FloorCoveringNews

Improving economy gives show best feeling in years

by FCNews staff

Las Vegas—Immediately after the curtain was raised on the stage that was Surfaces 2012, it was apparent to everyone from manufacturers to contractors to retailers that something was different in the air at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

Dalton — Final preparations are being made for Beaulieu’s show in the “Land of 10,000 Lakes”… Minnesota. This regional event will take place at the Mystic Lake Convention Center in Prior Lake. Show dates are February 21 and 22.

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.

Dalton — Beaulieu of America received Supplier of the Year honors from  Flooring America at its annual convention held in Houston, Texas on Jan. 20. Flooring America has 550 members throughout the United States and Canada. 

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 — Mohawk is pleased to announce Jeff Meadows, a 30-year veteran of the flooring industry, has joined the company as senior vice president of sales for the Home Centers and Aligned Groups (such as CCA Global, Abbey, Carpets Plus, Empire and Floors2Ceilings). Meadows will be responsible for driving positive sales growth for these key business units through his strategic leadership.

Dalton — Beaulieu of America will help its Bliss dealers get a jump on sales for 2012 by a renewed commitment to service – and backing it up with its own dollars on the line.

Starting January 1 and going through March 31, 2012, Beaulieu will guarantee its highly popular Bliss HealthyTouch collection will be processed and shipped within 5 days of credit approval or Beaulieu will pay the dealer $25.00 on individual orders of 200 yards or less.

Carpet mills continue to invest in technology, hope for a turnaround

By Louis Iannaco

In broadloom, it continues to be about the housing market and, according to mill execs, jobs. 2011 can best be described as flat, and as for what executives see for 2012, all indicators continue to point to housing/the economy and unemployment as key indicators for the category’s health.

This is not to say mills have not invested in themselves, and plan to do so in the coming year with technology and social media playing major roles. A light at the end of the proverbial tunnel continues to be commercial, which once again fared better than residential.

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—Continued reduced sales brought on by a struggling economy has led Beaulieu to cease production by year’s end at its Riverbend facility here. The Riverbend plant has been in operation by Beaulieu since 1988, employs 170 associates, and produces tufted and finished carpet for the industry’s top carpet-only manufacturer.

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’.”

Brands are considered an interface between the company that makes the product and the end user. People can more easily identify a range of offerings if they have recognized labels, which, in turn, boosts sales for retailers, experts say. In addition, branded products can command premiums since they are considered a step above commodities in the consumer’s eyes.

Dalton—Coming off its second year-in-a-row recognition by Sherwin-Williams as Vendor of the Year, Beaulieu enters the 2011 NAA show loaded with a portfolio of new carpet styles for the multi-family and condo markets. All new Beaulieu carpets have the company’s Magic Fresh or  Puralex built-in odor reducing treatment to rid the indoor air of annoying pet, cooking or smoking smells.

It has been 25 years since the fiber industry has undergone the amount of changes that have taken place in the last five years—and this time is it not because of an explosion in technology, though there is still plenty of innovating going on.

Instead, sharp rises in energy and raw material prices, coupled with a steep, longer-than-expected economic decline mixed with changing consumer preferences—from wanting more value-based products to goods with a sustainable story—have been the main culprits.

CHICAGO—Don Lovato, Carpet Source USA, Albuquerque, N.M., was up double digits for a record year in 2010. James Sharp, Sharp Floors, Dallas, has had four measures per day over the last month. A claim by Steve Knisely, Wholesale Carpet, Fox River Grove, Ill., originally rejected by the mill, was overturned the next day and given credit for the entire job in question, including labor. As Tony Amato, Southwest Floors, Seven Hills, Ohio, said, winning isn’t just for Charlie Sheen. FCA Network members had a good year in 2010.

Dalton, Ga.—CarpetsPlus, Color Tile and Carpetland stores of Alliance Flooring recognized Beaulieu of America as “Soft Surface Vendor of the Year.” This was the first time for Beaulieu to be so honored by the nationwide chain of over 450 stores. The award was presented at the company’s annual convention at the Orlando Gaylord Hotel in Orlando, Florida.

ORLANDO, FLA—Alliance Flooring’s annual convention here was themed with one word: Drive. Commonly used in this industry to facilitate store traffic and sales, close to 450 members of CarpetsPlus, Colortile, Carpetland and Floorco were asked to use the word as a metaphor for the journey of today’s state of business.

Rossville, Ga.—Beaulieu of America lent a hand on the popular ABC Network Extreme Makeover: Home Edition when the show came here, a community of about 4,000 just south of Chattanooga. The kick-off for the upcoming episode was a pep rally staged in the Chattanoogan Hotel where Beaulieu associates were in full force. Later, the “House Reveal” event (otherwise known as “Move That Bus”) occurred on February 19 with hundreds of friends and neighbors in attendance. Vision Homes of Chattanooga was the builder and more can be learned at their website about the project. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition airs Sunday evenings on ABC.

Dalton—“Never before has Beaulieu created the tools and the programs to support its dealers like we have in 2011,” said Jeff Meadows, CMO, Beaulieu of America. “We’ve pulled out all the stops.”

Beaulieu officials unveiled their comprehensive campaign for dealers at Surfaces to rave reviews. “People sometimes stood two to three rows deep to get a look at our new website on display in the booth,” observed Patricia Flavin, Senior VP of Marketing.

DALLAS—It may not be as large as Surfaces, but Dallas has become a very important locale for manufacturers and distributors to not only show their wares to floor covering dealers, but also place displays and plan programs for the year. And like Surfaces, an array of show specials can be had.

Lancaster, Pa.—FashionSmart, a builder-oriented program bundling Armstrong hard surfaces and Beaulieu of America soft surfaces, offers a coordinated, six tiered system across all flooring types exclusively for homebuilders to help builders convert shoppers into buyers.

Aside from price advantages and Armstrong’s brand name, the FashionSmart program eases the purchase of large ticket flooring for female homeowners by providing six levels that make it easy to trade-up and select a floor that meets any lifestyle or budget.

DALTON—In a show of unity and team spirit, 269 Beaulieu of America associates showed up for work early to make a statement of pride about their company. The beloved Flying B, Beaulieu’s trademark since the company’s beginning in the mid-70’s and seen on the company’s fleet of trucks, was choreographed by Beaulieu’s engineers and photographed by Beaulieu’s creative director Bruce Stern.

Most products cross all boundaries when it comes to popularity—big screen TVs are in demand in New York as much as they are in California or Florida.

But when it comes to home decorating items like flooring, where a person lives in the U.S. plays a major role not only on the types of products bought but the particular styles used to spruce up the home. For example, houses in the Northeast are often decorated in more traditional looks while those in the Southwest incorporate more of the region’s Native American heritage in their decors.

LAS VEGAS—The National Floorcovering Alliance (NFA), the nation’s most exclu- sive buying group, took advantage of the industry’s convergence on Surfaces to hold its Tier Two meeting Feb. 1. In addi- tion to affording members valuable face time with aligned vendors who do not attend the larger spring and fall con- claves, topics addressed included an exclusive agreement with Mannington and consideration for a similar deal with Beaulieu of America.