Jacksonville, Fla.—Cain & Bultman Inc. unveiled a new brand logo, marking its first change in more than 60 years. The design honors the company’s heritage by incorporating the “C” from founder J.A. Cain’s signature while adopting a more modern aesthetic.
“We wanted to refresh our branding to reflect our renewed commitment to providing highly desirable products and a second-to-none customer experience,” said Kirk Sandifer, CEO. “The new brand logo exemplifies the spirit of our people who are always striving to be great partners to our customers and suppliers.”
The Southeast flooring community will begin to see the new branding across websites, merchandising and publications starting today.
“The new logo is a tangible way to show the importance we place on service at all levels and on offering products with compelling value well into the future,” Paul Walker, president of Cain & Bultman, added.
The Trump Administration announced new tariffs on a host of products, including wood and laminate.
Most imported laminate flooring, engineered flooring and hardwood/ plywood had been exempt from tariffs under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act—a provision in U.S. law that allows the President to impose tariffs or other restrictions on imports that threaten to impair the national security of the United States. However, effective Oct. 14, the U.S. imposed separate “reciprocal tariffs” of up to 20% on those product categories, depending on the exporting country.
In a proclamation published by the Trump Administration on September 29, the President cited the results of an investigation led by the Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick. Specifically, the report found that wood products are being imported into the U.S. “in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the United States.” Furthermore, the Secretary recommended actions under Section 232 to adjust wood product imports. The goal is to ensure these imports do not threaten U.S. national security.
In the proclamation, President Trump wrote: “The Secretary found that present quantities and circumstances of wood product imports are weakening our economy, resulting in the persistent threats of closures of wood mills and disruptions of wood product supply chains, among other things, and diminishing the utilization of production capacity of our domestic wood industry.”
Trade group backs import tariffs
Organizations like the Decorative Hardwoods Association (formerly the Hardwood Plywood Veneer Association), is encouraged by the Trump Administration’s move on hardwood imports. According to Keith Christman, DHA executive director, subsidized plywood from Asia that has been “dumped” in the U.S. market has negatively impacted U.S. manufacturing facilities and is eliminating thousands of jobs in rural communities around the country. He cited the recent closure of the Roseburg Forest Products hardwood plywood mill in Springfield, Ore., as another wake-up call that underscores the need for tariffs to prevent dumped and subsidized plywood from Asia. DHA estimates underpriced plywood from Asia represents 80% of the U.S. market.
“It’s some comfort that the reciprocal tariffs now apply to these products, but the rates are not high enough to level the playing field,” Christman said, noting that these reciprocal tariffs could go away with the upcoming Supreme Court decision. At the same time, he said an ongoing Section 232 review by the administration could lay the groundwork for additional duties on a broader range of wood products.
Suppliers chime in
Hardwood flooring suppliers who were willing to go on the record with FCNews said they prepared for what’s coming. “In anticipation of the upcoming tariffs, we’ve significantly increased our U.S. inventory levels to the point that we don’t plan to increase any prices in the near future,” said Bill Schollmeyer, vice president of sales for R&J Flooring Supply, the U.S. distribution arm for Denali Hardwood, which is produced by a family-run manufacturing operation in Vietnam. “Given the volatility and inconsistency of the various tariff policies, we’re simply going to continue with business as usual and work from our existing inventories. It’s our hope that the tariffs being considered across our entire industry would be implemented with strategic, long-term planning so that our customers—and the consumers—are not subject to constantly changing flooring prices.”
Other impacted companies include Stanton, which sources its hardwood and laminate flooring from suppliers in Southeast Asia. Tariffs ranging from 18% to 20% now hit the region, adding to an existing 8% duty. Jamann Stepp, senior vice president of hard surfaces at Stanton, said the company plans to pass a portion of the increases to its customers while absorbing some of the costs. Because Stanton focuses on the high end of the flooring market, he’s hopeful that consumers in this segment won’t resist the higher prices.
Then there’s True Touch Floors. The company produces its MonoTech engineered wood floors in China, one of the countries most impacted by the Trump Administration’s actions. Co-managing partner Josh McGrane had hoped the product’s unique construction and materials would qualify for an exemption from the new reciprocal tariffs. That was not the case, as MonoTech will see an 8% increase. However, McGrane noted that the company’s traditional hardwood flooring imports will not see a price change at this time.
Although the company issued notices to clients informing them of an impending price increase on MonoTech as a result of the latest tariffs, McGrane said the company has ample stateside inventory to help defray some of those costs. “All our distributors have plenty of inventory now, so they have a little bit of a cushion,” he said. “We’re well stocked.”
Future tariffs on wood imports
Ongoing tariff battles between China and the Trump Administration could lead to future tariffs on wood imports. The latest increases may only be the beginning as trade tensions between the two countries continue to escalate.
“It’s something that we’re watching,” McGrane said. “China is still the best for skilled labor. It’s still faster than Vietnam, China has more ports and it’s more accessible. Bottom line is they need us and we need them, so I trust our respective governments will work it out.”
Dalton—The World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) released a new “Tuesday Tips” this week. In the series, WFCA experts present short video tips for improving customer service and optimizing staff performance. In the end, it’s all about understanding the importance of doing 100 things just 1% better than your competition.
In this week’s Tuesday Tip, Tom Jennings shares why customers remember experiences—not displays. Samples alone don’t sell style any more than a box of crayons creates art. It’s your presentation that makes the difference.
In today’s flooring industry, relationships are everything—they’re what this industry was built on. They connect us, strengthen us and ensure our collective success. The Floor Covering Education Foundation (FCEF) was created to address many of the challenges facing our industry, with a primary focus on one of the greatest: the shortage of new, qualified, skilled flooring installers.
But for our mission to succeed long-term, it takes more than training programs and funding—it takes people.
FCEF has developed a complete, ready-to-launch framework that works directly with community colleges and high schools across the country. These programs introduce students to the trade, provide hands-on instruction and connect them with real-world career opportunities. But the success of these efforts depends on one critical factor: local engagement from flooring dealers, installation companies and employers. Without that, the programs can’t grow—or last.
Supporting FCEF doesn’t always mean writing a check—although financial support remains essential. But there’s another equally important way to make a difference: through relationships. Your voice, your time and your willingness to engage are powerful tools that cost nothing but mean everything.
The first thing we’re asking is simple: contact us and be part of the effort in your local community. Email me directly at kwhitener@fcef.org to connect with FCEF today. By sharing your contact information, you’ll enable us to reach out when new training programs launch in your area or when we need local support for upcoming grants.
These letters of support don’t require any financial commitment. They simply show that your business and the local flooring community recognize the need for quality training. By signing one, you help us demonstrate to funders that there is real industry demand and a long-term commitment to sustaining these programs.
FCEF is also here to help you connect with colleges and high schools offering flooring installation programs in your area. We want you—our dealers, installers and workrooms—to become visible representatives of the local flooring community. Your presence at these schools, whether as a guest speaker, mentor or employer partner, shows students the real opportunities available in flooring.
Relationships don’t cost money; they simply take time to respond, engage and show interest. Yet their value is immeasurable.
FCEF already has students successfully training in installation programs across the country. These students are eager to find their first employer—someone who will continue to guide their skill development as they begin their careers. We need dealers and installation companies willing to step up and offer that next level of opportunity.
And as we continue to expand our partnership with the SkillBridge Military Program, trained veterans transitioning into civilian life will soon be ready to enter the flooring industry.
You are an essential part of FCEF’s success. With your help, we can continue to move this mission forward. Let’s keep growing together, one
Kaye Whitener is executive director of the Floor Covering Education Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting recruitment, training and retention of floor covering installers. For more information, email kwhitener@fcef.org.
(Editor’s note: Following is the latest installment of a multi-part series featuring Mohawk Edge retail partners who signed on to become Edge Aligned Stores members. This segment focuses on the benefits that membership provides for Absolute Floor Covering of Grand Rapids, Mich.)
Sarah and Jamie Van Tuinen, co-owners, Absolute Floor Covering, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Absolute Floor Covering has been a valued and loyal Mohawk retailer partner since its inception in 2019. Based in Grand Rapids, Mich., the specialty flooring dealer is dedicated to delivering top-quality customer service.
In 2025, Absolute Floor Covering took its partnership with Mohawk to a new level by signing on as an Edge Aligned Stores member. This move opened up the retailer to a host of benefits that have not only raised the dealer’s profile in its local market but also enhanced its ability to service its customers.
Following are some of the benefits Absolute Floor Covering is currently enjoying as an Edge Aligned Stores member:
Showroom lighting solution
Edge Aligned Stores members can take advantage of merchandising aids to help showcase Mohawk flooring samples in the “best light” (literally) to consumers. One tool is the showroom lighting solution, which allows customers to view samples under different temperature lighting. This gives consumers a better idea how the product might look once it’s installed.
“What’s so great about this lamp is you can actually put your flooring selection under the light and you can play with different shades to make sure it’s going to work in the homeowner’s space,” said Sarah Van Tuinen, co-owner of Absolute Floor Covering. “There are different types of light—natural, warm, cool, etc. We use the lamp in the showroom to narrow down the options to the clients’ top three choices that they want to see during their in-home consultation.”
For Van Tuinen, the lighting solution also doubles as a design element in her store. “It’s just a beautiful accessory in my showroom,” she said. “It’s sleek and black and has the Mohawk logo on the lamp shade. Plus, it’s really fun to play around with it. We have clients who really appreciate seeing the different tones under different lighting conditions. I love it!”
Dealer locator priority
When you’re a small, privately owned floor covering store in a very competitive market, you need all the tools you can muster in the daily battle to stand out from the pack. Absolute Floor Covering not only competes head-to-head with other local specialty dealers in the area, but also large home centers that draw high-volume, walk-in traffic. That’s why it’s so important to reach potential customers online—the starting point for many shoppers who often begin their purchasing journey on the internet.
That’s where the benefit of priority placement on Mohawk’s Dealer Locator tool comes in. As an Edge Select retailer, they wouldn’t normally be listed as the top result in their zip code, but by virtue of its status as an Edge Aligned Store, Absolute Floor Covering’s website gets the priority spot.
“If a customer in our area clicks on ‘find a retailer’ on the Mohawk website, our business is shown first,” Van Tuinen explained. “What the dealer locator does for us is it presents our store as a recommended Mohawk-aligned retailer and it lets potential clients know that when they come in here, they’re going to have a great shopping experience. Once on our website, the consumer sees that we have a nice showroom and product samples and they are invited to come visit us.”
Tuinen shares how helpful this is to a small, family-owned operation. “They really do a good job highlighting our store. It provides that extra exposure for a small, mom-and-pop store like us among the big dogs in town.”
Co-op, marketing support
Another benefit Edge Aligned Stores members enjoy is increased co-op. How it works: The more qualifying Mohawk products retailers purchase, the more co-op funds they earn—dollars that go toward marketing and advertising efforts. In Absolute Floor Covering’s case, Van Tuinen applies a portion of those ad dollars to subsidize other adjacent programs and tools Mohawk offers. “Mohawk set it up so you can use your co-op to help pay for Omnify-powered websites—which is extremely helpful for us,” she explained. “The additional co-op funds really make a difference in our overall marketing strategy.”
Van Tuinen also plans to take advantage of other valuable tools and programs available to her as an Edge Aligned Stores member. For example, she recently placed an order for a high-tech Roomvo kiosk she plans to use in conjunction with the popular visualizer. In addition, she enjoys the support she receives from her local rep as well as the white-glove concierge service available only through Edge Aligned Stores. Down the road, Van Tuinen also plans to enroll in the RSA training program, Edge Academy Experience, which officially launched earlier this year.
“They’ve set it up so that when you invest in Mohawk through their programs like Edge Aligned Stores, they help you in return,” she said.
Pathway to partnership
Most successful specialty floor covering retailers have been at it for many years—even decades in some cases. Some achieved longevity leveraging their position as members of a larger buying group, while others prospered by continuing in the tradition of generations of family ownership. Jamie and Sarah Van Tuinen, the husband-and-wife owners of Absolute Floor Covering, an up-and-coming retailer based in Grand Rapids, Mich., took a slightly differ-ent path to achieve their objectives.
After a lifelong career as a floor covering installer, Ja-mie Van Tuinen decided it was time for a cool change and opened a retail store in 2019. With Jamie’s hands-on installation skills and project management experience—combined with Sarah’s book smarts and penchant for marketing—the couple took the proverbial leap of faith SolidTech sells well at and opened up a small store Absolute Floor Covering. in an industrial area of the
city. “When we first started, we had a very small showroom, probably 100 square feet, which was built into our 1,200-square-foot warehouse,” Sarah recalled. “We tried to make it as cute as we could and then we started calling dis-tributors and manufacturers [to open up accounts]. A lot of people laughed in our face in 2019. They told us we needed to get a proper showroom. They would not open us up.”
SolidTech sells well Absolute Floor Covering.
Undaunted, Sarah continued to work the phone lines, calling on any and all vendor reps who would listen. It was then that Mohawk answered the call—both literally and figuratively. “Our Mohawk rep at the time heard our story, saw our vision and felt our passion for the business,” Sarah recalled. “He opened us up and he got us some samples. Mohawk gave us a shot, and it changed our lives.”
Solon, Ohio — Tarkett earned nine honors for marketing excellence, taking home five MarCom Awards and four dotCOMM Awards.
Tarkett’s iQ Optima campaign earned Platinum—the top honor—in both international competitions. Its message, “Never Refinished. Always Restored.,” highlighted the product’s ability to maintain a like-new appearance with minimal effort. The campaign featured a facilities worker dancing with a dry buffing machine, showing how effortless maintenance can be with floors that never need refinishing.
The company’s Every Step Matters campaign also earned Platinum in the MarCom Awards. The initiative promoted Tarkett’s ReStart recycling program. The Johnsonite Millwork Wall Base launch received the same honor for showcasing design innovation and category leadership.
The Millwork Wall Base launch also earned Gold in the dotCOMM Awards. Tarkett’s commercial website and the Tailored by Tarkett Visualizer Suite received Gold as well.
Both programs are administered by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. The recognition adds to Tarkett’s growing list of marketing accolades in recent years.
“These global marketing awards recognize our team’s remarkable creativity, measurable impact and dedication to excellence across digital and traditional media,” said Sonia Serrao, vice president of brand marketing for Tarkett North America. “I’m so proud of our marketing team and the work they’ve done to take Tarkett to a new level of marketing excellence.”
Saint-Georges—Mirage, the hardwood flooring manufacturer behind the Mirage, Vintage, Ten Oaks and Alexandra brands, has named Jean-Pierre Thabet—the son of Pierre Thabet—its new president and CEO.
“It is with great confidence that I announce Jean-Pierre’s appointment,” said Pierre Thabet, who served as president and CEO of Mirage for more than 40 years. “With over 20 years of experience at Mirage, he is well prepared to build on our legacy and lead the company to new heights”
For Mirage customers, this transition reaffirms the enduring trust and reliability of a North American, family-owned company. Moreover, according to Mirage, it brings fresh energy to progress and creativity, ensuring its products remain at the forefront of style and performance, as well as sustainable practices.
For Jean-Pierre Thabet, this new role is both an honor and a responsibility. “I am committed to take on this new challenge and carry the company into new opportunities while protecting our core values and remaining a true wood expert,” he said. “We are proud to make our product in North America and focus on the North America market.”
This transition ensures continuity of an unmatched experience and peace of mind for its customers in delivering superior quality products with great design and service, Jean-Pierre added. Mirage will continue to rely on its dedicated team and strong values to shape the future of hardwood flooring and maintain its position as an industry leader.
(For more on this story, look for the Nov. 3 edition of FCNews.)
In today’s flooring industry, relationships are everything—they’re what this industry was built on. They connect us, strengthen us and ensure our collective success. The Floor Covering Education Foundation (FCEF) was created to address many of the challenges facing our industry, with a primary focus on one of the greatest: the shortage of new, qualified, skilled flooring installers.
