Dixie Acquires Burtco Enterprises

Chattanooga, Tenn.—The Dixie Group has acquired the assets of Burtco Enterprises—a provider of Tapistron CYP soft floor covering and other related carpet products serving the hospitality marketplace.

The purchase price was not made available. In 2013, Dixie reported sales slightly more than $345 million; meanwhile Burtco’s revenues are estimated to be approximately $10 million.

The Burtco division will continue to be led by Elizabeth Moore, previously CEO of Burtco. In addition, Dixie has hired substantially all of Burtco’s employees, including its operations, sales and marketing staffs to operate its tufting facility in Chickamauga, Ga., according to the company.

For more, call (866) 873-2875 or visit thedixiegroup.com.

Invista Promotes Personnel to Grow Stainmaster Brand

Kennesaw, Ga.—Invista Surfaces’ Maggie Bidlingmaier has been promoted to vice president of the company’s residential business. Bidlingmaier joined Invista earlier this year as vice president of the retail channel. Reporting to Dan Haycook, executive vice president, she will be responsible for leading all strategic efforts to drive growth and innovation in the residential business, including capitalizing on the company’s capabilities to build a strong platform to maximize the value of the Stainmaster brand.

T.M. Nuckols will take on a newly created role as Invista’s senior director of product strategy. Nuckols will be responsible for all product development and channel product strategies for residential. According to the company, this new position will help Invista drive faster, more efficient product innovation across all Stainmaster products and channels.

For more, call (770) 792-4221 or visit Invista.com.

Karndean Names Browder CEO

Export, Pa.—Karndean Designflooring’s Larry Browder has been promoted from vice president of retail sales to CEO of the company. Joining the company in 2012, Browder has been instrumental in Karndean’s growth within the retail flooring marketplace.

Coinciding with Browder’s promotion, former company CEO, Ed Perrin, has assumed the position of Group CEO.

“I am immensely proud of what we have achieved in the last seven years,” said Perrin. “The growth we have seen in that time has turned Karndean into a major player in the U.S. flooring market, and I am very confident Larry will continue to take Karndean USA to new heights.

In addition to its management team, Karndean has also made updates to its Find a Retailer service—improving users’ ability to locate and connect with their nearest Karndean retail partner.

According to the company, the service conveniently displays Platinum, Gold and Silver dealers within a 60-, 30- or 15-mile range and highlights Karndean’s nearest recommended retailer. Users also have the ability to sort their search results between distance and partnership level. From there, users can contact their preferred dealer through an online form on the website.

For more, call (888) 266-4343 or visit karndean.com.

Industry Shows Join for Design & Construction Week

Washington—Five design and construction industry tradeshows have signed on to be part of the 2015 Design & Construction Week in Las Vegas, Jan. 18 to 23.

Included in the line up are The International Surface Event, Jan. 20 to 23; Las Vegas Market, Jan. 18 to 22; National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) International Builders’ Show, Jan. 20 to 22; Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, Jan. 20 to 22; and the International Window Coverings Expo, Jan. 20 to 22.

“Design & Construction Week is going to be the biggest event of its kind, offering attendees access to nearly every facet of the residential housing and design industry, all in one city,” said Jerry Howard, NAHB’s CEO. “With education, products, networking opportunities and much more, industry professionals will not want to miss this mega-event.”

For more, visit designandconstructionweek.com.

Tott Retires as Head of FAN

Bellevue, Wash.—Debbie Tott, who has served as the executive director of the Flooring Association Northwest (FAN) for the last 19 years has retired. Replacing her is Tish Gasparich, a business operations professional hailing from Boeing Corp. Gasparich began shadowing and training with Tott for the leadership role in July.

While at Boeing, Gasparich worked in business operations and project management, with skills in customer relations and strategic planning. She executed corporate events and logistics globally for the company and oversaw large-scale executive projects.

For more, call (425) 885-0012 or visit flooringassociation.org.

Mirage Kicks Off Fall Rebate Sale

Saint-Georges, Quebec, Canada—The Mirage Fall Rebate sale is under way and runs through Nov. 29.

During this promotion, consumers get a $.50 per square foot rebate on Mirage Classic, Engineered and Lock products, regardless of species, color or width.

“In fall, many consumers want to put new life into their home. Thanks to the rebate offered on all our flooring during this event, it is the perfect time to save big while enjoying the quality Mirage floors are known for,” said Luc Robitaille, vice president of marketing for Boa-Franc, manufacturer of the Mirage brand.

For more, call (418) 227-1181 or visit miragefloors.com.

Registration Under Way for Domotex asia/ChinaFloor 2015

Shanghai—Registration for the 17^th Domotex asia/ChinaFloor (DACF) is now open. The 2015 show will be held March 24 to 26 at Shanghai’s New International Exhibition Center.

“Color the Success in Flooring” is the new slogan accompanying the 2015 edition, which will be reflected in the trade show’s bright exhibits, as well as the positivity of the Asian construction and flooring markets.

With five halls dedicated to carpet and rugs, four halls dedicated to wood, laminate, bamboo and other hard floors, and three halls dedicated to resilient commercial and industrial floorings, DACF promises to be the leading flooring trade exhibition in the Asian Pacific region and the second largest flooring trade exhibition worldwide, according to show officials.

For more information, visit dacf.cn.

Coverings Anticipating Largest Show Since 2009

Alexandria, Va.—Orlando Fla., will be home to Coverings 2015, which will be held April 14 to 17 at the Orange County Convention Center.

As show officials prepare for a projected 23,000 attendees and 1,000 exhibitors across 400,000 net square feet of exhibit space, Coverings 2015 is anticipated to be the largest show since 2009.

 “At this year’s Coverings, we had the highest re-sign rate in the history of the show, with more exhibitors committing to space onsite for next year than ever before,” said Karin Fendrich, Coverings show director. “We feel this signifies a renewed confidence and revitalization of the tile and stone industry and that Coverings continues to provide valuable opportunities to its stakeholders.”

For more, call (703) 706-8257 or visit coverings.com.

RD Weis Acquires Clean Surfaces

Livonia, Mich.—RD Weis Cos. has acquired the assets of Clean Surfaces. As part of the acquisition, RD Weis will assume all the maintenance and service base of Clean Surfaces.

Larry Burgan, formerly with Clean Surfaces, has accepted a position with RD Weis as manager of operations, reporting to Chris Mancus, regional vice president for RD Weis.

“This is an opportunity that benefits all parties including the client base of Clean Surfaces and allows us to bring new services to clients,” said Randy Weis, president and owner of RD Weis.

For more, call (914) 937-9337 or visit rdweis.com.

Mullican Announces ‘Proud to Be an American’ Winners

Johnson City, Tenn.—Mullican’s Proud to Be an American essay contest paid homage to active duty military and retired veterans.

Three military service members were named winners—Curtis Rhymer, Charles Mays and Terence Propes. Combined they won a total of 3,000 square feet of Mullican wood flooring.

“Mullican is honored to celebrate the accomplishments of these individuals, as well as acknowledge the sacrifices they have made to serve our country,” said Brian Greenwell, the mill’s vice president of sales and marketing. “Each of these individuals has dedicated himself to helping others, on and off the job, and we are pleased to award them with American-made flooring in recognition of their selfless actions.”

For more, call (423) 283-4695 or visit mullicanflooring.com.

CRI’s Yarbrough Meets with Congressional Reps

Washington—Joe Yarbrough, president of the Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI) traveled to the nation’s capital to meet with congressional representatives and the presidents of two allied trade associations on behalf of the organization’s membership.

“While things have eased somewhat since the lows we saw in 2009 and 2010, the carpet industry is still feeling the impact of the distressed housing industry,” Yarbrough noted. “The industry’s strength, however, is exemplified by the billions of dollars CRI member companies have invested in carpet production assets and innovative technologies over the past several years. To help ensure a strong industry going forward, one role of the CRI is to maintain close relationships with our congressional leaders and inform them of the impact that laws and regulations have on this industry.”

For more, call (706) 278-3176 visit carpet-rug.org.

Houzz: Consumers Need Flooring Guidance

Palo Alto, Calif.—The Houzz Decorating Trends Survey of more than 1,700 Houzz users in the U.S. and Canada found that decorating is an ongoing effort for many consumers driven by personal taste and comfort, rather than style trends.

“For most, decorating a home is an ongoing effort. People like to invest in things that last, but continue to update their décor as they discover new items they love, and that add to the comfort and enjoyment of the home by their family,” said Liza Hausman, vice president of community for Houzz.

When it comes to flooring, surveyed consumers listed an expansive list of desired flooring options for the master bedroom, kitchen and bathroom renovations.

“The findings point to the fact [that] consumers are confused when it comes to the types of flooring product available and don’t necessarily understand the products, meaning there is a tremendous opportunity for retailers to properly educate them on the types of flooring they need to fit their lifestyles,” said Hausman.

For more, visit houzz.com.

Editor’s note: For complete coverage of these and other industry news stories visit our website at floortrendsmag.com, where you can also sign up for a free subscription to our daily enewsletter, TalkFloor.