Flooring Podcast

Floor Focus’ Frank O’Neill on Shaw’s Evergreen, Martha’s Rug Line and Home Depots Newest Acquisition

April 25, 2006—Frank O’Neill, Publisher, Floor Focus’ Frank O’Neill discusses: Shaw’ purchase of the remaining 50% of the Evergreen Nylon recycling operation in Augusta, Georgia; The agreement between Martha Stewart and Safavieh for a new rug line to be launched at the Atlanta Winter Market 2007; Home Depot’s pending acquisition of the catalog and online retailer Home Decorators Collection; The sales of Amtico at auction: Interface’s sale of its European fabrics unit; The possible sale of Propex’s Seneca South Carolina plant; and Tile Partners for Humanity’s donation of six trailer loads of tile stone after Coverings 2006.

FloorExpo President and Three FloorExpo Members Discuss the Homebuilder Market – Part 1 (11:26)

April 23, 2006—The first part of a five-part series, presented in segments of about 10 -15 minutes, this series looks at the homebuilder sector of the floor covering industry with three flooring contractors and FloorExpo members: Tom Boschwitz, Home Valu Interiors, Minneapolis, Steve Hoppe, Arlun Interiors, Colorado Springs and Denver, Blake Lewis, Atlanta West Carpets, Atlanta and Jay Smith, president of FloorExpo. In this segment panelist discuss their companies and current trends among the large national and small builders, and Home Depot’s presence and growing threat in marketplace.

FloorExpo President and Three FloorExpo Members Discuss the Homebuilder Market – Part 2 (12:49)

April 23, 2006—The second part of a five part series that will be presented in shorter segments of about 10-15 minutes. This series looks at the homebuilder sector of the floor covering industry with three flooring contractors and FloorExpo members: Tom Boschwitz, Home Valu Interiors, Minneapolis, Steve Hoppe, Arlun Interiors, Colorado Springs and Denver, Blake Lewis, Atlanta West Carpets, Atlanta and Jay Smith, president of FloorExpo. In this segment the panelists discuss the slowing housing market and the pressures this places on all in the channel in the face of rising oil prices and builders seeking to drive cost from the system. Also discussed are the problems that the recent series of supplier price increases had on contractors and how suppliers might improve the process in the future. Panelists also discuss their companies’ approach to design centers and how each interacts with builders and their approach to upgrades.

FloorExpo President and Three FloorExpo Members Discuss the Homebuilder Market – Part 3 (13:40)

April 23, 2006—The third part of a five part series that will be presented in shorter segments of about 10-15 minutes. This series looks at the homebuilder sector of the floor covering industry with three flooring contractors and FloorExpo members: Tom Boschwitz, Home Valu Interiors, Minneapolis, Steve Hoppe, Arlun Interiors, Colorado Springs and Denver, Blake Lewis, Atlanta West Carpets, Atlanta and Jay Smith, president of FloorExpo. In this segment the panelists discuss the variety of non-floor covering products each offers talk more of the about controlling upgrades in the various types of design center models, home buyer and builder attitudes concerning toward home customization and upgrades. The panelists also discuss their attitudes toward the growing trend that is seeing some of the industry’s major suppliers finalizing deals with major home builders and the pressure this is placing on contractors and how flooring contractors differ from other contractors in this situation

FloorExpo President and Three FloorExpo Members Discuss the Homebuilder Market – Part 4 (16:53)

April 23, 2006—The fourth part of a five part series that will be presented in shorter segments of about 10 minutes. This series looks at the homebuilder sector of the floor covering industry with three flooring contractors and FloorExpo members: Tom Boschwitz, Home Valu Interiors, Minneapolis, Steve Hoppe, Arlun Interiors, Colorado Springs and Denver, Blake Lewis, Atlanta West Carpets, Atlanta and Jay Smith, president of FloorExpo. In this segment the panelists discuss Mohawk’s recently launched Portico Select program, a program that seeks to circumvent the contractor and specify product and pricing directly with the builder, Also discussed is the history of programs that circumvent the contractor, how these systems works in the field, how they negatively affects contractor margins and their expectations as to where these types of programs will lead in the future.

FloorExpo President and Three FloorExpo Members Discuss the Homebuilder Market – Part 5 (11:40)

April 23, 2006—The fifth and final part of a five part series that will be presented in shorter segments of about 10 minutes. This series looks at the homebuilder sector of the floor covering industry with three flooring contractors and FloorExpo members: Tom Boschwitz, Home Valu Interiors, Minneapolis, Steve Hoppe, Arlun Interiors, Colorado Springs and Denver, Blake Lewis, Atlanta West Carpets, Atlanta and Jay Smith, president of FloorExpo. . In this segment the panelists discuss the future of the home builder sector of the marketplace in an environment of rising prices, a slowing housing market, expanding national builder companies and suppliers increasingly seeking deals with builders. Panelists discuss their expansion plans, their affiliation with FloorExpo and the benefits they derive from that affiliation and their views on the changes in homeowners’ tastes with regard to hard and soft surface floor coverings.

Economist John McDevitt on the 2006 and Beyond (34:28)

April 20, 2006—John McDevitt, former 3M Corporate Economist, now in semi-retirement, discusses the state of today’s economy, the consumer and his expectations for retail spending for the second quarter and 2006 and factors that may affect spending in the months ahead. McDevitt looks at the rising prices of oil and energy, his expectation as to when the Federal Reserve will take a rate hike breather. He takes a look at the health of the manufacturing sector and reviews the housing market, sharing his forecast for 2006.

Bill Reid, EVP StoneXpress on Laura Ashley Stone and Ceramic (14:04)

April 19, 2006—Bill Reid, Executive Vice President, StoneXpress, in a conversation recorded at Coverings 2006, discusses the company its background in stone, growth in the category, which is greater than that of ceramic and the company’s Laura Ashley branded stone and ceramic. Reid talks about the company program, which is aimed at making it easy for retailers to get into stone, its good, better, best approach, its merchandising package and its distribution program, which includes floor covering distributors.

Floor Focus’ Frank O’Neill on Coverings Attendance, Formica and the Laminate Sector (35:25)

April 18, 2006—Frank O’Neill, Publisher, Floor Focus’ Frank O’Neill discusses: The increase in attendance at Coverings 2006 and the boost by category; The restructuring and management changes at Tarkett Residential with Guillaume Laverdure being named president; The launching of the Formica Flooring brand by Kronotex USA, and the naming of the top five U.S. laminate producers; The takeover of Sears Canada by Sears Holdings and some potential outcomes for the Sears Canada flooring operation.

Retailer Patrick St. Pierre, The Décor Shoppe, Lutcher, Louisiana (17:25)

April 17, 2006—Patrick St. Pierre, owner of the Décor Shoppe, a floor covering retailer in Lutcher, Louisiana, discusses his operation, which offers ceramic, wood, carpet, vinyl, laminate counter tops and paint. St. Pierre discusses his recent trip to Coverings 2006 with one of his distributors, and how he worked the show with that distributor. Also discussed are the new products he bought and how he purchased products at the show as well as the seminars he attended.