New York—Following a one-year hiatus,
Mannington Mills has climbed back on top of the mountain as it was won the coveted Best Overall Manufacturer in the Award of Excellence competition, which is sponsored by Floor Covering News and the
World Floor Covering Association (
WFCA). This marked the eighth time since the competition began in which Mannington received top honors.
Taking home the Best Overall Runner-Up was
Shaw Industries, an honor it has won six times.
In addition to winning the top award, Mannington walked away with the most honors—four—a feat it has accomplished numerous times since the Award of Excellence began.
Along with Best Overall, Mannington was recognized as Best Resilient and Best Hardwood manufacturer as well as being the Runner-Up in the Ceramic category.
“It’s is extremely gratifying to be recognized by our customers in the Awards of Excellence,” said Kim Holm, president of Mannington’s residential business. “We are honored to have been named in three categories as well as regaining the Best Overall award. Our thanks go out to everyone who took the time to vote—your support is appreciated.”
Betsy Amoroso, Mannington’s community and public relations manager, added, “We are thrilled to have won so many awards, and, of course, are especially excited about once again holding the Best Overall honor.
“And it truly is an honor,” she added. “Thank you,
FCNews and the WFCA for sponsoring such a highly regarded competition. Of course, we don’t do what we do ‘just for the awards’ but they are such rewarding recognition of all the day-to-day hard work put in by everyone who works with and for Mannington. It means a lot to us all.”
The Winners Are...
As noted, Mannington and Shaw took home the Best Overall and Best Overall Runner-Up, respectively. Taking home the individual honors were:
• Carpet: First, Shaw; Runner-up,
Mohawk Industries;
• Area Rugs: First, Shaw; Runner-up, Oriental Weavers;
• Resilient: First, Mannington; Runner-up,
Armstrong World Industries;
• Hardwood: First, Mannington; Runner-up (tie),
Anderson Hardwood Floors and Armstrong;
• Laminates: First,
Wilsonart; Runner-up,
Quick-Step/
Unilin, and
• Ceramic: First,
Daltile; Runner-up, Mannington.
Floor Covering News and the WFCA started the Award of Excellence 10 years ago as a way for manufacturers’ customers—retailers, distributors, designers, installers, specifies, etc.—to honor the companies they feel consistently provide the best Service, Professionalism of Sales Force, Management Responsiveness, Value, Design, B2B, Handling Claims and Ease of Doing Business. In other words, which manufacturers they feel help them the best in running successful, profitable business operations, whether it be a retail operation, a distributorship, a design center, or an installation workroom.
Since the competition began in 1996, approximately 750 companies have received at least one vote.
“The WFCA is proud to co-sponsor the annual Award of Excellence program with Floor Covering News,” said
Christopher Davis, the organization’s president and CEO. “WFCA is committed to enhancing quality in our industry and this competition is designed to recognize and reward quality.”
From October 2005 through Feb. 31, 2006, readers of FCNews, members of the WFCA as well as any other industry personnel not employed by a manufacturer, voted for the three mills they felt best met the criteria in the six individual floor covering categories—Carpet, Area Rugs, Resilient, Hardwood, Ceramic and Laminate—as well as the top three Overall companies. Votes were weighed on a 3-2-1 basis; first place equaled three points, second two points and third one point.
Following this year’s voting period, the points were added up to determine the top two companies in each category and Best Overall.
To honor the top two vote getters, FCNews and the WFCA held a gala ceremony here in which executives from the mills flew in from around the country to see how their companies fared.
