MARV-ELOUS: Marvin Berlin, the quintessential retailer whose accomplishments are renowned and celebrated, was elected to the World Floor Covering Association Industry Hall of Fame as the only 2009 inductee. The honor is eminently merited, albeit posthumously, for his countless contributions to the industry’s retail community, his innovations to maximize performance of multi-store operations and his unparalleled philanthropy, unbounded generosity, to worthy causes. His mark in this industry is legendary, his achievements are epic, and his legacy will long be remembered. While at the helm of New York Carpet World, he began with two stores and deftly expanded to a chain of more than 250 units in 17 states. He may be emulated but never duplicated. Marv Berlin was unique and singular and will now enter the pantheon of industry icons. Well done, old friend.

SHUTDOWN: A sign of the times: Home Depot is closing 34 Expo Design Centers and 14 other specialty stores and cut 2% of its work force or 7,000 jobs. The Expo stores were launched in 1991 as an experimental concept and it was decided to call it quits because their profits plummeted dramatically at the end of last year, into negative territory. Management said the Expos lost $50 million in 2008 and project an $80 million loss this year. CEO Frank Blake said, “Our core business is $8 billion smaller than it was just two years ago, and we expect additional pressure in 2009.” Plans are to close the stores by early April.

HELP WANTED: The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) is searching for a fulltime, paid president to “oversee the organization and its operations.” That’s the easy part; the tough part is the president must report to the board of directors and its chairman. Just kidding. A search committee has been formed and hopes to present a candidate to the board for approval by mid-May. The president will also be responsible for administering an annual budget of about $4 million, developing and implementing a long-range strategic plan, and overseeing the management team. Relocation is not required. If you’re interested, submit a confidential cover letter with salary requirements and a resume to iicrcpresidentsearch@iicrc.org.

STATS: It’s interesting to see how different segments of our industry view the economy, its direction and its ills and cures. Things change from moment to moment. Home Depot is chopping thousands of jobs and the IICRC is creating one. The North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors (NAFCD) posts a Question of the Month and learns what its members are thinking and how they are affected by various conditions and coping with current problems. Its most recent question: “When do you expect to see a major change in the economy?” Answers: 32%—mid to late 2009; 37%—early 2010, and 31%—mid to late 2010. That’s pretty close, but the 37% group carried the day.

PITT STOP: Shaw Industries is contributing its recyclable Anso nylon carpet to Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation, which was launched in December of 2007 to build 150 affordable, sustainable homes in New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward for residents ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. The first six homes have been completed and 10 homes are under construction. All 150 homes in the project will be supplied with Shaw’s Anso carpet. Pitt and the Foundation embrace the Cradle to Cradle design philosophy. “Make It Right is not only providing deserving families with houses built under the guiding principles of safety, affordability, sustainability and high-quality lodging, but the organization is paving the way for other low-to middle-income communities to also make sustainable building choices,” said Rick Ramirez, Shaw’s vice president of sustainability and environmental affairs.