November 10/17, 2014; Volume 28/Number 11
By FCNews staff
TISE EAST: Hanley Wood Exhibitions reported that The International Surface Event East (TISE East) posted excellent results in its first year, with 185 exhibiting companies covering over 50,000 square feet of booths and displays. The event, held Oct. 19-22 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, drew attendees and exhibitors from over 50 countries, a strong indicator of the industry’s need for an East Coast buying event. Local attendance was solid, with participating business owners from more than 30 cities in the surrounding Miami areas, according to Hanley Wood Exhibitions. “The International Surface Event East attracted a completely new audience compared to our sister event in Las Vegas. It translated into new business for our exhibitors,” said Dana Teague, vice president of Hanley Wood Exhibitions. “Our goal from the very beginning was to create a unique trade show experience that allowed attendees to take full advantage of educational offerings, certifications and networking, in addition to the exhibits and buying opportunities.”
MOHAWK GROWS: Mohawk CEO Jeff Lorberbaum recently stated the mill is investing $500 million in its existing businesses in a bet on an improving economy. “The economy is doing better,” he told the Chattanooga Rotary Club. “It just hadn’t rebounded as fast or as much as what we had thought. Next year, we’re hoping it’ll be better than 2014.” Among the investments will be a U.S. LVT plant as the demand for that product continues to grow. The company is also building an LVT plant in Belgium. Virtually all of Mohawk’s recent investments, including acquisitions of Marazzi and Pergo, have been on the hard surface side. Beginning as a U.S. broadloom producer, Mohawk now has a product mix of 40% carpet/ rugs. Nearly a third of its business is now international.
NAFCD SUPPORTS: The North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors (NAFCD) is supporting Habitat for Humanity by creating awareness of Habitat’s ReStores and the two organization’s shared values of community involvement, housing opportunities and environmental stewardship. Many NAFCD members already support Habitat through local or national partnerships. NAFCD is encouraging all of its members to join the effort by donating materials and products to the Habitat ReStore in their trade area. Habitat promotes the reuse and recycling of materials. NAFCD members can also educate their associates and customers about Habitat’s mission of building homes and changing lives in communities across the nation as well as the purpose of Habitat’s ReStores.
CERSAIE UP: Attendance at Cersaie 2014, the international exhibition of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings held in Bologna, Italy, in September, again topped 100,000 visitors, according to organizers. For the first time Cersaie opened its doors to exhibitors of wood, marble and natural stone. The 2014 show hosted 945 exhibitors (45 more than in 2013), including 339 non-Italian companies (+37) from 38 countries. It also attracted total attendance of 100,985 visitors (+0.2%), including 46,599 international visitors (46.14% of the total). Numbers of international visitors increased (+4.1%) to 23,363. The media was also well represented with 578 journalists (+3.39%), two fifths of which came from outside Italy (235 journalists).
MAYOR SABOSIK: Former Starnet chairman Bob Sabosik won his bid for mayor in recent elections in Point Pleasant, N.J. Sabosik, owner of commercial floor contracting firm M.E. Sabosik, topped incumbent Democratic mayor William Schroeder by a vote count of 3,390 to 1,884.