Flooring Podcast

Ken Cyree & Mike Barker on the Fed Meeting Today – Part 3 (11:35)

September 18, 2007—Dr. Ken Cyree, Professor at the University of Mississippi and a faculty member at the Graduate School of Banking at LSU along with Mike Barker Investment and Retirement Management in the final part of a three-part discuss the Federal Reserve and the effects the negative jobs report might have on the Fed’s decision today, whether the Fed is to blame for the current credit crisis by keeping rates too low, too long, the role increasing oil prices and inflation may play in the Fed’s decision today, the role market expectations play in Fed decisions, the Fed’s real stance on inflation and the mechanics of how decisions are made by the Federal Open Market Committee.

Ken Cyree & Mike Barker on the Fed Meeting Tomorrow – Part 2 (17:56)

September 17, 2007—Dr. Ken Cyree, Professor at the University of Mississippi and a faculty member at the Graduate School of Banking at LSU along with Mike Barker Investment and Retirement Management in the second part of a three-part series discuss the Federal Reserve and the psychological aspects of the actions and messages released by the Federal Reserve, the mindset of Fed chairman Ben Bernanke and the upcoming Federal Open Market Committee meeting. Cyree and Barker talk about their expectations as to the actions the FOMC will take tomorrow and the Fed’s rationale for making the decision they make.

Ken Cyree & Mike Barker on the Fed Meeting Tomorrow – Part 1 (17:14)

September 17, 2007—Dr. Ken Cyree, Professor at the University of Mississippi and faculty member at the Graduate School of Banking at LSU along with Mike Barker Investment and Retirement Management, in the first part of a three-part series, discuss the Federal Reserve and the recent performance of its chairman Ben Bernanke during the and the rationale and timing behind the Fed’s decision to lowering the discount during by 50 basis points during that credit crisis. Also discusses is a comparison between Bernanke and former Fed chairman Alan Greenspan, the Fed’s.

Economist John McDevitt, on the Credit Crisis, Jobs & the Economy – (40:29)

September 14, 2007—John McDevitt, former 3M Corporate Economist John McDevitt discusses the state of the economy the additional $12 billion in credit Countrywide Financial has obtained from its banks and how that will affect the credit situation. McDevitt discusses last week’s jobs report, what it means to the economy as he shares his jobs forecast for 2007 and 2008. He also predicts the actions the Fed will take next Tuesday and he discusses Fed chairman Ben Bernanke and his actions in recent weeks. McDevitt looks at the housing market, when it will turn around, crude oil and the direction he anticipates it will take in the months to come and its affect on the economy, he also shares his expectations for GDP for 3rd and 4th quarter and for 2008.

Paul Friederichsen, Marketing when the Market Sucks – Part 3 (14:22)

September 13, 2007—Paul Friederichsen, President, market and branding agency, BrandBiz, in the final part of three-part series called “Marketing when the Market Sucks” discusses the concept of staying with your brand identity when executing marketing plans through tough times, tracking ones competitors, staying on-message and pursuing a more energetic internet strategy during more challenging times. Frederichsen talks about the advantages and disadvantages of advertising during an election year and his experience on the success of the concept of spending through these difficult times as well as aligning credit option, how to look attractive to consumers when their budgets are limited and where to find help in putting a plan together.

Floor Focus’ Kemp Harr, the Week in the Flooring Industry (34:06)

September 12, 2007—Kemp Harr, Publisher, Floor Focus magazine looks back that the past week in the floor covering industry discussing: The closing of Shaw nylon spinning plant in Georgia; Faus, its intellectual property and the recent suit it brought against a company in China; The awarding of NALFA certification to Unilin and Mohawk laminate brands; Home Depot’s move to attract small and mid-sized contractors and a recent survey comparing consumer preferences of Lowe’s and Home Depot; July Office furniture sales; And sustainability confusion in the hospitality industry.

Paul Friederichsen, Marketing when the Market Sucks – Part 2 (14:39)

September 12, 2007—Paul Friederichsen, President, market and branding agency, BrandBiz, in the second part of three-part series called “Marketing when the Market Sucks”, talks about the concept of maintaining one’s ad budget expenditures through tough times and the strategy’s long-term payout. Frederichsen discusses selling this concept to the board of directors, what one can reasonably expect from executing a plan of this type, he talks about the situation from the consumers standpoint and the upside of maintaining brand equity awareness through tough times as well as the plan’s dos and don’ts.

Paul Friederichsen, Marketing when the Market Sucks – Part 1 (11:11)

September 11, 2007—Paul Friederichsen, President, marketing and branding agency, BrandBiz, in the first part of three-part series called “Marketing when the Market Sucks”, discusses the old adage that says difficult times are the opportune time to advertise and establish ones brand, a strategy that’s counter to the natural instincts of most business people. Friederichsen points out the advantages of maintaining visibility in tougher times and gaining advantage over competitors who have scaled back. Frederichsen discusses the executing ones pre-existing promotion plan and staying with the tried and true in an environment when business is off.

Rick Ramirez, Shaw’s New VP, Sustainability and Environmental Affairs – Part 3 (12:03)

September 10, 2007—Rick Ramirez, VP, Sustainability and Environmental Affairs, Shaw Industries in the third part of a three-part series, discusses the company’s Green Edge initiatives and the growth in green initiatives he expects to see in the years to come in both the hard and soft surface products. Ramirex talks about his chemistry background and the role it will play in his new post, the ripeness of the U.S. consumer to purchase floor covering products with a sustainable story to tell and his views on the sincerity of the corporate world’s current focus on environmental matters.

Barker on the Market (34:06)

September 7, 2007—Mike Barker, Investment and Retirement Management, discusses the upcoming jobs report and his expectations as to how it will affect the market and the Federal Reserve. Barker talks about the beige book that was issued by the Fed this month, the market reaction to the report and his take on whether the Fed will cut the funds rate when it meets later this month, the positive retail news that was released yesterday, consumer spending and the upcoming holiday season. Also discussed are Mohawk and Interface shares and their recent downturns, the negative foreclosure information recently released, the credit market and the areas that will draw his attention in the weeks ahead.