January 5, 2007—Werner Braun, President, Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI), discusses the association’s recently held annual meeting and the slate of new officers that were elected at that meeting.
January 4, 2007—Keith Hughes, director in Equity Research, SunTrust-Robinson Humphrey, in the second part of a three-part series, discusses the departure of Bob Nardelli from Home Depot. In this segment Hughes discusses Nardelli’s lask of retail experience and its roll in his exit, the company's short comings within its retail locations and its relationship with its suppliers. Hughes discusses Nardelli’s early successes and more recent difficulties, his autocratic management style and the long-term wisdom of the company’s move into HD Supply.
January 3, 2007—Keith Hughes, director in Equity Research, SunTrust-Robinson Humphrey, in the first part of a three-part series, discusses the departure of Bob Nardelli from Home Depot, the events leading up to the departure, the pressure applied by shareholders over the company’s share prices and the how the shares have fared during Nardelli’s tenure. Hughes also talks about the company’s recently announced stock buyback program, which appears to be a pivotal issued in Nardelli’s departure.
January 2, 2007—Frank O’Neill, Co Publisher of Floor Focus magazine Frank O’Neill, discloses his list of the 10 most significant events that took place in the floor covering industry during 2006 and effects they have had on the industry.
January 1, 2007—Don Finkell, president, Anderson Hardwood Flooring, in the first part of a four-part series, discusses the state of the hardwood sector of the floor covering industry during 2006 and the most recent quarter. Finkell talks about the factors that govern the price of raw materials in the sectors and the levels of competition in the sector during 2006.
January 1, 2007—Don Finkell, president, Anderson Hardwood Flooring in the second part of a four-part series, discusses the greatest threats the hardwood industry faces in 2007. Finkell also talks about the consumer and their attraction to wood flooring, Chinese hardwood flooring imports, their affect on the North American market and his view on how this situation will ultimately play out.
January 1, 2007—Don Finkell, president, Anderson Hardwood Flooring in the third part of a four-part series, discusses the affect that Shaw and Mohawk have had on the sector, Armstrong’s exit from Chapter 11, the log smuggling situation in Indonesia and how the situation is affecting business in North America. Finkell also discusses other environmental concerns within the hardwood industry and how the industry will deal with sustainable concerns in the future.
January 1, 2007—Don Finkell, President, Anderson Hardwood Flooring in the final segment of a four-part series, discusses the fire at the company’s Clinton, South Carolina facility, how the recovery is playing out and the recent opening of Bob Anderson Design Center. Anderson talks about the company's focus on the higher-end and more exotic species and his expectations for 2007.
December 28, 2006—Mike Barker, Investment and Retirement Management, discusses Wednesday’s record close of the Dow, the economic news of this week--including the new and existing home sales numbers and consumer confidence numbers--and their affect on the market and if the positive housing numbers means that the market has stabilized and/or hit bottom. Barker talks about the oddities of the 2006 market, his expectations for the market and floor covering shares in 2007 and his expectations for merger activity during the upcoming year.
December 27, 2006—Architect and designer Peter Conant, Principal of the New York-based architectural firm Conant Architects, in an archives presentation first aired in November of 2005, discusses the economy, its effects on business and the changing New York market. Conant looks at the changing focus of corporate clients, design trends in 2005, his views on basic floor covering product groups and how they have effected the way he writes specifications. Conant also discusses his priorities when initiating a project, his approach, the checklist he follows and the role maintenance plays in his flooring decisions.