May 26/June 2, 2014; Volume 27/Number 28
Garden City, N.Y.—For the third time in four years—and fifth time in the award’s history—Shaw Industries was voted the industry’s Best Overall Manufacturer in the 18th annual Award of Excellence competition.
It was one of two major awards for Shaw, which also won the Award of Excellence for Environmental Leadership. Shaw has earned the award every year since its inception in 2010.
“These awards are an amazing testament to the hard work of our associates and their dedication to creating a better future for our customers and our communities,” said Randy Merritt, president of Shaw Industries.
“These awards are particularly meaningful because they are based on a survey of customers across the industry,” he continued. “Relationships with our customers are at the core of our success—and every associate has a role to play in ensuring that those relationships are developed and protected through superb service and high quality, innovative, sustainable products.
“Thank you to Floor Covering News for the honor. Thank you to our customers who voted for us. And thank you to all of our Shaw associates for serving our customers well.”
Mohawk Industries won Best Carpet Manufacturer for Group A, one of four awards for Mohawk companies. “At Mohawk, we continue to invest heavily in innovation in the carpet segment,” said Tom Lape,
John Godwin, executive VP, sales and marketing, Shaw Industries, and Piet Dossche, CEO, USFloorspresident of Mohawk Flooring, residential. “We’re pleased that retailers have recognized these innovations in our products, such as EverStrand Soft Appeal carpets with our patented Continuum technology and our SmartStrand and SmartStrand Silk franchises. We appreciate this recognition from our valued retailers, and we will continue to offer innovative carpets that contribute to their business success and to consumer satisfaction.”
Meanwhile, three of Mohawk’s divisions took home first-place honors in their respective categories. Quick-Step won Best Laminate Manufacturer for Group A, Dal-Tile won Best Tile Manufacturer for Group A, and American Marazzi won Best Tile Manufacturer for Group B. Dal-Tile’s victory was its 16th consecutive; Marazzi has won eight times in a row.
Beaulieu America was honored for Best Carpet Manufacturer for Group B. “We’re a family company, so when we get recognition like this for our new carpet like Bliss Perfection, it’s like having members of your extended family—the dealers who voted for us—say, ‘Nice job!’” said Mike Amburgey, CMO, Beaulieu America Residential. “It’s a very special thing for all of us and we are very grateful.”
In the Best Hardwood Manufacturer category, Armstrong won for Group A.
“We are particularly honored by this award,” said Mara Villanueva-Heras, Armstrong’s vice president of marketing, AFP residential. “It’s not only recognition for our hardwood flooring products, but speaks to our relationships with our customers, our service and the value of our brand. We work hard every day to earn their business and loyalty. Over the past few years, Armstrong has implemented a strategy to drive product innovation, maintain a strong consumer focus and support our customers in their success. This recognition validates that we are succeeding. It speaks to the quality of our products, the level of service we provide and our commitment to helping our customers grow their businesses.”
Mannington corporate communications director Betsy Amoroso is joined by Mohawk’s Mollie Surratt, senior director of public relations, and Elise Demboski, VP of creative servicesMirage won Best Hardwood Manufacturer in Group B for the second year in a row. “We would like to sincerely thank the retailers who voted for Mirage as the No. 1 quality hardwood brand in the industry,” said Luc Robitaille, vice president of marketing at Boa-Franc, manufacturer of the Mirage brand. “This first-place award confirms our constant work during the last year in providing retailers with the best quality hardwood flooring on the market—as it has been for the past 30 years.”
Mannington was named Best Resilient Manufacturer in Group A. “What an honor for Mannington to again receive the Award of Excellence for resilient,” said Ed Duncan, senior vice president of residential marketing. “Resilient flooring has been at the heart of our business since we were founded almost 100 years ago. Today resilient includes sheet vinyl as well as LVT, and of course Mannington’s new LVS line. To be recognized as the best in the industry for those categories means so much. We won’t rest on our laurels, though, so people can expect to continue to see Mannington at the forefront of innovation in both manufacturing and styling. Thank you to everyone who voted, and to Floor Covering News and Hanley Wood for supporting this awards program.”
In the alternative wood category, style and design innovator USFloors won the award for Best Cork/Bamboo Manufacturer. “There is no greater honor than being recognized by your customers,” said Piet Dossche, president and CEO. “We are committed to bringing the best products and solutions to our dealer partners and to remain a leader in innovation and sustainability. Cork and bamboo flooring are strong pillars on which USFloors was built and a prime focus for further growth. I thank the leadership at Floor Covering News for this great yearly initiative, which recognizes and highlights the innovation and performance excellence within our industry.”
Sponsored by FCNews and Hanley Wood, proprietors of Surfaces, the Award of Excellence is a way for manufacturers’ customers—retailers, distributors, designers, installers, specifiers, etc.—to honor the companies they feel consistently provide the best service, professionalism of sales force, management responsiveness, value, design, B2B, handling of claims and ease of doing business. In other words, those manufacturers they feel help them the best in running successful, profitable business operations, whether it be a retailer, distributorship, design center or installation workroom.
Mirage’s Chris Thompson and Stan Snyder flank Formica’s Mike HavasReaders of FCNews, as well as other industry personnel visiting trade shows such as Surfaces (and not employed by a manufacturer), voted between October 2013 and the end of March for the companies they felt best met the previously mentioned criteria in eight individual floor covering categories—Carpet, Area Rugs, Resilient, Hardwood, Tile, Laminate, Cushion/Underlayment and Cork/Bamboo—as well as the Best Overall mill and the manufacturer that best exemplified Environmental Leadership.
Ballots were featured in FCNews and readers could mail or fax them back, as well as vote online and at industry events such as Surfaces.
While the category awards were done on a simple, one vote per category/company format, both the Best Overall and Environmental Leadership awards required voters to fill in their choices for first, second and third place. Votes were weighted so that first place was worth five points, second place worth three points and third place one point. Point totals were tabulated and the company with the most in each was named the winner.
As has been done for the previous seven years, individual category winners were selected in two groups based on their sales volume. Also, manufacturers did not pay a fee to be eligible to receive a vote, which has been customary since the first Award of Excellence competition. Any and all manufacturers of floor covering products in the above- referenced categories were allowed to receive votes.
A record number of voters participated this year—an estimated 550 industry professionals—including flooring retailers, distributors, designers and installers.