Shaw Industries Breaks Ground on New Nantong, China Manufacturing Facility

Shaw Industries broke ground today on a 20,000-square meter carpet tile plant set to open in one year. Following on the heels of the May opening of Shaw Contract Group's third showroom in Asia, in Beijing, the new manufacturing facility will afford customers quicker access to a wider range of completely recyclable, PVC-free products.

The new facility marks a major investment for the company, and will employ the latest manufacturing technology. The plant is located 100 kilometers from Shanghai, close to highways and ports with access to other markets in Asia."With this investment in Asia, we are taking another step toward becoming a local brand across the globe," said Jeff Galloway, Director of Global Operations. "

In addition to continuing to work with our extensive dealer network across the continent, and opening showrooms or sales offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Singapore, manufacturing close to our customers will enable us to nimbly offer the widest array of products available immediately in the range of options that our customers expect - without waiting 6-12 weeks for shipping from the U.S."

From Home to Office, Armstrong Flooring Shines in ADEX Awards

For those that prefer the look and feel of stone to wood, Armstrong's new Alterna Reserve premium groutable tile earned both an ADEX Gold and Silver. Alterna Reserve mimics the appearance of quartz, travertine stone and slate in three patterns, including Cuarzo,Win a $1,500 a Rebate with Mirage Floors. Classico Travertine and Moselle Valley. The luxury vinyl tile line is also available in 32 different variations so that home owners can find a style that complements the rest of the room's design.

Moving on to offices, stores and other places of work, Design Journal presented Armstrong Commercial Flooring with Silver, Gold and Platinum ADEX Awards for its Rejuventions sheet vinyl flooring line. With its realistic stone visuals, the Rejuventions Gaya product earned Silver, while Rejuventions Origami grabbed Gold thanks to its stylish homespun tweeds and vibrant ink accents. Receiving the highest praise was the Rejuventions Wood Envy product, which collected an ADEX Platinum for its unique wood-grain appearance.

Armstrong Commercial Flooring was also honored with an APEX Gold for its Natural Creations Flight Path luxury vinyl tile, which is particularly well suited for executive offices and upscale retail spaces. Featuring nest-like woven visuals, Flight Path is designed to offer businesses a durable, modern-looking floor that can easily be worked into irregular spaces with different tile combinations.

Win a $1,500 a Rebate with Mirage Floors

The Mirage Summer Contest will give consumers the opportunity to win one of five $1,500 rebates applicable toward the purchase of 400 sq. ft or more or Mirage flooring. To enter, consumers can simply visit a participating Maestro Mirage dealer and look for the QR code on the contest poster in the Mirage display. Scanning the QR code with a smart phone will bring them to the contest website, where they will be asked to fill out an entry form. No purchase is required to enter. Consumers have until September 1, 2012 to enter.

Mirage prefinished hardwood floors are synonymous with superior quality, beauty, and durability and guarantee product consistency, added value, and lifelong good looks. Mirage epitomizes attention to detail and the desire to create a product in perfect harmony with its environment. For nearly 30 years, Mirage has been committed to operating in an environmentally responsible manner in order to ensure sustainable development for current and future generations.

The most important test is how well the flooring will hold up through years of foot traffic. To simulate, a machine scrubs the flooring up to 500 times. Testers also evaluate how well the flooring resists stains and whether sharp objects will scratch it. And you don’t want the sun to fade your floor, so testers place flooring in a machine and expose it to ultraviolet rays. The Wicanders Corkcomfort ran into trouble.

Joinery manufacturer moves to bigger premises thanks to funding

A FAMILY-OWNED joinery manufacturer has moved into larger premises and won a contract with John Lewis, thanks to funding from a UK bank.MWC, based in Cirencester, has moved to a 54,000sq ft unit which will be the base to manufacture retail shop display equipment and to distribute its new, environmentally-friendly range of bamboo products.The products include flooring for John Lewis, which is being sold at 28 of its homeware stores across the UK.The company has moved to its new premises, in Swindon, with support from Clydesdale Bank's Gloucester Financial Solutions Centre (FSC).

MWC will retain its head office in Cirencester.It currently employs around 70 staff and is looking to recruit more for the joinery area of the business.Director Lisa Wooldridge, who works alongside her father, managing director David Bowers, and brother Jonathan Bowers, said this was an exciting time in the history of the company."It made business sense to move our manufacturing operation to one site because it is more efficient and we have made a number of financial savings," she said.

Furniture Manufacturing Relationships Build Growth."The new factory is big enough to cope with all the different strands of the business which now includes supplying a range of Moso bamboo flooring products to John Lewis."They have been really enthusiastic about the new range, which is now available in their stores, and we're starting to see orders coming through.John Cary, business partner at Clydesdale Bank's Gloucester FSC, said the company had entered the bamboo market at the right time.

Furniture Manufacturing Relationships Build Growth

It is a strategy that has worked well for the Holly Springs, NC-based firm. Founded in 1995, OFM has had 17 continuous years of growth contracting with OEMs in Taiwan, China and Mexico for its products, says Abel Zalcberg, company founder and chairman of the board."In the beginning, it was a matter of balancing the dollars and costs," he says of the decision to import products and not produce domestically.That situation is slowly changing with the recent addition of OEMs in North Carolina to manufacture the company's new profile tables and tops for mesh base conference tables, says Blake Zalcberg, CEO. However, he adds, OFM continues to maintain close relationships with its foreign manufacturing partners.

"With the globalization of the economy, it's foolish to close any doors."OFM Inc.OFM stocks more than $4 million in finished goods inventory. The company has 33 product categories, with an estimated 3,600 SKUs available for next-day delivery. To ensure the manufacturing quality of the furniture and accessories, OFM implements strict control measures, both overseas and domestically. According to Blake, 5 to 10 percent of all product brought to OFM's 124,000-square-foot warehouse facility in North Carolina is routinely checked for overall quality, tolerance and consistency.

"The brand is OFM and we have exclusive rights for the items," Abel says of the company's strict standards for its products.OFM offers 33 categories of products, including: chairs, cubicles, tables, desks and accessories, as well as GREENGUARD certified items. According to Blake, an estimated 3,600 SKUs are maintained by the company."We proactively purchase product to ensure we have everything in stock," adds Barbara Zalcberg, president and co-founder.In determining the company's inventory, Abel says OFM has devised a purchasing formula based on the lead time on the water, plus the lead time for the manufacturer and usage for that period.

NEOCON To Feature Showrooms From 20 Exhibiting Companies

“The overall theme and guiding force in the marketing and promotion of this year's show is ‘Think Big.' NeoCon is a mecca, a destination and place where big ideas come to life. We're certainly challenging ourselves to think big as we develop show components and programming that appeal to an international audience,” said Mark Falanga, MMPI president and CEO.Ways engineered hardwood floors are manufactured. “We are thrilled to welcome the world to Chicago and look forward to working with our international manufacturers and attendees.”

The Merchandise Mart's permanent showrooms feature a vast array of International manufactures and will welcome newcomer, German-based, CP Furniture Systems Inc. during NeoCon on the 10th floor in Suite 10 - 166. CP Furniture Systems Inc. enhances the Mart's already diverse collection of internationally-based showrooms including Vitra (Switzerland), TONON (Italy), Sandler Seating (U.K.), Allermuir (U.K). VS America (Germany), Andreu World (Spain) and Haworth, which carries many Italian lines in its Haworth Collection including Cassina, Castelli, Cappellini, and Poltrona Frau. All together, NeoCon will be the only place to see the latest and greatest from American-made products to innovations from countries such as China, Hong Kong, Korea, United Kingdom, Canada, Singapore, and Brazil.

While NeoCon historically has drawn exhibitors and attendees from across North America, the show has expanded more and more into the global market each year. The Taiwan Furniture Manufacturers' Association and Korea Pavilions will return once again. Each of these pavilions showcases more than 1,000 square feet of exhibitors and features a few newcomers, along with returning companies expanding their presence at NeoCon.