For 40 years, Floor Covering News has been the publication floor covering retail professionals rely on to make smart business decisions. Over the years, the market has depended on FCNews for its timely news coverage, vital insights and reporting/research.
To commemorate its 40th anniversary, FCNews gathered testimonials from 40 flooring professionals who also happen to be devoted readers who lean on the publication for so much more than just the news.
“Floor Covering News has served as an essential industry pulse for my business, providing consistent insight into market trends, innovative products and the evolving retail landscape. Their coverage has not only kept me informed and prepared for shifting consumer demands but has also amplified my voice as a small business owner.”
Lauren Voit, Great Western Flooring, Naperville, Ill.
“Throughout the decades, FCNews has been more than a trade publication—it has been a trusted partner to flooring retailers like us, providing timely reporting, thoughtful analysis, and a pulse on the people and trends shaping our industry. As a 111-year-old family business now in its fifth generation, we greatly value the role FCNews has played in helping keep our organization informed, engaged and connected to the broader flooring community.”
Sam O’Krent, O’Krent Floors, San Antonio
“In the 50+ years that I have been in the flooring industry I never missed a week of reading FCNews. Steve Feldman’s overview of what is happening — or should be happening in the industry — is always informative and at times enlightening. In these days of fewer face-to-face relationships, the know-how received by reading the issues of FCNews are more important than ever.”
Alan Braunstein, Worldwide Wholesale, Edison, NJ
“Bob’s Carpet is incredibly grateful for FCNews and the wealth of information and resources it provides. I’d also like to give special recognition to Steve Feldman, who has been instrumental in helping me build connections and navigate many aspects of the flooring business.
Steve is always willing to share his expertise, make introductions, and offer thoughtful advice on virtually any flooring-related topic— and often much more. Over the years, he has become not only a trusted industry resource but also a valued friend. His support has had a meaningful impact on Bob’s Carpet, and I sincerely appreciate everything he has done for our company.”
Ashlie Butler, Bob’s Carpet & Flooring, Tampa, Fla.
“Floor Covering News has been a consistent source of industry insight, helping us stay ahead of trends, shifts in consumer demand and emerging opportunities. It also provides valuable visibility into what peers and leaders across the industry are doing, which helps inform smarter decisions. Over time, it has become a trusted resource for both strategic thinking and staying connected to the broader flooring community.”
David Chambers, Nebraska Furniture Mart, Omaha, Neb.
“FCNews has been great to keep us informed about what is going on in the floor covering industry. Whether it is about product, a company change or someone in our industry passing away, it has always kept us in the loop.”
Penny Carnino, Grigsby’s, Carpet, Tile & Hardwood, Tulsa, Okla.
“As a second-generation family business, I appreciate how FCNews highlights the people, relationships and stories behind this industry — not just the products. Thank you for supporting flooring retailers across the country.”
Alex Roberts, Roberts Carpet & Fine Floors, Houston
“Floor Covering News has helped our business by keeping us informed about current industry events and providing valuable insights from both industry leaders and manufacturers.”
Raffi Sarmazian, Sarmazian Brothers Flooring, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
“Floor Covering News has an important industry platform for communicating the work All Surfaces is doing, and the value we are building for our customers and supplier partners. As our business continues to grow and evolve, FCNews has helped bring visibility to our progress and our work to better serve the flooring community. Just as importantly, their deep connection to the industry gives them a perspective that helps inform the conversations and elevates the issues that matter.”
John DeYoung, All Surfaces, Minneapolis
“Congratulations on 40 years of exceptional journalism. Everything we need as retailers and nothing we don’t need. FCNews is another essential tool for the specialty flooring retailer providing exact market analysis, sales strategies and product trends enabling small business owners to understand the economic conditions on the street. Telling my members what homeowners want right now reinforces our messaging and helps them decide what to showcase. Covering manufacturer news and supply chain updates is also a big plus. Providing retailers a platform to voice their opinion is important … that’s the first thing I read. I also appreciate the articles featuring retailers and how they have made a difference in their market. All good.”
Olga Robertson, FCA Network, Shorewood, Ill.
“FCNews is a valued partner to the WFCA, helping us get our message to the masses, informing us of industry issues and challenges, and offering support when requested. They have been by our side as we have changed the association from a small regional association to the largest in the industry. FCNews is not a media resource, they are an integral part of our plan to positively impact our members and our industry and pave the way to a brighter future.”
Scott Humphrey, WFCA, Dalton
“FCNews always keeps me and my team abreast of what’s new, what’s hot, what’s selling and what’s coming down the pipeline. But besides the information on product, the articles from Lisbeth Calandrino have always provided guidance, direction, thought and motivation. When we joined Carpet One in 1997, Lisbeth and her sister Sonna, along with (former FCNews columnist) Warren Tyler were our facilitators at our convention. It felt like I was with royalty. I couldn’t wait to sit in on their class and learn from the best innovators. It was a complete thrill for me. You’d have thought I was a groupie or at a movie premiere and they were actors present. I had read their articles to my parents while working at the store and never thought I’d meet them. Now Lisbeth and I interact on Facebook, the WIFI page and have done a class together at Surfaces.”
Cathy Buchanan, Independent Carpet One Floor & Home, Westland, Mich.
“FCNews has been—and continues to be—a great resource for our business. From product and installation trends to overall industry news I feel like they always keep us connected to the business. Good insight from manufacturers and retailers alike. Always a good and important read.”
Phil Koufidakis, Baker Bros. Area Rugs & Flooring, Phoenix
“The stories in FCNews have been a great resource; they not only keep me updated on ‘What’s happening in the industry,’ but how other flooring retailers are responding to current market conditions as well as insights into what the industry leaders are thinking and changes that may be coming. It either confirms that we have the correct mindset or helps us make the best decisions for our business.”
Eric Mondragon, RC Willey, Salt Lake City
“Floor Covering News has been an invaluable resource to our industry for decades. It consistently delivers timely and relevant information that helps flooring professionals stay informed and ahead of the curve. From market trends and emerging product innovations to highlighting the suppliers and products making the biggest impact, FCNews provides insights that matter.
As one of the premier publications in our industry, it remains a trusted source of information and a must-read for me. I appreciate its commitment to keeping industry professionals connected, informed and engaged with the issues and opportunities shaping our business.”
Bruce Odette, Carpet Exchange, Denver
“After more than 70 years in business, we’re always learning. Floor Covering News helps us stay informed, connected and inspired while reminding us that we’re part of an industry built on relationships. It’s a publication that celebrates innovation while honoring the people that have made the flooring industry what it is today.”
Susan Hadinger, Hadinger Company of Naples, Naples, Fla.
“As someone who has grown up in the flooring industry, I’ve always appreciated having a trusted and unbiased source like Floor Covering News. It’s helped me stay up to date on new products, industry trends and the challenges and opportunities facing flooring retailers. I especially enjoy reading about other dealers and learning how they’re growing and adapting, because it often gives me ideas I can bring back to our own business. Thank you for continuing to be a resource that keeps all of us connected.”
Aaron Johnson, Johnson & Sons Flooring, Knoxville, Tenn.
“Floor Covering News has always been a great resource for staying up to date with industry news, economic trends that impact the industry, best practices from fellow retailers, updates regarding technology advancements and offerings. It’s also a great tool to familiarize yourself with the people within the flooring industry; whether that be industry executives, leading retailers, economists, installers, etc. FCNews has a knack of putting a name with a face through its publications.”
Eric Langan, Carpetland USA, Davenport, Iowa
“FCNews has helped keep me on the leading edge of what is going on in our industry. From fresh new products to industry news FCNews always keeps my business up to date.”
Darren Harrison, Sunshine Interiors, Lakeland, Fla.
“FCNews is always full of industry insights on the leaders who are making an impact, products and trends that are emerging and manufacturers’ strategies. In every issue, I pick a few ideas, and it helps me keep the pulse of the industry. I also always enjoy Steve Feldman “My Take.” Steve has a unique perspective that I find refreshing.”
Michel Vermette, AFS Group, Columbus, Ohio
“FCNews keeps our personnel informed as to the latest product trends. It helps us when it comes to training our salespeople, different selling methods that work and giving us ideas to improve our showroom. It has helped us to address different things in our business through the years, whether it be using installers as subcontractors versus employees, how to compensate salespeople, different legal issues we might run into, and things to be on the lookout for when it comes to popular fraudulent schemes being used on flooring retailers.
If owners and managers regularly read FCNews over the course of time, it would help them in every facet of their business. We have cut out certain articles through the years and kept them, along with many entire issues.
If it were not for FCNews, we would have no idea as to what was going on in the flooring industry and would be totally guessing as to how to run our business. But because of FCNews, we feel much more informed, and therefore more confident in running our business.”
Ted Gregerson, Ted’s Floors & Beyond, Anniston, Ala.
“FCNews has always been a reliable source of relevant information in the flooring industry. The industry sales data has proven reliable and helped us identify trends and opportunities. The editorials are always insightful and often provide a perspective we may not have considered. On a personal note, I remember reading articles from Al Wahnon in the early ’90s when I was just entering the industry, and these were a great resource for me to learn about our industry.”
Matt Hafer, Adleta, Carrollton, Texas
“There is no doubt Floor Covering News is a meaningful source of up-to-date relevant information around the flooring industry. We always make time to read every issue as it not only provides the various updates on the industry but also provides a stimulus to make you think outside the box at times. A good example is Steve’s editorials, which are always a must read. The most recent one where Steve shared, “A Lesson On Vuca,” was a terrific example of this, and generated quite the amount of conversation among our management team discussing it. We joked that while we weren’t even aware we were engaging VUCA, we, in fact, were but simply didn’t have a name for it. FCNews is must-read for those in the industry who want to stay up to date on current happenings and developments in the flooring industry.”
Jeff Striegel, Elias Wilf, Owings Mills, Md.
“In particular, I want to commend the wonderful, concise and highly pertinent questions the editorial staff consistently ask flooring store owners across the nation. Those targeted questions dive straight into what matters most to our industry—ranging from shifting business trends and economic adaptations to design and fashion evolution. The perspectives that owners bring to light through these questions provide immense value, helping retailers navigate the modern marketplace with practical, real-world insights.”
Kevin Rose, Carpetland USA, Rockford, Ill.
“Floor Covering News has remained a consistent source of insight and commentary about industry trends and developments as well as innovative and best practices for four decades. While FCNews has grown and evolved with the digital age, its focus and quality of content have remained consistent, if not improved. We utilize FCNews as a resource for developments and peer insight to macro and micro industry trends today, just as we did when I joined the company 25 years ago.”
Scott Rozmus, FlorStar Sales, Romeoville, Ill.
“Floor Covering News is very important to our business by offering industry insights on new products, top selling manufacturers and distributors, dealers success stories and even classified offerings. The supplement selling guides are extremely valuable and go to each person in our company to read and review together for ways to be better in our roles. I always enjoy and learn from each publication ways to improve, assist and increase business—a must-read cover to cover on each publication. Thank you for the enormous impact on the flooring industry.”
Carlton Billingsley, Floors and More, Benton, Ark.
“Giant Floor has relied on FCNews for decades. We find the national perspective and data analysis useful in decision making. We also count on FCNews for updated product information and to keep us informed on a global scale.”
Pete Rubando, Giant Floor, Scranton, Pa.
“It’s hard to put into a simple sentence how much Floor Covering News has helped me and our business because it’s been such a vital part of our company for so many years.
I read it regularly and rely on it for updates about our industry, new products, emerging trends and ideas that often help solve challenges we face in the store. The sales training articles and business insights are especially valuable, and I frequently apply those concepts in our day-to-day operations.
We actually receive extra copies and distribute them to our staff because we view Floor Covering News as an important educational resource. It has helped train our team, keep them informed about industry developments and exposed them to new ideas and best practices.”
Bob Pireu, Bob & Pete’s Floors, Canton, Ohio
“As I enter my 50th year in the flooring business, I think about how this industry has changed over the years. The one constant for many of those years has been FCNews and the way they cover our industry. We rely on them to keep up to date on industry trends, changes and innovations. The information we receive from each issue is valuable. We use that information in our daily practices, which adds to the professionalism that is expected of us by our consumers.”
John Taylor, Taylor Carpet One Floor & Home, Fort Myers, Fla.
“Floor Covering News has been very helpful to keep up on what’s going on in the flooring industry—how other retailers are handling the challenges we face daily, education on different product categories and best business practices. I could write a small novel.”
Don Cantor, Lake Interiors, Chelan, Wash.
“FCNews has helped me track market trends outside of my geographical area and offers expert sales advice through retailer reporting. The retailers react stories give readers a glimpse of how other flooring professionals handle adversity in their business and share advice on trending product offerings.”
Scott Browne, Macco’s Floor Covering Center and Subsidiaries, Green Bay, Wis.
“Many times over the years we have used FCNews as a resource, from articles to help elevate business practices and/or to resolve flooring questions/concerns. FCNews is very informative and relative to everyday business practices and issues.”
Mike Montgomery, Montgomery’s CarpetsPlus Colortile, Venice, Fla.
“FCNews allows me to keep a finger on the pulse of the industry from a national and global perspective. I love reading about other retailers, especially their challenges and victories. It keeps me humble and hungry to continue leveling-up our team.”
Matt Wien, Marshall Flooring, Mayfield Heights, Ohio
“Floor Covering News has been an invaluable resource for our team at RiteRug Flooring. Beyond the news and trends, FCNews helps keep our industry connected by highlighting the people, partnerships and innovations that move flooring forward. Congratulations on 40 years of being a trusted voice for our industry.”
Erin Appleman, RiteRug Flooring, Columbus, Ohio
“FCNews has helped me and my business because it’s consistently interviewing people to give me tips and ideas on how to improve my business, and it’s always promoting the latest and greatest products, which makes me significantly more profitable.”
Don Lovato, CarpetSource USA, Albuquerque, N.M.
“FCNews has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I’ve personally read it for the past 32 years; before that, I remember my father reading every issue. FCNews has helped our business stay ahead of industry trends and remain connected to what’s happening across the flooring industry.”
Ben Boss, Boss Carpet One, Dixon, Ill.
“FCNews has helped me tremendously over the years. I’ve learned so much from reading the articles. I regularly share with our team that 17 years ago I knew nothing about this business and industry. One of the easiest ways to learn was reading FCNews. The articles have provided me with training ideas for our team, along with general knowledge for myself.”
Adam Joss, The Vertical Connection Carpet One, Columbia, Md.
“Being geographically isolated from the continental United States, Floor Covering News has kept me connected to the industry trends, insights and performance. This information is critical to my responsibility of forecasting, budgeting and planning for my business.”
Roy Tokuhama, Abbey Carpet of Hawaii, Honolulu
“Floor Covering News has always been—and continues to be—a great source for me to keep up with what’s going on in this ever-changing industry. I enjoy keeping up with my peers all over the flooring industry by reading FCNews when it hits my mailbox. A great publication for 40 years. Wow, am I that old?”
Chris Kemp, Dalton’s West Flooring, Newnan, Ga.
“FCNews helps keep me up to date with new offerings in the industry that may not come through my door if there is not local representation. The news magazine also keeps me informed of industry changes, whether they involve mill moves, regulations or success tips. There is always a nugget or two of information to process that is helpful to us.”
Ben Case, The Carpet Collection, Lockport, N.Y.
“FCNews helps me stay educated, updated and connected to my industry and my peers. Between the salient information about the new products and the highlights of people in the industry, it helps me stay in the loop and up to date.”
Typhannie Harker, Carpeting by Mike, Somerset, Wis.
