Flooring Podcast

Santo Torcivia Analyzes the Industry’s Hard Surface Sector – Part 4 (11:58)

July 19, 2007—Santo Torcivia, President of the consulting firm, Market Insights/Torcivia and publisher of US FLOOReport, in the final part of a four-part series discusses the retooling of Home Depot’s floor covering department under the company’s new chairman and CEO Frank Blake. Torcivia talks about the options available to the company in the area of installation and the approach it might take to compete with Lowe’s in the floor covering arena.

Santo Torcivia Analyzes the Large Independents – Part 3 (12:22)

July 18, 2007—Santo Torcivia, President of the consulting firm, Market Insights/Torcivia and publisher of US FLOOReport, in the third part of a four-part series discusses the affect that Lumber Liquidators, Empire Carpet and Floor & Decor are having on the installation and the independent retail community and his expectations how these large specialty players will ultimately become. Also discussed are the moves on the part of Cosco and Sam’s Club to entered the floor covering arena and what this could affect the industry’s retail community.

Santo Torcivia Analyzes the Industry’s Hard Surface Sector – Part 2 (11:03)

July 17, 2007—Santo Torcivia, President of the consulting firm, Market Insights/Torcivia and publisher of US FLOOReport, in the second part of a four-part series, discusses factors that have had the greatest impact on the industry’s distribution channels, including the big box and large specialty retailers as well as imports. Torcivia shares his thoughts on how the channels of distribution will change in the decade ahead, the changing relationship between distributors and retailers. Also discussed are shifts within the installation community, the growing trend that is seeing installers increasingly moonlighting and expanding at the expense of independent retailers.

Santo Torcivia Discusses Mohawk's Hardwood Acquisition – Part 1

July 16, 2007—Santo Torcivia, President of the consulting firm, Market Insights/Torcivia and publisher of US FLOOReport, in the first part of a four-part series discusses Mohawk’s acquisition of four hardwood flooring plants from Columbia, and the events that lead up to Columbia decision to sell the plants. Torvicia talks about the state of the plants in question, Mohawk’s plan to invest in the operations the its distribution and marketing plans for the flooring produced by the Columbia plants as well as his take on how this acquisition might affect Mohawk’s ability to become involved in the Armstrong auction.

Barker on the Market (35:54)

July 13, 2007—Mike Barker, Investment and Retirement Management discusses Mohawk and the moves the company’s shares have made over the past several weeks and some of the comments made by analysts during that period of time. Barker talks about the company’s technicals, his thoughts on the possibility of a stock split and Mohawk’s upcoming earnings report. Also discussed is the housing market, the most recent downward adjustment to the National Association of Realtors housing forecast, the relationship of housing to retail spending numbers, the level of volatility in the stock market going forward and the Fed chairman Bernanke’s discussion about real inflation levels.

Post-Consumer Carpet Recycler Ron Greitzer - Part 4 (10:10)

July 12, 2007—Ron Greitzer, President, of post-consumer carpet collector and processor L.A. Fiber and also president of Reliance Carpet Cushion, a company that produces carpet cushion from post-consumer carpet, in the final part of a four-part series discusses developing markets for products made from post-consumer carpet content in both the private and public sectors. Greitzer talks about the Reliance Carpet Cushion company, the features and benefits of the product and the sustainable and fiscal advantages to large and small carpet producers and buying groups who add the product to their and his view on how the post-consumer carpet recovery system will play out over time.

Post-Consumer Carpet Recycler Ron Greitzer - Part 3

July 11, 2007—Ron Greitzer, President, of post-consumer carpet collector and processor L.A. Fiber and also president of Reliance Carpet Cushion, a company that produces carpet cushion from post-consumer carpet, in the third part of a four-part series discusses his expansion plans and the future of the entire carpet collection system in the U.S. are irreparably linked to developing new marketable products from used carpet and markets for those products.

Floor Focus Co-Publisher Frank O’Neill (34:55)

July 11, 2007—Frank O’Neill, Co-Publisher, Floor Focus magazine looks back at the events in the industry during the past two weeks discussing: Mohawk’s acquisition of four Columbia Flooring facilities; Tarkett’s hardwood unit goes on the block and the company’s reorganization with Johnsonite CEO Jeff Buttitta heading the North American unit; The changes at Mohawk Commercial with Al Kabus taking over as President; And the passing of CFI Founder Doug Amundsen.

Post-Consumer Carpet Recycler Ron Greitzer - Part 2 (10:52)

July 10, 2007— Ron Greitzer, President, of post-consumer carpet collector and processor L.A. Fiber and also president of Reliance Carpet Cushion, a company that produces carpet cushion from post-consumer carpet, in the second part of a four-part series, discusses the customers who buy post-consumer carpet and the enduses for the material. Greitzer talks about and the restrictions placed on collectors and processors as a result of the inflow of post-consumer carpet and the outflow, which is governed by the number of products being manufactured from used carpet and the market acceptance forthose products and how L.A. Fibers works to develop new applications.

Post-Consumer Carpet Recycler Ron Greitzer - Part 1 (11:58)

July 9, 2007—Ron Greitzer, President, of post-consumer carpet collector and processor L.A. Fiber and also president of Reliance Carpet Cushion, a company that produces carpet cushion from post-consumer carpet, in the first part of a four-part series talks about the L.A. Fiber operation, which is the largest recycler of post-consumer carpet in the world, the operation as it exists today and the volume that flows through the operation. Greitzer also talks about Shaw’s Evergreen and how that is changing his business and carpet collection within the United States.