ADIEU: The 21st edition of Surfaces is history. It was a successful event, bordering on phenomenal when you consider the economic climate and the depressed state of business that surrounded it. And perhaps the glory that it achieved this year was a fitting salute and farewell to Surfaces at that venue— Sands Expo & Convention Center. Surfaces 22 will be held at Mandalay Bay from Jan. 25 to 28, 2011. Think of room reservations now, so you won’t be sorry while you’re on the long cab line in the early morning.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Flooring computer software developer RFMS is seeking 200 retailers who currently use QuickBooks and want to volunteer as beta testers for its Interact 2010. The new program, due out in June, is completely interactive with Quick-Books and allows dealers to supplement the accounting program with the RFMS operating system designed specifically for flooring stores, including product catalog, scheduling, estimating and more. It even looks and feels like QuickBooks, making for an easy and profitable learning curve. RFMS wants retailers to be certain it hasn’t missed anything before fully releasing the software, because “It’s software you built.” Anyone interested in volunteering should visit interact411.com or email mebstein@rfms.com.

RETAIL SALES: The National Retail Federation (NRF) forecasts that U.S. retail sales will increase 2.5% this year. It made the projection as part of its Retail Sales Outlook report, which excludes sales by auto dealers, gas stations and restaurants. Those exclusions make the 2.5% growth look better, but you realize you’re treading water when you learn retail sales fell 2.5% in 2009. Factor this into the equation: The NRF estimates import volume at the nation’s major retailer container ports will jump 25% in the first half of this year versus 2009. First half container volume is forecast at 7.4 million 20-foot equivalent units, up from 5.9 million. The prediction said June volume will jump 36% higher than June 2009; February would rise 30% over the previous year; April will be 27% ahead of last April, and May’s volume will grow 26% over May 2009. NRF doesn’t track exports, but we know we’re way up in that department so the increase in imports is more than offset. Things are getting better.

GREEN IS GOOD: The World Floor Covering Association ( WFCA) spares no expense, time or effort to keep its members abreast of green energy and environmental design changes and current additions. As an update to its 2008 edition, the organization in conjunction with Washington, D.C.-based law firm Crowell Moring, has launched the 2010 Green Flooring Primer, which includes a consistent, detailed introduction to the updated LEED assessment program to help members better understand which of their products and practices may be characterized as “environmentally friendly.” The primer is an exclusive WFCA-member benefit and is only available in the document center of the “Members Only” section on WFCA’s Web site wfcapro.org. Lucky members.

ERRATA: Fred Arnowich of Redi-cut Carpets & Rugs in Westport, Conn., informed me that his father, Ira, who died last June, was omitted from our annual Passings feature that appeared in our last issue. That never happened before and will never happen again. Three people were inadvertently excluded from the article: Ira Arnowich, 76, who spent 50 years in the industry in manufacturing, distributing and retailing; Stewart Worden, 86, a retailer in San Diego; Spokane, Wash., and Portland, Ore.; and, Carl Williams, 67, who founded the Academy of Textiles & Flooring in Whittier, Calif. I lament the egregious error for all three, but especially for Ira Arnowich, who was a close and dear friend.