Surfaces Sourcebook - January 2009

By Brian Hamilton & Darius Helm

This year’s Surfaces, running from February 2 to 5 in Las Vegas, features its first ever general session focusing on the state of the flooring industry. The session, entitled “Prevailing Through the Current Crisis—An Industry Wake-Up Call,” features a panel with many industry leaders.

CNN anchor Gerri Willis will moderate the session, which will take place on Tuesday, February 3 from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., with opening remarks by Keith Campbell, chairman of Mannington Mills. Panelists include: Rainer Blair, CEO of Mapei of Americas; Ralph Boe, president and CEO of Beaulieu of America; Tom Davis, president and CEO of Mannington Mills; Tom Lape, president of Mohawk Residential; Randy Merritt, president of Shaw Industries; and Frank Ready, CEO of Armstrong North America Floor Products.

This year Mannington, which has traditionally had the largest exhibit at the show, is instead exhibiting in Ballroom G, a space entirely for Mannington. Oriental Weavers and Tarkett Residential are back at the show, following their absence last year. Monticello International, which recently purchased the assets of Thomas Industries, makes its debut. Armstrong will be hosting a Product Showroom in conjunction with Surfaces at the Product Showcase Area within the Venetian Hotel. Another addition is the India Pavilion, featuring 20 companies in the International Pavilion in the upper hall.

This year’s Surfaces Sourcebook offers a sampling of what’s new at the show. New products from manufacturers not attending Surfaces, including Mohawk and Shaw, are also previewed in this issue, in Beyond Las Vegas on page 39. We’ll follow up on the Surfaces show in March with a comprehensive review of all the major highlights.

The Surfaces Sourcebook offers previews of many of this year’s offerings with a follow up in March including a comprehensive review of the highlights of the show. For the complete Surfaces Sourcebook preview, see the January 2009 issue of Floor Focus Magazine.

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