Miles Distributing Taking 1,000 Dealers to Coverin

South Bend, IN, October 19, 2006--Miles Distributing is going the distance to get its dealers to 2007 Coverings this April in Chicago. The company, one of the country’s leading ceramic tile distributors, is leasing a caravan of coach buses to bring about 1,000 of its best customers to the doorsteps of McCormick Place Convention Center so they can experience the April 17-20th expo and conference first hand. Headquartered in South Bend, Miles also has locations in Fort Wayne and Indianapolis, plus in Grand Rapids, MI, and Louisville, KY. According to Doug Miles, president, buses will be dispatched from all of its outposts for this business trek. Miles is passionate about the value and importance of Coverings and eager for his customers to explore what the 1,200 tile and stone exhibitors from around the world have to offer. He’s hoping that his own enthusiasm will be infectious, and he’s preparing for at least 1,000, if not more, to take him up on his offer to shuttle them to the tile industry’s “show of shows” for free. “I’ve been attending Coverings since 1994,” he said. “In my opinion, it has no equal in our industry. Nowhere else can you find the same amount and variety of tile under one roof. It is THE place to see what the trends in the industry are and helps you stay competitive.” What Miles has mapped out for guests is a one-day excursion, Wednesday, April 18th, which he’s declaring “Coverings Day.” All locations will be closed that day so that his staff can attend, as well. Four buses are scheduled to travel from South Bend, three from Grand Rapids, and probably two from each of the other cities. While South Bend is an easy 93-mile drive, Fort Wayne is 158, Indianapolis, 180 and Grand Rapids, 177; from Louisville, it’s 295 miles, which requires a 4 a.m. departure for the day-trip. Miles is a distributor for brands such as Florida Tile, Crossville, Laufen, Florim USA, Laticrete and U.S. Ceramics. It’s a family owned business that was founded by Doug’s father Mike in 1969. Doug’s brother Tom is manager of dealer sales, and later this year his son Doug Jr. is joining the organization, making it a third-generation company. In November, Doug Sr. will become the president of CTDA, which his dad helped found. He believes that with Coverings making the move in 2007 from Orlando to Chicago, and now so close to their own home turf, it’s good business sense to take advantage of it. “Ordinarily, we always attend with our top management team, so it’s usually about six of us,” he explained. “But, I realized I could bring more of my staff since it’s in Chicago this time. And, then it dawned on me how much our customers would benefit from attending, so I began to put out feelers, and there was definitely strong interest among them.” Miles discussed his idea with CTDA and the Coverings show producers at National Trade Productions. “When we heard what Doug was planning,” said Tamara Christian, Coverings show director and president of National Trade Productions, “we immediately rallied to help him make it happen and will be rolling out the red carpet for his group.” According to Christian, the show will help subsidize some of the transportation costs, provide promotional brochures that he can send to his customer base, and will host a special welcome reception for his guests at Coverings.

Related Topics:Florim USA, Crossville, Coverings, Laticrete

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