Flooring Podcast

Bowe & Pirner and the Latest on B2B – Part 5

July 23, 2006—In the final part of a five-part update on the floor covering industry’s B2B initiative, a system which permits retailers, distributors and manufacturers to transact business electronically via the internet, the co-chairs of the industry’s B2B Standards Committee Pam Bowe, president, Bowe Company and retailer Aaron Pirner, CEO, CAP Carpet and chairman of the WFCA recap the features and benefits of the B2B system, the savings retailers can realize by converting to B2B, the savings throught the reduction in errors and how retailers should prepare of moving to B2B.

CRI President Werner Braun - Part 2 (11:05)

July 20, 2006—Werner Braun, President of the Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI), in the second part of a four-part series discusses the Carpet Industry Sustainability Report, which summarizes the progress the industry has made in areas of environmental, social and economic responsibility. Also discussed is the CRI’s upcoming Carpet Industry Survey, which examines consumer and commercial enduser attitudes about carpet and their propensity to purchase carpet.

CRI President Werner Braun - Part 1 (20:34)

July 19, 2006—Werner Braun, President of the Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI), discusses a recent Georgia Trend magazine article featuring an historical look at the Dalton-based carpet industry. Braun also discusses the sustainable carpet standard, its function, its development, the stake-holders involved in the project, the progress made, the kick-off for the draft standard and final version, which is expected to be issued at Greenbuild 2007 in Denver.

Floor Focus Co-Publisher Frank O’Neill

July 18, 2006—Frank O’Neill, Co-Publisher, Floor Focus magazine discusses the results of the Floor Focus annual Retailer Survey including how retailers feel about retail groups, the products they sell, the margins they earn and their suppliers. Also discussed: Stifel Nicolaus’ maintaining its "hold" rating on Mohawk, while reducing its earnings estimates for the company; The naming of Jim Dougherty to the post of VP, Marketing, Florim USA; Laufen’s to move to Miami; The setting of dates for Floor-Tek Expo 2007; And the medicated carpets of Qatar.

SunTrust Robinson Humphrey Analyst Keith Hughes on Home Depot – Part 3 (10:10)

July 13, 2006—Keith Hughes, Director of Equity Research, SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, in the final part of a three-part series discusses Home Depot and its efforts to beef up customer service efforts at the company's big box locations through employee bonuses, he compares service levels at Home Depot to Lowe’s and the cannibalization efforts at Home Depot and when these efforts reach a point of diminishing returns. Hughes also discusses Home Depot Supply and his expectations for the unit in the future.

SunTrust Robinson Humphrey Analyst Keith Hughes on Home Depot – Part 2 (11:57)

July 13, 2006—Keith Hughes, Director of Equity Research, SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, in the second part of a three-part series talks more about Home Depot and its earlier announcement saying it would no longer report same-store sales numbers. He also discusses the company’s floor covering operation, the problem areas he sees within the sector, including product selection and service problems, the recently announced resets in the floor covering departments at the company’s largest 500 locations and his views of the company’s free-standing flooring stores.

SunTrust Robinson Humphrey Analyst Keith Hughes on Home Depot – Part 1 (11:01)

July 13, 2006—Keith Hughes, Director of Equity Research, SunTrust, Robinson Humphrey, in the first part of a three-part series discusses the recent situation concerning Home Depot and the recent controversy involving transparency, its Chairman and CEO Bob Nardelli’s pay package and the company’s sinking share price. Hughes discusses the expansion at the Home Depot Supply unit, which is aimed at the professional contractor and he talks about the situation in the company’s installation services side of the business.

FCA & WFCA Chairman Bob Hill – Part 3 (12:35)

July 12, 2006—Retailer Bob Hill, Founder and Chairman of Floor Covering Associates and the new Chairman of the World Floor Covering Association, in the final part of this three-part series, discusses the WFCA’s new web-based entity called Creating Your Space, which has seen the association partner its retailer membership base with Bridgeway Media Group’s library of web-based content.

Jon Dougal – The Newest and the Latest in Sustanability – Part 3 (13:14)

July 11, 2006—Jon Dougal, Senior Editor, iGreenBuild.com, in the final part of a three-part series on sustainability discusses bamboo and the differences between standard and strand bamboo as offered in the US by Teragren. Dougal discusses the varying degrees of environmental friendliness of bamboo, depending on the origin of the product and he offers an update on LOHAS an acronym for Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability, which represents a $270 billion marketplace for sustainable and health-oriented goods and services. Also discussed is the trend towards builders producing more green homes.

Bob Hill, Chairman of FCA & WFCA – Part 2 (16:50)

July 11, 2006—Retailer Bob Hill, Founder and Chairman of Floor Covering Associates and the recently elected Chairman of the World Floor Covering Association, in the second part of this three-part series, discusses 2006 year-to-date, Home Depot and Lowe’s as well as the nation’s mid-tier floor covering retailers and the competitive environment within the markets served by FCA. Hill also talks about the FCA network of stores, his suppliers and his involvement with the World Floor Covering Association