Aurora, Colo.—Day two of CCA Global Partners’ conneXtion event held much excitement. First, Charlie Dilks, who joined CCA in 1997 and serves as chief product officer, received a surprise trophy for his World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) Hall of Fame induction. Then the much anticipated ITR Economics presentation took place.
Charlie Dilks takes home the trophy
A 2024 inductee into the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) Hall of Fame, received a pleasant surprise Tuesday during conneXtion when WFCA CEO Scott Humphrey appeared on stage, trophy in hand.
Humphrey told the audience of CCA retailers that Dilks is one of the most deserving Hall of Famers in history, adding, “Charlie was one of the easiest votes.”
Dilks, who joined CCA Global Partners in 1997, serves as chief product officer. His collaborative work with major U.S. and international suppliers has led to innovative product lines and strategic programs that empower independent dealers.
Dilks’ impact extends well beyond business. An early supporter of the Tunnel to Towers (T2T) Foundation, he mobilized Carpet One Floor & Home stores nationwide to host local run/walk events raising essential funds for injured veterans and first responders. As co-founder of the Alan Greenberg Memorial Golf Tournament—a tradition spanning over 20 years—Dilks has united industry leaders to support the Floor Covering Industry Foundation (FCIF). Now serving as chairman of the FCIF board and having recently acted as master of ceremonies for the FCIF Gala in New York City, his leadership has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for flooring professionals facing critical challenges.
Dilks said he was particularly grateful to receive the award in front of members at ConneXtion. “For me giving back to the industry is easy because I receive so much from it,” Dilks said. “I wouldn’t want to [receive this] in any other place but here, in front of you.”
Dilks added that he was honored to be the first Canadian inducted into the WFCA Hall of Fame.
ITR Economics takes center stage
One of the highlights of CCA Global Partners’ annual conneXtion is the appearance of Connor Lokar, senior forecaster and senior economic consulting speaker for ITR Economics.
Lokar, witty and informative, addressed a room-full of CCA dealers Wednesday morning to report that, based on ITR’s data, slight improvement can be expected in 2026 as housing conditions brighten somewhat.
But for folks expecting mortgage rates to drop significantly, or inflation to drop, that is not expected to happen. “By this time next year expect to see a rising mortgage rate trend. We have a short window of lower mortgages rates in the next two quarters.”
Lokar said mortgage rates for 30-year loans may dip below 6% for a brief period in 2026 before rising again into the 6s. As well, inflation is also expected to keep growing, to about 3.4% by year end.
On the bright side, Lokar said existing home sales appear poised to gradually improve in 2026. That would be positive news for the flooring industry as existing homes offer the strongest correlation to same store sales. “We are starting to cook with gas here,” Lokar said. “Is it going to be as good as 2021? No. But it will be better than 2025, fighting inch by inch to get better. The question is: are you ready?”
Tariffs created uncertainty
As was the case in 2025, tariffs will be a fact of life for flooring retailers in 2026. But Lokar said the level of chaos and uncertainty that hurt the industry last spring has given way to a more “normalized” reaction this year. “At ITR we don’t love tariffs,” he said. “The way we look at the economy we are the free market proponents. We don’t think the government getting involved in the economy is a good thing; generally bad things happen.”
Lokar said tariffs did “zero favors” for the housing market in 2025. “It was the broader eco system of uncertainty that hurt your business. Housing did worse in ‘25 than we thought it would. March-April got smacked in the face in the middle of peak season because of tariff uncertainty.”
At the same time, Lokar said tariffs are not going to kill the economy or drive hyper-inflation. “It was never so simple that tariffs were going up 25% and consumers were going to pay 25% more. It is not that simple.”
Lokar encouraged the audience to focus on what they can control, to ignore the political noise and invest in yourselves to best compete through the next several years.
“There is no ‘miracle cure,’” he said.