By Louis Iannaco
Expecting more of the same of last year’s gloomy atmosphere, the overwhelming majority of carpet exhibitors at Surfaces were instead pleasantly surprised at what they experienced, riding the wave of increased traffic and growing optimism among attendees.

And show visitors were greeted with everything from new collections and additions to existing lines, as well as more colors and textures than ever before. With the market share of hardwood and ceramic tile down due to the economy, carpet mills were taking advantage, stepping up to meet the challenge utilizing state-of-the-art technology while emphasizing innovation, fashion, design and an ever-sprouting green story.

Beaulieu of America

“We haven’t checked the numbers yet, but I believe they are going to be good,” said Danny Wade, executive vice president of product development, referring to the mill’s booth traffic and orders placed. “It looks like all of our new developments have been well accepted, especially Bliss by Beaulieu SoftSense and Stainmaster with Magic Fresh.”

Patricia Flavin, senior vice president of marketing, who used the term “cautiously optimistic” in describing the mill’s outlook for 2010, noted Beaulieu listened to retailers and consumers when developing its most recent introductions. “We’ve come up with new soft products because the trends have been toward soft. And with our new extrusion equipment, we believe we’ve created the softest carpet the industry has to offer.” Made using the mill’s state-of-the-art equipment, SoftSense is not only billed as a “softer” choice but a “smarter” one as well.

SoftSense carpets are constructed in either filament nylon or solution-dyed polyester and are extruded by Beaulieu to be “super-soft,” Flavin said. There are eight nylon styles that come in textures, friezes and level cut loops from 35 to 50 ounces. Two solution-dyed polyester styles are all friezes and range from 45 to 70 ounces.

For the first time in Beaulieu’s history, the mill is offering a lifetime stain—no exclusions warranty. Additionally, a specially formulated 3M Scotchgard Protector is standard on every SoftSense carpet as well as the mill’s own Magic Fresh odor reducing treatment. Beaulieu has also created an expanded color palette for SoftSense with 48 colors in nylon and 14 tweeds and solids in solution-dyed polyester styles.

Beaulieu and Invista launched an industry-first at Surfaces 2010. Through an exclusive arrangement between the two companies ( FCNews, Jan. 25/Feb. 1), Beaulieu rolled out its new Bliss by Beaulieu Stainmaster with Magic Fresh collection. “This is the first time that Stainmaster and a mill proprietary carpet treatment have come together in one collection,” Wade said. “This brings an exciting collection to dealers by combining two highly successful names: Stainmaster and Magic Fresh.”

Bliss by Beaulieu Stainmaster carpets with Magic Fresh are constructed from Stainmaster Tactesse BCF nylon (five styles) and Stainmaster Luxerell BCF nylon (five styles). Styles include friezes, textures and level cut loops in 35 to 70 ounces. Warranties include XtraLife 10-year wear, 7-year stain and soil, 10-year texture retention and lifetime anti-static.

Dixie Home

Paul Comiskey, president of Dixie Home, said the company was seeing much more traffic than last year. “The mood of those who are here is totally different than from one year ago. Then, you had people wondering where the bottom was going to be. This year, we have people coming in who feel more optimistic about their business and are looking to add to their product inventory.”

Fonseca and Élan were among Dixie Home’s broadloom products that created a buzz. Both of these new cut loop patterns are constructed of BCF Stainmaster ExtraBody II nylon and available in 20 colorways.

Other Dixie Home products that proved to be big hits were Maximum Effect and Montera, both featuring Luxerelle fiber, and Selena, created through the use of new tufting technology.

Dixie’s Masland Carpet & Rugs unveiled a comprehensive collection of broadloom styles ranging from contemporary to traditional patterns and new textures offered in extensive color palettes. Among them, Regent Street, a cut loop Stainmaster Tactesse nylon product, is available in 37 colors. Llanfair, another attention grabber, “is as soft as it is stylish,” Comiskey said. The collection is constructed of BCF DuraSilk PET polyester and comes in 31 colorways.

The Fabrica division offered several new broadloom additions, including Claiborne and Forsythe. Constructed of New Zealand wool, these tufted cut pile patterns are available in nine beck-dyed colorways.

J. Mish

Jack Mishkin, president, said the market was “fabulous, much better than last year. There has been more traffic, more sample placement and more orders for rolls. It has exceeded our expectations.”

One of the products that had visitors “salivating” was Natural Weave, an all-natural heather product. “It has no dyes, no chemicals, no nothing. We’re using pure latex with no excess chemicals and a jute back. It’s a very green, environmentally friendly product. The reaction has been phenomenal.”

Matrix, featuring a traditional woven look, was another popular offering for J. Mish. “We tufted it but invented an attachment on our tufting machine that is exceedingly refined so it really looks like a very low-level round wire woven piece even though it is tufted. It’s the hottest product we’ve introduced in three years.”

Stanton Carpet

Stanton’s booth during Surfaces experienced “a lot of activity and quality attendance,” according to Jonathan Cohen, COO. The main driver for much of the attention Stanton received was its new Sisals by Stanton collection.

Featuring natural sisal and seagrass selections, the line offers “extraordinary texture,” Cohen said. “In the past, we’ve offered a sisal look in synthetic and wool, but these are real sisals. Each pattern is woven to create overall dimension in any given space. They feature amazing durability, thus making them the environmentally obvious choice for sophisticated yet casual style.”

He also noted the collection’s sound absorption, colors and environmental friendliness. “Harvested from natural plant fibers, sisal and seagrass are renewable resources that replenish themselves quickly. They also hold up in areas with the highest traffic volumes, including commercial applications.”