Hicksville, N.Y.—Surfaces 2003 may be three months away, but now is the time to start the process to see which floor covering manufacturers deserve the honor of being named the best in the Seventh Annual Award of Excellence competition. Since its inception, the Award of Excellence has become the flooring industry’s most coveted honor, not to mention the benchmark by which all other competitions are compared. Proof is, the Award of Excellence is the only industry-wide honor to be endorsed and sponsored by both Hanley-Wood/Surfaces and the World Floor Covering Association ( WFCA), the country’s largest floor covering trade organization.

Floor Covering News, which has been proud to be a partner in this prestigious honor since its beginning, rounds out the competition’s list of sponsors. Michele Troop, Surfaces’ senior show director, noted, “The Award of Excellence provides an outstanding for um for industry recognition, and we are proud to be a partner in a program which gives atten dees the opportunity to cast their votes for excellence.” Chris Davis, WFCA’s CEO, said the organization is “delighted to once again be a sponsor. This is the premier contest because there are no biases attached to it. It is the one program in which dealers, installers, distributors and designers get the right to say what they think—without payments or inducements. Like a true election, they get to cast their votes from the heart.

That’s what makes it so meaningful “It’s a great program for all concerned,” he continued. “It gives Surfaces’ attendees a voice, it gives manufacturers their just recognition and it allows the WFCA to give something back to the industry.” “The Seventh Annual Award of Excellence competition continues to be sponsored by three of the industry’s most respected leaders in their categories,” said Al Wahnon, FCNews’ editor and publisher. “Hanley-Wood produces the largest, most successful all encompassing floor covering trade show in Surfaces; WFCA is flooring’s largest and most active retail organization with over 3,300 members, while FCNews is the industry’s preferred publication, and is proud to be affiliated with other industry leaders.”

As in previous years, dealers and their salespeople, distributors, installers, designers and architects are being asked to cast their votes for which floor covering mills in each category—carpet, area rugs, resilient, hardwood, ceramic and laminates—are the best at helping them be more professional and successful in business. On pages 16 and 17 of this issue and running through the end of the year, readers will find a nominating ballot for this year’s contest. Ballots need to be submitted via mail, e-mail or fax no later than Dec. 31 in order to counted. The top five vote getters in each category will then be placed on the final ballot which will handed out at Surfaces 2003, Jan. 29 to 31 in Las Vegas at the Sands Expo Center. During floor covering’s largest and most important trade show, the industry will use the same criteria during the nomination process—design, service, value, performance, quality, professionalism of sales force and management responsiveness—to vote for the best mill in each segment and the Best Overall Manufacturer.

Since its inception, the Award of Excellence has become the industry’s most sought after prize as winning mills have come to realize the tremendous boost this prestigious honor gives them during the course of the year. Upon accepting last year’s award for Best Overall Manufacturer, Keith Campbell, chairman of Mannington Mills, said, “This award means our customers appreciate the hard work and dedication all our associates contribute to our product quality, styling and marketing, and that our distributors are doing a great job. “The Award of Excellence also confirms to us that we are strategically right on track in providing real value to retailers and designers,” he continued. Julius Shaw Jr., executive vice president of Shaw Industries, said after his company took home the top carpet award, as well as the second Best Overall honor, “The awards are especially gratifying because they confirm we are moving in the right direction to be the best company to work with.”

Unlike other industry competitions, all companies listed on the nomination ballot did not have to pay a fee. Their listing indicates they are supporting the industry by participating as an exhibitor at Surfaces 2003. As Wahnon said, “These companies are going to great lengths and spending large sums of money to make Surfaces the premier floor covering show in the world, so why should we force them to pay even more in order to participate in a competition which is designed to raise industry standards?

FCNews is dedicated to improving the industry, and not seeking personal gain in the process. “The Award of Excellence competition is,” he continued, “an industry event—for and by the constituency. Its success is prompted by the voters.” In addition to mills, even voters, who receive no special prize or incentive to cast a ballot, have realized the importance of the Award of Excellence. In fact, last year’s nomination and final voting processes garnered more participation than any other industry competition run in conjunction with Surfaces, as more than 5,000 votes were tallied. “This year’s Award of Excellence promises more nominees and greater participation than ever,” Wahnon concluded. “We look forward to the nominations, the balloting and, ultimately, the gala Awards ceremony when we officially announce the winners.”