KUDOS: The 4th Annual FCIF Charity Golf Event held Sept. 28 in Stone Mountain, Ga., was a resounding success. Sponsored by CCA Global Partners for the benefit of the Floor Covering Industry Foundation (FCIF), the event attracted more than 150 industry people representing 118 different companies, a 10% increase over last year. The 132 players at the Evergreen Marriott Conference Resort’s Longmont Golf Course enjoyed the awards reception, especially the winners. But the biggest winner was the FCIF, when Howard Brodsky and Alan Greenberg, co-CEOs of CCA Global, presented the organization with a check for $155,000, the largest Stone Mountain contribution to date. The four golf events raised more than a half a million dollars for the FCIF. Our sincere congratulations and deepest gratitude to CCA Global.

TEAMWORK: At day’s end, the golfers gathered at the reception, resplendent with food and drink, to pay homage to those who excelled on the links that day. The first place team included Chris Touchton, Ty Miller, Lee Phillips and Sam Collins, all with ITEL Laboratories. The second place team comprised Jay Kopelson of Mannington Mills; Ralph Boe of Beaulieu of America; Jim Gould of CCA Global Partners, and Tom Lape of Mohawk Industries. Other honors went to Chris Rogers of DalTile for Straightest Drive; Ralph Boe for Closest to the Pin, and Dennis Mohn of Alloc for Longest Drive. Larry Nagle played and he achieved things for which there are no prizes: Furthest from the Pin and Shortest Drive.

DISASTER: John Woolsey, vice president of marketing for Anderson Hardwood, called to report a fire at the company’s Clinton, S.C., plant. He said the blaze broke out at 7 p.m. on Tuesday (10/10) while running a full night shift. Everyone got out of the building safely and no injuries were reported. They believe the fire was electrical in origin and probably was started when a light ballast failed. Woolsey said 60% of the plant was unaffected by the fire, but it did destroy the veneer storage and plywood pressing areas. No inventory was lost and the volume is being made up at other plants. Woolsey said there will be no disruption of service as they are still manufacturing, shipping and receiving. “Dealers and distributors needn’t worry,” he said, “everything will be up and running by Monday.”

CERSAIE WAY: The recently concluded Cersaie, the International Exhibition of Ceramic Tiles held in Bologna, Italy, established records in three important categories for the event. This being the 24th edition of Cersaie, it seemed fitting that attendance over the five days was the highest ever, 90,949, a 2.7% increase over 2005. Then, there were 26,411 foreign visitors, a 6.8% boost over the previous year. Of the 1,060 exhibitors, 214 were foreign companies from 32 different countries, which helped spike foreign attendance. The third record is unusual, and interesting: The number of journalists and information professionals went over 600 for the first time in the show’s history—604. This is a barometer of the escalating interest in ceramic tile worldwide. Next year Cersaie will celebrate its 25th anniversary from Oct. 2 to 6, 2007.

TRUE STORY: If you haven’t met this guy, you must have met someone like him. He’s a Hollywood producer and he received a script titled, “The Optimist.” He called his staff together and said, “Gentlemen, I believe you will agree that this story is a great one, but the title must go. It’s got to be changed to something simple. We’re intelligent and we know what an optimist is. But how many of the morons who will see this picture will know that he’s an eye doctor?”