Wayne, N.J.— Hoboken Floors, the country’s largest hard surface flooring distributor, recently hosted two major events: the East Coast Casino Expo here and an Open House at Gillette in Stadium, Foxboro, Mass., home of the defending Super Bowl Champion, the New England Patriots. With more than 2,000 people in attendance, the “East Coast Casino Open” was held Saturday evening, Sept. 21 at the company’s headquarters here. Representatives from 48 manufacturers attended the event.

With the purpose of the event to show Hoboken’s appreciation to its customers, the evening consisted of dining, dancing and casino-style gambling all under a 16,500 square foot tent. Roulette, blackjack and craps were just some of the games played. Winnings were converted to raffle tickets for use in a prize auction. DVD players, flat screen TV sets and camcorders were among the prizes. “Everything went extremely well,” said Marty Ackerman, Hoboken’s vice president of sales. “The dealers not only had an opportunity to win prizes and purchase merchandise they had the chance to meet some of the mill owners we do business with. All in all, it was a tremendous evening.”

Two of the luckiest winners at the event were Mr. and Mrs. Ray Campagna of Brother’s Carpet in Hackensack, N.J.. The couple won the grand prize, a trip for two to Las Vegas which includes a four-day stay at the Bellagio resort & Spa. “It was a great night,” said Ray Campagna. “Hoboken did it right. There was a lot going on. We had a very good time. The vendors did the right thing and let people know what was available. It was a very informative event as well as a lot of fun.” Hoboken’s “Open House” was held on Thursday, Oct. 10, at the Fidelity East Club Level of Gillette Stadium. More than 1,000 people attended the event and more than 50 manufacturers were represented.

“The open house was a great success,” Hoboken’s Neal Coughlin told FCNews. “It exceeded our expectations. The manufacturers were ecstatic as several said they did not get a chance to eat because of the steady flow of dealers all night long.” “The way Hoboken entertains its customers is second to none,” said Ryan Gancer, general manager, sales Northeast, Armstrong Flooring Products, wood. “This gave us an opportunity to meet many customers from multiple channels in one location.” The open house featured many new products, programs and promotions, along with door prizes and show specials from each participating supplier. “It was a first-class evening,” said Gary Parella of Waltham Floor Covering in Waltham, Mass., who took home tickets to a Boston Celtics game as well as a $250 Best Buy gift certificate. “

As far as the products that Hoboken carries, all the manufacturers were there,” he continued. “Hoboken displayed a new builder line of ceramic tile, a private label program that looked pretty interesting. It featured coordinating floor and wall tiles with different styles and colors. That was good for us because we use it for a large account of ours.” “It was a fabulous outing and a great place to visit,” said Wally Johnston of Johnston Floor Services in Merrimac, N.H., the grand prize winner of club seats to a New England Patriots game against the New York Jets. “The people at Hoboken could not have picked a better place to hold the event. My wife and I enjoyed it very much. It was a big reunion for me getting to speak with so many dealers and manufacturers as well.” —Louis Iannaco