October 21, 2011—Dave Gheesling and Jay Smith, CEO and President of FloorExpo, and Kemp Harr discuss the highlights of FloorExpo's annual meeting held last week in Palm Springs, California. FloorExpo is the largest membership group of flooring contractors who focus on the single and multi-family residential builder market. Listen to the interview to hear how positive attitudes can effect business growth.
October 20, 2011—Nia Evans, vice president of sales (flooring industry) for GE Capital, and Kemp Harr talk about private label financing for flooring retailers and how it can lead to greater sales. Listen to the interview to find out how private label financing can lead to higher average ticket sales and help increase close rates, among many other benefits. Also listen to find out why GE Capital has been able to increase its footprint in the flooring industry in recent years.
October 19, 2011—Erin Dempsey, Environmental Manager for Centiva, and Kemp Harr discuss Centiva's rapid growth and personality that has positioned them as one of the leading commercial LVT suppliers in the U.S. Listen to the interview to hear Erin talk about Centiva's key sustainability initiatives.
October 18, 2011—Diane Martel, vice president of environmenal planning and strategy for Johnsonite/Tarkett, and Kemp Harr, discuss Johnsonite's environmental message at Greenbuild 2011. Listen to the interview to hear Diane talk about Johnsonite's latest products, some of which incorporate 4.4% walnut shells. Diane also talks about the firm's new digital technology and its emphasis on becoming a Cradle to Cradle company by 2020.
October 17, 2011—Jeanne Matson, President and CEO of Starnet, and Kemp Harr discuss the highlights of Starnet's membership meeting held this past weekend in Chicago. Listen to the interview to hear how the largest group of commercial flooring contractors is doing during these challenging economic times.
October 14, 2011—Doug Hayes of Florida Tile, and Kemp Harr, discuss Florida Tile's sustainability efforts, including its recent incorporation of Ecoscorecard to help architects and designers understand the sustainable attributes of Florida Tile products. Listen to the interview to hear why the company moved its headquarters to Lexington, Kentucky, and how that plays into the company's sustainability message. The interview was recorded at Greenbuild.
October 13, 2011—Frank Douglas, VP of Business Development for Crossville, and Kemp Harr discuss Crossville's recent acquisition of Master Tile in Texas and Oklahoma. With this acquisition, Crossville now owns 21 distributor locations. Listen to the interview to hear Frank discuss Crossville's overall channel stratgy and their continued growth during these economic times.
October 12, 2011—Dennis Darragh, Forbo's General Manager for North America and Asia Pacific, and Kemp Harr discuss why Forbo's growth has outpaced the market in recent years and some of the issues with the current LEED point system. Listen to the interview to hear more.
October 11, 2011—Bill Reynolds, Director of Marketing and Engineering with Tate Access Floors, and Kemp Harr discuss Tate's latest innovation at the 2011 Greenbuild Expo in Toronto. Listen to the interview to hear Bill talk about one of the most innovative new flooring products we uncovered at Greenbuild. This phase change material is built into the flooring panels to store thermal energy and reduce peak energy demand. It does this by changing from a solid to liquid at 75 degrees Fahrenheit. As part of this interview, Bill also talks about the commercial penetration of access panel flooring in the U.S.
October 10, 2011—Howard Elder, Director of Research and Environmental Affairs for J+J/Invision, and Kemp Harr discuss J&J's new water filtration system, the decline in the number of carpet exhibitors at Greenbuild, and shortfalls with the LEED point system as it relates to rewarding the right attributes for sustainable carpet.