Flooring Podcast

Floor Focus’ Kemp Harr, the Week in the Flooring Industry (33:34)

August 22, 2007—Kemp Harr, Publisher, Floor Focus magazine looks back that the past week in the floor covering industry discussing: The Shaw Vision Retreat for designers; The $20M expansion at Faus Group’s Calhoun, Georgia facility, which will see the addition of a milling line and four presses; Lowe’s second quarter earnings and a comparison with Home Depot’s results; The July foreclosure rate, which nearly doubled; The increase in the National Association of Realtors Commercial Leading Indicator for Brokerage Activity in the second quarter; The plan for a new carpet mill, which will produce carpet for Japanese auto producers in the U.S.; The CFI convention and the revamping of Karastan’s installation program.

Carpet One President Evan Hackel on New Programs at Carpet One – Part 4 (9:06)

August 21, 2007—Evan Hackel, President, Carpet One Floor & Home, in the fourth part of a five-part series talks about the recent Carpet One Summer convention held in Cincinnati and about Carpet One’s 5-year plan, which was a prime focus of the convention. Hackel discusses the new programs rolled-out at the convention including programs involving store design, merchandising and marketing as well as a program called “Destination Carpet One”.

Barker on the Fed’s Discount Rate Cut (15:57)

August 20, 2007—Mike Barker, Investment and Retirement Management discusses the Fed’s actions Friday when it cut the discount rate by 0.5%. He talks about reaction in the world’s markets to last week sell-offs in U.S. markets and the timing of the Fed’s cut, the message sent by the size of the cut and how the move effects how the financial markets view Fed chairman Ben Bernanke. Barker discusses the market’s reaction to the cut, the approach of Bernanke verses former Fed chairman Greenspan and how the cut will likely be interpreted.

Carpet One President Evan Hackel on Competition and Competiting – Part 3 (11:58)

August 20, 2007—Evan Hackel, President, Carpet One Floor & Home, in the third part of a five-part series Hackel talks about the recent shifts a Home Depot and shares his expectations as to the outcome of the home improvement retailer’s floor covering operations. Hackle discusses the competitive environment and some of the retail sector’s mid-tier and online operations and how Carpet One can best compete with these organizations, he also discusses his expectations for these players going forward.

Barker on Yesterday's Wild Market - (36:30)

August 18, 2007—Mike Barker Investment and Retirement Management looks at the extreme volatility in yesterday’s market, dropping as much as 341 points at mid-day to close off 15 points. Barker discusses the causes for the continued instability of the market, signposts that may indicate it’s bottoming out and how long he expects the cycle to last. Barker discusses yesterday’s housing starts report and his expectations for a housing market recovery, the Fed and how they may react to the market decline as well as gas and crude prices.

Carpet One President Evan Hackel Evaluates the Housing Market and Competition – Part 2 (10:12)

August 17, 2007—Evan Hackel, President, Carpet One Floor & Home, in the second part of a five-part series discusses how the company recommends its members best weather depressed times. Hackel discusses how the various segments within the industry have evolved, the impact that big box home improvement retailers and online retailers are having on the independent and the market share of each.

Carpet One President Evan Hackel on Summer Convention and the Marketplace – Part 1 (13:34)

August 16, 2007—Evan Hackel, President, Carpet One Floor & Home, in the first part of a five-part series talks about the recent Carpet One Summer convention held in Cincinnati, the turnout, the theme, “Turn It On” and the coop’s 2007 performance to date. Hackel discusses the housing and remodeling markets, his estimation as to the toll the housing slump has taken on players in the floor covering industry and his expectations for a housing recovery.

Floor Focus Co-Publisher Frank O’Neill, The Week in the Flooring Industry - (35:03)

August 15, 2007—Frank O’Neill, Co-Publisher, Floor Focus magazine looks back at the events of the past week in the floor covering industry discussing Home Depot’s second quarter earnings report and the tentative future for the sale of HD Supply unit and the company’s $22.5 billion recapitalization program; Congoleum’s second quarter earnings report; Shaw’s naming of a VP of Sustainability and Environmental Affairs; The launch of Milliken’s Stimulus, a process that allows precisely engineered overlay of random pattern elements in tandem with the company’s Millitron; Beaulieu Commercial move to offer post-consumer recycled content in all of its offerings; J. J. Haines’ acquisition of Orlando-based distributor Wheeler Inc.; And J. Mish’s move to Cartersville.

Analyst Keith Hughes on Mohawk, Interface & The Armstrong Auction – Part 4 (12:35)

August 14, 2007—Keith Hughes, Managing Director in Equity Research, SunTrust Robinson-Humphrey in the final part of a four-part series discusses, Mohawk’s commercial business, the Dal-Tile unit and the role being played by the company’s newest manufacturing facilities. Hughes discusses the second quarter performance of Interface, the company after the sales of its fabrics unit, the company’s growth in the modular arena and its third quarter guidance. Hughes also discusses the Armstrong auction and reports that the prime potential buyers have dropped out. Discussed are the possible reasons for the wholesale withdrawal of would be buyers, the options for the auction going forward and his expectations for the auction and its timeline going forward.

Analyst Keith Hughes Assesses Mohawk’s 2nd Quarter – Part 3 (11:27)

August 13, 2007—Keith Hughes, Managing Director in Equity Research, SunTrust Robinson-Humphrey, in the third part of a four-part series discusses Mohawk purchase of hardwood assets for Columbia Forest Products and what it means to the company, when the properties will become profitable, and his take on Mohawk’s inclination toward more hardwood acquisitions. Hughes also discussed is the Mohawk sector, raw material costs and carpet prices increases during the quarter and his expectations for increases in the third and fourth quarters.