Blog

In recent weeks, I’ve had several conversations with builders that have underlined both how deeply our industry relies on undocumented labor—and how vulnerable we’ve become as a result. As someone whose family is in construction—from my own work alongside licensed...

Every year when we announce the winners of our coveted Awards of Excellence, I always like to dig into the results. We only honor the winners, but that doesn’t mean other companies didn’t perform well in the voting. Some suppliers performed much better than prior...

brent emore Mountville, Pa.—AHF Products announced the appointment of Brent Emore as chief executive officer, effective immediately. Emore, who most recently served as the company’s chief financial officer and interim CEO, brings more than two decades of leadership...

Shaw Contract Art + Science commercial flooring Navigating the ever-shifting landscape of the contract commercial business is much like riding a roller coaster—thrilling and, at times, unsettling. Economic uncertainty, supply chain disruptions, labor shortages and...

Starnet Commercial Flooring, the world’s largest network of full-service commercial flooring contractors spanning more than 400 locations across the U.S. and Canada, recently announced the winners of the 2025 Starnet Design Awards. Now in its 27th year, the...

Dalton—Certified Flooring Installers (CFI), a division of the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA), unveiled its newest logo amid a refresh of its brand identity. This effort is said to mark a new chapter for the organization that has specialized in flooring...

In an industry traditionally grounded in face-to-face sales and onsite estimates, Chesten Kesselhon is forging a new path with a tech-forward solution designed to modernize how flooring businesses approach quoting. Through his company, Premier Cabinet Painting LLC,...

Moiré Dalton—Moiré from J+J Flooring is the latest addition to the Kinetex line of advanced textile composite flooring and takes a literal eye-opening approach to pattern dynamics. “You get this unique style where not everything is linear and there’s lots of contrast...

Lisbon, Portugal—i4F, a group of companies providing patents and technologies to the flooring industry, announced its participation as one of seven Diamond Sponsors at the 2025 Global DIY-Summit, taking place here from June 11-13. The Global DIY-Summit is the world’s...

Washington, D.C.—Mapei Corporation, a global leader in the production of adhesives, sealants and chemical products for the construction industry, has announced its return as a headline sponsor for the second annual Flooring Sustainability Summit, scheduled for July...

Newly-appointed Tri-Co CEO Miguel Burboa San Diego, Calif.—Tri-Co, a commercial flooring contractor serving Southern California for over 65 years, has received a majority investment from Miguel Burboa through his investment firm, Fuerte Capital. Burboa has assumed the...

Chicago—As the design community gets closer to NeoCon 2025, taking place here at The Mart from June 9-11, four influential design themes have gained momentum in an effort to shape the next chapter of the built environment. In alignment with this year’s narrative,...

Mountville, Pa.—AHF Products announced the appointment of Brent Emore as chief executive officer, effective immediately. Emore, who most recently served as the company’s chief financial officer and interim CEO, brings more than two decades of leadership experience in...

Lawrenceburg, Ky.—Florida Tile has launched Artecrete, its newest porcelain tile collection that was designed to embody urban design and modern sophistication. Inspired by the industrial revolution and mid-20th-century Brutalist architecture, Artecrete aims to capture...

Responsible hardwood flooring importers go to great lengths to ensure their products meet all environmental and performance requirements. Pictured is TimberTop from Urbanfloor. In the years since the U.S. flooring sector began seeing dramatic declines in imports from...

Clemson, S.C.—The Coalition for Fair Trade in Ceramic Tile (Coalition) filed with the U.S. Court of International Trade its appeal of the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determination that ceramic tile from India is not being, or is not likely to be, sold in...

What’s the CTEF online auction? The 2025 CTEF online auction takes place from June 9th until June 15th. It’s a way to raise funds to support expanding the CTEF’s mission: to improve the tile industry through certification, education, training and participation in the...

Dalton—The World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) released a new “Tuesday Tips” this week. In the series, WFCA experts presents short video tips for improving customer service and optimizing staff performance. In the end, it’s all about understanding the importance...

Detroit, Mich.—The Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF) recently announced the certification of its 2000th certified installer, a landmark achievement in its Certified Tile Installer (CTI) program. This milestone is said to reflect the growing importance of...

In recent years, the machine-made carpet industry has undergone significant changes through the utilization of new technologies. One of the biggest changes has been the development of high-tech carpet fibers that enhance durability, stain resistance and overall...

Orlando—Coverings, the largest and preeminent international ceramic tile and natural stone event in North America, successfully concluded its 2025 show—which took place here April 29 to May 2—with impressive exhibits, activations and momentum, drawing nearly 25,000...

Floris Koopmans, sales director, intellectual property, Unilin Technologies, demonstrates the user-friendly attributes of its click locking systems. While hard surface flooring manufacturers can claim most of the credit for developing products that excite consumers...

Every two weeks, FCNews seeks out flooring retailers across the country to offer their advice on hot topics of the day. This week, we asked: What qualities/attributes do you look for in vendor sales reps? Here are their responses: “We value someone who shows up and is...

Calhoun, Ga.—Mohawk has invited its Edge retail partners to take part in the SmartStrand Sales Challenge, running until Aug. 1, 2025. This unique promotion offers participants the chance to enhance their business with SmartStrand carpet sales and qualify for an...

Dalton—Women In the Floorcovering Industry (WIFI) has announced its lineup of three free events set to take place in June. These upcoming gatherings—both virtual and in-person—offer valuable opportunities for professional development, community building and personal...

Washington, D.C.—Builder confidence fell sharply in May as uncertainty remained constant, stemming from elevated interest rates, tariff concerns, uncertain building material costs and a continuously cloudy economic outlook, according to the National Association of...

Nolensville, Tenn.—The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) has provided flooring for its 79th home in support of the Gary Sinise Foundation R.I.S.E. program (Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment). The R.I.S.E. program builds mortgage-free, custom,...

Dallas, Texas—Daltile recently launched its new Haddonstone collection, designed to offer tranquil visuals of English portland limestone in a porcelain tile format. This made-in-the-USA collection was designed to balance the aesthetics of an organic natural stone...

Kansas City, Kan.—Shaw Floors and Nebraska Furniture Mart (NFM)—one of the nation’s largest floor covering retailers—have partnered to launch the second Anso Gallery here. The novel showroom-within-a-showroom concept, the first of which was launched in October 2022 in...

Mohawk’s TecWood genuine wood line features the company’s signature TruFinish. Hardwood flooring suppliers are utilizing technology to enhance the product’s visual appeal and performance through innovations in finishing. It’s all about making an already aspirational...

The U.S. and China agreed to a 90-day de-escalation period, calming some fears. While stock markets soared in the immediate aftermath of the U.S.-China agreement to de-escalate their trade war for 90 days, the response from flooring dealers was more measured, with...

Chicago—Global flooring manufacturer Tarkett will open its Chicago showroom doors (215 N. Peoria Street, Floor 10) to design professionals from around the world during Design Days, June 9–11. Attendees to the commercial interior design event will get an exclusive look...

Jeff Rathsack Madison, Wis.—Floor360, a locally owned provider of design-driven flooring solutions, announced the promotion of Jeff Rathsack to commercial sales manager in an effort to further strengthen its leadership team with a seasoned industry veteran....

Lancaster, Pa.—Ecore Athletic, a leader in high-performance athletic flooring solutions, announced a strategic partnership with the Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society (PBSCCS). Through this collaboration, Ecore will be the official...

Basalt, Colo.—Tile industry brands Daltile and Marazzi recently held the official grand opening event for its newest showroom, located here, 20 miles northwest of Aspen. Positioned in a local hotspot, the new Daltile/Marazzi showroom is located at 240 Market Street....

Solon, Ohio—Tarkett has expanded its luxury vinyl tile portfolio with new visuals within its Victory Color Studio and Event+ collections. The additions bring a slate of durable, colorful flooring options to workplace, education and healthcare environments. “Colorful...

Chicago—Cyncly held its 2025 users conference, Cyncly Connects Flooring, here with a few major announcements and a new “roadmap” to success for its users. Over the last few years, Cyncly has acquired four major flooring-specific technology brands to create what is now...

Barberan’s DeepBlue technology helps suppliers render more realistic visuals and textures on hard surface products. In the not-to-distant past, many flooring manufacturers relied primarily on embossed-in-register technologies and high-resolution scanners to render...

Nashville, Tenn.—The World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) has announced the launch of the Synergy Convention & Expo, an event designed to bring together flooring professionals from across multiple organizations and disciplines for a purpose-driven experience....

When an engineered floor is delivered to a jobsite, it should be inspected just like any other flooring material. For both engineered and solid wood floors, the inspection must include checking the moisture content of the floor planks. Additional moisture measurements...

Dan Frederick and Dan Schrickel of D&R Commercial Flooring, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, had been loyal Measure Square customers for several years. But when it came to managing data and streamlining operations, they needed more than takeoff tools. They had tried...

Crystallo Glace Atlanta–LX Hausys America, a manufacturer of building and decorative materials, introduced new quartz and solid surface designs during a special customer event here at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. More than 250 guests attended the event, which featured...

A first look at NALFA’s newly redesigned website, featuring streamlined navigation, enhanced certification resources and a modern design that aims to reflect the association’s forward-thinking approach to industry leadership. Springfield, Mass.—The North American...

In the world of consumer goods, the idea of sustainability can mean different things to different people. Most notably, there’s a common misconception—in the floor covering industry and among consumers—that it refers only to products that are “green” or...

Project Benchmark is a deep-dive study into best practices. Naples, Fla.—FEI Group last week hosted its popular Project Benchmark, an operational best practices workshop experience designed for Home Solutions and Multifamily Solutions leadership. The deep dive study...

Earthen Cobblestone Clarksville, Tenn. — MILEstone, the distributed brand of Florim USA, announced the launch of two carbon-neutral collections: Earthen and Playful. The Earthen collection embraces the growing demand for the natural color and warmth of earth tones,...

Korlok WPC Export, Pa—With the launch of 10 new LVT designs—eight for the Korlok Select WPC collection and two for the Korlok Reserve WPC collection—Karndean retailers have even more stylish options for customers who want the performance of the company’s award-winning...

Dalton—The World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) released a new “Tuesday Tips” this week. In the series, WFCA experts presents short video tips for improving customer service and optimizing staff performance. In the end, it’s all about understanding the importance...

The flooring industry is notoriously slow when it comes to embracing new technologies; however, the latest advancements that have been flooding the market at what feels like break-neck speed are becoming hard to ignore—and even detrimental to do so. In 2025,...

Chicago—At its Connect Flooring event, held here May 20-22, Cyncly, a leading global provider of software and content solutions for living spaces, announced the launch of Blueprint.AI, billed as a groundbreaking enhancement to its Measure Premier software for flooring...

Florence, Ala.—Schönox recently welcomed customers here to begin the the Porsche Track Experience, where the company was able to draw parallels between itself and the automobile company. Its invitees gathered at the Schönox Florence Support Center on day one....

Dave Garden Dalton—The World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) announce that Dave Garden, who most recently served as executive director of education for Certified Flooring Installers (CFI), has transitioned into a newly created role as WFCA master instructor. In this...

Christine Zampaglione Stanton Design has promoted Christine Zampaglione to vice president of marketing. Zampaglione joined the company in October 2019 as director of marketing and quickly pivoted Stanton’s overall marketing strategy to amplify digital channels,...

The North American Laminate Flooring Association (NALFA) has launched a newly redesigned website. With a modern look, intuitive navigation and enhanced content, the new platform reinforces NALFA’s commitment to advancing the laminate flooring industry and delivering...

Our good friend and 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award winner Harold Traister often stops by our office to shoot the sh%t. (No, we do not work remotely.) Harold, with 60-plus years in this industry, has been around the block a few times and likes to share his wisdom....

People making a difference in the flooring industry come from all walks of life and experiences. There are top-level business executives as well as flooring installers and even a well-known politician (but perhaps not the one you’re thinking of). What binds tie these...

Orlando—Celebrating its 35th edition, Coverings continues to be the ultimate destination for design professionals, architects and industry leaders seeking the latest advancements and hottest trends in ceramic/porcelain tile and natural stone. The 2025 edition of the...

Dalton—The Floor Covering Industry Foundation’s (FCIF) Day of Giving—taking place on June 1—is an opportunity for the flooring industry to come together in support of colleagues facing life-altering medical challenges. A pledge to FCIF provides comfort, relief and...

Mickey Trammel Louisville, Ky.—Louisville Tile, a distributor of ceramic tile and related products, announced the appointment of Mickey Trammel as its new branch sales manager. With over 40 years of valuable experience in the flooring industry (25 of which just tile),...