Tarkett’s Morrison Named Group CEO

SOLON, OHIO—Tarkett’s Glen Morrison has been appointed Group CEO. Morrison will succeed Michel Giannuzzi, who will take over a new CEO position outside Tarkett after 10 years.

Morrison joined Tarkett in May 2015 as president of North America. During his tenure, he oversaw an integration of Tarkett North America’s brands and organizations, helping to accelerate the group’s organic growth and improve its profitability.

Previously, Morrison had gained extensive experience in general management through his five-year role as president of building and construction systems at Alcoa, a global lightweight metals leader.

“On behalf of my family and the board of directors, I am delighted to welcome Glen Morrison as the next CEO of Tarkett,” said Didier Deconinck, chairman of Tarkett’s supervisory board. “His proven leadership qualities and his excellent track record will ensure the continued success of Tarkett’s entrepreneurial story. We know he will uphold our company’s values and we are confident that his leadership will embark Tarkett on a new era of growth. I would like to thank Michel Giannuzzi for his considerable achievements over the last decade, in strengthening Tarkett’s profitable growth, increasing its geographical presence and products’ portfolio as well as positioning Tarkett as a recognized innovative and sustainable leader.”

For more information, visit tarkett.com.

Flowcrete Introduces Interactive Online Hub

SPRING, TEXAS—All Things Flooring, managed by Flowcrete, is a new online hub for B2B decision makers. The interactive site is the one-stop shop for flooring advice, news, ideas and inspiration from industry leaders across the globe. On the site, readers can access the latest industry news, innovative project reports, product updates, exhibition reviews, topical trends and insightful advice from the growing network of enthusiastic bloggers.

All Things Flooring features a range of engaging and informative posts, such as ‘Five Questions With...’ a monthly, interactive post that shares the knowledge and industry expertise built up by members of Flowcrete’s team over many years in the resin flooring industry.

Another popular feature is the ‘A to Z of Flooring’ which provides expert technical updates and problem solving solutions, whilst other posts flag up the latest industry stories and trends to watch in 2017. For example, ‘Three Office Designs with a Difference’, showcases three offices from different locations around the world that promote creative thinking and sustainability while ‘World Day for Health and Safety at Work 2017’ is an educational link that provides employers and employees with handy guidance on how to create a safe working environment.

This helpful, go-to space provides readers with easy to navigate drop down menus, allowing them to speedily select the industry and category of interest. It is constantly updated with inspirational flooring features from experts around the globe and is rapidly attracting interest from those into all things flooring.

For more, call (936) 539-6700 or visit allthingsflooring.com.

Armstrong to Consolidate Wood Flooring Production

LANCASTER, PA.—Armstrong Flooring has announced plans to consolidate its wood flooring production to six of its plants in the U.S., resulting in the closure of plants in Jackson, Tenn., and Vicksburg, Miss.

“This initiative is designed to better align our manufacturing capacity with current customer demand and to leverage productivity benefits realized across our wood flooring operations in recent years,” said Don Maier, Armstrong Flooring president and CEO. “Although this change is necessary due to the natural evolution of the market, closing a plant is always a difficult decision because we recognize the impact it will have on valued members of our team. Our coworkers in Jackson and Vicksburg have produced quality flooring that is used by customers across the country and have supported the development and success of Armstrong Flooring. For that, we thank them and will offer them our support as they prepare for their next opportunities.”

The plant closures will not impact product availability, service or cost to customers. The Jackson plant manufactures exclusively 2”- and 3”-wide solid wood flooring, and this production will be transferred to Armstrong’s other domestic wood flooring plants. The Vicksburg plant produces core veneer and plywood used in production of engineered wood floors at Armstrong Flooring’s Somerset, Ky., plant. Armstrong Flooring will continue engineered wood flooring production in Somerset, with no change in surface veneer suppliers so that product visuals will not be affected, according to the company.

For more, call (717) 672-9611 or visit armstrongflooring.com.

Metroflor Unveils Visualizer Tool

NORWALK, CONN.—Metroflor’s redesigned website features a new interactive feature that enables consumers to gain a realistic view of how Metroflor products will look in room settings. The FlorVisualizer showcases the portfolio of Metroflor brands with the option of exploring them online.

Viewers can choose from 35 on-trend paint colors. Consumers can search swatches of all the plank and tile offerings by brand or collection. The FlorVisualizer zoom function provides a closer perspective to the floor, so plank and tile distinctions and embossings are evident.

“FlorVisualizer provides consumers with the ability to view all of our LVT products in a realistic room setting,” said Gary Keeble, director of marketing for Metroflor. “Then they can save photos onto a project list and share with friends and family, or print out and take into the store when they are ready to buy. It’s a powerful tool for selling Metroflor’s diverse array of LVT options for every area of the home.”

For more, call or visit metroflorusa.com.

Cali Bamboo CEO Named Most Admired CEO

SAN DIEGO—Jeff Goldberg, CEO of Cali Bamboo, has been named Most Admired CEO by the San Diego Business Journal. This is the fifth year Goldberg has been named a finalist and his second time winning. The award recognizes CEOs’ achievements across a wide variety of industries, as they demonstrate leadership and vision within their company and throughout the community.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to receive this award, but it’s the hard work and dedication by all of the team members at Cali Bamboo that gets the job done [every day] and makes all these amazing things really happen,” Goldberg said. “They’re the ones who deserve all of the credit.”

Goldberg founded Cali Bamboo with Tanner Haigwood, executive vice president, in 2004 with $50,000 in capital and a single product—bamboo fencing. They have since kept the company on a strong upward trajectory with inclusion on the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies list year after year. Their greatly expanded product line now includes bamboo, eucalyptus, cork and vinyl flooring, as well as composite decking. Products are sold direct via CaliBamboo.com, at Lowe’s stores nationwide and through select dealers.

Throughout his company’s success, Goldberg remains committed to Cali Bamboo’s original mission—to pave the way toward a more sustainable future through the promotion of renewable resources as viable alternatives to traditional products. All flooring, decking, fencing, and plywood is designed to make use of renewable and recycled materials, thereby preserving old growth forests for future generations and decreasing habitat loss and CO₂ emissions.

In keeping with Cali Bamboo’s mission to do good for the planet, under Goldberg’s leadership, 2016 saw a continued surge of philanthropic involvement and giving in the San Diego community and beyond.

Cali Bamboo marked its 12-year anniversary with a concert fundraiser benefitting four charity partners: Rady Children’s Hospital, Habitat for Humanity, the San Diego Humane Society and Surfrider Foundation. About 400 guests attended the first annual “Green Against the Machine” show held at The Belly Up in Solana Beach, Calif., and raised $10,721 to be split among the four nonprofits.

For more, call (888) 788-2254 or visit CaliBamboo.com.

Floor360 Receives Patriot Award for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve

MADISON, WIS.—Floor360 received the Patriot Award for Employer Support of The Guard and Reserve. Ray Gade, an employee of the company nominated Floor360 for its continued support of his participation in the Air National Guard.

“Ray is a valued team member at Floor360,” said Bob Tobe, owner and CEO of the company. “We will continue to support him and our country by giving him the opportunity to serve in the Air National Guard while remaining a valuable employee who gives back to his community.”

Gade has been employed at Floor360 since October 2016, and his current position is residential and commercial project manager. He began his service with the Air National Guard three years ago, and currently serves as a mechanic who maintains F-16 fighter jets at TRUAX field in Madison, Wis. Gade began a three-month deployment overseas in July where he works on maintaining the same F-16 jets he works on in Madison.

“Serving my country has always been something I wanted to do,” Gade said. “My family has a long history of military service, and I am eager to continue that family tradition while pursuing a career at Floor360.”

For more, call (608) 274-2500 or visit floor360.com.

NTCA Completes First Year of Apprenticeship Program

FLOWOOD, MISS.—The National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) has completed the first year of related content for its Apprenticeship Program. Year one of the two-year online training program is composed of 64 courses that serve as an introduction to the tile industry, beginning with the basics of cutting, mixing and grouting, and moving to surface preparation, underlayment application and other installation processes.

With 500 enrollments for the first year of curriculum, these courses are intended to support contractors in training by serving as a training resource for employees who are new to the industry, or as the related learning for the contractor’s Department of Labor-approved apprenticeship program.

“When we started developing these courses, I knew very little of the actual tile installation process including materials, tools, and all of the steps required before installing tile,”said Becky Serbin, NTCA training and education coordinator. “We worked with experienced contractors and manufacturers to simplify the courses so that someone such as myself, who is new to the installation process, would be able to understand industry terminology, and apply course information on the job.”

The second year of the Apprenticeship Program is under development, and will continue to be announced in six-month increments and be available for viewing and purchase online as each course is completed.

For more, call or visit tile-assn.com.

Cherico Joins Floors & More Buying Group as Vice President

AUBURN, MASS.—Mike Cherico has joined the Floors & More buying group as vice president. In this new role, Cherico’s responsibilities will include recruitment of new members and franchisees, enhancing vendor relationships and programs and leading the members services team.

Cherico brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in the flooring, franchising, buying and technology to the companies. Prior to joining Floors & More, Cherico founded Leaning Local, a grassroots effort to help local businesses grow and leverage digital technology.

“Mike is a proven industry leader and veteran who will increase our scale dramatically and play a key role in executing on our growth strategy,” said Vinnie Virga, CEO and founder of Floors & More. “Mike has a world of experience having run Georgia Carpet Outlet, the Floor Trader, Lighting One, having had a senior role in CCA’s Buying Department —plus we worked together in the past when Mike did an excellent job running the membership recruiting efforts for me at Carpet One & Flooring America.”

For more, call (844) 639-6362 or visit floorsandmore.org.

H.J. Martin’s VandenLangenberg Retires After 46 Years

GREEN BAY, WIS.—Chuck VandenLangenberg, the second-longest tenured employee in the 86-year history of H.J. Martin and Son, has retired from the company after 46 ½ years.

“Employees like Chuck VandenLangenberg have made this company successful and helped it grow to what it is today,” said Edward Martin, president and CEO of the company. “He was a pillar of our residential flooring division for almost five decades. On top of that, Chuck has helped to bring many family members into H.J. Martin and Son who also have made great contributions. In fact, while on a job site the other day, I met his grandson, who is a third-generation employee.”

VandenLangenberg began working part-time unloading tile from boxcars, at H.J. Martin and Son in 1969 at the age of 17 while a student at Green Bay’s Preble High School. After graduating in 1970, he joined the company on a full-time basis in January of the following year. Initially, VandenLangenberg worked in the company’s warehouse, where he cut glass and was a truck driver. Within six months, he began as a residential flooring installer, ultimately becoming the acknowledged top installer at H.J. Martin.

After nearly 30 years in the field as a residential installer, VandenLangenberg was promoted to residential crew coordinator around the year 2000. Using his vast experience as a guide, he initially oversaw a crew of roughly 28 installers, serving as a mentor and coordinating the installer schedule. VandenLangenberg also worked with area contractors and the company’s sales staff to resolve any issues which might arise. At retirement, he served as residential crew manager, overseeing approximately 50 flooring installers.

“I really enjoyed installing,” VandenLangenberg said. “When you go into a home for a remodel job, people are letting you take their house apart, fix it up and it turns out really nice. The most satisfying thing for me, though, was later when I became the crew coordinator, to train people to be flooring installers — and to be good at it.”

For more, call (920) 494-3461 or visit hjmartin.com.

Macdonald Awarded Bruce Newbrough Memorial CIM Scholarship

WEST BLOOMFIELD, MICH.—James Macdonald II from Commercial Flooring Professionals received the Bruce Newbrough Memorial Certified Installation Manager (CIM) Scholarship for the second quarter of 2017.

Macdonald has worked in the family business almost his entire life. He started the commercial division of M&Z Carpets, and he is now co-owner and CEO of Commercial Flooring Professionals, which spun off from M&Z in 2014.

“At CFP we want to always be learning what is necessary to make different floors work,” Macdonald said.

This scholarship, created in remembrance of Bruce Newbrough from Ardex Americas, provides for the entire program costs associated with the CIM Program including application, content and assessment fees.

For more, call (248) 661-5015 or visit fcica.com/CIM.