Flooring Podcast

Eric Demaree, President, The Floor Trader – Part 3 (11:32)

September 12, 2006—Eric Demaree, President, The Floor Trader, the newest unit of CCA Global Partners, in the third part of a four part series, discusses the unit’s value proposition and The Floor Trader’s marketing and advertising plans. Also discussed is the redefining of the nation’s discount locations and how U.S. consumers now view discounters in today’s retail environment and where The Floor Trader’s will position itself from a price point standpoint.

Eric Demaree, President, The Floor Trader – Part 2 (12:11)

September 11, 2006—Eric Demaree, President, The Floor Trader, the newest unit of CCA Global Partners, in the second part of a four part series discusses The Floor Trader model, its floorplan, the rationale behind the unit’s store layout and what consumers see as they enter a Floor Trader. Demaree also talks about the company’s first franchisee and the progress it has made since it opened. He discusses his view on consumer desires as it relates to a warehouse location and the type of consumer, upon which the unit will be focused.

Eric Demaree, President, The Floor Trader – Part 1 (10:46)

September 10, 2006—Eric Demaree, President, The Floor Trader, the newest unit of CCA Global Partners, in the first part of a four part series, begins to outline The Floor Trader concept, a cash and carry franchise unit, its footprint and how the concept works with the Stone Mountain and GCO Flooring Outlet operations. Demaree also talks about the company store and working laboratory in St. Louis.

Barker on the Market (31:56)

September 7, 2006—Mike Barker, Investment & Retirement Management looks at the economic news of the week and its affect on the market. Barker discusses the guidance lowering news from homebuilders Beazer and KB Home, the negative news from the National Association of Realtors and his expectations for future housing developements and market reaction. Also discussed is the drop in oil prices, the Federal Reserve Beige Book and the options available to the FMOC at its next meeting and the historical aspects of the month of September on Wall street.

Frank O’Neill and the Week in the Floor Covering Industry

September 6, 2006—Frank O’Neill, Co-Publisher, Floor Focus magazine discusses his trip to Gandia, Spain and the headquarters and manufacturing facilities of Faus Group talking about the company, its global growth, its new facility in the U.S., and the expansion of its intellectual property. Also discussed: The resignation of Mac Bridger as CEO of Tandus and C&A Floorcoverings; July office furniture sales; Mohawk’s new CFO and controller; The expansion of Asian hard surface flooring in North America and; The latest on the sale of Feltex.

Brian Peters, Avoiding the Pitfalls of Health and Other Insurance

September 5, 2006—Brian Peters, managing director, Advance Insurance Strategies, discusses the changing insurance requirements for retailers, distributors and other mid and small size businesses and some of the typical insurance problems that befall many business people. Peters talks about some of the basic rules to observe in making insurance-related decisions, new coverages available to business people, navigating the host of health insurance options and dealing with flood insurance.

Larry Winter - The Right Time for Retailer Expansion

September 4, 2006—Larry Winter, Winter & Scoggins CPAs, discusses the firm’s name change from Winter & Harris CPA’s, the services the firm offers its clients and some of the more frequent problems that he has come across with his mid and small business clientele. Winter also discusses some of the expansion options open for floor covering, the prerequisites for retailers to consider prior to expansion and the factors a retailer should know to discover if expansion is not an attractive option.

Economist John McDevitt On the Economy (35:40)

August 31, 2006—John McDevitt, former 3M corporate economist, discusses the housing sector, its affect on GDP numbers and his expectations for activity in the remainder of the year and 2007. McDevitt also looks at the consumer, and interprets the recent consumer confidence numbers as he discusses his expectations for consumer spending in the second half of 2006 as well as inflation pressures and Federal Reserve actions for the remainder of the year. Also discussed are the upcoming unemployment report and his forecast for the remainder of 2006 and for 2007.

CRI’s Werner Braun on X-Ray Fluorescence Technology & Installation (13:38)

August 30, 2006—Werner Braun, president, Carpet & Rug Institute discusses the expansion of x-ray florescence technology, which is being used extensively in the association’s Seal of Approval program, and how it is being expanded into a number of other applications including identification. Braun also talks about a project the association became involved in to create an industry-wide installation standard and to provide installation training in hurricane ravaged areas.

Carpet One President Evan Hackel on Carpet Pad & the Future – Part 4 (8:38)

August 29, 2006—Evan Hackel, president Carpet One Floor & Home in the final part of a four-part series discusses the carpet cushion situation that has developed across the country and the actions taken by the company in the form of an alternative product to deal with the situation. Hackel also discusses the marketplace and his expectations for the retail and commercial sectors in the third and fourth quarters and into 2007.