shaw or by the largest fiber producer, DuPont,” Lee says. “My partners and I approached Interface with a different idea. We wanted to build a dealer network loyal to Interface that could serve both dealers who wished to sell their businesses and those who wanted to remain independent but still benefit from the strength and shared resources of a larger network.”
That concept became Re:Source America Enterprises, a wholly owned subsidiary of Interface. Under Interface’s ownership, the organization combined acquired contractors with aligned independent contractors, creating what Wells describes as one of several national networks emerging at the time.
For several years, the model showed strong growth. But Lee says the structure also revealed challenges.
“As initial buyouts concluded and the entrepreneurial leaders left the companies they had started, it became clear that the network’s true success relied on the active involvement of entrepreneurial-minded independent business owners,” Lee says. “Ray Anderson was quoted as saying, ‘We’ve lost our wit,’ and one by one the company-owned dealers were sold off.”
Lee’s four-year agreement with Interface concluded in 2000, after which he returned to Colorado as an independent consultant and later joined Commercial Interior Resources. By then, the Re:Source network had begun shifting away from manufacturer ownership, setting the stage for the next phase of its evolution.
RESOURCE CONNECT AND A CHANGING MODEL
As the network evolved, programs like Re:Source Connect brought independent contractors together under a shared umbrella. Bob Plann saw the transition firsthand when Flooring Consultants became ReSource Arizona.
“When Flooring Consultants was purchased by Interface, our identity changed,” says Plann, a principal at Flooring Consultants. “Our Shaw rep called to let us know that we could no longer purchase Shaw carpet. Since we has always been very A&D focused, we had to educate designers and end users on the lifecycle benefits of Interface carpet tile and help change building standards.”
While the network created opportunities for growth, Plann recalls that many of the dealerships purchased by Interface struggled financially, and leadership turnover created instability.
“It became apparent that Interface’s expertise in manufacturing did not extend to the servicing provided by many of the dealers,” he says. “That realization resulted in the sell-off of the dealers and set the stage for a different kind of organization.”
CHICAGO 2005: A TURNING POINT
The defining moment came in June 2005, when a small group of dealers gathered in Chicago before NeoCon at the invitation of Interface’s David Prosser.
Ken Hurd, president of Commercial Interior Resources, remembers the meeting as a pivotal conversation about the future of the program.
“Our dealer group wanted an organization where together we could share best practices in a non-competitive, intimate environment to help improve our businesses,” Hurd says. “To me, it looked like Interface was keeping Re:Source Connect around to appease the current members but wasn’t interested in doing anything to enhance or support the program.”
During that meeting, Hurd asked whether the dealers themselves could purchase Re:Source Connect from Interface. Prosser briefly stepped out of the room-presumably to contact Interface leadership-and returned with what the group understood to be approval to explore a sale.
“I called Ron Lee, who was in Chicago for NeoCon, and asked him to join the meeting,” Hurd says. “I wouldn’t have had the confidence to make that offer without our secret weapon, Ron Lee.”
Lee began working through the logistics-negotiating terms with Interface, speaking with vendor partners, securing legal counsel and organizing members around the buyback effort.
MARCH 30, 2006: INDEPENDENCE
What followed were months of negotiation and planning. On March 30, 2006, the deal was finalized, and by June, 45 members came together under a new dealer-owned structure-one rooted in independence, partnership and shared purpose.
As the organization transitioned into a dealer-owned structure, Lee stepped into a leadership role that would define the next decade. Serving as executive director of Fuse from 2005 through 2015, he helped guide the network through its early years of independence, focusing on building supplier relationships, strengthening member collaboration and establishing the foundation for long-term growth.
“The success of Fuse underscores a lasting truth,” Lee says. “The strength of a service organization lies in the independence of its members. Contractors who own and run their own businesses bring passion, accountability and local expertise that no manufacturer-run network can replicate.”
Wells believes that transition allowed the organization to evolve in a way that better reflected the needs of the industry.
“When Interface stepped away from ownership, it created space for something new to emerge,” he says. “Many of the relationships that formed Re:Source remained connected and evolved into what Fuse represents today.”
BUILDING MOMENTUM
From a manufacturer’s perspective, Carmen Pastore, senior vice president of Johnsonite, recalls the period as a time of significant transition across the commercial flooring landscape.
“The commercial flooring industry was evolving from individual contractors to a network of linked operations creating a nationwide service platform,” Pastore says. “The leadership of Ron Lee, Ken Hurd, Ken Daniels, John Wells and others stepped forward to meet that challenge.”
Partnerships with supplier partners-including Johnsonite, now part of Tarkett-played an important role in strengthening the organization’s position in the market.
“We were grateful for their trust in us and allowing us to participate with them,” Pastore adds.
A NETWORK BUILT ON COLLABORATION
Over the next two decades, Fuse Alliance continued to evolve, expanding its membership while strengthening the education, training and supplier partnerships that define the organization today. The decision to adopt the Fuse name in 2012 marked more than a rebrand-it reflected a broader shift toward collaboration and independence, reinforcing a structure built around contractor leadership rather than manufacturer ownership.
As the network matured, its focus remained consistent: creating an environment where independent companies could share best practices, deepen relationships with suppliers and navigate an increasingly complex commercial flooring landscape together. For Lee, that independence has always been the organization’s defining strength.
“The strength of a service organization lies in the independence of its members,” Lee says. “Contractors who own and run their own businesses bring passion, accountability and local expertise that no manufacturer-run network can replicate.”
Two decades after its founding, Fuse Alliance’s growth reflects the same entrepreneurial spirit that shaped its earliest days-an organization built not on ownership, but on collaboration among independent professionals working toward a shared goal.