Dalton—Shaw Industries Group announced that Aaron John has been named senior vice president of residential sales.
“Aaron knows Shaw well and has a passion for our industry and our customers,” said Benjamin Liebert, president of Shaw Residential. “He has a deep history of forming long-lasting relationships with customers across our dealer network.”
John brings more than two decades of experience at Shaw, having held leadership roles across the residential business, including: regional vice president; director of Shaw Flooring Network & Retail Programs; and divisional vice president. He is known for his extensive leadership experience, strong cross-functional business acumen and building high-performing teams.
Under John’s leadership, Shaw’s general managers will continue to drive strong local market execution and customer-focused outcomes. He will lead efforts to create consistency, strengthen alignment and set clear direction across the sales organization.
“Our sales team is dedicated to helping our customers grow in 2026 and beyond,” John said. “My priority is bringing clarity and focus to our efforts, so our dealers feel supported and confident navigating today’s complex market.”
The retail participation for National Karastan Month has already to surpassed last spring’s numbers.
The anticipation for the Spring 2026 “Where Style Meets Savings” National Karastan Month campaign (April 17-June 1) has already reached a fever pitch as a record number of flooring retailers are participating in this event.
To fuel this momentum, the Mohawk marketing and product team are arming its dealers with the digital tools and assets to make this the most successful sales period in the brand’s history. In addition, Edge dealers can use their co-op funds toward advertising the campaign, which will create stronger leads and greater volume.
“We put together the most comprehensive campaign to date and expanded our product inclusion,” said Jordan Biasetti, senior manager, marketing programs for Mohawk.
On the product side, Karastan is adding more winning products to the campaign. “One of the biggest updates this year is we are including Karastan Black Label (soft surface) into the program for the first time, which elevates the premium side of this campaign,” said Jamie Hoffner, the newly appointed vice president of residential sales, fashion.
What’s more, the team is doubling the number of SKUs of its Karastan LuxeCraft Serenity collection—a premium, nature-inspired WPC offering designed for superior comfort, warmth and noise reduction. Serenity features 100% waterproof protection, pet-friendly technology and authentic, detailed aesthetics.
The addition of Serenity is significant, Hoffner said, noting, “WPC has seen the fastest growth of hard surface for Karastan.”
Product collections from BelleLuxe Waterproof laminate and BelleLuxe Natural engineered wood will also be included in the campaign. Gloriana Charm, one of the products featured in the laminate portfolio, was a Best of Surfaces 2026 winner in the Style & Design category.
The Karastan team outlined the scope of the program to retail owners and retail sales associates during a webinar on April 2.
A solid game plan
Success in National Karastan Month “Where Style Meets Savings” starts with a solid game plan.
Bigger impact: The Mohawk Ad Center has been updated with DIY, ready-to-use advertising assets designed to maximize reach and drive traffic to retailers’ showrooms.
Broadcast-ready videos: Dealers were urged to start planning now to build anticipation.
Vertical social content: Video and graphics optimized to Instagram, Facebook, TikTok.
Print materials: From full page ads to direct mail postcards, dealers are urged to reach out to their customers in print.
Digital display ads: Multiple sizes that are ready to deploy.
What’s more, Edge Local Advertising (ELA) will ensure that shoppers who are searching for flooring in a dealer’s area will find the Edge dealer first. “We think ELA is a game changer for retailers,” Biasetti said. “ELA allows them to run highly targeted digital campaigns, and they can do this without having a dedicated in-house marketing team.”
Dealers are also invited to download the 2026 Retailer Guide, a roadmap to navigate all the information and resources necessary for the event. The guide was created to make execution as easy as possible.
It includes:
Complete rebate program details and consumer benefits
Full product lineup
Available financing programs to close more sales
Step-by-step instructions for accessing and using marketing materials
In-store merchandising strategies and display options
Participating retailers can pick and choose which assets to use as the campaign is designed to be customizable and flexible.
Company officials said Karastan month is traditionally the most anticipated and impactful of the year, and this spring promises to be no exception. “It’s fun to watch the dealers and RSAs get excited when the dates are announced,” Biasetti said. “The Edge dealers are not just participating in a promotion they are aligning with a trusted heritage brand. The high-quality products and strong promotions create a formula that drives sales for them. On the marketing side we get all the emails and phone calls from dealers; there has been so much engagement, so much interest.”
In conjunction with the campaign, Karastan Lookbook No. 9 will be launched to help bring the story to life.
Didn’t catch the webinar in real time? Check it out here.
For much of the last decade, resilient flooring—particularly LVT, SPC and WPC—was defined by relentless momentum. New formats, new cores, new visuals and new suppliers flooded the market at a pace few categories had ever experienced. Growth was fast, competition was fierce and innovation cycles were compressed to the point of exhaustion.
Today, that momentum has slowed. And for some that slowdown has triggered concern. But what’s happening in the resilient category isn’t a decline—it’s maturation.
The resilient segment has reached a point familiar to any product category that moves from disruption to dominance. After years of explosive growth, the market is stabilizing, assortments are tightening and product life cycles are lengthening. In short, resilient is growing up.
From land grab to landscape
In its early years, resilient’s rise was fueled by speed. Overseas manufacturing capacity expanded rapidly, private-label programs multiplied and retailers were encouraged—sometimes pressured—to carry hundreds of SKUs to remain competitive.
Innovation was constant.
That era delivered volume, but it also created volatility. Margins compressed as lookalike products multiplied. Inventory burdens increased. Claims, quality inconsistencies and consumer upset followed. The category grew fast, but not always effectively.
Engineered Floors’ PureGrain Advantage
The current slowdown is, in many ways, the market correcting itself. Fewer launches do not signal less innovation; they signal more intention behind innovation. Suppliers are investing more time in core performance, visual attributes and technologies rather than chasing incremental thickness changes or novelty formats.
“We’re seeing the ‘wild west’ era of resilient flooring wind down, moving from frantic, overnight growth into a more stable, mature phase,” said Eric Rupert, senior director of product marketing and category management, Engineered Floors. “This shift is a win because it moves the focus away from just flooding the market with product toward more intentional innovation. This maturing market allows us to streamline SKUs and lean into high-quality, solution-based products that build real brand trust rather than just competing on price.”
The signs of maturity
It’s true, assortments are being trimmed, not expanded. Redundant visuals are being eliminated. Core collections are being given longer life cycles to build brand recognition. “Yes, the resilient market is maturing, and that has driven a more intentional approach to how we design and manage the category,” said Adam Ward, vice president, resilient, Mohawk. “We’re prioritizing platforms with clear use cases. SPC serves the broad middle of the market, while WPC is resurging at the high end and loose lay remains a strong solution where fast replacement is a priority.”
This shift benefits the entire channel. Retailers can manage inventory more effectively. Distributors reduce carrying costs. Manufacturers gain predictable quality in production planning. Lastly, consumers are presented with clear choices rather than endless variations of the same product. In many ways, resilient flooring is following the same path carpet traveled decades earlier: a transition from rapid expansion to disciplined category management.
Maturity means instead of headline-grabbing launches every market cycle, it is now focused on manufacturing processes, material science, sustainability and domestic capacity. These advancements are far more impactful over the long term. Improvements in dimensional stability, indentation resistance, locking systems and recycled content may not dominate showroom signage, but they directly influence performance, claims reduction and customer satisfaction. That’s the kind of innovation mature categories rely on.
“Maturity of the market as a whole opens up specialized markets for intentional products,” Mohawk’s Ward said. “This assists in clarifying brand ladders, such as our distinct identities between Mohawk, Pergo and Karastan. Even in a flat to down macro view, rigid continues to take share.”
The housing market effect
COREtec Coastal Luxe in Espresso Mist Maple
Macroeconomic conditions have also played a role in resilient’s perceived slowdown. A slower housing market, higher interest rates and reduced turnover, particularly in multifamily, have shifted demand away from speculative and flip-driven installs toward longer-term homeowner decisions.
That shift favors products with proven durability, timeless visuals and reliable availability — another hallmark of category maturity.
“This year, the most significant challenges have stemmed from tariff impacts, which have created complexities in pricing and cost management,” noted Seth Arnold, COREtec brand leader. “Navigating these pressures has been challenging, but the category’s overall strength underscores its enduring appeal to retailers, homeowners and builders alike.”
As resilient flooring settles into its next phase, success will be defined less by who can launch the most products and more by who can support the category with consistency, education and operational excellence.
“The next wave of growth in resilient will be driven by performance innovations designed for how people really live — durability, scratch resistance, 100% waterproof protection and noise-canceling technologies — all paired with leading style and design,” Arnold said.
Maturity doesn’t mean stagnation. It means sustainability. And for resilient flooring, that may be the most important evolution yet.
Las Vegas—Coverings recognized 25 projects with Installation & Design Awards for excellence in tile and stone design and installation. The winners were honored March 31 during the CID Awards Reception at Coverings 2026.
The annual program highlights work from architects, builders, contractors, designers and installers. Projects span residential, institutional and commercial applications.
A panel of editors and industry leaders judged submissions across nine categories. These included ceramic and stone design and installation in both residential and commercial settings.
Coverings also presented special recognition awards across 11 categories. These include artistic design, transportation, cultural institutions and international design.
CID design and installation winners
Artistic installation
San Diego International Airport
All Source Company Building Group
San Diego, Calif.
Commercial ceramic tile installation
Grand Helios Hotel
David Allen Company
Orlando, Fla.
Commercial ceramic tile design
The Club @ Crafted Clermont
Visual Studio Plus
Clermont, Fla.
Commercial stone design
Cote Korean Steakhouse at The Venetian
M.Teixeira Soapstone
Las Vegas, Nev.
Special recognition winners
Artistic design
“Woven Earth” at the Nashville Zoo
Rhoda Kahler LLC
Nashville, Tenn.
Commercial ceramic tile installation
1587 Prime Steakhouse
Metro Tile Contractors
Kansas City, Mo.
Glass tile pool design
The Legend of Driftwood Hollow
GB IV Designs
Driftwood, Texas
International design
Araruama 231
CILENE LUPI | ARQ + DESIGN
São Paulo, Brazil
Las Vegas—Coverings, the largest event in North America dedicated to ceramic tile and natural stone, kicked off here this week at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The 2026 conference program features a mix of technical presentations, partner-led sessions, interactive Q&As and live demonstrations. It is also the platform that today’s top tile suppliers use to showcase their work in innovation and design. And this year’s crop did not disappoint. From enhanced visuals with next-gen printing and surface technologies to trend-forward looks, tile exhibitors are showing why tile should be top-of-mind not only for consumers but for retailers and distributors nationwide.
The Tile Council of North America (TCNA) highlighted five trends to be on the lookout for on the show floor, and FCNews caught sight of each of them.
Articulated Accents: Synchronized aesthetics where texture and visuals align to create a full sensory experience.
Tailored Craft: A focus on fabrics and fashion inspiration with a modern twist.
Brutalish sanctuary: Visually dominant concrete, terrazzo and matte-stone looks.
The Long Game: Extreme length-to-width ratios.
Artisan Aesthetics: Visible craftsmanship and imperfection apparent via glaze pools, brush marks and impressed patterns.
More on Coverings to come in the 4/6 and 4/20 print editions of FCNews.
Wonder PorcelainStonepeakFlorida Tile (Panaria Group)Del ConcaPortobello AmericaCrossvilleMILEstoneEach year, Coverings hosts a new dog sanctuary, and tile suppliers donate custom-tiled dog houses to the cause. This year it was Michael’s Angel Paws.
The report highlights performance across the company’s global operations. It also reflects Novalis’ focus on responsible growth and transparency.
A key milestone includes the expansion of reporting to facilities in Thailand and Mexico. Novalis said the addition strengthens transparency and broadens the scope of its sustainability data.
“Every member of Novalis contributes to our collective vision and sustainability goals and it is their passion and commitment that drive our progress forward,” said John Wu, CEO of Novalis. “Together, we will continue to adapt, grow and build a resilient future for our company and the communities we serve.”
Key highlights
Materiality: The company aligned sustainability strategies with operations at its new facilities in Mexico and Thailand.
Energy consumption: The report details grid energy use and includes updates on solar panel installations in China.
Carbon footprint and emissions: Novalis expanded Scope 3 reporting to include products sourced from partners in Korea and Vietnam. The company also improved data quality and established 2024 as the baseline year for tracking emissions targets.
Alternative materials: The company continues to develop non-PVC flooring solutions, including polypropylene, to meet market demand.
Circularity: Novalis is advancing a Europe-wide system for collecting, sorting and recycling post-consumer flooring materials. The company is also working with technology partners to improve recycling efficiency.
Health, safety and well-being: The report introduces a new incident severity classification to support stronger prevention and response measures.
Novalis said it continues to report both progress and areas for improvement as it works toward its 2030 and 2040 goals across its key pillars: planet, people and community.
The report follows Global Reporting Initiative guidelines and European Sustainability Reporting Standards. These frameworks support transparent reporting and allow for comparison across industries.
Turnhout, Belgium–i4F, a group of companies providing patents and technologies to the global flooring industry, and Unilin Technologies today announced the implementation of a non-assert agreement on their water-repellent coating patents for laminate and wood flooring.
Both technology licensing companies are offering a different coating technology designed to enhance the water-repellent performance of wood-based flooring products. i4F offers its technology under the AquaProtect brand; Unilin’s technology is marketed under the Unicoat brand.
The agreement means that i4F AquaProtect licensees benefit from additional protection on Unilin’s patent portfolio, and enables flooring manufacturers to gain access to multiple water-repellent edge-coating technologies.
Dalton—Shaw Industries Group announced that Aaron John has been named senior vice president of residential sales.
Las Vegas—Coverings recognized 25 projects with Installation & Design Awards for excellence in tile and stone design and installation. The winners were honored March 31 during the CID Awards Reception at 
Las Vegas—Coverings, the largest event in North America dedicated to ceramic tile and natural stone, kicked off here this week at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Dalton—Novalis released its 
Turnhout, Belgium–i4F, a group of companies providing patents and technologies to the global flooring industry, and Unilin Technologies today announced the implementation of a non-assert agreement on their water-repellent coating patents for laminate and wood flooring.