Obituary: Al Collison, MP Global Products founder

Al Collison

Norfolk, Neb.— MP Global Products announced the passing of its president and founder, Al Collison, an industry pioneer whose vision, ingenuity and leadership helped shape the modern flooring underlayment market.

Collison founded MP Global Products in 1997, with a commitment to innovation, sustainability and high performance. Through his leadership the company introduced groundbreaking products, which include the flagship brand QuietWalk that set new standards for underlayment performance, quality and environmental responsibility. His forward-thinking approach not only transformed the company but also influenced the broader flooring and building materials industry.

“Al was more than a founder; he was a driving force behind MP Global and a true pioneer in the underlayment industry,” said Reid Borgman, chief operating officer. “More than that, he built a company grounded in hard work, innovation and people. For over 29 years his vision shaped not just products but the lives, careers and the community around him. That legacy will carry on.”

Throughout his career, Collison was known for his relentless pursuit of better solutions, his dedication to customers and his ability to inspire those around him. Beyond his professional achievements, he was deeply committed to serving others and strengthening his community. Collison was an active mentor in the TeamMates Mentoring program, generously investing his time in guiding and encouraging young people. He was also a dedicated supporter of numerous charitable and community organizations, including the Faith Health Foundation and the Salvation Army.

Collison was a pillar of local education and faith communities, including Zion Lutheran Church of Pierce, Neb., where his support and guiding involvement left a lasting impact. Together with his wife, Jacque, he was also deeply engaged in global missionary efforts, supporting and participating in organizations that extended their shared commitment to service far beyond their local community.

His legacy extends beyond products and patents; it lives on in the culture of excellence, compassion and collaboration he built within MP Global Products and the many lives he touched along the way.

In honoring Collison’s legacy, MP Global Products remains firmly committed to continuing the mission he began and fostered. The company will move forward with the same principles he championed—innovation, sustainability and agile customer focus—while investing in new technologies and solutions that advance across several industries.

“Our path forward is clear,” said Deanna Summers, marketing director. “We will carry Al’s vision into the future, building on the strong foundation he created and ensuring that his spirit of innovation, customer focus and community pride continues to guide everything we do.”

The company extends its heartfelt condolences to Collison’s family, friends, colleagues and all those impacted by his extraordinary life and career.

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Al Collison, MP Global Products president and founder, passes

Norflok, Neb.— It is with deep sorrow that MP Global Products announces the passing of its president and founder, Al Collison, an industry pioneer whose vision, ingenuity and leadership helped shape the modern flooring underlayment market.

Collison founded MP Global Products in 1997, with a commitment to innovation, sustainability and high performance. Through his leadership, the company introduced groundbreaking products, including the flagship brand QuietWalk, which set new standards for underlayment performance, quality and environmental responsibility. His forward-thinking approach not only transformed the company but also influenced the broader flooring and building materials industry.

“Al was more than a founder; he was a driving force behind MP Global and a true pioneer in the underlayment industry,” said Reid Borgman, COO of MP Global. “More than that, he built a company grounded in hard work, innovation and people. For over 29 years his vision shaped not just products, but the lives, careers and the community around him. That legacy will carry on.”

Throughout his career, Collison was known for his relentless pursuit of better solutions, his dedication to customers and his ability to inspire those around him. Beyond his professional achievements, he was deeply committed to serving others and strengthening his community. Collison was an active mentor in the TeamMates Mentoring program, generously investing his time in guiding and encouraging young people. He was also a dedicated supporter of numerous charitable and community organizations, including the Faith Health Foundation and the Salvation Army.

Collison was a pillar of local education and faith communities, including Zion Lutheran Church of Pierce, Nebraska, where his support and guiding involvement left a lasting impact. Together with his wife, Jacque, he was also deeply engaged in global missionary efforts, supporting and participating in organizations that extended their shared commitment to service far beyond their local community.

In honoring Al Collison’s legacy, MP Global Products remains firmly committed to continuing the mission he began and fostered. The company will move forward with the same principles he championed—innovation, sustainability and agile customer focus—while investing in new technologies and solutions that advance across several industries.

Collison’s legacy extends beyond products and patents; it lives on in the culture of excellence, compassion and collaboration he built within MP Global Products and the many lives he touched along the way.

“Our path forward is clear,” added Deanna Summers, marketing director, MP Global. “We will carry Al’s vision into the future, building on the strong foundation he created and ensuring that his spirit of innovation, customer focus and community pride continues to guide everything we do.”

MP Global extends its heartfelt condolences to Collison’s family, friends, colleagues and all those impacted by his extraordinary life and career.

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Cyncly report shows shift in consumer behaviors

Tuscaloosa, Ala.—Cyncly released its Q1 2026 Flooring Industry Outlook Report. Drawing on anonymized consumer behavior data from more than 2,000 independent flooring retailer websites, the report highlights a meaningful divergence in how shoppers are engaging with flooring businesses: while overall traffic has declined in line with broader market conditions, online form submissions have held up far more strongly than phone calls, which is a signal that consumers are doing more digital research before making direct contact. 

Data from the report includes:

Market conditions stabilizing

Consumer confidence remained under pressure through Q1 2026, and housing turnover—the primary driver of flooring demand—remains below historical norms. However, the market shows early signs of stabilization. Existing home sales reached 4.09 million units in February, with inventory at its highest level since 2019 and month-over-month sales rising 1.7%. Homeowners who paused renovation plans in 2025 have not cancelled those projects. As confidence recovers and housing activity improves, that deferred demand will convert. The retailers with strong digital visibility are best positioned to capture it.

Flooring shopper behavior

Across the Cyncly network, buyer website visits declined 21% year over year, phone call leads declined 22% and online form submissions declined just 5%. The 4:1 ratio between falling phone volume and falling form submissions is the most significant finding of the quarter: it shows that shoppers are conducting more research online before they are ready to talk.

Every form submission represents a buyer who chose to engage after completing that research process. Retailers whose websites provide useful, current product information are winning consideration before the first conversation begins.

Category share of consumer interest

Luxury vinyl/waterproof flooring remains the most-browsed category at 39.1% of all product views, but lost 3.5 percentage points of share year over year. Carpet is the only major category to gain significant share (+3.1pp), now at 26.1% of all product views. Laminate is the steepest absolute decliner, with 5.5% of raw views and down 0.8pp of share. Tile and sone and hardwood are holding steady as an overall share of products viewed. Total category page views declined 14.3% year over year, consistent with broader market softening. 

The content advantage

One of the standout findings from Q1: blog articles and educational content pages appeared among the most-visited pages across the network, competing directly alongside product catalog pages. Content covering carpet trends, water damage guidance and post-installation care captured high-intent shoppers at specific moments of need—planning a renovation, dealing with a flooring problem or caring for a recent purchase. For flooring retailers, content is no longer a supplementary marketing activity. It is a channel.

“What this quarter’s data confirms is that the flooring buying journey now begins online, well before a shopper picks up the phone,” said Steven McMullen, senior vice president, Cyncly Websites. “The retailers who are best positioned for when deferred demand returns are the ones investing in their digital presence now: keeping product catalogs current, providing helpful content and making sure every digital enquiry is captured and followed up. That investment is what turns a recovering market into a growth opportunity.”

Three action items for flooring retailers

1. Prioritize lead management. With phone volume declining, every digital enquiry carries more weight. A mobile-enabled CRM integrated with operational systems ensures no lead is missed and follow-up is consistent. Connecting lead management to the full workflow—from first enquiry through quote and job completion—closes the gap between digital interest and closed revenue.
2. Optimize the digital storefront. Websites that feature current product catalogs, room visualization tools and digital sample ordering move shoppers from browsing to deciding. These interactive experiences build the confidence that drives high-intent store visits.
3. Invest in educational content. Trend guides, installation advice and care content are now among the highest-traffic pages on flooring websites. Practical, helpful content captures buyers the moment they have a question—and connects them to the retailer who answered it.

The full Q1 2026 Flooring Industry Outlook Report is available here. 

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AHF Products partners with Arbor Day Foundation

Mountville, Pa.—AHF Products is building on more than a century of American hardwood flooring leadership by working with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant more than 100,000 trees. The investment supports forests and communities in areas of greatest need. It also reinforces the long-term value of responsible forestry.

To coincide with Arbor Day 2026, AHF Products announced its support of forest restoration efforts. Through the partnership, the company is helping drive 10 reforestation projects, plant 103,259 trees and restore 190 acres. Over the next 40 years, the projects will generate environmental benefits. These include 49,116 metric tons of CO₂ sequestered, 231.98 tons of air pollutants removed and 4.5 million gallons of avoided water runoff, according to the Arbor Day Foundation.

“Wood is a renewable resource that has shaped our homes and our business for generations,” said Catherine del Vecchio, vice president of marketing at AHF Products. “Supporting the Arbor Day Foundation aligns with our commitment to responsible forest management and ensures that the forests we depend on continue to thrive.”

The Arbor Day Foundation emphasized the importance of corporate engagement in accelerating restoration efforts.

“Partnerships like this allow us to restore forests at a scale that creates environmental and community impact,” said Dan Morrow, vice president of partnerships at the Arbor Day Foundation. “AHF Products’ support helps us replant where trees are needed most.”

The Arbor Day Foundation has planted more than 500 million trees worldwide and is working to plant 500 million more by 2027.

“Our commitment aligns with the Arbor Day Foundation’s principle of planting the right trees in the right places for the right reasons,” del Vecchio said. “Whether reforesting hardwood regions impacted by natural disasters or enhancing urban green spaces, our contribution helps ensure that trees thrive where they’re needed most, including near the communities where we live and work.”

AHF Products builds its commitment on its U.S. manufacturing presence. The company manufactures across the country, including solid hardwood in Beverly, W.Va., solid hardwood in West Plains, Mo. and engineered wood in Only, Tenn. It also produces rigid core flooring in Cartersville, Ga., vinyl composition tile in Kankakee, Ill., resilient flooring in Lancaster, Pa. and porcelain tile in Crossville, Tenn. Additional operations are located in Beech Creek, Pa.

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Tuesday Tips: More knowledge doesn’t equal more productivity

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 Tips, Tom Jennings reminds us that knowledge alone doesn’t drive results. Execution does.

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MSI expands Midwest presence with Grand Rapids showroom

Grand Rapids, Mich.—MSI celebrated the grand opening of its new showroom here. The company will host showroom tours, product showcases and networking opportunities on April 29 from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Attendees can connect with designers, builders and industry professionals while exploring new products.

The 50,000-square-foot facility supports MSI’s growth strategy. It improves service speed, expands inventory and increases accessibility for customers across the Midwest. The location also strengthens MSI’s distribution network and supports local job growth.

“The Grand Rapids location is a testament to MSI’s continued momentum and long-term vision,” said Laura Larsen, branch leader. “It strengthens our ability to meet customer demand with speed and scale, while also allowing us to invest in the region and support its economic development.”

The showroom features a range of products, including Everlife waterproof flooring, porcelain and luxury vinyl tile, quartz surfaces and hardwood. It also includes hardscaping products such as porcelain pavers, veneers and stacked stone.

The space is designed to provide an interactive experience for designers, builders, contractors and homeowners.

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MSI expands Acoustic Slat Wall Panel collection

Orange, Calif.—MSI introduced eight additions to its Acoustic Slat Wall Panel collection. The update includes four painted slat panels in 9.5 x 94.5-inch formats and four new 24 x 48-inch acoustic wood panel designs.

“The introduction of our painted Acoustic Slat Wall Panels and versatile 24 x 48-inch wood panels reflects the continued success and evolution of this collection,” said Anand Palasamudram, senior merchant at MSI. “With expanded color options to make bold or subtle design statements and flexible sizing to suit a variety of applications, these panels offer designers even more creative freedom while delivering exceptional acoustic performance.”

The expansion builds on the Acoustic Wood Slat Collection, which includes Blonde, Ebony, Fog, Natural and Tawny colorways. MSI previously introduced Macro and Reeded panels to add wider slat profiles and textured designs.

The new painted slat panels feature acoustic fiber backing for sound absorption. They are available in modern hues and require no staining or sanding. Installers can attach the panels directly to studs for a simple installation process.

Color options include Dusk, Jade, Navy and White, each offering a distinct neutral tone.

The 24 x 48-inch panels offer added flexibility for a range of applications. Color options include Almond, Espresso, Fog and Sable, each designed to deliver a natural wood look with enhanced acoustic performance.

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