Article Number : 4638 |
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| Date | 7/9/2009 8:31:07 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=4638 |
| Abstract | The good news is that I didn’t have to wait on any elevator lines at NeoCon. The bad news is that I didn’t have to wait on any... |
| Article | The good news is that I didn’t have to wait on any elevator lines at NeoCon. The bad news is that I didn’t have to wait on any elevator lines at NeoCon. NeoCon ’09 was not immune to the trend that has plagued every trade show in the U.S for more than a year: plunging attendance. But the one thing that separates this show from just about every other I’ve attended is the optimism on the part of both attendee and exhibitor. Not only was there no griping, but every manufacturer I visited was either innovating or bolstering existing themes. What’s more, some spaces were downright packed, and not because it was 5 p.m. somewhere in the world. So, what did I learn? Well, first, if you’re a manufacturer and not focusing on government, healthcare or higher education, you’re probably doing about as well as Bernie Madoff right now. Second is a continuation of the themes that have enveloped the commercial market for many years now: modular tile and green. In fact, James Lesslie, president of Beaulieu Commercial didn’t think green was worth talking about. “Sustainability is becoming a given. Everyone was looking for that before the economy went downhill and would spend more money. Now it is expected; it’s not the lead.” While FCNews will provide in-depth company specifics in the next issue, there were a few things that will have lasting impacts. Embracing the environmental craze, Invista unveiled Antron Bio_Legacy, its first bio-based nylon. But rather than using corn as its base, Antron Bio_Legacy uses a non-food source: castor oil. Engineered for the commercial market, the product carries the same warranties as its virgin material. Over at Tandus, when Glen Hessmann, president, showed me a new product, I asked if it fell under the C&A, Crossley or Monterrey brand. He told me neither; it was a Tandus product. And so I learned that the company’s new branding strategy is one of focus rather than dilution. Several years into its consolidation, the company believes the time is right to focus on one brand and make it a household name across all its segments. Then, from the people who brought drywall into flooring, there was another first at the Mannington space: cradle-to-cradle recycling of VCT back into itself. A challenge to the industry for a very long time, Mannington is beginning to recycle a significant amount of material into its premium tile products. That could give the mill’s VCT a leg up on the competition. And then there was Armstrong introducing its commercial laminate. Yes, it’s been done before by Pergo, Wilsonart and Alloc. But Armstrong in recent years has been known to put its marketing money where its mouth is, and that may result in giving the category unprecedented exposure to the A&D community. Yes, attendance was down, but the stories we could and will write will be up. For sure. |