Hicksville, N.Y.—With rumors running rampant in the industry concerning the participation of some of its major players in its largest show—Surfaces—officials from Hanley-Wood, the company which owns Surfaces, has confirmed that Shaw Industries, Mohawk Industries and Armstrong World Industries will be going west once again for the event’s 2003 edition. “Shaw, Mohawk and Armstrong have committed to being at the show,” said Michele Troop, show director of Hanley-Wood Exhibitions. “They are back at their same locations as last year. All are back and ready to go. “Surfaces is a true floor covering show,” she explained. “It’s important we have all the players there. Attendees want to see a full spectrum of all the products and so it is very important for us to have all the major players in attendance. As the deadline to be in the show nears, we have been seeing a phenomenal response by the industry.”

Troop sees several reasons for the strong response. “I think that the economy has turned around a bit. Some companies have had varying levels of success at some of the other shows. So, they are really excited about Surfaces. We’re seeing most companies taking larger spaces as there is a lot of growth and many new companies out there. We’re thrilled.” “We’re definitely going,” Julius Shaw, executive vice president of Shaw told FCNews. “While we may not write as much roll business at Surfaces as we used to in the past, we do feel by having an opportunity to visit with that number of dealers is crucial and showing off our introductions is a great way to launch our new products. We also will be devoting a good deal more space this year to hard surfaces than we have in the past.

“The networking is just as crucial,” he continued. “To have an opportunity for our top management to meet with many of the dealers who come out is as important as showing our products.” “Since we have become more of a hard surface player being at Surfaces is even more important to us,” said Ed Williams, Mohawk’s senior vice president of sales and marketing. “We will probably have a little more space in our booth dedicated to hard surfaces but, because it takes so much space to display all of our carpet products, there may not be too much of a difference.” “We see Surfaces as the industry show for the floor covering industry, especially for our distributors, our independent floor covering retailers and all the other people we do business with,” said Roger Oates, Armstrong’s vice president of residential flooring. “We’ll have a huge presence there with a fully integrated story of the complete Armstrong portfolio of products from resilient and laminate to wood, with linoleum as well.”

 “We expect Surfaces to once again be a great event for us,” said Kim Holm, president of Mannington’s residential business, “and, more importantly, for the industry. I think there are going to be more exhibitors there this year than in the past. “We’ve committed and, as far as we know, all the major mills have as well so the show will once again be a great event. We look forward to Surfaces in terms of showing our new products and programs and we are going to be doing that again this year.” Beaulieu of America is currently making arrangements to be at Surfaces, while the following companies have already signed on: Domco- Tarkett, Daltile, Congoleum, Milliken, DuPont, Wilsonart, Pergo, Royalty Carpets, Oriental Weavers, American Olean, American Marazzi, and the Wools of New Zealand and Tile of Spain pavilions. —Louis Iannaco