FCIdigital December2010 : Page6

® Editorial by JOHN MOORE Editorial Staff Phil Johnson ■ GROUP PUBLISHER johnsonp@bnpmedia.com John Moore ■ EDITOR moorej@bnpmedia.com Arpi Nalbandian ■ ASSOCIATE EDITOR nalbandiana@bnpmedia.com Rick Arvidson ■ SR. ART DIRECTOR Jennifer Allen ■ PRODUCTION MANAGER Innovation Leads the Way to Installation Success Columnists: Michael Hetts, Jon Namba, Mickey Moore, David Gobis, Christopher Capobianco and Ray Thompson. Publishing & Sales Ofﬁ ce 22801 Ventura Blvd., Ste. 115 Woodland Hills, CA 91364 Phone: (818) 224-8035 Fax: (818) 224-8042 For advertising sales information, call (800) 835-4398 Phil Johnson ■ PUBLISHER johnsonp@bnpmedia.com Keith Parry ■ NORTHERN REGIONAL MANAGER (973) 248-6097 Scott Daniell ■ SOUTHERN REGIONAL MANAGER (770) 788-6377 Dan Lipman ■ WESTERN REGIONAL MANAGER (818) 224-8035 x 2206 Sharon Ward ■ INSIDE/CLASSIFIED SALES MANAGER (847) 405-4017 B B Corporate Ofﬁ ce: 2401 West Big Beaver Road, Suite 700 Troy, MI 48084 Phone: (248) 362-3700 Fax: (248) 362-0317 BNP Media II, L.L.C. Corporate Directors Timothy A. Fausch ■ PUBLISHING John R. Schrei ■ PUBLISHING Scott Kesler ■ INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Lisa L. Paulus ■ FINANCE Nikki Smith ■ DIRECTORIES Michael T. Powell ■ CREATIVE Beth A. Surowiec ■ CLEAR SEAS RESEARCH Vincent M. Miconi ■ PRODUCTION Ariane Claire ■ MARKETING Rita M. Foumia ■ CORPORATE STRATEGY DIRECTOR Marlene J. Witthoft ■ HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR Emily Patten ■ CONFERENCES & EVENTS BNP Media Helps People Succeed in Business with Superior Information Audience Development Cassandra Haggard ■ AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR Megan Neel ■ MULTIMEDIA COORDINATOR Kelly M. Carlson ■ AUDIENCE AUDIT COORDINATOR For subscription information or service, please contact Customer Service at: Tel. (847) 763-9534 or Fax (847) 763-9538 or e-mail FCI@halldata.com www.fcimag.com y any measure, 2010 has been a difﬁ cult year for all businesses tied to the housing market, including the ﬂ ooring segment. While a tax credit for home buyers promoted a modest increase in housing sales for the ﬁ rst quarter of the year, the gains fell for the remainder of the year. Consumer credit remains tight despite the massive inﬂ ux of government stimulus money, and the unemployment rate remains alarmingly high. Looking ahead to next year, however, there are some bright spots. Housing starts and both new and existing home sales are predicted to rise moderately next year, according to the most recent forecast by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Interest rates are predicted to remain stable near an all-time low point, making housing attractive for prospective buyers and investors. Meanwhile, household debt levels have reduced considerably, which should allow more borrowers to qualify for ﬁ nancing. These factors point to a better year for the housing sector in 2011, and 2012 is predicted to see an even stronger resurgence. As housing sales rise, so will the work levels for ﬂ oor covering installers, who have faced some of the most difﬁ cult times in recent memory. When the work returns, will you be ready for the competition? If you’re not sure, then you should deﬁ nitely use the down time you have now to prepare by educating yourself on the latest installation techniques, tools and technologies. Despite the recession, manufacturers of ﬂ oor covering installation tools, accessories and materials such as adhesives have continued to introduce groundbreaking new innovations to our industry every year, making the installer’s job safer and easier. However, keeping track of all these new products and differentiating between them is now more complicated. For example, consider adhesive selection; in the past, choices were limited, with more of a one-size-ﬁ ts-all approach for each category. Now, there are speciﬁ c adhesives for each sub category, and manufacturers specify which products to use to a greater degree. Failure to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations to the letter can really cost the installer in the event of a failure. In order to help installers stay on top of the latest installation products, this month Floor Covering Installer presents its annual FCI Spotlight Showcase issue. In this section, leading manufacturers explain in detail about the newest installation technologies that are transforming our industry. We hope that these company showcases will give you ideas on how to work more safely and efﬁ ciently as we head into 2011. On behalf of everyone at FCI , have a happy and prosperous New Year! FCI John Moore Editor 6 www.fcimag.com December 2010

Editorial Comment

John Moore

Innovation Leads the Way to Installation Success. Bby any measure, 2010 has been a diffi cult year for all businesses tied to the housing market, including the fl ooring segment. While a tax credit for home buyers promoted a modest increase in housing sales for the fi rst quarter of the year, the gains fell for the remainder of the year. Consumer credit remains tight despite the massive infl ux of government stimulus money, and the unemployment rate remains alarmingly high. Looking ahead to next year, however, there are some bright spots. Housing starts and both new and existing home sales are predicted to rise moderately next year, according to the most recent forecast by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Interest rates are predicted to remain stable near an all-time low point, making housing attractive for prospective buyers and investors. Meanwhile, household debt levels have reduced considerably, which should allow more borrowers to qualify for fi nancing. These factors point to a better year for the housing sector in 2011, and 2012 is predicted to see an even stronger resurgence. As housing sales rise, so will the work levels for fl oor covering installers, who have faced some of the most diffi cult times in recent memory. When the work returns, will you be ready for the competition? If you’re not sure, then you should defi nitely use the down time you have now to prepare by educating yourself on the latest installation techniques, tools and technologies. Despite the recession, manufacturers of fl oor covering installation tools, accessories and materials such as adhesives have continued to introduce groundbreaking new innovations to our industry every year, making the installer’s job safer and easier. However, keeping track of all these new products and differentiating between them is now more complicated. For example, consider adhesive selection; in the past, choices were limited, with more of a onesize- fi ts-all approach for each category. Now, there are specifi c adhesives for each sub category, and manufacturers specify which products to use to a greater degree. Failure to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations to the letter can really cost the installer in the event of a failure. In order to help installers stay on top of the latest installation products, this month Floor Covering Installer presents its annual FCI Spotlight Showcase issue. In this section, leading manufacturers explain in detail about the newest installation technologies that are transforming our industry. We hope that these company showcases will give you ideas on how to work more safely and effi ciently as we head into 2011. On behalf of everyone at FCI, have a happy and prosperous New Year!

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