The Floor Covering Institute Blog

Like many of you in the industry, I am just returning from the US floor covering show, Surfaces.  Surfaces followed Domotex, the European floor covering show earlier in January, which I attend every year. While sitting at the Vegas airport and thinking over these last two shows, I remembered the article I wrote recently that appeared in Floor Covering Weekly - Jump into the Global Flooring Market. I wrote this article after introducing my client, a Korean manufacturer of carpet tile, to several distributors, logistics providers and buyers in the US market. They were well received by those who understood the opportunity in this segment and the advantage of offering something new to their retailers. My client also attended Surfaces and as I reflect on the great reception they received there, I feel it underscores the point of my article... Participating directly in the global market is a great way for distributors to differentiate themselves and justify their existence. Wholesalers

FCI has just released its latest research paper: The Growing Opportunity in China , a look at China's economy, consumer market, floor covering demand and logistics channels. Researched and authored by Jim Gould , the paper is the first of its kind to offer an overview of China from the floor covering industry point of view. Major sections of this industry paper include: China's rapid economic advancement and the growing consumer market; China's floor covering market; China's retail channel and performance; China's retail flooring channel; The state of China's logistics channel; and Channel options.  Here's a look at a few "fast facts" taken from the paper. Between 1.6 billion and 1.9 billion square meters of new floor space will be needed each year between now and 2025 to accommodate China's urban migration.  This yearly increase is the size of the entire US market.    China's floor covering market was 12.8 billion square meter

Join us this year at Surfaces!  Register for our education classes January 23-26, 2012 -  Las Vegas, Nevada Mandalay Bay Convention Center   Monday, January 23, 2012 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Social Media: How - To for Business Presented by Christine Whittemore Social media tools help flooring and stone businesses extend relationships with customers, however as easy as the tools are to set up, keeping them going can bring you to your knees.  This workshop will teach you how to use these tools so the resources you put into them actually benefit your business. • Identify how social media tools fit into your overall business • Assess your online presence and how to improve it • Explore best practices on how to engage with customers online 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. How to Hire for Success Presented by Warren Tyler New hires represent tremendous risk. Learn what not to ask and what you have to know about prospective employees. There are proven methods that will tell you who this new per