Flooring Podcast

CRI’s Warner Braun on Intra-industry Cooperation, China and the CRI Launch at the Kennedy Space Cent

August 18, 2005—Werner Braun, President, Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI), discusses the potential for domestic floor coverings associations to work together to address major global issues. Braun also offers a update on intellectual property issues involving Chinese produced carpets, the expansion of the CRI Green Label program to include adhesives and the September 12 launch, at John F. Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, of NASA technology that is now in use at in the carpet industry.

Barker on the Market

August 18, 2005—Mike Barker, Investment & Retirement Management, discusses second quarter earnings, which averaged above 12%, and the market’s lackluster reaction, the market’s reaction to rising crude oil prices and its affects on the economy and possible market scenarios if crude rises or if it falls. Barker also discusses the affects retail sales and other economic indicators are having on the market.

Brinton USA’s Stone and Adams

August 17, 2005—From Brintons USA, CEO, Jonathan Stone and VP, Marketing, Deborah Adams discuss Brintons the company, its history, its axminster technology and its product offerings as well as the changes that have occurred within the company’s U.S. operations over the past year. Stone and Adams discuss the company’s approach to the marketplace, changes within the market’s various segments, installation, the company’s design-oriented branding campaign and its aggressive plans for the future.

Washington Insiders Columbus & Sinder on Politics and the Bush Administration's 2nd Term - Part

August 16, 2005—Washington insiders Tim Columbus and Scott Sinder, legislative counsel to the WFCA, with the Washington-based firm Collier Shannon Scott, in this the first part of a four-part a series, presented by the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA), review the Bush administration’s second-term efforts to enact its agenda and the Democratic party’s second-term strategy to prevent that agenda from becoming law. Columbus and Sinder discuss their views on the progress being made in the war on terrorism and the war in Iraq and comment on the president’s initiative to spread democracy throughout the world.

Floor Focus’ Frank O’Neill Looks Back at the Week in the Flooring Industry

August 16, 2005—Frank O’Neill, Publisher, Floor Focus magazine discusses: Shaw’s pending acquisition of the carpet backing operations of SI; The naming of Edmund Stanczak as the president and CEO of backing producer Propex Fabrics; Mohawk receiving FTC approval for the Unilin acquisition; Second quarter results from Home Depot and Lowe’s and progress both are making in the installation services; Columbia’s acquisition of Malaysian Engineered Flooring; Foamex’s financial difficulty; And the Las Vegas Market’s outstanding kickoff.

CRI’s Warner Braun on California Gold, USGBC & Green Lodging

August 14, 2005—Werner Braun, President, Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI), discusses the association’s work on the California Gold Procurement standard, its long-term efforts toward the development of a national carpet standard and how such a standard would affect producers and purchasers of commercial carpet. Braun also looks at U.S Green Building Council’s stance toward carpet and its move to permit association members and the CRI partnership with the Florida Dept of Environmental Protection's Green Lodging program.

John Simonson on Retail Technology – Part 2

August 11, 2005—John Simonson, CEO, technology company, Webstream Dynamics in the second part of a two-part series discusses the increasing number of opportunities available on the internet for both retailers and suppliers including advertising and marketing options and pay-per-click advertising. Simonson also talks about design-a-room technology and its growing popularity among consumers and looks at some of the technology that will be available to industry players in the future.

John Simonson Looks at Retail Technology – Part 1

August 10, 2005—John Simonson, CEO of technology company Webstream Dynamics, in the first part of a two-part series, discusses the technology that’s available to today’s floor covering retailers and some of the reservations many retailers have about implementating B2B technology and industry-specific software. Simonson looks at the security and cost verses gain issues and employee resistance to new technologies, as well as reasons retailers would profit from automating their operation. Also discussed are a variety of other technologies available to retailers.

Floor Focus’ Frank O’Neill Looks at the Week in the Flooring Industry

August 9, 2005—Frank O’Neill, Publisher, Floor Focus magazine discusses the second quarter results of Berkshire Hathaway and its Shaw unit and the expansion of Shaw's PET and Corterra PTT extrusion capacity; The integration of FieldTurf and Tarkett to form FieldTurf Tarkett; The opening of the Congoleum asbestos insurance trial in New Jersey; The Faus patent infringement action against Pergo and the settlement of the Pergo/Witex infringement suit; Tarkett Commercial’s RFCI FloorScore Certification and the growth of sustainability in the flooring industry.

Tom Rennie and the Art of Specifying Broadloom & Modular Carpet - Pt. 2

August 8, 2005—Tom Rennie, TLR Consulting & Editor of the Commercial Carpet Digest, in advance of NeoCon East in Baltimore, Sept. 14-15, in the final part of this two-part series, examines the finer points of writing specifications for commercial broadloom and modular carpet. Rennie reviews some recent breakthroughs in carpet manufacturing technology discussing yarn and dyeing techniques, carpet construction and backings and the installation process and how these factors interact to produce carpet with the desired look, appearance and wear, longevity, safety and sustainable characteristics to meet any budget.