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.