March 15, 2018—Kip Howlett, President of the Decorative Hardwoods Association (formerly HPVA) and Kemp Harr discuss the trade association's name change, recent regulations regarding formaldehyde compliance, and ANSI standards that define engineered hardwood flooring. DHA is comprised of manufacturers of plywood, veneer and engineered hardwood flooring.
March 14, 2018—John Baugh, managing director with Stifel Nicolaus, and Kemp Harr discuss the preliminary estimates for flooring industry growth in 2017 as well as the financial results of Mohawk, Armstrong and Interface. Listen to the interview for more details as well as John's perspective on the potential for growth in flooring sales for the remainder of 2018.
March 8, 2018—Jeff Bennett, President of Business Flooring Specialists, a Fort Worth, Texas based commercial flooring contractor, and Kemp Harr discuss the focus of Jeff's business and the value he gets from being part of Fuse Alliance. Listen to the interview, taped at Fuse's annual meeting, for more details.
March 7, 2018—Geoff Gordon, Executive Director with Fuse Alliance, and Kemp Harr discuss the growth and health of this network of commercial flooring contractors. Listen to the interview to hear more about the highlights from the group's annual meeting and how the role flooring contractors play is evolving. Fuse's meeting was held in New Orleans.
March 6, 2018--Abby Reinhard, owner of GP Flooring Solutions, a commercial flooring contractor based near Rochester, NY, and Kemp Harr discuss GP Flooring Solutions' rapid growth and the challenges it works hard to overcome. Listen to the interview recorded at the Fuse Alliance annual meeting for more information. Abby is also a winner of the Future Focus Award.
March 2, 2018—Chip Grimes, co-founder of Facilities Services Group, a commercial contractor business in northern Philadelphia, and Kemp Harr discuss the growth of the flooring maintenance side of his business. Recorded at this week's Starnet Floorcare meeting, in the interview Chip talks about his firm's venture and success on this side of the business. Listen to the interview for more details.
March 1, 2018—Bruce Zwicker, former CEO with Haines, and Kemp Harr discuss the shifting product channel dynamics in the floorcovering business as well as his observations for the Domotex show in Germany—which he attended for the first time in January. Listen to the interview for more details.
February 28, 2018—John Rietveldt, CEO with I4F, and Kemp Harr start with a demonstration of I4F's drop lock mechanical locking system business but go on to discuss how the business has been evolving as new innovations in flooring are developed. Watch the video, filmed at Surfaces 2018, to hear more about patents and licensing in the hard surface sector of floorcovering.
February 27, 2018—Paul Comiskey, Retiring President of Dixie's Residential Business, and Kemp Harr discuss the highlights of his 45-year career in the carpet industry. Listen to the interview to hear a few memorable moments in Paul's career plus his plans for the next chapter.
February 26, 2018—Michael Martin, CEO of the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA), and Kemp Harr discus the imitation hardwood products that have impacted the sale or real hardwood products in the past year. Listen to the interview, recorded at Surfaces last month, to hear more about what the trade association plans to do to make sure the consumer knows the difference.