TO THE RESCUE: Second on Forbes’ list of the 400 richest Americans with personal wealth of $50 billion, Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, parent company of Shaw Industries, has come to the rescue of the financially troubled Goldman Sachs. Buffett, one of the world’s best-known and most successful investors, has bought at least $5 billion of Goldman’s preferred stock and got warrants to buy another $5 billion of its common stock. Goldman Sachs is one of the survivors of the credit crisis that paralyzed the housing industry and brought down other investment giants. Berkshire Hathaway, with assets of nearly $278 billion, will earn 10% with Goldman’s preferred stock, which can be bought back at any time at a 10% premium. And the warrants allow the purchase of common stock at $115 a share any time over the next five years. Buffett is betting the U.S. financial system is not about to collapse—and I’m betting on Buffett.

TOUGH SURVEY: Two-thirds of Americans say their households have cut back on spending in the last 12 months, according to a recent study. Cut backs, not limited to lower income families, included: 68% have cut down on dining out (58% of those with $75,000+ incomes); 62% cut back on entertainment; 58% have reduced their spending on clothing and accessories; 55% have cut down on travel and vacations; 50% have lowered their spending on gifts, and 44% have cut spending on technology products. The survey also showed that most people are shopping close to home, avoiding extended motor trips in order to conserve gasoline. This bodes well for the neighborhood floor covering store.

WHAT’S UP, DOC? The Doc Awards, that’s what. Solutia has announced the judges for the 2008 competition, an annual event that honors outstanding achievement in the field of contract interior design. The judges are: Wayne Braun, IDSA, principal, Planning Design Research Corp., Houston; Janice Linster, ASID, CID, principal and founding partner, StudioHIVE. Minneapolis; Katie Michael, IIDA, NCIDQ, associate, Gensler, New York, and Wendell Salvador, IIDA, CID, senior associate principal, Rothenberg Sawasy Architects, Los Angeles. This year, Solutia will continue a tribute introduced last year in the Doc Award competition, the Designer’s Choice Award. Events will be held around the country— Atlanta, Boston, Minneapolis and Denver— where designers will judge the product entries by the same standards as the main contest. Results will be announced at a press luncheon on Dec. 3 in New York City.

SMART MART: AmericasMart Atlanta has launched its new and unique Transportation and Warehousing service, offering its exhibitors door-to-dock product shipping, storage and delivery at guaranteed lowest prices. AmericasMart Logistics made its debut at the July Atlanta International Area Rug Market when it secured volume pricing for its exhibitors by putting freight carrier Yellow Freight & Roadway Transportation under contract. The program offers complete trade show services: LTL, deferred air, Next Day, 2nd Day, 3rd Day, truck load, van line, flatbed, Hot Shot, local and international transfer. If you plan to exhibit at the January 2009 market, get more information at AmericasMart.com.

TOP JOB: From Prince Street to Easy Street. For the second year in a row, Bentley Prince Street, the California carpet manufacturer, has been named one of the Best Places to Work in Los Angeles in 2008. Sponsored by the Los Angeles Business Journal, the award “identifies, recognizes and honors the best places of employment in Los Angeles County.” Bentley Prince Street won in the large business category (250 or more employees) and, its president, Anthony Minite, pointed out, “[this honor] is truly the result of the passion and commitment of all our Bentley Prince Street associates as we work together to pioneer a new model for sustainable manufacturing.”