October 12, 2010—Glenn Marino, CEO with GE Money's Sales Finance business, and Kemp Harr discuss GE's recent acquisition of Citi Bank's sales finance portfolios -- many of which are tied to flooring retailers. Listen to the interview to hear more about GE's focus on the flooring market and the benefits their programs bring to retailers.
October 11, 2010—Chip Wade with HGTV and Kemp Harr discuss flooring trends and the new SmartStrand Challenge at the Dallas Zoo. Listen to the interview to hear Chip give more details about this new zoo challenge and why it's tougher than last year's test.
October 6, 2010—Jonathan Cohen, COO of Stanton Carpet, and Kemp Harr, discuss Stanton's recent purchase of the F. Schumacher & Co. carpet wholesale dealer distribution business. Listen as Cohen describes the relationship the two companies have had over the years, how Schumacher's high-end, high-style carpet complements Stanton's medium to high range offerings, and how Stanton will be selling Schumacher styles under the Rosecore brand.
October 5, 2010—Dennis Darragh, Forbo's General Manager for North America and Asia Pacific, and Kemp Harr discuss the global linoleum flooring market and Forbo's ongoing expansion at its manufacturing facility in Scotland.
October 4, 2010—Darius Helm, Senior Editor for Floor Focus Magazine, and Kemp Harr discuss the highlights from last week's Cersaie show in Bologna, Italy. Listen to the interview to hear about the show and the latest tile trends from the world's largest tile show.
September 30, 2010—Katie Jones, interior designer with BLDD Architects and Kemp Harr discuss the key influences in her decisions when she specifies flooring. Katie participated in Floor Focus' Top 250 Design Survey and she was the recipient of the $500 honorarium sponsored by Aquafil USA. Listen to the interview to hear more about BLDD and specification process.
September 28, 2010—Mike Riley, President of Oriental Weavers, and Kemp Harr discuss OW's reorganization of their hospitality business. Listen to the interview to hear more about their commitment to this sector and also learn more about OW's market focus.
September 27, 2010—Phil Schrimper, Owner of JD Flooring, and Kemp Harr discuss the recent uptick in retail traffic that Phil's seen at his Cincinnati store and his decision to open a store in Columbus, Ohio. Listen to the interview to hear more about JD Flooring and the secret to his success.
September 23, 2010—Chris Abbate, a principal with the PR Agency (in the U.S.) for the Italian Tile Industry, and Kemp Harr discuss the highlights for next week's Cersaie Show--the largest tile show in the world. Listen to the interview to hear about the key guest speakers and more details about the show in Bologna, Italy.
September 21, 2010—David Duncan, VP of Marketing with Mohawk, and Kemp Harr discuss the new Smartstrand challenge for 2010 that uses 6 elephants for 2 weeks in the Dallas Zoo. Listen to the interview to hear David talk about this new torture test for stain and resiliency and also give an update on current business conditions.