Flooring Podcast

Barker on the Market (31:57)

September 28, 2007—Mike Barker Investment and Retirement Management discusses the quote of the week from Lowe's CEO Robert Niblock, the euphoria following last week’s Fed rate cut and its state one week later. Barker previews upcoming earnings reports and the anticipated earnings preannouncements, his expectations for next week’s jobs reports as he discusses the housing market and its ongoing decline. Barker also takes a historical look at October and the market and discusses the steadily increasing crude prices and talks about the current resiliency of the market.

McDonald & Migliorie on the New Installation System FreeLay from Textile Rubber – Part 3 (11:29)

September 27, 2007—Raiford McDonald, VP, FreeLay Unit, Textile Rubber and Lew Migliore, President, LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services, in the final part of a three-part series discuss the FreeLay Carpet Installation System, which involves a new product and a new technique for the installation of carpet. McDonald and Migliorie discusses the use of FreeLay, how installation with the system differs from standard installation methods, the number of installations that have been completed to date, the products types and markets at which FreeLay will be directed initially, how mills can adopt this system in their operations and the company’s long term plans.

McDonald & Migliorie on the New Installation System FreeLay from Textile Rubber – Part 2 (12:49)

September 26, 2007—Raiford McDonald, VP, FreeLay Unit, Textile Rubber and Lew Migliore, President, LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services, in the second part of a three-part series, discuss the FreeLay Carpet Installation System, which involves a new product and a new technique for the installation of carpet. McDonald and Migliorie discusses the system, the specially-developed polymer that is applied to the floor and can be used with any type carpet with KangaTRAC backing. They talk about the process of installing carpet intalled using the system and the fact that the carpet can also be easily removed and even resued. McDonald and Migliore discuss the cost advantages of this system, the reduction in installation time and how it reduces buckling and wrinkling.

McDonald & Migliorie on the New Installation System FreeLay from Textile Rubber – Part 1 (13:28)

September 25, 2007—Raiford McDonald, VP, FreeLay Unit, Textile Rubber and Lew Migliore, President, LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services, in the first part of a three-part series discuss the FreeLay Carpet Installation System, which involves a new product and a new technique for the installation of carpet. McDonald and Migliorie talk about thi new sytem, which has been under development for the past 11 years, and it feature including it ability to eliminate the need for tack-strip, adhesives and the need to stretch carpet. FreeLay is aimed at both the residential and commercial markets, for both broadloom or modular carpet.

Recycler Steve Steele, Nycore Chairman – Part 3 (15:52)

September 24, 2007—Steve Steele, Chairman Nycore in the final part of three-part series discusses Nycore the company and the backerboard the company produces from post-industrial and post-consumer carpet. Steel discusses the variety of products that the company also produces, which products are used in the floor covering business, the availability of waste carpet available and the changes taking place in the collection and processing area of the industry. Steele lso discussed CARE, the Carpet America Recovery Effort, the volume of product processed by the company and his expectations for the future of Nycore and carpet recycling.

Recycler Steve Steele, Nycore Chairman – Part 2 (15:00)

September 22, 2007—Steve Steele, Chairman Nycore in the second part of three-part series discusses Nycore the company and the backerboard the company produces from post-industrial and post-consumer carpet. Steel discusses more about the physical properties of the material, the fact that it can be used as a substitute for plywood, particleboard, slate and fiber-cementitious board, and produced in custom sizes and is bendable. Steel talks about the price of product and the variety of applications in which it can be used.

Barker on the Market (20:20)

September 21, 2007—Mike Barker Investment and Retirement Management discusses the market reaction to past events, such as the poor jobs report of a few weeks and then is bounce back to pre-event levels. Barker answers the question: Will this be the case with the Fed rate cut of 50 basis points? He also talks about the real effect the cut will have on the housing market, his reaction to the cut now a few days later, the positive reaction to the August CPI report, when crude prices presently are in the $82 range and the factors he will be focusing on in the weeks ahead.

Recycler Steve Steele, Nycore Chairman – Part 1 (17:54)

September 20, 2007—Steve Steele, Chairman Nycore in the first part of a three-part series, discusses Nycore the company and the building products it produces from post-industrial and post-consumer carpet. Steel discusses the backer board material the company produces for used in the floor covering industry, how the board is made, the sources of the waste carpet used in the process, the physical characteristics of the product, such as its light weight and it waterproof and moisture barrier properties and its machineability.

Barker on the Fed Rate Increase (9:16)

September 19, 2007—Mike Barker, Investment and Retirement Management discusses the Federal Reserve’s decision yesterday to increase interest rates, why rates were lowered 50 basis points rather than 25, how Wall Street will view Fed chairman Ben Bernanke as a result of the move and how this might change things in the housing arena.

Floor Focus’ Kemp Harr, the Week in the Flooring Industry (34:12)

September 19, 2007—Kemp Harr, Publisher of Floor Focus magazine looks back at the events of the past week in the industry talking about the Floor Expo National Conference in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, which he is attending. Harr discusses the tenor of the event, the presentations and discussions about the housing market and the forecast for a market recovery. Also discussed: Homebuilder Hovnanian’s 3-day sale; The drop in builder confidence; Shaw’s purchase of Anderson, Senior management changes at CCS Global; Armstrong’s new patent; And 2007 industry marketing plans.