November 12, 2009—Tom Ellis, VP of Marketing at Tandus, and Kemp Harr discuss Ellis' new role as head of marketing, and Tandus' key messages at GreenBuild. Listen to the interview to hear more about the company's brand strategy and its new Powerbond products being introduced at Greenbuild.
November 10, 2009—Scott Rives, Director of Sales with The Mohawk Group, and Kemp Harr discuss Mohawk's decision to launch a Bigelow sales promotion for commercial dealers. Listen to the interview to hear details about this promotion, how the reduction in the number of A&D specifiers has affected the business, and which vertical sectors are continuing to purchase commercial flooring.
November 9, 2009—Roger Ardston, President of IFDA, an ad agency that specializes in retail floorcovering promotion, and Kemp Harr discuss ad budgets, message, effective mix and proper use of the Internet. Listen to the interview to hear more about what works to build store traffic especially during these challenging economic times.
November 6, 2009—Jon Hiland, VP of Sales and marketing at Floor Productions, and Kemp Harr announce the winner of Floor Focus' annual retail display contest. When you listen to the interview you will hear that Mount Vernon Carpet One won first place. In the interview Jon talks about what's important when you develop point of sale material. For more details on the contest, see page 46 of the current issue of Floor Focus Magazine.
November 5, 2009—Joyce LaValle, retiring Senior Vice President of Marketing at Interface, and Kemp Harr discuss the industry's evolution during her career. Listen to the interview to hear about product changes, the growth of sustainability and the growing role women play in the flooring industry.
November 4, 2009—Anthony Minite, President of Bentley Prince Street, and Kemp Harr discuss the compliance issues associated with manufacturing in California, BPS' new PCR backing system for modular and broadloom carpet and how BPS is dealing with the current economic challenges.
November 3, 2009—John Baugh, Managing Director with Stifel Nicolaus, and Kemp Harr discuss the 3Q performance of Mohawk, Armstrong and Interface. Listen to the interview to hear more on these companies and John's view of current economic conditions and how it will affect these companies' performance.
October 29, 2009—John Stephens, Vice President of Marketing for Shaw Contract, and Kemp Harr discuss the attendance and tone at this week's NeoCon East show in Baltimore, Maryland. Listen to the interview to hear what type of projects the architects and designers are working on, the continued increase and awareness around sustainability and John's optimistic outlook on economic recovery.
October 26, 2009—Kermit Baker, Chief Economist for the American Institute of Architects, and Kemp Harr discuss the September billings index released last week, which remains below 50. Listen to the interview to get an historical perspective on this economic situation and to hear what has to happen before we can see a recovery.
October 23, 2009—Giulio Bonazzi, President and CEO of Aquafil, and Kemp Harr discuss Aquafil USA's 10th anniversary celebration. The interview provides an overview of the entire company and the sustainability challenges it faces. Listen to the interview to hear more about this company that started making raincoats in 1956 and now has 11 manufacturing sites on three continents with 1800 employees and over $600 million in annual global sales.