TEE TIME: On Sept. 20, CCA Global Partners will host the Fifth Annual Charity Golf Tournament to benefit the Floor Covering Industry Foundation (FCIF). The event will be held at the Evergreen Marriott Conference Resort in Stone Mountain, Ga., and will include a full day of golf, followed by cocktails, dinner and awards. The tournament has raised more than $500,000 for the FCIF in the past four years, which has helped the Foundation care for the less fortunate among us. In the past 25 years, the FCIF has given more than $3 million to colleagues who have experienced life-altering circumstances. So, play golf, buy an ad in the journal or just make a contribution. You can make a difference. For more information, call Paula at 314.506.0041.

NEW POST: Shaw Industries has named Richard (Rick) Ramirez vice president of Sustainability and Environmental Affairs, a newly created post. Ramirez will manage the strategic development and implementation of the company’s internal and external sustainability and environmental initiatives, including Shaw’s Green Edge. Ramirez joins Shaw after spending 26 years with Celanese Corp., a chemical manufacturer. His position at Celanese: vice president of corporate environmental health and safety affairs/global remediation and real estate. At Celanese, his title was a foot long so his business card had to be folded twice. At Shaw, a single fold will do it.

TRIBUTE: On the subject, Shaw’s Morris Lippert will be honored as the Arizona Floor Covering Association’s (AFCA) 2007 Person of the Year. The date is Nov. 15—mark it on your calendar—the place is the Phoenix Airport Marriott. At the event, there will be another presentation, a plaque will be awarded to Dan Bienenfeld as the founding father of AFCA. The evening will be filled with celebration and nostalgia, so if you’re in the neighborhood, drop in. For more details call Peggy McCarthy, executive director, at 480.596.9076 or e-mail: azam9076@aol.com.

DOUBLE TROUBLE: Earlier this month, Home Depot’s stock, already faltering, was depressed further when the company disclosed a double dose of bad news, according to published reports. The home improvement giant revealed that it may get less than expected for its wholesale distribution unit, and it is lowering how much it will pay to buy back some of its stock. Home Depot said it may change the terms and financing of its agreement for the sale of the HD Supply unit, which it said could lower the $10.3 billion sale price. HD Supply serves contractors, home builders and other business customers. Home Depot reported, uncharacteristically, that profits were down 15% in the second quarter of this year, following a 30% drop in the first quarter. The company’s sales hit $91 billion in 2006.

FLIP SIDE: Warren Buffett, the Omaha Oracle, has no problem with profits. His Berkshire Hathaway, which owns Shaw Industries, announced that second quarter earnings rose 33%; net income reached $3.12 billion from $2.35 billion a year earlier. Revenue rose 13% to $27.35 billion and, get this, Berkshire ended the quarter with $46.95 billion of cash, giving Buffett all the resources he needs to make the big acquisition he has in his sights. Berkshire has substantial exposure to the housing and building cycle, and when that sector exerts pressure on the company, its other businesses—insurance and utility—offset the financial stress. The Nebraska Nabob is positioned to weather any storm. He is a modern-day alchemist who can turn anything into a profit.