Las Vegas—An eminent war with Iraq and an economy that continues to struggle were not enough to dampen the spirits of manufacturers, dealers, distributors, installers and designers who converged here in record numbers in what can only be de-scribed as the largest Surfaces in its 14-year history. In fact, the mood was so up-beat that energy and excitement filled the air of the Sands Expo & Convention Center even before the doors opened on day one of the three-day event. “We’ve been getting very positive feedback from our exhibitor and advisory councils,” said Michelle Troop, show director for Hanley-Wood, Surfaces’ owner. “Everyone has been happy with the overall show experience, from the move-in, the food service, quality of attendance, quality of exhibitors, the education- al conference and the opening night reception.” Though final figures were not available at press time, Galen Poss, Hanley-Wood’s president, projected Surfaces 2003 to “break records across the board.” 

When the counting is done, officials expect the event to surpass previous records in exhibitors, attendance and exhibit space used. Some 950 exhibits were set up in approximately 525,000 net square feet. “We squeezed every available inch out of the Expo Center,” Troop said. And, if the initial numbers hold, 2003 will mark the first time Surfaces surpassed 40,000 in attendance. “It’s been tremendous,” she added. “People came here in an upbeat mood and the exhibitors have been writing orders from the get go.” “The traffic has been up and the quality of the dealer is high—even from two years ago which was a terrific market,” said Mary Docker, CEO of Amtico. John McIsaac, public relations manager for Columbia Flooring, said “Out of the gate it’s been the most active I’ve seen. And, considering the state of the economy, I’m pretty surprised.” Bill Byrne, BHK of America’s vice president of sales and marketing, explained, “We gauge the show by the amount of leads we get. That said, it’s been far busier than last year.” 

On the job Hanley-Wood has done, he said, “It is doing a very professional job. Its people are experienced in producing markets of this magnitude and it shows.” Diane Martel, vice president of marketing for Domco Tarkett Commercial, agreed: “Hanley-Wood made some improvements such as on the load-in and there have been no problems. It is doing a good job.” As for the market itself, she said, “The relationships and visibility you get from this show are unparelled. Plus, it gives the small dealer the opportunity to see you.” Mannington Mills’ Kim Holm, president of residential business, and Ed Duncan, senior vice president of residential marketing, said, “Surfaces is definitely worth it. This is not something where you look to see how much you spent and what was your return. It’s an investment and the dealers have responded. “It’s in the best interest of the industry to have one forum where the full industry can gather once a year,” they added. 

“Surfaces gives us the opportunity to show the hard work we’ve done—it’s a manifestation of everything. We’ve had tremendous traffic; it’s been absolutely fantastic,” said Chan Galbato, president of Armstrong Worldwide Flooring Products. Attendees, from first timers to veterans, were also enthused with how this year’s event went. Rene Pollet of Big Bob’s Carpet Outlet in Baton Rouge, La. and a board member of the World Floor Covering Association ( WFCA), Surfaces’ official sponsor, was attending his first Surfaces since coming into the industry seven years ago. His reaction? “Unbelievable. This is amazing.” He relayed how a rep who has been seeing him on a regular basis for seven years spent two hours with him showing off every product in the booth. “It was fantastic. I learned a lot and even bought a number of rolls. “It would take me weeks to accomplish what I did here in one day. Plus, the education is just fabulous. And, I’ve seen so many people I haven’t seen in a while. I don’t think I’ll ever miss another show.” 

Sam Roberts of Roberts Carpets in Houston, noted how the market “has gone very well this year.” While he likes to come to Surfaces to find new and different things for his business, “the show is so big it takes up most of your time just seeing your existing suppliers because you’re building relationships by sitting down and discussing things. “But,” he added, “it is worth coming because you do get to see many exciting new things such as some of the products from Anderson and the Tactesse introductions from DuPont which are awesome. In fact, DuPont hit a home run and should be awarded best of show.” Carpet’s Soft Side While market share for broadloom may be down in recent years, the spirits of mill personnel were profoundly upbeat as Surfaces once again turned out to be a showcase for a vast array of new carpet products. From players such as Shaw Industries, which became the first mill to introduce a soft polypropylene product, to smaller manufacturers such as Stanton —just entering into an exclusive partnership in the United States for the sale/ distribution of residential carpets from woven Axminster producer, Brintons —interest in broadloom at the show was high. 

“The reaction has been great,” said Jonathan Cohen, vice president of marketing for Stanton of dealer response to the agreement with Brintons and the mill’s new products. “We are very excited about what we have been hearing so far. “Our business in 2002 was up, and we are very thankful for that,” he added. “It continues to get harder to get the business in the present economic conditions, but we are lucky to have such a breadth of products to serve the mid- to high-end segments.” On the partnership, Cohen said, “Stanton is committed to offer the best in decorative flooring, and our partnership with Brintons helps us to round out our product line with some of the most beautiful Axminsters available.” “We’re always trying to experiment with ways of getting new textures by enhancing what is fundamentally a wool rich product by the introduction of highlight yarns,” said Mark Worgan, CEO of Brintons U.S. Axminster, of the mill’s products Stanton will be carrying. The broadloom trends at the show continued to lean towards the use of soft fibers as well as varying textures, all designed to differentiate one mill from another. 

“We are not just introducing soft nylon at the show,” said Julius Shaw, vice president of communications and investor relations for Shaw. “For the first time we are introducing soft polypropylene. “Compared to nylon, polypropylene is a little stiff,” he explained. “We have spent almost a year developing this soft polypropylene so now you can have the styling and stain resistance in a soft, durable product. It’s new and innovative.” Shaw also noted the product line comes with the mill’s R2X stain and soil repellent system introduced last year. “It enhances the product and is just a great add-on value.” “The products themselves have been incredibly well received,” said Kurt Paulson, Shaw’s director of product marketing of the mill’s lineup. “I think we’ve probably got our best balance between branded fibers, our mill brand, Evertouch, as well as more of the value-driven products. 

“Our soft polypropylene product does not have that characteristically firm, hard feel of polypropylene,” he explained. “We are the first mill to introduce a performance-driven, soft polypropylene product, in six styles, with the added benefit of our stain repellent, R2X.” “The reaction to Ever-touch continues to be absolutely fantastic,” he added. “Soft is not a trend, it’s here to stay. With the growth of hard surface, I think people want their soft surface products to be soft. They just can’t seem to get enough of it.” Even with concerns about current global tensions, Paulson is optimistic about 2003. 

“With housing having a record year in 2002, and our Web site undergoing a major overhaul, we hope to have 20% of our orders be electronic. That’s a major goal for us.” Ed Williams, Mohawk’s senior vice president of sales and marketing, was happy to report, “Many people have been coming in and looking at our Perfectly Soft Collection. With the current emphasis on soft yarns, we are trying to offer many soft fiber products in various kinds of constructions. By doing this, we can offer everything the dealer needs in that particular design category.” “We are totally thrilled with the turnout and the reaction of the dealers to what we’ve shown them,” said Paul Murfin, Beaulieu of America’s executive vice president. “I honestly don’t know how the rest of the show is going because we are so busy here I haven’t had time to leave the booth. 

“The dealers coming in seem to have a sense that Beaulieu has really turned things around,” he said. “There is a feeling that they want to be able to do more business with us. Another thing is, it looks like we’ve really hit a home run with some of the products we’ve got, especially our Ultimate Performance line which features soft, solution-dyed nylon. “People seem to be trending towards more textures, friezes and casual looks,” he explained, “and patterns have gained interest as well.” Branded Fibers On the fiber side, the story was the continued application of new technologies, and an increase in branded products, advertising and education. “I would hope to get a 10% increase in branded volume,” said Tony DiLucente, Honeywell’s vice president of Carpet Fibers. “Branding makes so much sense. We think it’s great for the consumer, we believe it really helps to support the retailer and, together with the mills, we do a lot of good work to make it happen. It’s a great value for everyone. 

Our approach is to create a flexible branded offering and let the mills tailor solutions to their needs.” DiLucente noted a rise in raw material costs could get “a little nasty in the short term for companies which use fiber, but should get better in the long run. With oil, the fundamentals are in our favor.” As far as 2003 is concerned, DiLucente was cautious. “The economy seems sluggish to me and consumer confidence seems to be a little skiddish. It reminds me of 2002 where we experienced somewhat of a recovery then it dropped off a little bit. I think we will experience this until these larger global issues are resolved.” Mike Leary, director of sales, noted how many people across the country are taking advantage of low interest rates and are refinancing, pulling equity out of the home. “They are not putting these resources into the stock market, they are putting them into the touch and feel aspects of their homes. They want to be comfortable. 

“Flooring is a confusing decision process,” he explained. “That’s why Design For You, our outreach program targeting consumers and retailers, is so beneficial to us at this time. It reintroduces them to the designer aspect of carpeting and the flooring solution that is Anso.” Leary also noted how the use of soft fibers will only continue to grow in the future. “Most of the activity in new introductions is still soft,” he explained, “different degrees of soft, different looks, but still soft. Having said that, the bulk of our sales are still non-soft. I think there is room for both to co-exist.” In Solutia’s booth, Frans Van Oudenallen, director, branding/marketing planning, was very pleased with the quality of traffic at the show. “Everyone knows the economy is mixed. With the global situations such as Iraq and Venezuela confounding everything, we’re pleased with the reaction we’ve gotten from our loyal retail customers as well as some new ones. 

“With our new ad and marketing program introduced in the last quarter,” he continued, “we feel Solutia has re-emerged to a new positioning, ‘You’ll wear out before Weardated does.’ We’ve got new TV and print ads running and from what we are hearing from dealers, the advertising is working.” At DuPont’s booth, Carol Haslach, marketing communications manager, said attendees were very interested in a collection of rugs, featuring Stainmaster, from Soho, Capel and Masland. “We think this collection, targeting specialty flooring dealers, would be a great collection for them to have. The response has been very positive so far. The idea of having a selling system featuring a familiar brand is something retailers like a lot. It just adds another design element to the carpet retailer.” 

3M’s Jeff Hagman, marketing communications manager, explained how the company’s ad toolkit “is a way for retailers to be able to use 3M’s advertising agency—essentially free-of-charge—to create an ad they can use in local newspapers using full-, half- or quarter-page ads. They can also to create billboards and point-of-sale materials. We are just launching this now, and people seem very interested in it.” Rugs Stay Strong After was was described as a healthy Atlanta Area Rug market, several companies rode the momentum into Vegas and enjoyed a strong outing. “We’re very pleased with the orders we wrote here,” said Steve Roan, vice president of Central Oriental. “There was more traffic this year than last. It was very well attended and the folks who came, even the ones who did not order, were very upbeat about this year. I think we are going to have a good year.” Shields Smith, executive vice president of marketing for Mahdavis, said reaction to the company, which until recently dealt only with mass merchants, was “great. In fact, I wish we had a larger booth. This show is important because we gain the added exposure and we would like to get more specialty flooring stores involved in area rugs.” 

The company, considered one of the largest of its kind with looms in numerous countries including India and China, is in the process of setting up a production facility in Atlanta with the first American-made products expected in late spring. These rugs will differ from Mahdavis’ line of all natural products—wool, cotton and silk—in that they will be synthetic. But, Smith said once production is under way, “we can branch off from there.” Smaller firms, such as Bennytex Carpet Mills, also enjoyed a productive show. The company, which featured its shag rug line, did a brisk business on the market’s ground floor. “This is our first year on the lower level and the attendance was great,” said industry veteran, Celia Blum, the company’s newly hired sales consultant, on the market’s final day. “Even though our booth may have been a little hard to find, we’ve had a huge turn-out. We’ve been here the entire time. We were so swamped, I was able to take only one restroom break.” 

Resilient Bounces Back For those who proclaimed the resilient category, especially vinyl, dead in the mid to late ’90s, Surfaces 2003 must surely have been a huge disappointment as mills showed off their wares bearing the latest technological advances and modern stylings to dealers who swarmed the booths seeking to get a leg up on the competition. “The resilient category certainly has a renewed vigor,” said Bob Weseman, Mohawk Industries’ vice president of hard surface, “especially Congoleum. It’s introductions have been humongous.” “We’ve been flooded from the start,” said Dennis Jarosz, senior vice president of marketing for Congoleum Corp. “We’ve had important, positive meetings with key dealers and distributors; we’re showing new products to a great response, and we have been able to preview our summer launch with select customers to get their reactions and input. Overall, the market has allowed us to do what we came here to do.” The company took its popular Durastone and added to its gloss levels for Durastone Classic. 

“People are coming into our booth asking, ‘What’s new?’” said Amtico’s Docker. “They are becoming more aware of design and are starting to understand what we are doing.” What Amtico was doing, was what many other resilient mills were doing—taking advantage of the latest technology available to create products that are more than fashionable, they meet the challenges of today’s demanding consumer for durability and are easy to maintain. For example, Amtico’s Karen Rowe noted how the company is using the most advance printing technology which is “breaking us out of the mold of stock printers. It gets us away from the norm and allows us to be in control to get what we want.” This has allowed Amtico to showcase an array of modern, contemporary and classical styles, including a replica of the floors and pews of a 14th century English church. Domco Tarkett knew it had a good thing last year with its TruTex technology so, this year, the company expanded the innovative surfacing process to more lines across its Domco and Tarkett brands, while the Tarkett Sommer and Nafco divisions launched new and expanded products utilizing proprietory technology. 

Tarkett Sommer unveiled Safe-T sheet vinyl which uses a special slip-retardant component, while Nafco expanded on its two-sided grout process launched last year in Permastone. Domco Tarkett’s Diane Martel noted slip and fall is “a big issue, not to mention environmental issues, and we addressed both of these concerns with our latest products.” Mannington showcased its new partnership with DuPont with the Style and Pace collection featuring the chemical company’s Teflon innovation ( FCNews, Jan. 20/27). “We’ve had a very positive response,” said Mannington’s Holm. “People are touching and feeling the Teflon products and everyone is on board.” “Last year people loved our booth,” said Armstrong’s Galbato, “and this year the excitement level is even higher. People are seeing a total commitment and sustained rhythm of new products and technology.”

In vinyl, Armstrong unveiled its MasterWorks Technology. The rotogravure process, introduced in the Highland Park collection, combines advanced photo imaging with embossed registering. The innovation not only replicates the looks of stone, marble and wood in a more realistic manner, but also fiber. In another manufacturing advancement, Armstrong has combined three techniques in creating Patina. The luxury floor blends multicolored chips with a high-fidelity printing process. This makes for an extremely colorful floor with a 3D visual. The chips are embossed so that they are specific and unique to each pattern. “A true indicator that what we are doing is right,” said Roger Oates, Armstrong’s vice president of marketing, “is to be copied. We have seen numerous other products that replicate what we did last year. So, with these introductions we’ve been able to stay one step ahead.”

Ceramic Sparkles In the ceramic tile segment, the use of mosaics, glass and metal continue to grow as does porcelain, while retailers’ eagerness to learn about the category also seems to be increasing. From large companies such as Daltile to the smaller ones showing their wares downstairs, many manufacturers garnered a huge amount of interest in their products. “The decorative products, the glass and the metal, and the combination of those two materials working together is something people are excited about,” said Crossville’s specialty products manager, Kim Roberts, “as is our Quartzite product which simulates quartzite and comes in a wonderful color palette with many fun sizes to work with. “Also in the Quartzite line, we have everything from mosaics to rectangular pieces used for patterning, borders and insets,” she added. “Everyone who stopped in wanted to touch the products. They like the Quartzite and the reflective quality of the glass. People seem to want more than just tile, they want decorative tile. This is huge now.”

“The first two days of the show have been excellent for us,” said David Hartman, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Florim USA. “We’re rolling out a whole slate of new products. That’s what retailers come to Surfaces to see so we’ve had a very good reaction. “The ceramic category in the past few years has been thriving by replicating natural materials,” he explained. “Most of the technology put into ceramic tile in the last two years has been towards improving the natural stone look. Now, we are starting to see more colors. We’re starting to get away from just the neutral beige tonalities, sometimes neutral but denser colorways.

“Tile as a decorative surface in both floors and walls is growing,” he added. “The housing market has been robust, whether it’s remodeling or new construction. People have been refinancing and been unlocking equity putting it back into their homes. They have been spending on the kinds of products that are going to create the environment they want to live in.” As ceramic tile continues to penetrate the U.S. market, education remains a crucial component in its success. Javier Soriano of Tile of Spain noted, along with increased competition from other countries and value of the U.S. dollar versus the Euro, education is vital. “Our seminar at the show drew more than 100 people. The U.S. flooring dealer and installers want to understand the product better. “Retailers want to know the differences between the types of products now available in the category,” he explained.

“Some believe porcelain is better than ceramic; our position is that it is a different product and should be used properly. “Also, they want to know how to set up their stores and how to display ceramic tile in a way so that it is appealing to the customer. These classes we offer are not just about Tile of Spain, we try to be as neutral as possible. We think it is good for the dealers and makes the show that much more appealing.” With technology allowing companies to do more than ever concerning the look of tile, one company, 3Score, took the opportunity to show some of its laser engraved products. “The show has been fantastic for us. The interest from dealers has been overwhelming. The interior designers really seem to love it too. It allows additional customization to what they could normally do. The ability to take any image from a computer and superimpose it on a tile to create a permanent floor or wall accent has been exciting for people. They see a lot of potential for the process.”

Installation Education When it came to installation, many tool companies as well as associations provided new products and education to anyone interested, of which there were many. “If you can’t find it here, then you won’t find it anywhere,” said Jim Walker, CEO of the International Certified Floorcovering Installers Association (CFI). “When it comes to installation and floor covering, Surfaces is the premier place to be if you want to know what’s happening.” “It’s been a great show,” said Jim Schmid of Install. “The installation community is still a small part of Surfaces, but those professionals who are involved are here, including the tool manufacturers and suppliers. What we are doing is, telling the community what we’re about concerning installation and standardized training. We feel this is a real advantage to both the contractor and the consumer.” “It’s been an incredible show,” said Ben Boatwright of Instabind Instant Carpet Binding. “We saw many people. They are really interested in our product. What our product does is, it allows the installer to bind the carpet without the use of a $5,000 machine. Any installer can use our product right on the job site.”

One of the companies drawing major attention downstairs was Bullet Tools. “The response has been overwhelming,” said Dalen Gunn, president. “We’ve made some great overseas contacts which is one of the things we wanted to do at this show. We are really excited about what we’ve accomplished. We’ve also had a ton of installers stop by.” Gunn’s product, the MagnumShear, what he has dubbed a “VCT cutter on steroids,” is a 20-in. tungsten steel razor blade that is used to drive through wood, engineered wood, laminate, PVC, VCT, leather, cork, rubber, and other products up to 3/4-in. thick. “The number one issue overcome with this device is dust,” said Gunn. “There is none. It sits right on the job. Our slogan is, ‘Cut where you work, work where you cut.’ With this invention, the amount of trips the installer has to make outside to cut products are drastically reduced. Because there is no dust, you are breathing in cleaner air without being forced to go outside.”

One of the biggest areas to attract dealers and educate them on what it takes to perform a quality installation was once again in the downstairs hall where the finals of the 6th National Installation Contest took place. Sponsored by WFCA and a host of companies who donated supplies and materials, the competition is also a way to showcase and honor the country’s best mechanics. As in previous years spectators lined up on the viewing platform to watch the country’s top resilient and carpet installers apply their craft in a spacious area donated by Hanley-Wood. Walker called this year’s finals “the best ever. I say this every year, but every year it just keeps getting better and this year was no exception. The quality of workmanship is truly unbelievable; a sight to behold. These mechanics are true craftsmen in every sense of the word. “What’s even more rewarding,” he continued, “is the high interest level from attendees and the support this event gets from the manufacturers, WFCA and Hanley-Wood.” In addition to WFCA’s contest, attention was focused on an exhibition showcasing the best laminate installers. As with the main event, the interest level among attendees was clearly noticeable as dealers clamored for a good view and discussed among themselves the workmanship they were watching.

“The installation contest is a good success story,” Troop noted, “The WFCA does a great job in organizing this event and we are proud to support it. Quality installation continues to be an issue for the industry and Surfaces is an optimum place for everyone to discuss and show ways to solve the problem. This is just one more reason why there are a record number of installation-related companies exhibiting.” (Editor’s note: FCNews will continue its report on how the industry fared at Surfaces 2003 by looking at reaction and trends from the hardwood and laminate categories, the show’s educational conference and what’s in store for next year’s market.) Educational Focus One of the areas Hanley-Wood, along with many of the exhibitors, continued to put emphasis on was education and training. Troop said the educational conference along with the overall opportunity for training “is a top priority of our attendee advisory council. “They want to learn techniques to be more profitable and run a better business and, through this conference, we are trying to give them tools with which they can take back to their stores and use to achieve those goals.

To help achieve that, this year’s conference featured an entirely new slate of classes, from the pre-Surfaces workshops to the 90-minute sessions during each day of the market. “It’s been very well received,” Troop said. “In fact, we are on par with last year in that nearly 3,000 people will have participated. And, So far, the ratings are coming back at the highest level.” FCNews columnists were able to confirm Troop’s comments as Lew Migliore, Warren Tyler, Kelly Kramer and Scott Perron each played to enthusiastic crowds. “Everyone was so into it I could have spoken for four hours,” said Kramer, who authors the “Retail Education” column. Migliore did one of the three-hour pre-Surfaces workshops and called it “fantastic. It went real well.” Along with Hanley-Wood, exhibitors did their part to inform, train and educate retailers from the extensive Mohawk University workshops that were offered free of charge to attendees to product and installation demonstrations in many booths. Ed Williams, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Mohawk Industries, said the company is a firm believer is educating the dealer so that he is better prepared to help the consumer get the right product for her needs. “That’s why we have Mohawk University and that’s why we bring it to Surfaces. We are constantly trying to find ways to bring more value to the show and helping to educate the dealer is one aspect.”