FloorCoveringNews

Cartersville, Ga. — Shaw Contract Group opened a showroom in Mexico City on March 1, providing its customers with greater access to Cradle to Cradle certified flooring products and services. The showroom, a LEED-registered Commercial Interior showroom, pending Retail certification, showcases the complete range of flooring solutions available to customers in Mexico City.

Dalton – During a kick-off event held recently at the International Builder Show in Orlando, Fla., Shaw Floors publicly announced the company’s national sponsorship of the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway. Throughout 2012 Shaw will support the far-reaching fundraising campaign as the project’s exclusive flooring provider. To date, the Dream Home campaign has raised more than $220 million in 20 years to support the lifesaving mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

DALTON—In Shaw Floors’ premier Fall Flooring Preview videos, Director of Color, Style and Design Emily Morrow announces that “boring” beige is out this season. In its place, fall flooring renovators will find an array of vibrant gold, Dior-inspired gray, Amalfi Coast blue, French roast brown and timeless taupe colors to provide inspiring design options for the home. The two fall videos were introduced at Shaw’s Facebook page, facebook.com/shawfloors. Covering carpet and hard surfaces respectively, each highlight distinctive color options and offer renovators an opportunity to support their local economy by shopping the most fashionable flooring selection at a local Shaw retailer, said Morrow.

by FCNews staff

OPERATION REBUILD: The end of August saw five states—Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut—hit by Hurricane Irene resulting in extensive damage to residential and commercial establishments. To assist dealers in these states, Mohawk has launched Operation Rebuild, in which sales and credit teams from Mohawk and its Karastan division have been instructed to work together to help rebuild stores and provide retailers with the necessary credit to continue operations. In addition, an aggressive finance offer, complete with buy downs, has been prepared for both Mohawk and Karastan, allowing consumers to finance their flooring needs at essentially no cost. Both soft and hard surface products are included in the promotion. For more information, contact your Mohawk or Karastan territory manager or call 877.275.6648.

DALTON—Shaw is introducing the 2011 Dream It Do It fall promotion. This season, flooring consumers will be enticed with buying incentives offered through the inspiring Dream It Do It sale. Beginning October 1 and ending November 14, the revitalized fall sale includes free gifts, special financing and scratch & save cards for the consumer. The promotion capitalizes on the fall buying season while offering exclusive discounts to Shaw buyers.

DALTON—Shaw Industries is introducing the first-ever sale on its Grand Canyon hardwood collection. Running from Sept. 15 to Dec. 31, the sale is aimed at consumers. In 2011, Grand Canyon has been featured in House Beautiful magazine’s Kitchen of the Year with a reputation as a high-end product, featuring a sustainability story the buyer can relate to.

DALTON—Shaw Industries has announced its sponsorship of the Special Olympics Georgia 2011 State Fall Games. The event, to be held Oct. 21 to 23, will attract more than 1,500 athletes, where seven competitions will be hosted as part of the three-day Special Olympics celebration. The sponsorship commitment consists of the Opening Ceremony, Oct. 21 at the Dalton Trade Center, and awards presentation support for all sporting competitions.

New York—Shaw Floors was the flooring provider for the fourth year in a row at the House Beautiful Kitchen of the Year, which opened this week at Rockefeller Plaza here. Tyler Florence, celebrity chef and television personality, designed the kitchen for ultimate functionality of use and comfort.

Dalton—Shaw Floors announced its participation in the 2^nd annual HGTV Urban Oasis, a modern, custom-built residence located on the 35^th floor of the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago.

Dalton—Shaw Floors has launched its official Facebook page, enabling the company to communicate directly with homeowners in a more personal way. The page will give visitors product information, design tips and company news updates, along with photos and videos from various Shaw events and links to media coverage featuring Shaw products. The company will also use its new social media platform to educate consumers about its sustainability story and performance benefits.

Dalton—Shaw Floors has been chosen by House Beautiful magazine for its fourth annual “Kitchen of the Year.” As the flooring sponsor, the kitchen will feature Shaw’s Grand Canyon, an environmentally friendly hardwood style made from 100% wood byproducts. Tyler Florence, noted chef, Food Network host and House Beautiful contributing editor, is designing this year’s 1000 square-foot kitchen, described as a “perfect union of tradition, functionality and warm, welcoming design.” Located in the heart of Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, the Kitchen of the Year will be open to the public from Monday, July 18 through Friday, July 22.

Dalton—Tuftex of California is excited to launch an enhanced brand program for 2011 that underscores its commitment to the style and shopping preferences of female consumers, which are responsible for the majority of carpet purchasing decisions. The brand re-positioning, which includes a revised logo, updated marketing materials and a new website, showcases how Tuftex’s unique brand personality stands out from other carpet collections based on the company’s West Coast influence.

Environmentally friendly is a buzz phrase the flooring industry has seen become part of mainstream business conversation. Through research and development, focus groups and more, hardwood flooring executives have taken the temperature of the masses and have come to realize the importance of being green is great.

Accordingly, the products they manufacture are increasingly reflecting a consumer desire for a smaller carbon footprint and a conscious effort to be part of the environmentally responsible products for her home.

Dalton, Ga.—Shaw is incorporating quick response (QR) tag technology, or small barcode-like visuals that may be scanned by a Blackberry or iPhone, into its point-of-purchase materials. When scanned by a consumer, the free tag automatically takes the user to consumer-oriented content via the phone’s browser, including Shaw’s YouTube video featuring the world’s largest pie fight, recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records. The company plans to add additional QR tag content such as shopping and style tips in the coming months.

For the second time this year, hardwood flooring suppliers have raised prices, and with limited lumber supply, rising raw materials costs and cash-flow constraints for sawmills, another round of hikes are likely.

In May, Armstrong and Mohawk announced 6% increases that took effect in July. This followed similar raises in March by many manufacturers. And “we may not be done,” according to Daniel Call, vice president, wood product management, Armstrong. Since the company’s last price increase, lumber and energy prices have continued to rise dramatically. “Appalachian and southern oak in typical flooring grades are up 10% to 15%. Kiln-dried lumber prices are up 20% to 30% on the open market.”

Dalton—Shaw instated its Epic Service Commitment promotion that guarantees all Epic hardwood products are in stock to ship out of Dalton within 72 hours of order placement, or the mill will credit $100 to the retailer. The commitment is scheduled to run through July 5.

The hardwood segment has experienced lower sales for an anticipated third year in a row and this promotion is expected to help turn that around. The collection’s success has led to increased capacity and added personnel to service demands.