Floor Focus Magazine

Visual, Insightful, Trusted Resource

Floor Focus is a monthly magazine of analysis and education for the floor covering industry's interconnected business sectors: retailers, distributors, contract dealers, manufacturers, architects, designers, facility managers and commercial end users. While Floor Daily gives you the news, Floor Focus tells you what the news means for your business.

   Commercial Market 2008 - June 2008   Full Article
  Though the commercial market grew last year, its rate of growth has been slowing since 2005, and 2008 may end up close to flat.

   Coverings 2008 - June 2008   Full Article
  Coverings, held this year in Orlando from April 29 to May 2, featured 1,200 exhibitors from over 50 countries showcasing cutting edge ceramic tile and stone design.

   Interface Turns 35 - June 2008   Full Article
  In 2007, with most carpet mills struggling to maintain their positions, Interface Inc., the largest carpet tile manufacturer in the world, had its strongest growth year ever, outpacing all the U.S. carpet mills.

Other FloorFocus Articles
Designer Forum - June 2008   Full Article
Award-winning New York industrial designer Karim Rashid has created everything from flooring to manhole covers and disposable cigarette lighters, as well as interiors for hotels, restaurants and other businesses.

People Power - June 2008   Full Article
There seems to be a shortage of everything these days. Just visit your local grocer and you will find that prices have risen dramatically on many of our everyday staples: bread, milk, rice, etc.

Best Practices - June 2008   Full Article
The staff at Johnston Paint and Decorating has created an operation designed to pull the customer into the store over and over again.

Strategic Exchange - June 2008   Full Article
It seems that everything you read or hear about in the media today is negative. The war in Iraq plods on, oil prices are at record levels, the economy is struggling, food prices are at all time highs and even the president has record low approval ratings.

Annual Report 2008 - May 2008   Full Article
The first full year of the housing slump had a big impact on residential flooring sales, an impact that is even affecting parts of the commercial market.

The Canada Alternative - May 2008   Full Article
Where can you find a market where housing starts are down slightly, existing home sales are up, and the commercial market is as strong as the U.S.?

NWFA Expo 2008 - May 2008   Full Article
This year’s National Wood Flooring Association Education Conference and Wood Flooring Expo in March, held in Ft. Lauderdale, was missing several of the largest hardwood flooring players.

Strategic Exchange - May 2008   Full Article
Much has been said and written about the current economic malaise. The stock market is falling and the money supply is tight. Interest rates are falling and yet these decreases aren’t manifested in lower long term fixed rates to business.

Best Practices - May 2008   Full Article
ReSource Arizona has been in business for 25 years serving the commercial market in the Southwest U.S. About 70% of the company’s business is specified through the architecture and design community, and the other 30% is sold directly to the end user.

Monetary Wisdom - May 2008   Full Article
In the current business climate, driving top line revenue growth is on everyone’s mind. How do we grow our business, increase sales, and improve profitability? Does the potential for growth exist? Is growth always desirable?

Trends in the Hospitality Market - April 2008   Full Article
Last year was probably the strongest year on record for the hospitality market, and 2008 should be another strong growth year. Then, in all likelihood, growth will slow for a couple of years before the refurbishment cycle kicks in.

Consumer Preference Survey - April 2008   Full Article
With consumers controlling 75% of all flooring sales, Floor Focus and Market Insights have decided to take a closer look at how consumers shop for floors.

Building a Hardwood Brand - April 2008   Full Article
It’s not easy these days for a typical hardwood flooring manufacturer to stand out in a fairly crowded, although somewhat bifurcated and fragmented, marketplace, made up of a handful of big players, and a far larger bucket full of small, niche firms.

Project Notebook: Nokia Theatre - April 2008   Full Article
AEG, owner of sports and entertainment facilities as well as sports franchises all across the world, is transforming a four million square foot piece of downtown Los Angeles into a massive sports, entertainment and residential district.

Designer Forum - April 2008   Full Article
From my past life as a dancer and choreographer to my role in the design world today, I am always looking for those elements that move me both physically and emotionally.

Wood Cuts - April 2008   Full Article
The latest figures from the U.S. FlooReport suggest that imports of wood flooring have slowed, perhaps in part because of increased tariffs imposed by U.S. Customs and decreased tariff rebates by the Chinese government.

Best Practices - April 2008   Full Article
Classique Floors has many interesting and effective ways to pull in new customers, as well as methods to keep the store in the minds of past customers to encourage repeat business.

People Power - April 2008   Full Article
There is no more rewarding feeling than seeing someone realize what they are capable of accomplishing. However, the tendency to see potential instead of just seeing the person is often a curse.

Strategic Exchange - April 2008   Full Article
I love rollercoasters! I love the twisting turns, the sudden drops, and the adrenaline rush. But the economic rollercoaster we have been on for the past year—that’s a different story. I do not look forward to the constant ups and downs.

Surfaces 2008 - March 2008   Full Article
This year’s Surfaces may not have been as glitzy and glamorous as in years past, but even more so than last year, folks were there to do business, and that made for a brisk and efficient environment.

Healthcare Design: A Case Study - March 2008   Full Article
In recent years, healthcare construction has been heavily influenced by a new approach that uses architecture and design to augment the healthcare operation.

Cevisama 2008 - March 2008   Full Article
This year’s Cevisama, held in Valencia, Spain, ran from February 5 to 9, drawing more than 96,000 visitors from across the globe for the very latest in ceramic tile manufacturing and design.

Installer Certification - March 2008   Full Article
It’s no secret that the biggest wildcard in any flooring transaction is installation, but until fairly recently very little was being done about it.

Designer Forum - March 2008   Full Article
There are few hard and fast rules when it comes to flooring design for award-winning New York designer Clodagh, except that floors shouldn’t be too conspicuous, should be respectful of the environment and should make the people who use them feel good.

Monetary Wisdom - March 2008   Full Article
Most companies are looking to increase sales and improve profitability but many don’t know the best course of action to take.

Best Practices - March 2008   Full Article
Paul Johnson is passionate about the flooring business and that has translated into a strong, successful business with three retail locations of Carpet One Floor & Home in and around the Tulsa, Oklahoma area.

Strategic Exchange - March 2008   Full Article
After eight years in the fast lane, new home construction has finally hit the brakes.

FLOOR FOCUS ARCHIVES »