LAS VEGAS—With “A Brand New Day” as the backdrop for Show-Case 2009, officials at Preferred Brands, parent company of the Floor To Ceiling (FTC) and World of Floors buying groups, decided quite a while back they wanted to focus on the positive aspects and opportunities that may lie ahead. And considering the current economic conditions, the company was extremely pleased with the turnout.

“Prior to our meeting, I was pretty concerned about our attendance and what morale would be,” said Steve Sindlinger, president/CEO of Preferred Brands. “But we were down about 10% over last year and, all things considered, I was thrilled by that number. The people who came are obviously the ones who are committed to making their businesses right and doing what it takes to be successful. They are at the heart of our strategic plan to address today’s tough business conditions and prepare us all for the opportunities that lie ahead.

“For the most part, I believe the morale of the show was the best we have had in years. Everything went off without a hitch, everything from our speakers to our presentations to our programs.”

Denny Johnson, owner of Floor To Ceiling in Fergus Falls, Minn., was impressed and inspired with the upbeat mindset. “Not one person had anything negative to say. They were all serious about learning and sharing, and that’s exactly what they spent their time and energy doing.”

A number of new services were announced at the show. The biggest of these was InFlo, the Preferred Brands package of services to its members. It includes basic services at little or no cost as well as enhanced services and programs that comprise new operating and communications systems for members and their customers. In short, InFlo is an integrated flow of services that includes:

• One-stop-shopping access to new and existing services—This single point of contact will also serve as an informative Intranet site keeping members abreast of the latest developments at Preferred Brands.

• Connectivity of the services through shared data files means members can easily transfer their data files from one service to the next. This eliminates time- consuming data entry and reduces errors.

• The InFlo site can easily be expanded to handle new services as they are developed.

Some of these services are existing and some are new, Sindlinger told members, “but they are well thought out and founded on the premise that information is power. When implemented in your store, they will bring value to your business.”

Another highlight of the show was the new Spectra operating system, FTC’s user-friendly software designed to provide everyday store operations solutions. “Spectra is Web-based so it is accessible from any computer,” Sindlinger said. “It includes a job costing process that provides visibility into the specifics of an order like never before, and links seamlessly to QuickBooks.”

Other initiatives introduced included Media-Rite, the group’s new advertising program; Market Builder, a cutting-edge communications program, and Showroom, a video learning series that allows sales associates and management access to information on a host of subjects.

“This was the best FTC Showcase I’ve attended,” said Tiffany Gomes, president/CEO of Classic Design Floor To Ceiling in Lodi, Calif. “They have created many new avenues to help us increase profits: easy and effective marketing campaigns, improved warranty programs, thank you referral programs and customer surveys, a new operating system, sales training, a professional print shop and exciting new products, especially the private-labeled cabinet collection by Kathy Ireland. It really is a lot of opportunity that’s created just for us.”

Mike Weisgram of Country Carpet & Flooring in Pierre, S.D., said while attendance was down, “FTC did a very good job with the show, and I liked it being toward the end of a week so I did not miss as much store time as usual markets cause. I need to visit some kind of market each year to get some fire in my belly and see new product. Seeing fellow dealers is always good, and getting fresh perspectives on products and selling strategy is very helpful.”