You all know wood is the most popular flooring material today. There seems to be no stopping this trend anytime soon, and it is carrying over into the commercial market as well. One statistic I will give you is claims are increasing exponentially with wood flooring material for two reasons: 1) Retailers don't know enough about the product, and 2) People selling the material to retailers don't either. There is a lot of information out there so make it a point to get it and read it.

Believe the stats that carpet is still king of floor covering. Despite all the hard surface alternatives, carpet still wins out for ease of maintenance, comfort, warmth, style, insulation, sound deadening and technology. You'll be seeing more new fibers such as Corterra by Shaw and Sorona and SmartStrand from Mohawk. These fibers combine the benefits of nylon and polyester making a yarn that excels in performance.

More solution-dyed fiber will be making its way into the marketplace not only because it is inherently stain and fade resistant, but it uses less energy to produce. Solution dyeing is done when the fiber is being extruded so there is no water or additional energy used to apply color to the carpet. This also means more and more continuous filament fiber will be used, further helping cut costs because there is less processing involved saving energy.

As business slows, claims increase- more complaints from consumer to dealers, dealers to manufacturers and more resistance from manufacturers to accept full responsibility. A recent call from a dealer on a claim he took all the way to a V.P. who offered to split the labor with him and later rescinded the offer, resulted in the dealer dropping the mill's line and instigating a lawsuit. It's likely we'll hear more tales like this.

The green factor is playing a big part in driving new technology; everybody has something green, real or not. This greening is going to take you down a road you haven't traveled before, and there's going to be a learning curve for everyone.

New products are being introduced with new technologies on a regular basis, and some of these new technologies will challenge the industry. If you're working with a new product don't wait until the job is complete before you step back to take a look at it and get surprised. Be aware before hand, stop and examine the work and product before completion, and if there's a problem you won't have made a commitment you can't get out of. Actually this is a good rule to follow with any job you do.

Statistics from my constant survey of dealers indicate that business is for the most part slowing on all fronts with some exceptions. The commercial market is easing up now. The high end of the business is still fairly strong, but it too is slowing a bit. There's still a lot of work in schools and medical facilities. And, just as with any business cycle, there are dealers who are going like a house afire. One contract dealer friend of mine I spoke with at NeoCon told me he is booked till the end of the year.

You will be creating the statistics for the rest of this year, and only time will tell what they will be. Many of us have experienced several slowdowns in the economy, but this is different than any of us have seen.

Business and our lives are going to change but how much remains to be seen. What is certain, however is that human ingenuity will prevail against all challenges.