In late September, Winn Everhart was officially introduced as the new president and CEO of Tarkett North America, succeeding 15-year Tarkett veteran Eric Daliere, who held the position of president and CEO of Tarkett Sports and Tarkett’s North American flooring division since 2020. Everhart, who previously served as president of Whirlpool’s North American operation and president and general manager of Coca-Cola’s Philippine operations prior to that, brings 20 years of experience in leading major consumer brands and managing large-scale operations, both in the U.S. and internationally.
Although he is a newcomer to the flooring industry, he has a working knowledge of the building/construction industry, and he possesses the foundational leadership skills and fundamental business insights essential for success—all traits that will certainly come in handy in driving growth, innovation and strategic initiatives at Tarkett North America.
“I am truly honored and excited to be a part of the Tarkett North America team at such a pivotal time,” Everhart, who earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, stated. “I am eager to continue driving our momentum forward on the strong, new path that has been well established by my predecessor and our wonderful team.”
Reginald Tucker, FCNews executive editor, recently spoke with Everhart to discuss his onboarding at Tarkett, his perspectives on business, his early plans for the company and his outlook for the flooring business moving forward.
Following are excerpts of that interview.
Welcome aboard and congratulations on your appointment. You’ll find, I’m sure, as you get around that the people are very receptive and helpful in terms of helping you along the knowledge curve.
People have been very receptive so far and very welcoming. I even had some competitors reach out and want to connect as I’ve joined industry associations and different groups as well. It’s been a very good onboarding process five weeks in, and I just can’t say enough good things about the positivity and culture of the team and where we’re headed as an organization.
Looking at your background history…20-plus years in leading major consumer brands and managing large-scale operations. There’s certainly a lot to be said for the experience you’ve amassed over that time span. What are some of the leadership skills in particular that you plan to apply at Tarkett North America?
One of the experiences I’ll share is I grew up in a family-owned textile operation. My grandfather started a business in Bristol, Va., that made children’s clothes, boxer shorts, you name it. The company employed about 500 people at its peak. But from an early age, my brother and I were able to really understand what it meant to be in general management and be a leader of a business. And that one day you’re the head of HR and the next day you’re the head of sales and then the day after that the head of operations. That’s when you learn that no job is too small.
The experience also teaches you to think about the larger, bigger strategy and vision that you need to set for the team. And I learned that by watching my grandfather and father, and I was very fortunate in that aspect of growing up in my formative years.
After school, looking back on my 17-plus years in the Coca-Cola system, you really think about how do you identify opportunities and then how do you make sure that [what you’re doing] connects with that consumer. Then you’re able to tie the thread entirely through the highest-level strategy to the lowest level of execution. That’s something I think for sure I’ll be bringing on top of just the general management and leadership aspect of what takes place. It’s about being able to put together a good product innovation roadmap and processes and really connect with what that consumer and/or customer needs in the marketplace.
More recently, looking at my Whirlpool experience and working in a very industrialized, capital-intensive operation, you quickly learn how to make sure you’re making smart bets as well as smart resource-allocation decisions and that you need to be correct two or three years down the road for it to hit and for it to be very sustainable. And that for sure is something that I take from my experience with Whirlpool and those experiences on how to make sure you really understand the return on investment, the resource allocation and that you’re good about saying yes to things but that you’re also just as good about saying no and really prioritizing and focusing those resources. Those are the three big buckets of leadership traits and skills I see that I’ve learned over the years.
What are some of the parallels that exist between brands such as Whirlpool, Coca-Cola, etc., and major international businesses such as Tarkett?
All three companies have a long, storied history when you think about it—over 100-plus years in most all the companies and/or categories in which they play. In meeting the teams, visiting with the customers, visiting the manufacturing locations, I see a tremendous sense of pride. Everyone shares that legacy and that strong history and pride in what they do. That’s something that is very consistent when I look at my experiences both in Coca-Cola and in Whirlpool. In addition, all three companies have very strong corporate cultures—cultures defined by people who want to compete, who want to win and do what’s right for the customer. It’s the culture that gets me most excited about the team that I’ve met so far and their willingness to learn and win and really compete.
You’re entering the floor covering space during a particularly challenging time where we’re seeing a softening housing market, a pullback in consumer spending on some big-ticket items and large purchases like renovations. So you’re coming in a period where, as someone who’s leading a large manufacturing organization, you’re going to have to address and overcome some of those challenges. What were some of the major challenges or obstacles you had to overcome in your prior positions that prepare you for a seemingly unrelated industry like flooring?
Anybody who managed a business during the COVID-19 pandemic, I would argue, is ready for any obstacle that arises. COVID-19 taught us a lot about how flexible our teams are, how agile our supply chains are (or not), as well as how do we think about making sure that we have really assessed the risk in our operations and business. So when you talk about the future and when you talk about the marketplace—and who knows what the next six months or six to 12 months might look like—I think having managed through COVID-19 teaches you to learn how to triage, how to really focus the teams, the resources and on those things that really matter. I tell the team all the time that I want to be good at a few things versus mediocre at a lot of things. And for sure in times of challenges and times of crisis, in times of unrest, that’s when a lot of companies can really gain the most share. That’s when a lot of companies can really sharpen their execution capabilities and actually get even healthier and better as a company so that when you do come out on the other side, you’re in a much better position than when you entered it.
Personal character also comes through during a time of crisis, right?
Exactly right. There it is. I always say culture eats strategy for breakfast, and I think we tested that several times during the pandemic for sure.
You stated earlier that you’ve met various principals and counterparts at other manufacturers and industry associations as you assimilate into your new role. What are some of the other steps you’re taking to get up to speed on the floor covering industry?
First and foremost is just listening. I believe that when you spend time with your teams—those on the support side as well as on the front-facing (sales) or operations side—you can learn a lot about the business. There’s the time I devote throughout the day to learning the product, learning the industry, learning the category and all the different components of the different categories and businesses. You have to treat it in that structured way so you can connect what you heard and what you experienced when you saw it, but then also marry it up with the technical aspects of what you’re learning relative to the category and the industry itself.
Also, I think spending time with our customers is invaluable and helps me develop a real understanding of their experiences with Tarkett. And then the final piece is spending time with the consumer, the end consumer—what are they seeing and what are they experiencing and understanding? It all comes back to listening. I really do treat it like I’m going back to school or back to college, if you will, and it’s a new subject or a course that I’m taking.
I’m humble enough to know I don’t have all the answers and that I’m going to rely on my team to help provide feedback and guide the answers. At the same time, I’m also confident enough in the understanding that I can quickly learn and can help simplify some of the complexities and the confusion that may exist in the organization and bring it to another level. That’s been my secret recipe, my secret sauce, if you will, in moving all over the U.S. as well as internationally across different categories. That’s something that I’ll continue to do with Tarkett.
Drilling down to the specific operational issues…Tarkett recently sold its Diamond W distribution arm to Big D Floor Covering Supplies, a full-service wholesale flooring interest. As a manufacturer, does this signal Tarkett’s commitment to focus 100% on the manufacturing side of the business?
In a word, yes. Diamond W did a fantastic job establishing Tarkett in the Southwestern markets. But as we’ve grown, the decision was made to focus on our core competencies and what it is to be a world-class manufacturer. And so that divestment allowed us to really focus on manufacturing and delivering to our customers and consumers, while allowing another great partner, Big D Floor Covering Supplies, to really take on the responsibility of distribution in those markets. We are committed to leading the industry in design, performance and service, and the model we’ve evolved into works best for Tarkett going forward.
Your appointment, if I’ve tracked the chronological order correctly, makes you the third person to lead Tarkett’s North American business since 2019. That’s several leadership changes in a relatively short time span. Flooring is a fairly insular industry in terms of executives being appointed to leadership positions of large organizations. What’s your message to the industry as far as consistency and leadership is concerned and your commitment to stay with Tarkett North America to ensure its success?
What I would say is I view the legacy that I’ve inherited and the ability to sit where I now sit as an honor. If it weren’t for those previous leaders, I wouldn’t be here and I wouldn’t have this incredible opportunity. In fact, I had spent quite a bit of time with my predecessor, Eric Daliere, before he left. I can’t say enough good things about the work he has done and the work the team has done the last three or four years to really stabilize Tarkett. It’s all about putting the customer back in the center of everything we do and delivering on that promise.
All businesses go through an inflection point and all businesses have an opportunity to grow and change and evolve. For me, coming into this point in time, I’m just really excited about the foundations and the fundamentals that the team has been able to put in place around the customer, around the product innovation roadmap as well as around the operations of our business. It’s an exciting time to take the reins and continue the legacy and the advancement that all the previous leaders have done, but most importantly within the last three or four years.
Based on what you’ve learned so far about the North American flooring market, what’s your outlook for the business given the current state of the U.S. economy?
I’m very bullish. Coming from my previous role at Whirlpool, I spent a lot of time looking at construction/builder markets, commercial, you name it. When you think about some of the latest macro events, whether it’s the higher interest rates, you think about COVID-19, you think about how the last five or seven years have played out, it hasn’t been a normal cycle relative to new construction, remodeling, commercial. Will there be opportunities and downturns? Potentially, yes. But at the same time, I am also very positive as inflation comes down and we return to a more stable supply chain relative to what we’ve experienced over the last four to five years. As we continue to focus on that innovation that our customers are looking for across all the different channels, there is a lot of upside and opportunities to grow.
