Flooring Podcast

Floor Focus Co-Publisher Frank O’Neill and Industry Events of the Week

October 10, 2006—Frank O’Neill, co-publisher Floor Focus discusses the grand opening of Faus Group’s Calhoun, Georgia facility, the launch of the company’s newest technologies and its extended distribution agreement with Hoboken/SPI. Also discussed: Shaw’s winter market schedule; Marketing changes at Beaulieu; Cersaie 2006’s record performance; Unilin's agreements with two Chinese laminate producers and Chinafloors’ agreement with Valinge.

Sandlin & Abernathy – The New ShawFloors.com – Part 1 (17:30)

October 8, 2006—From Shaw Industries, Scott Sandlin, VP Marketing and Steve Abernathy, Director Marketing Technology, in the first part of a four-part series, discuss the company's newly updated website ShawFloors.com. In this segment Sandlin and Abernathy talk about the rational behind updating the site, the research behind the improvements, the content on the site, the level of interactivity the company hoped to achieve and the goals the company set out to achieve wiht the site.

Sandlin & Abernathy – The New ShawFloors.com – Part 2 (14:46)

October 8, 2006—From Shaw Industries, Scott Sandlin, VP Marketing and Steve Abernathy, Director Marketing Technology, in the second part of a four-part series discuss the company's newly updated website ShawFloors.com. In this segment Sandlin and Abernathy talk about the approach the company took in redesigning the site with regard to images, who has access to the company’s images, the unique visualization technology that has been incorporated into the site and the site’s product catalog.

Sandlin & Abernathy – The New ShawFloors.com – Part 3 (18:04)

October 8, 2006—From Shaw Industries, Scott Sandlin, VP Marketing and Steve Abernathy, Director Marketing Technology, in the third part of a four-part series discuss the company's newly updates website ShawFloors.com. In this segment Sandlin and Abernathy talk about how the company included pricing on the site, the site’s unique product-specific dealer locater and which retailers will be listed on the locator. Also discussed is the site’s notebook feature, how consumers will most often progress thought the site to a retailer site and the site’s 24-hour life-chat feature.

Sandlin & Abernathy – The New ShawFloors.com – Part 4 (8:37)

October 8, 2006—From Shaw Industries, Scott Sandlin, VP Marketing and Steve Abernathy, Director Marketing Technology, in the final part of a four-part series, discuss the company's newly updates website ShawFloors.com. In this segment Sandlin and Abernathy talk about the company’s plans to optimize consumer traffic to the site by purchasing banners and search engine keyword advertising.

CRI President Werner Braun Offers Retailers Answers to Consumer Questions on Asthma and Allergy - Pa

October 6, 2006—Werner Braun, President, Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI), in the final part of a two-part series, offers retailers and retailer salespeople fact-based answers they can use to help field consumer questions about asthma and allergy. Braun discusses specific testing methods and procedures to help promote understanding of how carpet acts as a trap to keep dust and allergens out of the breathing zone and away breathing passages.

Barker on the Market

October 5, 2006—Mike Barker, Investment & Retirement Management discusses the Dow reaching record highs three times this week, what it means to the overall market and to individual investors and how long he feels the upturn will last. Barker also looks at how the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 are performing as compared to the Dow, he also discusses the economy in general, looking at the anticipated soft landing in the housing sector and the drop in 25% drop in oil prices since mid-July. Also discussed are the threat of inflation, retail sales and the 3rd quarter earnings reports.

Tom Rennie, TLR Consulting Analyses the Carpet Sector – Part 3 (11:55)

October 4, 2006—Tom Rennie, President, TLR Consulting and Editor of the Commercial Carpet, in the final part of a three-part series discusses the commercial market place, his expectations for the turns the economy may take in the future and his views on the industry is the economy were to fall into a slump. Rennie also offers a progress report with efforts to produce bio-based fibers and his take on the most significant events that have occurred in the carpet industry over the past 12 months along with his expectations for the carpet industry in 2006 and 2007?

CRI President Werner Braun Offers Retailers Answers to Consumer Questions on Asthma and Allergy (10

October 4, 2006—Werner Braun, President, Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI) offers retailers and retailer salespeople fact-based answers they can use to help field consumer questions about asthma and allergy. Braun discusses specific testing methods and procedures to help promote understanding of how carpet acts as a trap to keep dust and allergens out of the breathing zone and away breathing passages.

Santo Torcivia Analyzes the Industry’s Hard Surface Sector – Part 4 (7:24)

October 3, 2006—Santo Torcivia, President of the consulting firm, Market Insights/Torcivia and publisher of US FLOOReport, in the fourth part of a five part series looks at the changing landscape in the hard surface sector of the floor covering business discussing pricing in the laminate sector and his expectations for the future. Torcivia also talks about the vinyl sector, its current state and his take on the future of the product category,