Flooring Podcast

The Week in the Flooring Industry with Floor Focus Publisher Kemp Harr

May 30, 2007—Kemp Harr, Publisher, Floor Focus magazine looks back at the past week in the floor covering industry discussing: Home Depot and Lowe’s annual shareholders meetings; The effects of rising gasoline prices on consumer spending, according to BIGresearch’s May Consumer Intentions & Actions Survey; A Consumer Reports National Research Center survey revealing women’s shopping habits on the Internet and; StarNet’s newest member, Salt Lake City-based Diversified Flooring.

Bob Peoples on CARE’s 5th Annual Report – Part 2 (14:44)

May 30, 2007—Bob Peoples, Executive Director, CARE, Carpet America Recovery Effort and Director of Sustainability, CRI, Carpet & Rug Institute, in the second part of a four-part series, talks about the players in the post-consumer processing system including collectors, sorters, processors and manufacturers and what role they play including how many players are in each category. Peoples discusses the positive and negative events that affected the progress of CARE during 2006 and the addition of a face fiber element to the 2006 CARE annual report.

Bob Peoples on CARE’s 5th Annual Report – Part 1 (12:19)

May 29, 2007—Bob Peoples, Executive Director, CARE, Carpet America Recovery Effort and Director of Sustainability, CRI, Carpet & Rug Institute, in the first part of a four-part series, discusses the CARE 5th annual conference, which took place in Charleston, SC earlier this month and the turn-out for the event. Peoples talks about the organization’s mission, its 5th annual progress report, the reasons for the changes from 2005 and the changes that have taken place in post-consumer carpet collection and processing over the past 12 months. He also discusses the new products that are now being produced from carpet discards.

NWFA’s Ed Korczak Looks Back at the 2007 Convention & Expo – Part 3 (13:30)

May 25, 2007—Ed Korczak, Executive Director, National Wood Flooring Association, (NWFA), in the final part of a three-part series, discusses the National Wood Flooring Convention & Expo, which was held last month in Denver. Korczak also talks about his expectations for the wood flooring sector going forward, some of the current trends in wood flooring some of the trends to come, the boom in reclaimed wood and China and the North American wood flooring marketplace.

Miles Distributing Goldberg and Roberts from Coverings 2007

May 24, 2007—Howard Goldberg and Gene Roberts, Miles Distributing, South Bend, Indiana, from Coverings 2007, discuss the show and the company’s unprecedented efforts to bus more that 1000 attendees to the show, many of whom had not attended Coverings before. Goldberg and Roberts talk about the show, its Chicago venue and their mission while attending the show.

Contractor James Woelfel – from Coverings 2007

May 24, 2007—James Woelfel, Vice Presisident, Artcraft, Granite Marble and Tile Co., from Coverings 2007 discusses the Mesa, Arizona-based Artcraft, his work with the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) and the workshop that the association sponsored at the show. Woelfel discusses changes in the marble and granite industry, competition and the decision he made at the show.

J.H. Freed & Sons’ Chris Freed from Coverings 2007

May 24, 2007—Chris Freed, President, J.H. Freed & Sons, San Diego, CA and President, National Association of Floor Covering Distributors, from Coverings 2007, discusses his take on the show, the association's involvement with the show and his growing interest in ceramic and stone as a floor covering distributor.

Bart Bettiga, Executive Director, NTCA – from Coverings 2007

May 24, 2007—Bart Bettiga, Executive Director, National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA), from Coverings 2007, dicusses the show, its 2007 venue in Chicago. Bettiga also talks about the work of the association, its Tile Letter, Partnering for Success, the association’s new membership campaign, the expanded workshops that are taking place at the show and its new contractor dafety program.

Miles Distributing Goldberg and Roberts from Coverings 2007

May 24, 2007—Howard Bernstein, National Sales Manager, Tile-Redi, from Coverings 2007 discusses the company’s unique, leak-proof and mold-free shower pans, which were exhibited at the show. Bernstein talks about the versatility of the units, which can be used with tile, stone or marble as well as Tile-Redi’s time and labor aspects.

Steuler’s Paul Heldens and LED Tiles from Coverings 2007

May 24, 2007—Paul Heldens, Managing Director, Steuler Fliesen from Coverings 2007, discusses some of the products offered by German-based company including it’s unique illuminated wall and floor tiles, that feature an LED module in the surface of the tile that provides interior design light effects or safety related features, such as stair edging, emergency lighting or for marking walkways.