July 20, 2009—Howard Brodsky, Chairman and Co-CEO of CCA Global, and Kemp Harr discuss the upcoming FCIF charity golf tournament scheduled for Sept. 24 at Barnsley Gardens Resort in Adairsville, Georgia. Listen to hear more about this upcoming golf tournament, the change in venue and more about the Floor Covering Industry Foundation.
July 16, 2009—Consumer Reports recently tested and compared strand bamboo and oak for hardness and other factors. Debra Hardin of US Floors, a bamboo flooring manufacturer, confirms Consumer Reports' conclusions and gives a basic lesson on how strand bamboo is manufactured and finished.
July 15, 2009—Recorded Tuesday on the last day of the Atlanta Rug Show, Chas Sydney, VP of Business Development, and Kemp Harr discuss the traffic, changes in the rug market channel and the advantages of this show in Atlanta versus the furniture show in Las Vegas. Listen to the interview to hear Chas talk specifically to flooring retailers about how to be successful with this potentially profitable flooring category. (approx. 8 min.)
July 10, 2009—Werner Braun, President of the Carpet and Rug Institute, and Kemp Harr discuss where the carpet order rate is now and how it has historically been an early indicator to economic recovery. Listen to the interview to hear more about this and what the CRI sees as their mission and where they are spending their efforts this year to remove the barriers to profitability.
July 9, 2009—Alan Parker, VP of Industry Relations for the International Interior Design Association, and Kemp Harr discuss the effects the recession is having on interior designers. Not only are many of them losing their jobs due to lack of work but some are forced to look for a new line of work. Listen to the interview to hear what the design landscape may look like in the future and more details about what the association is doing for those designers who find themselves without a job.
July 8, 2009—Dana Teague, Director of Surfaces Expo for Hanley Wood, and Kemp Harr discuss key changes for Surfaces in 2010. Listen to the interview to hear that many of the companies who left the show floor will be back next year. Also, the keynote session and many of the other show changes will be retailer focused. This show will run from February 2-4 and will be at the Sands Convention Center for one last year.
July 7, 2009—Randy Pollack, the California government affairs representative for the Carpet and Rug Institute, and Kemp Harr discuss the severity of California's $24 billion budget shortfall. Listen to the interview to hear details about what caused this situation, what the state is doing to remain solvent and what this could mean to the flooring industry.
July 6, 2009—Several of the leading trade organizations in our industry have formed a coalition to get legislation passed that would offer tax incentives to consumers who purchase building and interior furnishing products. In this interview, Dean Thompson with the Resilient Floor Covering Institute and Kemp Harr provide a summary of the HIRE Act of 2009 (Home Improvement Revitalize the Economy). Listen to this 7 min interview to hear how this initiative is advancing. To get a sample letter to send your congressman or senator, you can email the RFCI at teresa.williford@RFCI.com
July 1, 2009—Raja Sharma, Vice Chair of the Carpet Export Promotion Council (for handmade rugs from India), and Kemp Harr discuss the unique advantages of Indian rugs, shifts in the market and how retailers should view this product line as an option for differentiation.
June 30, 2009—Aaron Pirner, owner of Cap Carpets, and Pam Bowe, executive director of the Floor Covering Business to Business trade organization, discuss the progress FCB2B has made in simplifying computer to computer communications for the floorcovering industry. In the interview, Aaron talks about how it helps his business and suggests that other retailers take advantage of it.