BEING FRANK: That’s Frank Hearst, who has been the Northeast United States and Canadian regional manager for Columbia Flooring for the past eight years. He has just resigned from that position to accept the post of northern regional manager for Scandian Wood Floors. Hearst spent his entire career in the floor covering industry, starting with a five-year stint as a distributor salesman and then on to Mannington Mills where he performed 24 years of distinguished service. He will begin working with Scandian on June 23.

CHINA-MITE: Construction expenditures in China are expected to increase 11.6% annually through 2010 and will reach more than $700 billion. In real terms, spending will grow at a 9.7% annual rate. Driving the demand for construction are an expanding domestic economy, sustained strength in foreign investment funding, healthy demand for Chinese manufactured goods, and further population and household growth. Residential building activity will advance at a 9.1% annual pace in real terms through 2010, fueled by government efforts to boost average per capita living space and private home ownership. As a result of government reform efforts, the percentage of homes privately owned has risen from 72% in 1995 to 87% in 2005, and by 2015 it will be more than 95% of all units. Maybe that’s why the Domotex asia/Chinafloor market is growing in size and importance.

ANIMAL ACT: Century Tile in Lombard, Ill., has won a Silver Telly award for its commercial “Gone to the Dogs.” At the 27th Annual Telly Awards, the winning ad follows the thoughts of three house pets as they inform their owner of her need to update her home’s flooring. Airing in the Chicago market for the past year, the commercial uses humorous animal “actors” and witty pet “voices” to attract the audience, which it did successfully in traffic and sales. The ad was created by Cantele, Sedivy & Associates Advertising in Wheaton, Ill. Century Tile, in business 58 years, has 12 stores in the Chicago area. The Telly Awards receives entries from all 50 states and five continents. Congratulations to Century Tile for receiving such a prestigious award.

MILESTONE: Advanced Adhesive Technologies ( AAT) like Floor Covering News is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Partners Benny Wood, CEO, and Howard “J.R.” Burchett, CFO, started the business in Dalton and is now expanding with recent building and adjacent land purchases that have more than doubled the company’s existing space. A new 28,000-sq.-ft. facility houses new offices, research and development facilities, installation lab and training center. After two successful decades, the partners have named Gregory P. Wood the company’s president. He has been with AAT 14 years and worked in all phases of the operation, from product development to sales and marketing. The next 20 years are now in his hands—Benny and Howard can just coast.

JOINT VENTURE: The Oriental Rug Importers Association (ORIA) and AmericasMart, the nation’s leading area rug market, have joined to host a silent auction in conjunction with the summer market in Atlanta, July 16 to 19. The auction will feature 20 to 30 exquisite, hand-knotted rugs donated by ORIA members. The bidding on the large-sized area rugs will be listed significantly lower than wholesale value. All proceeds will go to ORIA’s Charitable Fund, which will benefit children, specifically those affected by global disasters and to support programs aimed at improving the health, welfare and educational enrichment of needy children and their families in the world’s major carpet weaving districts. A noble cause and a worthy effort by ORIA and AmericasMart.