National Harbor, Md.—Mohawk unleashed a plethora of high-profile introductions at the Mohawk Edge Summit back in December across every category, both hard and soft surface. Then as 2024 rolled over into 2025, all retailers across the country were given access to these new products at regional events in Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, Washington, Las Vegas and California. How were these products received? FCNews spoke to a number of dealers in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 15 to get their reactions.
SolidTech R
“I think the best thing [Mohawk introduced] is SolidTech R. Like PureTech, SolidTech R is a renewable product, and some of my customers are [interested in] that sustainability story. And then, of course, the product itself is more stable and has strong visuals. You’re also making at least a 40% margin, which is important.”
— Chuck Platt, Elkton Carpet & Tile, Elkton, Md.
“We’re really excited about SolidTech R. One thing that has been missing in the business for a long time is a flooring that can go in unconditioned spaces. We do a lot of three-season rooms that don’t have heat and air—big custom houses—and they want the hardwood look. The only thing you could [install] there before was tile or indoor/outdoor carpet. Indoor/outdoor carpet is ugly; tile is heavy and expensive. So now we’ve got something we can do there.”
— Ben Davies, Special Effects Flooring, Clayton, N.C.
“I am excited about the progression of the technology with SolidTech R. A new style or color is nice, but those things wear out. But to find a real improvement in how a product is made and its sustainability story is what flooring is all about. Mohawk is listening to the requests of people that are conscious of this planet.”
— Sadiq Kakar, First American Carpet, Woodbridge and Stafford, Va.
Pergo Extreme
“In our area, a lot of the homes are older. That means a lot of 3- and 5-inch solid wood in very traditional colors. Because Pergo had a strong product name, they needed to get into that WPC category, and I think that’s going to be an absolute winner. Pergo Elements, too, went to the next level. Just being able to achieve that real wood look and feel is going to create momentum. We’ve even started stocking some of the Pergo Elements. We go through one color so fast like you wouldn’t believe.”
— Chris Lyons, Havertown Carpet, Havertown, Pa.
“Pergo Extreme Ultra is a WPC, which has a waterproof core. This is a very New England look; it’s going to be great for us. I am doing well with other Pergo products, so this is just going to be an extension of the success we’re having with the brand.”
— Lynda Cornellier, National Carpet & Flooring, Tyngsborough, Mass.
Karastan Black Label
“We deal with some better-end customers, so Karastan Black Label puts the brand back where it was—better-end products. Their wool business was important to many people for a long time, and I think some competitors came in and took market share. But Black Label restores that Karastan name/reputation.
We’re all looking to sell bigger tickets. I think from merchandising perspective, the displays are really impressive—especially the one that shows individual carpet samples. We do a lot of custom rugs—some of those are hard to show because often the consumer wants to touch it. This, just from a distance, they can get a sense of what those patterns look like.”
— Scott Erlbaum, Floors USA, King of Prussia, Pa.
“The way Karastan has leveled up their wool game with the new product offerings has really elevated the entire brand; I think it’s going to knock our clients’ socks off. I think the way Karastan merchandises its products is the best in the industry and I think these products are really going to be a game changer for us, our clients and our industry as a whole. The display is fabulous. It’s like when you walk into Louis Vuitton and you’re shopping for very expensive items, how everything is curated. It’s easy to see, it’s simple and it’s clutter-free shopping. And Karastan always gives the dealer the ability to make a nice margin.”
— Matthew Bader, G Fried Flooring & Design, Paramus, N.J.
PureTech
“I’m excited about PureTech Premier. We sell a ton of it; it actually sells itself. The wear layer alone, having an AC-4 rating, no vinyl product has that.”
— Nick Kariotakis, Heritage Floor Covering & Interiors, Cleveland
“We do a lot of PureTech. The pricing is so good for a wider, longer product, and I really like the visuals. It’s going to be a good product for us to sell as an upgrade.”
— Ben Davies, Special Effects Flooring, Clayton, N.C.
ScentStop
“Being a carpet installer, I will often go into someone’s house and they have pets. You pull up the old carpet and there is urine odor. The urine seeped into the subfloor, rotted the tack strip, etc. In the past you used to need oil-based products to remove the odor. Those are toxic, so you have to leave the home and keep the windows open for a day until it dries. ScentStop changes the game. You spray, it dries, and Mohawk guarantees pet odor will not come back. There are no harsh chemicals.”
— Scott LeClaire, LeClaire Flooring & Design, Ocean City, Md.
Indoor/outdoor peel and stick carpet tiles
“You can install these carpet tiles directly on top of the old carpet. There is no demo. The question in a commercial space, where you have people working, is how do I get the carpet inside an office. There is minimal disruption with this product because you can do a 10 x 10 office in an hour including moving furniture. Plus, it’s made from recycled soda bottles and is made in the USA.”
— Scott LeClaire, LeClaire Flooring & Design, Ocean City, Md.
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