Many called 2013 “the Year of LVT.” And with good reason: Resilient has been the fastest growing flooring category, and within this rapidly growing segment, luxury vinyl tile (LVT) is thriving (Editor’s note: For the purposes of this article, LVT refers to both luxury vinyl tile and luxury vinyl plank).
As we step boldly and confidently into 2014 it is important to look back at the year behind us. It was philosopher George Santayana who said, “Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.”
Certainly there are exceptions to the rule and we had an opportunity to visit one of those when we were in Philadelphia recently to attend the Greenbuild expo and conference.
The first month of the year is already passed us and so has some of the industry’s major markets and conventions—from the all industry type of affairs such as Surfaces, the Atlanta Area Rug Market and Domotex Germany, to major manufacturers and distributors holding their winter markets around the country, to some of the main buying groups.
More than 10 years ago I stopped making New Year’s resolutions. The reason being is I finally understood that what we know we should be doing and what we can continually gain permanent control over are two different things.
As you read this, the holiday season is over, markets and conventions are around the corner and then shortly thereafter the long winter months. Now is when business slows enough to allow people to catch their breath and make their strategies for the year.
Business leadership and financial benchmarking were a focus of the 2013 North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors (NAFCD) and North American Building Material Distribution Association (NBMDA) joint convention, held this past November in Chicago.
Recessions generally are a time when an industry buckles itself in to weather the storm but within the carpet industry winds of change have been taking place that have altered the landscape to the point where it may never be the same again.
From embossed in-register visuals to locking installation systems, laminate flooring has long been known for its technological innovations. But as the segment has matured the question becomes whether the product can continue to innovate.
