June 24, 2009—Recorded at NeoCon last week, Frank Douglas, VP of Business Development, and Kemp Harr discuss Crossville's new equipment, which enables the firm to crush pre and post consumer tile back into dust so it can be added back into new product. Listen to the interview to hear more about this new technology, Crossville's traffic at Neocon and its Best of Show Gold award for the UltiMetal Collection.
June 23, 2009—Dan Hendrix, CEO of Interface, and Kemp Harr discuss Interface's recent highly successful bond transaction that extended the maturity of of their long-term debt by 3 years. Listen to the interview to hear what the analysts liked about their market position and how the transaction was oversubscribed in New York and took less effort that anticipated.
June 22, 2009—Reesie Duncan, Creative Director for The Shaw Contract Group, and Kemp Harr discuss Shaw's "Wool" product which won the gold best of neocon award for both broadloom and modular. Listen to the interview to hear how this product was developed, what designers are looking for today, and more about Shaw's Neocon traffic this year.
June 19, 2009—Mark Falanga, Senior VP in charge of Neocon for MMPI, and Kemp Harr discuss traffic and exhibitor numbers, and the value of this show to the interior furnishings business. Listen to the interview to hear his perception of how flooring manufacturers have evolved in design focus over the last 10 years.
June 18, 2009—Catherine Minervini, VP of Marketing at Bentley Prince Street, and Kemp Harr discuss changes in design trends and the inspiration behind some of BPS's latest product introductions. Listen to the interview to hear Catherine talk about the firm's expectations for Neocon, its new relationship with Aquafil and how the recession has affected design trends.
June 17, 2009—Antron has developed new bio-based carpet fiber that uses castor oil. Listen as Diane O'Sullivan, Antron's director of marketing, tells Kemp Harr how the firm's research and development group developed the new fiber, which contains 10% bio based material. She also talks about Antron's carpet reclamation program, and this year's Antron Product Innovation Award winners.
June 16, 2009—The Dixie Group has formed a new division aimed at the contract market called Whitespace that does business exclusively through the Internet. Listen as Ken Dempsey, president of Masland Contract and Whitespace, tells Kemp Harr about the innovative new business model and how it gives designers more options for their projects. The new division was conceived by Masland management and offers completely new lines of broadloom and modular carpet.
June 12, 2009—Hal Long, Executive VP of Operations with Shaw Industries, and Kemp Harr discuss Shaw's recent decisions to build a PET recycling plant in North Carolina and a second waste-to-energy plant in Dalton, Georgia. Listen to the interview to hear more about Shaw's investments to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills.
June 10, 2009—Mark Falanga, VP with Merchandise Mart, and Kemp Harr discuss the highlights for next week's NeoCon show in Chicago. Listen to the interview to learn more about exhibitor and attendance statistics and speaker/seminar highlights.
June 9, 2009—Marty Schallock, Owner of Malkin's Carpet, and Kemp Harr discuss a residential interior designer event Marty held recently. His special guests for this event were Vicki Gillstrap, Mohawk VP of Color and Design, and Taniya Nayak, Designer on HGTV's Designed to Sell. Listen to the interview to hear how he positions nylon versus Smartstrand carpet fiber in Wisconsin.