The trade association serving the natural stone industry, The Marble Institute of America, (MIA) said it is mobilizing its membership to help stone workers displaced by Hurricane Katrina find new jobs. The 1,300 member, Cleveland based organization is also raising funds for the victims. In addition to an initial $5000 contribution, MIA has vowed to match any relief donation made by one of its staff members. In addition, it has also expanded its website www.marble-institute.com to include a "Hurricane Relief." area created to help affected members and their employees find other members who have volunteered assistance.

Mannington Mills, Inc. and Tarkett Commercial said they have entered into a new joint venture to manufacture resilient tile at an existing Tarkett Commercial manufacturing facility in Houston. The two floor covering companies said the new venture, Texas Tile Manufacturing LLC, will replace a current joint venture between the two companies, making the Houston facility one of the largest VCT plants in North America.

Morris Horwitz, a co-founder of A&M Carpet in Fresno Calif and a respected figure of the floor covering business for more than five decades, died Saturday, Sept. 3, at the Community Living Center in Fresno where he had been living since suffering a stroke three years ago. He was 84.

Baseball great Cal Ripken, Jr., is set to give the keynote address at the National Wood Flooring Association's Convention in Baltimore next year. The former Oriole shortstop and future Hall of Fame member is scheduled to present "Keys to Success: the Ripken Way" during the keynote session on the second day of the April 26 - 29 meeting. NWFA says it expects the 2006 meeting to be the largest ever, with more than two dozen education sessions, demonstrations and speakers, and more than 600 exhibits showcasing an array of products and services in the Wood Flooring Expo.

Amid the chaos and heartbreak in New Orleans and other Gulf Coast areas ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, the National Association of Home Builders says the disaster is expected to have far reaching implications for those involved in home construction. A preliminary report issued by NAHB says "the number of homes destroyed by this catastrophe is almost certain to dwarf the losses from any previous U.S. natural disaster." While the trade group is anticipating heavy demand for services offered by its members, it cautions that a ripple effect will be seen in the supply and cost of building materials including concrete and wood.

National Floor Trends announced that it is using the bulletin board on its web site as a nerve center for those who want to share and gather information related to the crisis in Gulf Coast States.

Urging consumers to view flooring through the prism of memory, Shaw Industries has announced the launch of a major national consumer advertising campaign in leading shelter publications.

In a deal that stands to significantly enhance Shaw Industries' position in nylon carpet, the company said it has agreed to acquire Honeywell International's U.S. nylon carpet fibers business. Included are three nylon fiber manufacturing plants as well as the Zeftron nylon and Anso nylon brand names. In addition, the two companies agreed to a long-term deal that calls for Honeywell to supply Shaw with raw materials. Shaw will also acquire Honeywell's 50 percent stake in a recycling plant in Augusta, Ga., that was closed two years ago but is expected to reopen. Terms of the deal, which is expected to be finalized before the end of the year, were not disclosed.

In a move likely to put further pricing pressures on carpet manufacturers, BASF Corp. said it will increase the price for polymers used in the manufacturing process. The Florham Park,

The National Association of Floor Covering Distributors (NAFCD) said that beginning in 2006, it will expand its annual meeting to include an exhibit area designed to facilitate more interaction between suppliers and NAFCD members. The first "Distributor Marketplace" is scheduled for October 2006 in conjunction with NAFCD's 35th Annual Meeting in Indian Wells, Calif.