NAFCD: Tariffs likely to have long-term impact

Chicago—Get used to navigating the tariffs; they’re likely to impact your business for the foreseeable future. That’s the message that Brian Beaulieu, CEO of ITR Economics, conveyed to attendees during his keynote speech delivered here at the NAFCD+NBMDA annual convention.

ITR Economics’ Brian Beaulieu delivered what is likely his final keynote presentation at NAFCD.

Impact on flooring industry

Self-described as unabashedly anti-tariffs, Beaulieu discussed the potential impact on the flooring distribution community and the country at large. “My bias is the same as the last 20 Nobel laureates in economics—tariffs distort the marketplace, tariffs encourage inefficiencies and tariffs are a form of the government meddling in the marketplace, which is never the best outcome for a capitalist society like ours,” he explained.

“Tariffs are primarily a tax imposed upon imports. Not just our studies but other studies show that about 55% to 60% of the tariff is paid for by the consumer. More than 25% is paid for by the importing entity and a lesser percentage is paid for by the person doing the exporting, i.e., out of China, out of Europe, out of Mexico or out of Canada. But the U.S. consumer bears the brunt of this—and it is inflationary. You need to understand that these tariffs—while the uncertainty is going to go down—the tariffs aren’t going away.”

Not anytime soon, anyway. ITR Economics estimates tariffs will be a major factor impacting business through 2034. “I’ve studied tariff history in the United States in particular, and the reality is after about two to three years, you’ll know exactly how to work the system,” Beaulieu told attendees. “It becomes part of what’s normal. It’s like Stockholm Syndrome—it becomes the norm. We’re expecting that around 2034, these tariffs are going to get lifted. They’ve always been lifted before in our great republic’s history because it becomes evident at some point in time that the distortions and the negative effects of tariffs outweigh any hope for positive change or any hope for benefits. That’s why we believe they will get lifted.”

Tariff outlook

The ultimate outlook of the impact of the tariffs on the industry, according to Beaulieu, largely depends on the Supreme Court’s pending ruling on the legality of President Trump’s tariff policy. (As of press time, the court had not yet rendered a ruling.) He did say that as quickly as these tariffs came on, they can be removed even faster. “I don’t know what the Supreme Court’s going to decide,” Beaulieu noted. “That’s going to alter the landscape if the Supreme Court goes against the Trump administration. But it’s not going to take away all of the tariffs—just some of those tariffs.”

High costs will hurt later

The primary objective for managers amid the uncertainty, according to Beaulieu, is to focus on lowering the cost structure of your businesses.

“If/when the tariffs fall away, you don’t want to be the person standing there with the highest cost structure, whether it’s U.S.-based or globally based,” he explained. “With tariffs, instead of having to compete with the whole world, all you’re doing now is competing based on an adjusted platform, cost platform created by the tariffs. So you keep fighting that fight because, in my world, it’s inevitable—your cost structure will be exposed out there in the future at the worst possible time.”

More broadly, according to Beaulieu, tariffs strike at the core of international trade. “Nationalism is where we are at; globalization is dead,” he said. “And all the things that we’ve benefited from in terms of globalization are now being denied to us. One of the benefits of this nationalism, though, is that we are developing shorter supply chains. That brings more business opportunities. Just be sensitive to those.”

Tariffs also stand to impact the level of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the U.S. But not as some have expected. The Trump administration, as part of its global trade strategy, has strongly encouraged foreign countries to establish manufacturing operations in America in return for more favorable tariff rates. But the early results are showing mixed results. “I thought for sure most of the foreign direct investment would be coming into the right-to-work states—the Sunbelt states—but I was amazed at how many are going into Indiana and Illinois and union states. They’re even going into California, for some reason.”

Catch-22 scenario

The challenge with overruling the new tariffs, experts say, is removing a revenue stream for the federal government. In a separate NAFCD presentation held the day before the ITR Economics session, Alex Hendrie explained the dilemma. Hendrie is the vice president of government relations for the National Association of Wholesalers (NAW). He said the government must find new revenue to fund the administration’s tax cuts. He noted that repealing the new tariffs would remove a revenue source. It could also create a nightmare scenario if the government has to refund the tariff fees already collected.

“Tariffs and taxes are really two sides of the same coin,” Hendrie told attendees. “On one side you have tariffs and tax policies on foreigners, and then there’s the U.S. taxes on businesses and individuals here. With Trump focused on reshaping U.S. revenue sources, there is a greater reliance on tariffs while at the same time cutting taxes on U.S. businesses and individuals. When you add the numbers up side by side, the amount of taxes that were cut roughly equals the amount of tariffs the government is currently collecting.”

NAW’s research

According to NAW’s research (which ITR Economics later refuted), the U.S. has collected $31 billion in tariff revenue. ITR Economics disputed those figures. Treasury is projecting $300 billion. By Hendrie’s count, that’s 4x the increase from 2024. Because the government is phasing them in over time, many tariffs won’t take effect until later. Many pundits agree that tax cuts add to an already high deficit. Removing a revenue stream without replacing it could make the situation worse.

“That means, politically, we can’t really get rid of these tariffs even if we want to,” Hendrie posited. “There’s an increasingly budgetary need for these tariffs. And if they were to go away, then they’re going to have to find hundreds of billions in revenue to offset that. So this creates the political problem. A future administration will have to answer for why you are increasing the deficit by X hundreds of billions of dollars if you remove the tariffs?”

Distributors are strategizing for the future

In the meantime, distributors are strategizing to source product and remain profitable and efficient amid the tariffs. For Dori Blitzstein, vice president of Maryland-based Roesel-Heck, achieving success in the current environment will require making the right adjustments. “Given what we heard from Brian Beaulieu in the ITR Economics session, I’m thinking about how I’m going to position our company moving forward in a different way than we’re reacting right now,” she told FCNews. “We’ve been trying to not pass on as many of the tariff expenses as possible and just cutting our margins so we can still remain competitive. But I feel that we have to make sure that we are looking out for our profitability moving toward 2030. And I don’t know if we can be lower than everybody else for the next four or five years. I think we’re going to have to start passing that along, because these tariffs aren’t going to go away.”

Like many other flooring wholesalers, Roesel-Heck is pursuing an alternative supplier strategy. “I think that everyone is trying to move out of China right now, so that has been our main goal,” Blitzstein said. “Everyone’s either going to Korea or Vietnam, at least the suppliers that I’ve been speaking with. Purchasing more containers to increase our profitability.”

The power of being proactive

Austin Starnes, COO of Memphis, Tenn.-based BPI, the industry’s No. 5-ranked distributor, said the key is to remain proactive. “We make sure that we’re keeping up to speed as soon as the announcements are made, looking at what our strategy is and communicating that as quickly as we can to the customers,” he said. “We still like to give a 30-day notification. But for the last, I don’t know, three or four years, we’ve actively onshored as much as we can.”

BPI currently sources about 65% of all its goods from the U.S., leaving 35% imported. And while it has moved out of China, keeping up with all the different various regions and the different tariffs has been tricky. “You’ve really got to pay attention to what’s going on to make sure you stay profitable.”

At UCX, the industry second-largest distributor, focusing more on domestic suppliers is the name of the game. “We try to partner with a lot of national brands that are domestic,” said Brian Green, chief sales marketing officer. “We also have our own brands, and we have a sourcing team that has direct factory relationships. So for us, it’s making sure that we work with those factories to ensure that if they make a quick decision to move out of a country, that we understand, ‘Hey, is the quality going to be there? Is it going to be as consistent as it has been?”

NAFCD vendors rise to the occasion

The 2025 North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors + North American Building Material Distribution Association (NAFCD + NBMDA) convention took place here at the Hyatt Regency amid robust attendance. Organizers reported 7% higher attendance this year than the 2024 event, including 62 first-time attendees and 30 first-time exhibitors.

Following are some highlights from the show floor:

Johnson Hardwood, led by Billy Ko, president, having some fun at the booth.

Day-one traffic was brisk at the Inhaus space.

Spencer Reid and Reid Waxman greeted visitors at the Roomvo space.

Nicholas Wodtke and Matthieu Dekens showcase new tech from i4F Technologies.

Unilin Technologies’ Lauren Delee and Matt Oliver field questions from attendees.

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FCNews’ annual Fantasy Football for a Cause

Ten games into the 2025 FCNews Fantasy Football for a Cause season and it’s still anyone’s championship.

Team Mohawk is currently in the lead with an 8-2 record, albeit with just a two-game lead over five teams. The teams closest to Mohawk are FCNews, Mannington, AHF Products, Southwind and Dillabaugh Flooring, all with 6-4 records.

As was the case last year, parity continues to reign supreme as three additional teams—America’s Floor Source, Schattdecor and Tarkett—stand at 5-5, still within reach of first place.

Below those three are Consolidated Flooring, All Surfaces and Spartan Surfaces, all with 4-6 records—and all with hopes of the top prize.

To this point, almost every team has won at least $500 for their respective causes via weekly prizes. The leader is All Surfaces, which has garnered $2,500 for Housing First Foundation/21 Roots Farm. Mohawk has won $2,000 for Hero Agriculture; FCNews $2,000 for Parsons Drama Club; Southwind $2,000 for the Floor Covering Industry Foundation (FCIF); and Schattdecor $2,000 for Eagle’s Wings.

In addition, Mannington, AHF Products, Dillabaugh and Tarkett have netted $1,000 each for Feeding America, Wounded Warriors, Mission Aviation Fellowship and ASPCA, respectively.

Following is more information on the respective charities currently supported by this year’s players:

AFS: St. Jude Children’s Hospital

St. Jude is dedicated to treating kids with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. In addition to patient treatment, St. Jude is focused on cutting-edge research to help us better understand pediatric cancer and how to treat it. Each day it is working toward a cure, so every child who comes to the organization can be given their best chance to grow up. The mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is to advance cures and means of prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Consistent with the vision of its founder, Danny Thomas, no child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family’s ability to pay.

AHF: Wounded Warriors Project

Wounded Warrior Project is the nation’s leading veterans service organization dedicated to improving the total well-being of post-9/11 wounded, ill and injured veterans, service members and their families. Its innovative programs and life-changing services strengthen mental, physical, emotional and financial wellness—empowering warriors and their loved ones to thrive while helping prevent veteran suicide. Every day, it helps wounded warriors find renewed purpose, build connections in their communities and provide vital support to their families and caregivers. Beyond offering critical resources, it advocates for veterans’ needs with government policymakers and community leaders, shares expertise with healthcare partners and raises public awareness of their service, sacrifice and resilience. Thanks to the generosity of its donors and partners, all WWP programs and services are offered at no cost to warriors and their families.

All Surfaces: Housing First Foundation

The Housing First Minnesota Foundation is the charitable arm of Housing First Minnesota, an association of builders, remodelers, suppliers and trade partners who contribute and volunteer their expertise and time to end homelessness. The Housing First Minnesota Foundation, in affiliation with HomeAid America, utilizes the talents and resources of the association’s member builders, remodelers, suppliers and volunteers to build, renovate and/or repair shelter housing facilities in the Twin Cities area.

Consolidated Flooring: Friends of St. Dominic’s

Friends of St. Dominic’s is the affiliated fundraising organization benefiting Saint Dominic’s Home. The organization and its donors share the vision of keeping children safe from abuse, neglect and homelessness as well as enabling productive lives for children and adults with developmental, emotional and physical disabilities. Friends of St. Dominic’s is guided by the faith, determination and generosity of others who believe there is a better tomorrow for every child.

Dillabaugh’s Flooring America: Mission Aviation Fellowship

Each year, Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) provides aviation services to more than 400 mission agencies, churches and humanitarian organizations around the world. Without MAF, some of these organizations would be unable to reach the people they serve. Through these partnerships, MAF connects isolated people with vital services and goods while sharing the love of Christ in a tangible way. Millions of people around the world live cut-off from all this and more by either geographic barriers—like jungles, mountains and deserts—or by social, political or religious barriers. MAF’s vision is to see isolated people changed by the love of Christ.

IFC: Floor Covering Education Foundation (FCEF)

The Floor Covering Education Foundation (FCEF) was established to support the floor covering industry in several ways depending on the current needs of the industry. The mission of the FCEF is to bring awareness to the opportunities in the flooring industry, recruit new talent, aid in the funding of the student’s education and facilitate job placement for these individuals into flooring industry careers. Currently, the organization is partnered with 33 colleges across 16 states and two countries to teach its basic floor covering installation program. These programs are reaching a new generation of young people who may never have considered flooring as a career. Each student the organization engages represents potential for every business in the floor covering industry.

Floor Covering News: Parsons Drama Club

The Parsons Drama Club is a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to empowering the next generation of actors through scholarships, mentorship and professional training opportunities. Parsons Drama Club is building a supportive community where young performers can grow their craft, find belonging and stay inspired between auditions. Through its partnership with John D’Aquino’s Camp Hollywood, it connects students with top-tier guidance and real-world opportunities that nurture both their talent and confidence.

Mannington: Feeding America Feeding

America is a national non-profit organization that works to end hunger by operating a network of food banks, food pantries and meal programs across the United States. Its mission is to provide food and resources to people in need by sourcing food donations, advocating for hunger-related policies and distributing food to millions through its partner organizations. The organization rescues billions of pounds of food that would otherwise be wasted and distributes it to people in need. Feeding America also works with policymakers to support laws that improve food security and access to food assistance programs.

Mohawk: Hero Agriculture

Hero Agriculture, Calhoun, Ga., was founded in 2020 by Mike Reynolds following his long recovery from a traumatic brain injury during his deployment in Iraq as an Army medic. During this time, he volunteered at a farm and discovered his purpose in the work. He founded Hero Agriculture to offer the same to other veterans, using farming to help them find hope, heal and build purposeful lives that make tomorrow worth living. In 2023, Hero Agriculture was gifted a donation of $100,000 by Tunnel to Towers at a Mohawk Veteran’s Day event to help build a structure to house and train veterans suffering from mental illness and PTSD on topics like crop planning and management, canning, egg candling and small engine and large farm equipment repair.

Schattdecor: Eagle’s Wings

Dedicated community volunteers in St. Charles County, Mo., committed to serving children who are in need. By providing children with some basic necessities – clothes, shoes, coats, etc., the organization hopes to build their self-esteem, self-con-fidence and self-worth allowing them to be successful in school and in life. Twice per year, once in the fall and again in the spring, Ea-gle’s Wings brings shopping days to the children it serves. It sets up “shops” in a school classroom where the children come shop for free.

Southwind: Floor Covering Industry Foundation

The Floor Covering Industry Foundation gets families back on their feet when battling catastrophic injuries, severe disabilities, or other life-altering medical crises. Founded in 1981 by industry leaders, the 501(c)3 charitable non-profit helps those who have worked in the floor covering indus-try by providing direct grants for medical care, medications, med-ical supplies, and other expenses directly related to beneficiary care, as well such as food, shelter and utilities.

Spartan Surfaces: Harford Family House

Since 1989, Harford Family House has provided housing, support and resources to more than 2,000 people in 700 families struggling with homelessness in Harford County. By merging with Faith Communities and Civic Agencies United (FCCAU), the charity is able to serve local families in need of assistance via the Wel-come One Emergency Shelter. This includes: clean linens, a locker, access to showers and laundry facilities, three meals and professional case-management services.

Tarkett: ASPCA

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), founded in 1866, was the first humane society to be established in North America and is one of the largest in the world today. Headquartered in New York City, the organization was founded on the belief that animals are entitled to kind and respectful treatment at the hands of humans and must be protected under the law. ASPCA maintains a strong local presence, but it also supports programs that extend across the country.

TrueTouch: 4ocean, One Tree Planted

4ocean works to end the ocean plastic crisis by removing trash from coastlines, rivers and oceans, and then using that recovered plastic to create prod-ucts like bracelets, drinkware and apparel. For each product purchased, the company removes a set amount of trash, funding large-scale cleanups and supporting living-wage jobs in coastal com-munities. One Tree Planted is a non-profit that makes it simple to plant trees around the world to restore forests, create habitats and provide jobs. For ev-ery dollar donated, it plants one tree and partners with local organizations to plant them in various regions, supporting reforestation projects, wildlife conservation and community benefits.

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Farewell to a friend, Roger Marcus

I felt my phone vibrating as I was walking through the aisles of the NAFCD exhibit hall in Chicago. It was my friend Bobby Weiss, who I had just caught up with about 15 minutes prior. “I have some bad news. Roger passed away.” No last name needed. There was only one Roger and there will always be only one Roger. He was the Beyonce in the little corner of the world we call the floor covering industry.

In that moment, time seemed to stand still. It was the period at the end of the sentence. A run-on sentence that lasted 30 years. An unlikely friendship that somehow lasted three decades. I don’t really recall how it began, but I can say it ended in the most appropriate way. And there are so many memories in between.

I probably met Roger Marcus sometime in 1995 at one of those Cash Call events, a spiff program where his company, Congoleum, gave away $300,000 in cash and prizes to retail salespeople. I was the managing editor of Floor Covering Weekly; he the president of this family-owned, dominant player in the sheet vinyl universe before LVT was even a thought. He was somewhat intimidating—what he lacked in size he made up for in stature. He liked to be in control— everything from the day-to-day details of running a $300 million business to choosing the signature stuffed animals the company gave out at trade shows.

We must have done an interview at some point and for whatever reason he took a liking to me. I was a fresh face in this industry. He was intrigued by my past life in the horse racing world and the fact I owned pieces of racehorses. I remember how we joked that I would name my next horse “Congoleum” to give him free national exposure. He was fantasizing what Congoleum winning the Kentucky Derby could do for his company.

Along the way, our relationship grew. He would invite me every year to the Congoleum Christmas party in Princeton, N.J. He personally made sure I would have a hotel room that night so I would not have to drive back to Long Island. There would never be invitations to other members of the press. Roger would tell me it was because I was family. I thought he meant the Congoleum family. But he meant the Marcus family.

It wasn’t lip service. I would become part of the Marcus tribe. There were his daughters, Elissa and Julie, who became close friends. I would support Elissa with the charity she co-founded, A Little Hope, to benefit kids who lost a loved one in the 9-11 attacks here in New York. There was his brother Rick, who I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with. There was his nephew Todd, who I once helped write seven essays that accompanied his applications to the finest business schools in the country as he sought his MBA. And then there was Natalie, Roger’s mom, who could be considered the granddam of the flooring industry as an owner and designer with Amtico, later American Biltrite. She must have been around 80 when we met. Natalie was as elegant and classy as they come with perfectly coiffed hair and a thick Boston accent. After a series of lunches (she loved The Grill at the old Four Seasons), I remember saying, “I really don’t know what to call you. I feel funny calling you Natalie, and Mrs. Marcus seems too formal.” And without missing a beat, she softly said, “Call me Nana.” Family.

Nana didn’t mince words. I once told her I had missed a plane (the only time this ever happened) because I carelessly looked at my ticket in the middle of the night and mistook the landing time for the departure time. Her response: “How could you be such a schmo?” Roger loved that story.

Through the years Roger and I would meet for lunch or dinner, often at his Jasna Polana golf club in Princeton, and he would take a keen interest in my life. And those who knew Roger were well aware how he liked to give advice. In fact, I can say Roger changed the trajectory of my life by virtue of the two most important pieces of advice anyone gave me: He advised me to get divorced, and he told me to buy FCNews along with Dustin rather than start our own publication. The reasons were compelling to the point where I actually listened. Rare for me. I always said Roger was like a second father.

If Roger didn’t hear from me for a while, I would get a phone call or email, which I always felt was dictated to his assistant because technology just wasn’t his thing. “I haven’t heard from you; I figured you got married.” And I would say, “How could I have gotten married? You haven’t found me my wife yet.” It would be a standing joke for many years. I remember him telling me he was going on a cruise with his family to find me a wife.

Roger always wanted to know who I was dating. There was one girl in Florida of whom he did not approve. “She’s taking advantage of you. Get rid of her.” Like any father would advise. And when we would have lunch a few months later, the first thing he would ask was if I was still going to Florida. My answer would be met with a scowl and disdain.

The infamous asbestos litigation that plagued resilient manufacturers resulted in the trust for the claimants taking control of Congoleum, but Roger still ran the flooring division of its parent, the aforementioned American Biltrite, based in Montreal. AB would have its annual business planning meeting in December followed by dinner at an old-school steakhouse called Gibby’s. Roger would always invite me—not to the meeting, but to dinner—and I would always accept. I’d always be seated right next to him, perpendicular to the head of the table.

One thing about Roger—as private as he was, he was also the consummate showman. Til the very end. I find it quite ironic that he passed away on the same day Congoleum, the company he led for about 20 years, was sold to Beaulieu International Group.

A couple of years ago, when I inherited the role of chairman of the tri-annual Floor Covering Industry Foundation gala from, ironically, Roger Marcus, I suggested to Charlie Dilks, the FCIF chairman, that Roger be one of our honorees. To Charlie’s credit, he immediately embraced the idea. I called Roger to let him know the good news. “Here’s the thing: You need to select someone to introduce you.” He simply said, “I want you to do it.”

As I was preparing my speech, I asked a number of people for their thoughts on Roger. A couple of comments stuck out that perfectly illustrated his life: 1. “Roger has really gone above and beyond to make things better for me,” and 2. “Anyone who has Roger in their life has been blessed.”

So last year I had the honor of introducing Roger at the FCIF gala. It was quite a night. And Roger finally received the recognition he justly deserved after 60 years in this industry. He accepted his award with pride yet humility. It would be the last time we would see each other.

Someone once said to me, “People come in and out of your life. You never know why they arrived and why one way or another they eventually leave.” I was blessed to have Roger come into my life 30 years ago.

Roger—wherever you are now, I hope the soup is hot enough. I hope there is enough butter on the table. I hope there are no lamb chops at the cocktail hour so you’re not stuck holding the bone. I hope there are big-screen TVs for you to watch your beloved Eagles and Phillies. Maybe you and Don Rado can find the Century Tile guys to wager on five games every Sunday. I know you are already organizing golf tournaments.

Until we meet again. And say hello to Nana for me. Tell her schmo misses her

Last but not least, when you make the trek to Las Vegas it should not be all about business. When the lights go down, there is a litany of restaurants, shows and destinations to put a little fun into your evenings. We provide some suggestions in the publication for every budget. As busy as we are at the show, when the business is finished, I can recall going ziplining down Freemont Street, seeing a Vegas Golden Knights game, taking a gondola ride and seeing random concerts like Mariah Carey or Gladys Knight and the Pips. (Half of you probably don’t even know who that is.)

Of course, we feel it’s in everyone’s best interests to make the show as successful as possible. I believe every industry needs a major event like this. One of the biggest reasons is networking. We talk about seeing new products or attending a few educational events, but reconvening with your peers and having conversations about the industry or issues you may be having is worth the price of admission alone.

And then there’s Eye Candy. Don’t pretend not to know what I’m talking about!

Final thought: From time to time you may hear people trash the show, saying things like it’s not like it was or they get no value from it. Let me tell you this: Those are the people who have made the decision not to attend and don’t want their competitors going. Or it may come from the buying groups who want their members to strictly buy through their core vendors. Or it may come from people who don’t want to invest the time or money making their businesses more successful. That’s fine. You do. And for those who do, I’ll see you on the show floor.

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FCEF, WFCA advocate for the industry in Washington

Washington, D.C.—The Floor Covering Education Foundation (FCEF) recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to advocate for the future of the flooring industry and the broader skilled trades. FCEF executive director, Kaye Whitener, attended as a guest of the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA), joining WFCA CEO Scott Humphrey for a series of meetings with congressional offices and policymakers.

While Humphrey focused on discussions related to WFCA’s national advocacy efforts, Whitener represented the FCEF and the floor covering industry, emphasizing the foundation’s mission to address the nationwide shortage of qualified flooring installers through education, training and workforce development.

Throughout the visit, Whitener spoke on behalf of both the floor covering profession and the skilled trades community, underscoring the shared challenges of workforce shortages, limited trade education access and declining interest among younger generations in hands-on careers.

Whitener highlighted the FCEF’s success in launching and expanding technical college flooring installation programs across multiple states, as well as partnerships that bring training opportunities directly into local communities. By working with schools, industry partners and employers, FCEF is helping to establish structured educational pathways that prepare students for long-term, sustainable careers in the trades.

During meetings with federal leaders, Whitener also discussed future grant opportunities and support to expand FCEF’s reach and strengthen training infrastructure. The conversations focused on how federal funding and workforce grants could enhance technical education, provide scholarships and raise awareness about trade careers.

“These meetings reaffirmed the importance of connecting industry and government to support initiatives that encourage young people to pursue skilled trades,” Whitener said. “Investing in training today will ensure a strong, professional and sustainable flooring workforce for tomorrow.”

The FCEF delegation met with several congressional offices representing states where the foundation has strong industry support and active training programs. These meetings were particularly valuable because each of these members represents regions where FCEF’s mission is already taking root and making an impact.

During the visit, FCEF met with: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA); Rep. Rich McCormick (GA); Rep. Dale Strong (AL); Sen. Katie Britt (AL); Rep. Mike Ezell (MS); Sen. Tim Sheehy (MT); Sen. Ted Budd (NC); Sen. Jon Ossoff (GA); and Sen. Raphael Warnock (GA).

“These offices represent areas where FCEF-supported programs, industry partnerships and workforce development initiatives are active or expanding,” Whitener explained. “The meetings provided an opportunity to share success stories, discuss future collaboration and reinforce the importance of skilled trade education in their constituencies.”

Whitener summed up FCEF’s visit to Washington, D.C., as a meaningful step forward in advancing the organization’s stated mission to strengthen the floor covering industry through various means, including advocacy, education and opportunity.

“The flooring industry is a vital part of America’s skilled trades, and it’s essential that we continue working together to build training programs, create pathways and invest in the next generation of professionals,” she said. “With ongoing collaboration between FCEF, WFCA and national partners, we remain committed to ensuring a strong and sustainable future for the flooring industry and the skilled trades as a whole.”

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Milat Floor launches SPC production with Unilin systems

Waregem, Belgium—Unilin Technologies announced that Milat Floor, a subsidiary of Milat Carpet, began production of its new SPC flooring line featuring the Uniclic locking system. Production using the Unidrop system will follow soon. The move strengthens the company’s commitment to delivering high-quality, easy-to-install and durable flooring solutions worldwide.

Following its licensing agreement with Unilin Technologies earlier this year, Milat Floor completed setup of its new SPC production facilities and is now operating at full capacity. The first collections using Unilin locking technologies are already in production and will launch to both domestic and international markets.

“At Milat Floor, innovation and excellence are at the core of what we do,” said Ismail Baysal, managing director of Milat Floor. “By incorporating Uniclic, known for its production efficiency and superior locking performance, together with Unidrop, which enables a fast and reliable installation, we are enhancing the performance, durability and ease of installation of our SPC flooring, benefiting both professionals and DIY enthusiasts. The choice for these click systems is a result of our focus on quality, the great reputation and the overwhelming demand for Unilin click systems in the flooring industry, specifically in the U.S. market.”

Uniclic, the first integrated one-piece locking system introduced to the market, remains the industry’s top choice for its production efficiency and reliable performance. The Unidrop system complements it with a user-friendly fold-down mechanism that allows quick installation while reducing edge damage.

“By choosing to integrate both Uniclic and Unidrop, Milat Floor signals a clear intention to lead the premium SPC flooring industry by prioritizing high-performance, premium and easy-to-install locking systems,” said Louis Van Roy, business development director at Unilin Technologies. “We’re eager to support them as they bring this new SPC offering to life.”

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Rugs USA launches Carmeon Hamilton rug collection

New York—Rugs USA, a leading e-commerce retailer and supplier of area rugs, announced the launch of the Carmeon Hamilton x Rugs USA collection, the designer’s first solo product collaboration.

“We are so thrilled to bring Carmeon’s first rug collection to market,” said Koorosh Yaraghi, founder and CEO of Rugs USA. “Her personality, her warmth and bold style come through in each piece. We’re in love with this collection and we know these rugs will excite our customers.”

Carmeon Hamilton, host of HGTV’s Reno My Rental and winner of the first season of HGTV Design Star: Next Gen, brings her signature style to this exclusive collection available only through Rugs USA.

“When I designed this collection, I drew from everything that inspires me—from the colors I’ve seen while traveling, the textures I love to layer and those bold global patterns that really bring a space to life,” Carmeon said. “Every rug is made to feel collected and soulful. Pieces that don’t just feel nice, but that pull a room together.”

The collection features 21 handcrafted designs made from natural fibers such as wool and cotton. Each rug is available in multiple sizes and crafted using a mix of hand-tufted, flatweave and hand-hooked constructions. Several designs include both loop and cut pile to add depth and texture.

Each rug reflects Carmeon’s blend of Southern warmth and bold, expressive style. From woven stripes to dimensional patterns, every design plays with depth, movement and texture. The palette includes earthy neutrals, lush greens and rich accents.

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NAFCD unveils new brand and website

Chicago—Last week the North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors (NAFCD) revealed its logo redesign and new website during the NAFCD Member Meeting at the 2025 NAFCD + NBMDA Annual Convention.

According to executive vice president Michael Wilbur, the change was made for members to better access the resources of their membership.

“We wanted to streamline the user experience, with fewer overall pages and easier access to the research and education tools that our members rely on,” Wilbur said. “The other goal of the website update was to demonstrate through design how our members have grown.”

The three main features of the website update include:

• Improved functionality — NAFCD members will be able to better access the tools and resources provided with membership, like the latest research and intelligence, education opportunities and industry events.
• Streamlined navigation — User accessibility has been improved by separating all the tools and resources into five categories: Membership, Education, Resources, Events and About NAFCD.
• A fresh, modern look — Reflecting 21st century design and user experience, the new website has grown with the floor covering distribution channel. Plus, the new logo represents the modernity and growth of NAFCD and better embodies the brand as a whole.

For more on the 2025 annual convention, see the 11/17 print edition of FCNews.

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