Dallas — The International Surface Event recognized 12 leading companies with the prestigious “Best of Show” awards held Jan. 27-30 at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. Participating exhibitors competed for the top honor in eight categories: Booth Design (1200 sq.ft. or less/1201 sq.ft. or more), Booth Design (400 sq.ft. or less/401 sq.ft. or more), Innovation, Style & Design, Sustainability, Technology and Best New Product.
“The Best of Show awards recognizes companies that are at the forefront of introducing new products, tools and technologies and demonstrate cutting-edge designs that continue to enhance the industry,” said Dana Teague, vice president, Hanley Wood Exhibitions. “The companies that received awards at TISE 2014 were very deserving of this industry recognition.”
Best of Surfaces
The Best of Surfaces awards were presented in the following categories: Booth Design (1200 sq. ft. or less/1201 sq.ft. or more) Innovation, Style & Design, Sustainability and Technology. A panel of judges comprised of industry experts were tasked with reviewing more than 50 submissions and selecting one winner in each category.
The winners for Best of SURFACES 2014 were:
- Booth Design (1200 sq.ft. or less) – Horizon Floors
- Booth Design (1201 sq.ft. or more) – Mannington
- Innovation – Armstrong for Architectural Remnants
- Style & Design – US Floors for CoreTEC Plus
- Sustainability – Mohawk for Everstrand Soft Appeal
- Technology – Schluter Systems for Ditra-Heat
“We are pleased to recognize the products that reflect best-in-class illustrations of design, innovation, technology, sustainability and booth design on the Surfaces show floor,” said Steven Feldman, publisher of Floor Covering News and sponsor of the Best of Surfaces awards. “Now in its third year, this competition has become the benchmark by which new products and booth designs are judged. I’d like to personally thank all the industry experts who participated in the Best of Surfaces judging, both in the preliminary round and on-site at the event.”
Best of StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas
The Best of StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas awards were presented in four categories: Booth Design (400 sq.ft. or less), Booth Design (401 sq.ft. or more), Innovation and Technology.
The winners for Best of StonExpo were:
- Booth Design (400 sq. ft. or less) – Omni Cubed
- Booth Design (401 sq. ft. or more) – Miles Supply Co.
- Innovation – MStone Stone & Tile for Historical Floors
- Technology – Omni Cubed for the Pro-Dolly HD2
“We are honored to sponsor the Best of StonExpo / Marmomacc Americas awards to recognize companies for outstanding innovation,” said Alex Bachrach, publisher of Stone World magazine. “There was a lot of enthusiasm from the judges on the number of contenders in each category. The competition was tough as there were many deserving companies at this year’s show.”
“We couldn’t be happier with the outcome of our 2014 ‘Best of Show’ awards,” Teague said. “We look forward to continued growth of this program as these awards add abundant value to the show and exhibitors’ experience.”
Best of New Product Marketplace
Thousands of new product introductions and technologies are unveiled for the first time each January at TISE. Attendees had the opportunity to vote for their favorite new product featured in the New Product Marketplace by texting their votes from the show floor. The companies receiving the most votes for Best New Product SURFACES and Best New Product StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas were:
Best New Product of SURFACES 2014: 900XT Pro Tile Saw by Q.E.P. Co., Inc.
The 900XT Pro Tile Saw features a powerful 2.25 HP, 15 amp motor that easily cuts through ceramic tile, porcelain and stone. This saw has a large cutting capacity to perform rip cuts on 24 inch tiles, diagonal cuts on 18 inch tiles, as well as having the ability to cut large tile or pavers up to 3-3/4″ inch thick.
Best New Product of StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas 2014: The Leatherhead by Blick Industries
The Leatherhead allows fabricators to use a CNC router, CNC bridge saw or manual machine to brush, hone or surface polish stone. It comes with Frankfurt shoes and a unique set of snail lock adaptors that allow utilization of four, five or six inch snail locking brushes and parts.