Flooring Podcast

From Coverings ’06 - Donato Grosser on Changing Channels of Distribution, Product Development & Cove

April 5, 2006—From Coverings ’06 Donato Grosser, President, D. Grosser & Associates, a New York-based marketing and management firm and consultant with Italian Ceramic Tile Manufacturers Association discusses shifts within ceramic industry’s channels of distribution and the impact Home Depot’s slowdown in store expansion. Grosser also discusses the inroads made in the ceramic arena by traditional floor covering distributors, potential shifts in ceramic pricing in the future, the evolution of product development and Coverings and its level of retailer-friendliness.

From Coverings ’06 - Graziano Verdi, CEO of Graniti Fiandre and StonePeak Ceramics (13:32)

April 5, 2006—Graziano Verdi, CEO of Graniti Fiandre and StonePeak Ceramics discusses the company’s expansion into the U.S. the capacity of the new U.S. facility and the company’s long term goals. Verdi discusses the distribution channels that the company developed, the products it has launched at Coverings 2006 and the process it calls upon to develop new products.

From Coverings - Edson Gaidzinski, CEO, Eliane (18:11)

April 4, 2006—On the opening day of Coverings, Edson Gaidzinski, CEO, Eliane, Brazil’s largest ceramic producer, discusses the show, Eliane’s channels of distribution in the U.S., how the company works with floor coverings distributors and retailers and how the show serves floor covering retailers. Gaidzinski discusses the company’s broad product line, Chinese imports, programming a retail sales floor how retailers can best profit from selling ceramic.

From Coverings 2006 – Jim Dougherty (24:55)

April 4, 2006—Industry veteran Jim Dougherty comments on the first day of Coverings 2006, which open yesterday in Orlando. Dougherty also reviews the traffic on the opening day of the show and the surprises that he has seen so far, he also discusses the shifts in the channels of distribution in the tile and stone industry, how a retail can get the most from the show and he also shares his expectations for Coverings 2007 in Chicago.

Archives Presentation – WFCA Roundtable on Marketing Via the Internet – Part 2

March 31, 2006—A FloorRadio archives presentation, this is the final part of a two-part roundtable discussion, sponsored by the World Floor Covering Association that looks into marketing floor coverings via the internet. Panelists: Scott Sandlin, VP, Marketing, Shaw Industries; Evan Hackel, President, Carpet One; Mark Burson, Principal, Burson Consulting Group; and John Simonson, President, Webstream Dynamics examine the internet consumer, how their knowledge level differentiates them from non-internet once they enter a retail store and the importance of building efficiency into websites and consumer attitudes toward the information on manufacturer, retail and third party website. The panelists also compare the website of big box and independent retailers in terms of efficiency and product knowledge and discuss the role internet retailers play and multi-channel retailer play in the shopping process, the future of multi-channel players and the importance of blogs.

Archives Presentation – WFCA Roundtable on Marketing Via the Internet – Part 1

March 31, 2006—A FloorRadio archives presentation, this is the first part of a two-part roundtable discussion, sponsored by the World Floor Covering Association that looks into marketing floor coverings via the internet. Panelists: Scott Sandlin, VP, Marketing, Shaw Industries; Evan Hackel, President, Carpet One; Mark Burson, Principal, Burson Consulting Group; and John Simonson, President, Webstream Dynamics discuss the internet marketplace, the process online consumers most often follow in shopping for floor coverings, how both men and women have become involved in internet shopping process, the importance of manufacturer and retail brands in internet searches. The panelists also discussed harnessing search engines and the website features consumers find most user-friendly.

Interface Flooring Systems President David Hobbs

March 30, 2006—David Hobbs, President of Interface Flooring Systems looks at the commercial marketplace, the growing market for modular carpet and the company’s segmentation strategy and the progress its made in the various market segments it serves. Hobbs discusses the market segments including the education, medical and governmental markets and the specific requirements within each segment. Hobbs also discusses the price considerations of modular carpet, lifecycle costs of modular verses broadloom, the company’s share of the total modular market and his expectations for growth in the future.

WarmlyYours GM George Selvais on Cash & Carry Radiant Heat

March 29, 2006—George Selvais, General Manager of radiant heat systems manufacturer WarmlyYours, looks back at Surfaces 2006 assessing the show and specifically action on the lower level of the Sands Convention Center. Selvais also talks about the level of market acceptance the concept of radiant is gaining in U.S. and Canadian markets and the newest introduction from WarmlyYours, an easy to install line of cash & carry products specifically designed for bathrooms. This new offering is marketed from a rack in the retail store and can be installed by the floor covering installer.

Floor Focus’ Frank O’Neill on Floor & Décor, Clarion, Pergo in India and Carpet’s Niche Players

March 28, 2006—Frank O’Neill, Publisher, Floor Focus’ discusses: The opening of the 13th Floor & Decor location in Tampa and the growth of the mid-tier retailer sector; More information on Clarion, the Tarkett/Aconcagua joint venture in Clarion Pennsylvania; Pergo’s growth in India; The health of the smaller, niche carpet mill; And Faus Group's presence at Domotex asia/ChinaFloor, featuring Faus Shanghai, the company’s new operation in China.

FloorExpo President Jay Smith – Part 2

March 27, 2006—Jay Smith, President, FloorExpo unit of CCA Global Partners, in the final part of a two-part series, discusses this organization, the nation’s largest residential flooring contractor organization and the builder and multifamily markets it serves. Smith talks about FloorExpo’s membership and changes with the contractor sector, the company’s HomeSolutions and MultiFamily brands, trends within both market segments, the dynamic of upgrading, and the goals of the organization.