Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
We were thanking our advertisers but not Mullican or Kraus.
Most of our accounts had stepped up their game;
Those who did not we shall not name.
For most 2024 was not a year for the ages,
But compared to others we had 200 more ad pages.
The competition works hard, we see them as friends
Whether it’s Floor Focus, FCW, even online Floor Trends.
Reggie, Megan and Ken all snug in their beds
While visions of Steve ripping up pages danced in their heads.
Krystal in bright colors and Eliud in his tweed,
Dustin in the corner smoking fine California weed.
He was dressed in Canali, all tailored and neat,
And the Ferragamo sneakers he wore made the outfit complete.
When out on the lawn there arose such a noise;
Was expecting a jolly old man carrying loads of toys.
But away to the window I flew like a flash;
Someone fell off the roof—oh no, it’s Drew Hash!
But away to the window I leaped and I sprung;
There were my friends Will and Joe Young.
They were driving their new digital printing train
Delivering pallets and truckloads of EF’s PureGrain.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
With the moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Came the man to my door not to just say hello.
He wanted to know who was naughty and nice;
“Why don’t you go to Aspen and find my friend Bob Weiss!”
There was a lot, I said, where I could offer reflection
On flooring, the world at large and, of course, the election.
So as to 2024 we bid adieu,
What follows here is the year in review.
We started with Surfaces, the best all agree
Thanks to people like Gilmore, Hicks and Cree.
Mandalay Bay is where the show still stands;
I hope someday it returns to the Sands.
Suppliers showed WPC more and more
At the expense of thin SPC when it came to rigid core.
Wherever you looked you saw PVC free,
All in the spirit of sustainability.
As the industry’s top trade show continues to thrive
We strive to add value via FCNews’ Live.
The videos we offered were quite well received;
10,000 views for each were immediately achieved.
One of the biggest things that plagued the nation
Was record high prices despite decreasing inflation.
Interest rates continue to drag down housing;
People aren’t buying, they’re hardly browsing.
Conflict continues in the Middle East;
Thought it would end, instead it increased.
Israel owes its survival to the Iron Dome;
Now we must get all the hostages home.
Fighting continues between Russia and Ukraine;
Too many deaths, too much pain.
Putin and Zelenskyy must somehow agree
To put an end to this or risk World War III.
Ivy league presidents devoid of a spine
Caved to spoiled brats then were forced to resign.
Protests and encampments they could not diffuse
Making campuses unsafe for Christians and Jews.
A work stoppage looms at every East Coast port
An import logjam is what we need to abort.
Shipping is a challenge if not a crisis;
We dealt with the Houthis but at least not Isis.
Yesterday your town was safe and vibrant
But today you could be living next door to a fentanyl-selling migrant.
I realize this is the exception rather than the norm
But either way we need immigration reform.
One thing this year that got me miffed,
Everywhere I looked I saw Taylor Swift.
Some think she’s attractive, I say not
But I do think Sabrina Carpenter is kinda hot.
A Pennsylvania rally that saw a great turnout
Also saw Trump nearly get his brains blown out.
His love for this country was on full display,
And his actions spoke louder than his words that day.
After a debate performance that was less than superb
A nervous Pelosi kicked Biden to the curb.
In stepped Kamala, the border czar;
In the end a better choice may’ve been Kemp Harr.
When it came to a running mate Harris pegged Walz;
Should have picked Shapiro, didn’t have the balls.
Harold Traister earned a Lifetime Achievement;
The passing of Jon Logue saw its share of bereavement.
The WFCA’s Jeff King gained some acclaim
With his induction into the Hall of Fame.
Never fully recovering from the formaldehyde blunder,
LL Flooring was about to go under.
Returning was founder Tom Sullivan like a surgeon with a knife
To give Lumber Liquidators a second chance at life.
The FCIF Gala at Gotham Hall
Attracted 250 people who all had a ball.
Raised $300K when all was said and done;
Honored Cohen, Marcus and Frierson.
Trey Thames left Mohawk to go to Stanton;
We got some business from Versatrim’s Kim Blanton.
Seth Arnold now heads up the COREtec brand
Was involved with SolidTech, knows vinyl first hand.
Ben Liebert stabilized Shaw after a year in flux;
Knows about appliances from his days at Electrolux.
Ken Walma is charged with Mohawk Flooring’s plans
After doing a nice job at Big Ass Fans.
It seemed 2024 went by real fast
Couldn’t wait til the election was put in the past.
The conservative masses came out in force,
Delivered a victory that would chart a new course.
Trump spoke about energy, safety and jobs,
Taking this country back from the Washington snobs.
From all corners celebrities flew,
They made no impression, for they hadn’t a clue.
They talked about climate, equity and such,
But when it came to the economy they didn’t know much.
One thing as certain as dawn becomes dusk
Government’s getting a haircut thanks to Elon Musk.
The idea is for America to again be wealthy
But will RFK Jr. really make us all healthy?
Glad we won’t have to deal with this guy Gaetz;
Makes questionable decisions when it comes to his dates.
If you went to Summit I’m sure you’d allege
To the value provided by Mohawk Edge.
The entire team did nothing but shine
Especially Melissa and the “Angels” – Olivia, Landon and Caroline.
Santa nodded and gave thanks for my jive
Then asked, “What is it you desire in 2025?”
“Botox, filler, find the Fountain of Youth
And an eyelift would be nice, if you really want the truth.
“But if there is one thing I truly desire
I’ll tell you now since you did just inquire.
Whether it’s a supplier, distributor or dealer with stores,
We just want to help everyone sell more floors.”
And with that St. Nick sprang to his sleigh
As we readied for night to turn into day.
I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight,
“Happy holidays to all and to all a good night.”
From all of us at FCNews, thank you for your support and friendship. It means more than you could ever know. See you all in 2025.
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