Article Number : 4569 |
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| Date | 6/16/2009 8:41:03 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=4569 |
| Abstract | By Steven Feldman The Mohawk Group has developed and created a soft launch for a new thermoplastic carpet tile backing to replace products backed with its... |
| Article | By Steven Feldman The Mohawk Group has developed and created a soft launch for a new thermoplastic carpet tile backing to replace products backed with its Encycle technology. According to Al Kabus, president of The Mohawk Group, the company remains committed to thermoplastic technology and, in fact, the still-unnamed new product has a perfect track record with the select customers who have been using it. “We have installed well over 300,000 yards around the country,” he said, adding that a full-scale rollout is likely by the time Greenbuild rolls around in November or shortly thereafter. In the meantime, the majority of The Mohawk Group’s carpet tile products will employ the company’s proven vinyl technology, “of which we have installed more than 100 million square yards and exceeded market expectations for over 15 years,” he said. Re:work Aside from its new thermoplastic technology, The Mohawk Group is investing in another area: the A&D community in which it serves. The company, in sponsorship with Interior Design magazine and the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), is helping to fill an industry void by hosting a series of events called “Re:work.” The events, which have been held in major cities throughout the U.S. like Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and Chicago (June 25), are designed to help out- of-work architects and designers get back to the drawing board and, hopefully, back to work. “Just like so many industries, the A&D community is fighting severe business slow-downs, layoffs and even firm closures,” Kabus said. “Re:work is our way to try to help architects and designers stay on—or in many cases, get back on—their feet. The Mohawk Group is reallocating our marketing dollars to invest in this initiative. Re:work is a great example of Mohawk sharing more than what we do and focusing more on who we are.” The free, day-long workshop and seminar-style events provide valuable opportunities to work with experts on resume writing, financial planning, portfolios, interview skills and career coaching while offering constructive industry insight from architects and designers. Information about local career and other job loss-related resources in each city will also be available to attendees. The events are CEU-accredited (.4 CEU credits) by IDCEC. In response to the positive feedback received on Re:work so far, The Mohawk Group is expanding the series to include four new cities: Seattle, Portland, Boston and Washington, D.C. And to help reach smaller markets, the company is working to create a Re:work Webinar series. Customer focus Continuing its focus on the human element, Mohawk is elevating its approach to the market from the conventional product-centric focus to customer centric. “That means we are training and developing our folks to better understand our customers’ businesses,” Kabus said. “What can we do to develop our assets in a more meaningful package to drive their businesses?” To that end, The Mohawk Group is introducing a new corporate mantra at NeoCon to communicate and integrate its philosophy more prominently internally and externally. “What’s Next?” reflects the company’s commitment to investing in understanding customer needs and engaging more intently to seize new opportunities for employees, customers and shareholders. “Additionally, it reflects the unique culture of excellence and innovation at The Mohawk Group, where creative ideas are rewarded, customer satisfaction is paramount, and you can always look forward to what’s next,” Kabus said. The Mohawk Group is investing at a time when business conditions are anything but stellar. Specifically, the current environment shows hospitality and retail down significantly, with corporate off more than any other segment. Of course, in this economy consumers are not traveling or purchasing as much as they had earlier in the decade, so restaurants, hotels and large retail chains are putting projects on hold. The falloff in corporate projects is meaningful in that it represents $1.4 billion or 45% of the total commercial specified marketplace. In response, Mohawk has stepped up its diversified carpet tile offering. “The key is to take our styling to the next level,” Kabus said. The philosophy is “boardroom to basement” with solutions from Bigelow to Lees to Karastan. Each brand offers different attributes. “For example, Bigelow is sensibly priced yet high-performing style in a myriad of product offerings including modular, broadloom and woven. Using a retail analogy, Bigelow is sort of like a Target with mass appeal. Then we step up to Lees, which we call the Art of Performance. This is our Nordstrom, or the performance workhorse offering superior stain resistance, soil-hiding capabilities, backing system, etc. Then Karastan, which we call A Step Above, is for the boardroom or more prestigious areas. It represents the finest of what we have, Neiman Marcus.” The bright spots are healthcare, government and education. “Healthcare is very important to us,” Kabus said. “Hospitals are like a city. There are offices, labs, teaching facilities, critical care units, etc., and we approach each, primarily through Bigelow and Lees, with a wide array of solutions. Durkan enters the picture in assisted living facilities and high-end hospitals.” Kabus noted that government is holding steady and education is off slightly. “Mohawk is the largest supplier to government projects. Our business was up last year.” He added that the company is paying particular attention to education because it believes it will be more active over the next few years because of endowments and funding. As for product categories, The Mohawk Group is open to diversifying its offering, specifically as it relates to hardwood or laminate flooring. “We’d like to see hard surface as incremental business with existing customers,” Kabus said. “We have a growing portfolio of products that are finding their way into commercial environments.” |