Flooring Podcast

Floor Focus’ Kemp Harr, the Week in the Flooring Industry (34:29)

October 10, 2007—Kemp Harr, Publisher of Floor Focus magazine looks back at the events of the past week in the industry talking about the ceramic show Cersaie ,which was held last week in Bologna, Italy, discussing the traffic, the new products and his impressions of the show along with his take on global business in the ceramic arena. Also discussed: Home Depot’s new test format, the Home Depot Design Center a softer and gentler big box with upscale furniture instead of lumber and both high and low price points; Freudenberg Building Systems and nora Rubber’s new owners and their plans; Carpet job cuts; And Valinga’s new R&D center.

Shaw Industries; Julius Shaw on the Industry & Changes within the Company – Part 4 (9:03)

October 9, 2007—Julius Shaw, Executive VP, Shaw Industries, in the fourth part of a five-part series discusses the company’s growth plans, and if those plans might include expansion outside of the floor covering marke. Shaw also discusses the Armstrong auction and the interest the company might have in any or all of Armstrong. Also discussed ,the Shaw Evergreen facility and the consumer market for environmentally-friendly floor coverings.

Shaw Industries; Julius Shaw on the Industry & Changes within the Company – Part 3 (11:12)

October 8, 2007—Julius Shaw, Executive VP, Shaw Industries, in the third part of a five-part series discusses the industry’s hard surface sector and the company’s position within the sector, the company in the era since Robert Shaw has stepped down as CEO and the changes within the company since. Shaw talks about and the anticipated affects the economic showdown will have on the industry.

Shaw Industries, Julius Shaw on the Industry & Changes within the Company – Part 2 (10:49)

October 6, 2007—Julius Shaw, Executive VP, Shaw Industries, in the second part of a five-part series details some of the recent realignment within Shaw’s hard surface and builder sectors and the accompanying management change. Shaw talks about growth within the company’s hard surface sectors, its market share in the each of the sectors and the company’s plans for the future including the possibility for acquisition.

Barker on the Market (34:54)

October 5, 2007—Mike Barker, Investment and Retirement Management reviews the events, volatility and actions by the Fed during the 3rd quarter and he discusses the upcoming jobs report, which will be released immediately after today’s program. Barker also talks about former Fed chairman Alan Greenspan’s comments, that we have seen the worst in the subprime and the credit markets, he also discusses this week’s pending home sales report from the NAR, Mohawk and the upcoming quarterly earnings reports and the market’s historical performance in the 4th quarter.

Shaw Industries; Julius Shaw on the Industry & Changes within the Company – Part 1 (12:41)

October 4, 2007—Julius Shaw, Executive VP, Shaw Industries, in the first part of a five-part series discusses 2007 year-to-date in the floor covering industry as a whole and within Shaw specifically. Shaw discusses the housing industry and the replacement segment of the floor covering industry and his expectations for a turnaround as well as the recent realignment within Shaw ranks and the changes with the company’s management.

Analyst Keith Hughes Looks at the Recent Wood Acquisitions and the Wood Sector – Part 3 (12:15)

October 3, 2007—Keith Hughes, Managing Director in Equity Research, SunTrust Robinson-Humphrey, in the final part of a three-part series discusses Mohawk’s acquisition of Columbia hardwood manufacturing facilities and Shaw’s recent acquisition of Anderson Hardwood and the top three hardwood companies by share of market, he also looks at the Armstrong auction and speculates as to what the next move might be. Also discussed the industry’s recovery and which segments will see recovery first.

Floor Focus’ Kemp Harr, the Week in the Flooring Industry (34:02)

October 3, 2007—Kemp Harr, Publisher of Floor Focus magazine looks back at the events of the past week in the industry talking about: The recently announced increase in construction spending during August, the slumping housing market and their effects on the industry; The lowering of earnings guidance at Lowe’s and Target and its implications to all retailers; The upcoming Surfaces and the show’s been named one of the 50 fastest-growing tradeshows in North America by Tradeshow Week; Välinge’s announcement of a new locking technology; Solutia readying itself to exit bankruptcy; Foamex’s move to sell its stand-alone carpet cushion facilities; and the greening of the CRI’s Seal of Approval program.

Analyst Keith Hughes Looks at the Housing Slump and the Flooring Industry – Part 2 (12:43)

October 2, 2007—Keith Hughes, Managing Director in Equity Research, SunTrust Robinson-Humphrey, in the second part of a three-part series discusses characteristics of a market once its begins to recover, housing prices, the availability of credit, shifts among the nation’s homebuilders and the size of average houses in the period after the initial recovery period. Hughes also discusses the floor coverings replacement market and its characteristics and the elements that govern that market segment as well as which retail segments have been effected most by a softening of the replacement sector. Hughes also offers historical prospective, looking back at prior housing slumps.

Analyst Keith Hughes Looks at the Housing Slump and the Flooring Industry – Part 1 (11:19)

October 1, 2007—Keith Hughes, Managing Director in Equity Research, SunTrust Robinson-Humphrey, in the first part of a three-part series discusses the state of the floor covering and consumer durables in the 4th quarter as he estimates how much sales have declined year-to-date. Hughes talks about environment that’s effecting consumers as well as the housing and credit markets and the current levels of inventory, he also shares his expectations as to when the housing market will bottom out.