FloorCoveringNews

Dallas — Beaulieu of America reported an excellent turnout at their Dallas Winter Show, held January 12 and 13. Dealers got a pre-Surfaces peak at new lines, including Bliss EverClean carpet, several new styles added to Bliss Stainmaster with Magic Fresh and new Hollytex main street commercial lines, such as its new “Organic Beauty” collection. Bliss EverClean went on to the Surfaces show in Las Vegas to win the “Best New Product for 2012” honors.

by Louis Iannaco

Dalton—Executives at Beaulieu of America have announced the securing of $230 million in loan refinancing. Said Ralph Boe, president and CEO, “We are now poised for continued growth in the current marketplace. And, as the largest privately-held carpet manufacturer in the U.S., Beaulieu will continue to focus on the needs of its customers to be the ‘supplier of choice.’”

Dalton — Beginning January 24 and continuing through December 29, 2012, Bliss dealers will be able to “clean up” thanks to Beaulieu’s new and expanded American Express Gift Card Incentive Program. For every 200 yards of qualifying Bliss styles, qualified dealers will get a $200 American Express Gift Card, redeemable in thousands of retailers, restaurants, movie theaters and hotels.

Dalton—Beaulieu of America is introducing a new collection that is sure to appeal to today’s pet-owning family: Bliss EverClean carpet. Beaulieu cites the American Pet Products Association 2011-2012 National Pet Owner’s Survey stating that 72 million U.S. households own a pet – meaning a tremendous need for carpet that can handle odor and stain challenges associated with those households. Bliss EverClean carpet made with Beaulieu’s solution-dyed polyester can do just that, according to Beaulieu officials. The new collection will be formally unveiled in January at Surfaces 2012.

Dalton– Beaulieu of America has announced its winter show schedule for 2012. In addition, the #3 carpet maker will maintain its customary position as the largest exhibitor at the Surfaces trade show in Las Vegas.

DALTON—Beaulieu of America has announced additional changes for 2012. Ralph Boe, president and CEO announced that Jeff Meadows, chief marketing officer and James Lesslie, chief operations officer have left the company effective immediately. Both executives have left to pursue other interests, according to Boe.

DALTON—Beaulieu of America will close down its Eufaula, Ala. yarn processing facility that it has operated since 1998 as part of its on-going effort to streamline operations and off-set higher raw materials and transportation costs. The closure will occur within the next 60 days and affect 190 Beaulieu associates.

DALTON—Almost two weeks since the announced closure at the end of the year of its Riverbend facility and the securing of $230,000,000 in loan refinancing, Beaulieu of America officials announced today the reduction of operations at its Dalton Model Plant, effective January 2, 2012. The plant has been in operation since 1989.

DALTON—Company officials at Beaulieu of America announced the securing of $230,000,000 in loan refinancing. Ralph Boe, president and CEO of Beaulieu of America, said in making the announcement “We are now poised for continued growth in the current marketplace. And as the largest privately-held carpet manufacturer in the U.S., Beaulieu will continue to focus on the needs of its customers to be the ‘supplier of choice’.”

As the third quarter of 2011 comes to a close, FCNews asked a few important questions of a few important players in the carpet industry: How has business been? Have this year’s challenges been different from those we saw in 2010? What are consumers buying? What is the deal with all this carpet-related legislation coming from California?

Overall, last year’s increase in spending from the first-time homeowners tax credit gave consumers a boost in confidence to remodel—though on a smaller scale than in years past—and has begun to wane. Commitment to new production technologies, new trends and a resilient frame of mind has kept residential carpet sales relatively flat over the last nine months and given a lift to the commercial market.

Web presence is part of today’s new normal, identified as an essential component of the cost of doing business. In this industry, a website can be considered a landing page for the consumer to learn about products, programs and ways to improve her home, though that paradigm is shifting with the proliferation of social media platforms; particularly Facebook with its more than 750 million active users.

Today’s websites favored by Google and Yahoo search engines have fresh and unique content, so many companies are focused on updating and differentiating what draws consumers to their sites. Additionally, search engines filter duplicate content, so the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) was careful to add features that made it one-of-a-kind when its spiders crawl through site content.

When it comes to showcasing the best of the best, broadloom producers are giving dealers and consumers a lot more to choose from these days, including a larger palette of colors, new softer-than-ever yarns and the strongest durability and performance story in industry history. Here are some of the high-end products on the market today.

Beaulieu of America

Evolve from the Bliss by Beaulieu HealthyTouch collection is one example of a higher-end, successful product from the largest carpet-only manufacturer in America, noted Jeff Meadows, chief marketing officer. “Evolve proves conclusively that ‘high-end’ need not be ‘high-priced’ because it combines the softness and style of a fine luxury residential carpet with incredible practicality for everyday life.”

Fall is in the air, and the industry’s broadloom producers are ready. Here are several new and colorful products that a few of the mills have to offer for the upcoming season.

DALTON—Citing the need to find a balance between the demands of her career and of her family, Patricia Flavin, a major contributor to the Beaulieu of America and Bliss brand marketing efforts, is leaving Beaulieu and taking a leave of absence from her career. Ralph Boe, president and CEO of Beaulieu of America, made the announcement to company associates this week.

ANAHEIM, CALIF.—The Anaheim Convention center has seen the best of the best. Elvis Presley, Elton John, Johnny Cash, Dionne Warwick. The Harlem Globetrotters and Barnum & Bailey Circus, too. Add Flooring America members to the list, where its convention was held two weeks ago to great enthusiasm. In addition to a product program for which members expressed great excitement, a new style of leadership for Flooring America helped members pass a three-year plan that laid down a “Blueprint for the Future.”

ANAHEIM, CALIF.—Exclusive products are just one tool with which Carpet One provides members in management’s ongoing quest to differentiate its members from the competition. As such, the group’s recent summer convention focused on no less than three key introductions in the carpet, hardwood and resilient categories designed to not only achieve just that, but also increase members’ profit margins.

An oxygen bar at a trade show? I’m not going to complain. When Beaulieu of America hosted one at Carpet One’s product showcase during its convention in Anaheim last week, I was very excited to try for free what would have generally cost me $1 per minute anywhere else these babies are popping up like casinos, airports and resorts. Started in crowded Asian cities like Beijing and Tokyo to purify residents’ lungs, it was a great change from the “bottled air” we are all used to breathing at trade shows.

ROSLYN, N.Y.—Following a two-year hiatus, Shaw Industries was voted the industry’s Best Overall Manufacturer in the 15th Award of Excellence competition. This was the third time in the award’s history that Shaw took top honors, which it last held in 2008. Shaw also repeated its performance from last year by taking home the Award of Excellence for Environmental Leadership, which was first awarded in 2010.

In most economic downturns the commercial sector will lag the residential market by three to six months both going in and coming out. By now, most people know the current economic condition is unlike anything anyone has seen. The result is the commercial sector, at least when it comes to carpet, has not followed the normal pattern and is enjoying a steadying improvement in sales, especially when it comes to modular products.

From mill executives to contractors, most executives feel that since the fourth quarter of 2010, business has improved in the mid single digits compared to the previous period.

Roslyn, N.Y.—The 15^th annual Award of Excellence competition, sponsored by Floor Covering News and the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA), is a way for manufacturers’ customers—retailers, distributors, designers, installers, specifies, etc.—to honor the companies they feel consistently provide the best service, professionalism of sales force, management responsiveness, value, design, B2B, handling of claims and ease of doing business. In other words, those manufacturers help them do the best job running successful, profitable business operations, whether it be a retail operation, distributorship, design centers or installation workrooms.

Some years back, a survey done by Better Homes and Gardens found consumers would be willing to pay more for carpet that has built-in odor protection. As a matter of fact, the report showed built-in odor protection for broadloom was an important enough feature that 47% of those polled said they would pay slightly more for it.

More recently, carpet mills have found that in addition to performance, style and color, many consumers—a large percentage of which have children and/or pets—are interested in a product that helps keep itself clean. Soft fibers, attractive patterns and different textures may be nice, but some end users are looking for more.

Much of the U.S. may still be struggling to escape winter temperatures but the calendar says it’s officially spring. A time of rebirth and hope, not just in nature, spring is when consumers air out their homes and take a look at how to get the glum out of the house. One historical way has been to redecorate, with new floors and furniture and a fresh coat of paint. Spring traditionally marks one of the industry’s busiest selling times.

Last fall, the state of California passed the Carpet Product Stewardship Act, otherwise known as AB 2398 and, since then, the industry has been scrambling to make sure everyone in the selling chain is up to speed on what the bill means and how it will affect them once it goes into full effect on July 1.

In a nutshell, the purpose of AB 2398 is to keep carpet sold in California from going to the landfill while at the same time encouraging the recycling of post-consumer carpet either back into new carpet or as a secondary product, such as the plastic molds used in automobile engines.

LAS VEGAS—Ralph Boe, president and CEO of Beaulieu of America, the world’s third-largest carpet mill, was honored Jan. 25 with the Floor Covering News Lifetime Achievement Award. The award was presented to Boe during Surfaces’ general session here before more than 700 people.

In what hopefully will be portent of things to come throughout the year, the majority of carpet mills exhibiting at Surfaces 2011 seemed genuinely happy with the way the show transpired as they reported brisk business in their booths. Attendees were greeted with new collections and additions to existing lines as mills once again raised the bar by utilizing state- of-the-art technology to place an emphasis on fashion, design, innovation as well as an environmentally friendly story.

LAS VEGAS—If Surfaces 2011 serves as a bellwether of the flooring industry for the coming year, then the industry has plenty to look forward to in the months ahead. Most exhibitors had nothing but good things to say about the show, the move to Mandalay Bay and the quality of traffic. Retailers also took a liking to the new venue as well as the layout.

DALTON—Beaulieu of America is completing its own home makeover—its home on the Internet, that is. Slated to launch in time for Surfaces and the spring selling season, Beaulieu’s new website under the Bliss brand has been in development for several months.

“The entire purpose for this new website is quite simple,” said Patricia Flavin, senior vice president of marketing. “We want to support our dealers with the best website possible to entertain and educate the floor covering customer about Bliss products and drive them to Bliss dealers.”

Dalton—Almost every aspect of the Bliss brand has gotten a makeover to turbo-charge sales performance on the showroom floor and will be formally unveiled at its mega-booth presence at Surfaces.

Beaulieu will retire its current site for Bliss, developed soon after the brand was launched in 2008. The new Bliss site, slated to launch mid-January, will engage, entertain and educate the consumer who does most of her flooring research online.