Alliance Flooring welcomes Cornerstone Flooring

Baton Rouge, La.—Cornerstone Flooring Companies has joined Alliance Flooring as the company refocuses on growing its residential division.

Jim Lloyd, president and founder of Cornerstone Flooring, considered several options before selecting Alliance Flooring. He said the group offered the support Cornerstone wanted while allowing the company to maintain its independence.

“We wanted to partner with a group that didn’t mandate to us or tell us what we had to do,” Lloyd said. “We wanted one that would support us and be our partner. We’ve been in business for 25 years and we wanted to keep our autonomy. Alliance Flooring lets us keep our independence and make decisions we feel are best for us and our market.”

Ryan Dunn, CEO and co-president of Alliance Flooring, welcomed Cornerstone’s residential division to the organization. “We are thrilled that Jim Lloyd and the Cornerstone Flooring residential division have chosen to join Alliance Flooring. For more than 25 years, the Cornerstone team has built a strong reputation as a respected commercial flooring provider and they are now bringing that same expertise and business approach to the residential market. Having experienced the benefits of a buying group, Jim and his team understand the value of finding the right partner—one that can provide resources, innovation and support while allowing them to maintain their independence.”

For more than 25 years, Cornerstone has built its business in the commercial flooring market. The company has developed manufacturer relationships, installation expertise and connections with contractors, builders, designers and property managers. Cornerstone now plans to use those strengths to expand its residential retail business.

Lloyd said visits to two Alliance Flooring member stores helped demonstrate what the organization could offer. “After visiting two of their members’ stores, I saw the benefits of what they could offer us and how they operate,” he explained. “They have what it takes to help small and large businesses succeed in retail. We noticed something right away—they don’t sit on their laurels. They are constantly looking ahead and keeping their members on the cutting edge with technology, merchandising and networking.”

Residential expansion takes shape

Manning Lloyd, Cornerstone’s corporate recruiter, brand and marketing manager, also cited Alliance Flooring’s approach to innovation. “I appreciate what they are doing. They aren’t satisfied with the status quo. In fact, they are continually innovating and making things better and smoother for us. They have an impressive team.”

Cornerstone will build its new showroom around Alliance Flooring’s Perfect Home retail selling system. The concept aims to create an organized shopping environment while improving merchandising efficiency and product presentation.

Ray DeWitt, who joined Cornerstone in June as residential manager, added: “At first, I thought we would have to do things the way they told us and that they wouldn’t be able to provide much to help us. I was wrong about that. This group is top-notch and a true partner that I can now see will help us be successful.”

Looking ahead

Cornerstone will retain its independence while gaining access to Alliance Flooring’s retail resources, technology and merchandising support.

“Another exciting aspect of this partnership is the future leadership already in place at both organizations,” Dunn added. “Jim has Manning, while Kevin and I have our sons, Ethan Logue and RJ Dunn, working alongside us as we prepare the next generation to carry both companies forward. That creates a natural connection between our organizations and a shared perspective on long-term growth, succession and the future of the flooring industry. We look forward to working with the entire Cornerstone team.”

The post Alliance Flooring welcomes Cornerstone Flooring appeared first on Floor Covering News.

Alliance Flooring welcomes Cornerstone Flooring Posted First on https://fcnews.net

The Cali story is built on lifestyle, authenticity

Cali started with a surf trip. In 2004, two friends discovered bamboo on a trip to Hawaii, noticed how fast and strong the woody grass grew, and came home to San Diego with an idea: Sell a sustainable alternative to traditional building materials. What began as rolled bamboo fencing grew into bamboo flooring, plywood and composite decking—and a company that would spend 13 consecutive years on the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies list.

But the story dealers know best didn’t begin on that beach. It began in 2017, when Doug Jackson joined the company after a 24-year career at Shaw Industries.

A new direction

At the time, the company was known mostly as a direct-to-consumer bamboo brand. Jackson saw something bigger: a lifestyle brand that could serve the entire flooring market—dealers, designers, builders and trade professionals alike— without losing its California soul. That vision meant building real credibility in a business-to-business industry that rarely takes newcomers seriously.

The turning point came in 2018, when Cali was accepted as a vendor by the National Floorcovering Alliance. Membership signaled to the industry that Cali wasn’t a passing trend; it was a serious partner committed to the dealer channel. That same year the company crossed $100 million in revenue and assembled what World Floor Covering Association CEO Scott Humphrey called a “dream team” of industry veterans.

“What we’re seeing with the leadership of Doug Jackson and the assembly of this dream team of flooring industry professionals is a real opportunity to make a difference and change the paradigm in our industry,” Humphrey said at the time.

Jackson brought in seasoned talent who knew the channel and the regions they’d serve—people like Bob Fish, Chanel Clifford, Jay Flynn and later Jim Curtin, a 40-year industry veteran who took the reins of Eastern U.S. dealer sales. Each hire deepened Cali’s relationships with retailers who valued working with people who understood their business. Strengthened connections led to partnerships with other flooring groups, including CCA in 2022.

Beyond bamboo

As the team grew, so did the product line. In 2019, Cali moved into hardwood with the launch of the Meritage collection— premium European white oak, responsibly sourced and cut into extra-long, extra-wide planks. “Meritage represents Cali venturing into the upper echelons of luxury hardwood flooring, but with a price point that really rocks the boat,” Jackson said at launch. That balance of quality and value would become a defining Cali trait.

Hardwood became a strategic priority. Under Jackson’s direction, the team leaned hard into developing wood collections that felt natural and beautiful while staying accessible—a direct expression of the brand’s “Simply Authentic” ethos and its West Coast roots. Today, the Barrel Trilogy anchors that effort: Barrel offers best-selling European white oak at an accessible price, Varietals showcases unstained species like ash, acacia, maple and hickory, and First Press delivers artisanal, hand-finished character. Merchandised together in Cali’s signature wine barrel displays, the Trilogy gives dealers a clear framework to guide customers by style and budget.

Cali’s vinyl business has long been its bread and butter—anchored by Longboards, a best-selling collection dealers know well, now evolved into Longboards Icons, a longer WPC version of the classic. The category kept innovating to meet new demand, including collections built specifically for the builder and multi-family market, like the loose-lay Hang Loose and glue-down Laid Back. And Cali’s laminate reimagined the category entirely, engineering wood-look collections like Mavericks and Santa Cruz with attached padding, watertight cores and waterproof performance that outperforms customer expectations.

Stability and scale

In 2021, Cali was acquired by Victoria PLC, a publicly traded UK flooring company established in 1895 with roughly $1 billion in annual sales and operations across Europe and Australia.

The acquisition gave Cali something the previous era hadn’t: stability and resources. As an autonomous Victoria subsidiary, Cali gained access to global manufacturing, substrates and infrastructure—while remaining fully responsible for its own success.

“Today marks the next chapter for Cali,” Jackson said at the time. “We have found a great partner and a permanent home within the Victoria family.” For dealers, that meant more curated product lines, delivered more efficiently, backed by a more robust team. Cali remains one of the strongest-performing brands in the Victoria portfolio.

What dealers see

Ask Cali’s retail partners what sets the brand apart, and what gets mentioned most often are the displays, the colors and products at the best value per square foot.

Cali’s showroom displays—inspired by coastal living and vineyard culture—consistently stand out from the crowd. The fresh, natural color palette answers real customer demand for the light, beachy, organic looks shoppers pull from Pinterest and bring into stores. That distinct aesthetic extends to Cali’s Surfaces trade show booth, which has won Best Booth Design three years running—a remarkable feat for a smaller brand. Each year, the booth immerses visitors in the best of California: the redwoods and state parks, the wine valleys, the surf culture—all while showcasing the latest launches.

Behind the scenes, Jackson’s team reengineered the operation to serve dealers better. They revamped territory manager coverage across the country, hired regional experts with deep local knowledge and optimized distribution centers for faster, more reliable deliveries. They also shaped products around dealer and builder needs—value-conscious hardwood in Barrel, builder-friendly vinyl in Hang Loose and Laid Back, and elevated entry-level oak in Reserve.

Cali also invests in the relationships directly. Regular “Design Center Night Out” events bring designers together for an evening of color and product presentations from Cali’s own designers and developers—paired with wine, food and a first look at upcoming collections.

Giving back

Cali’s commitment to the channel extends to the industry’s future. In partnership with the Floor Covering Education Foundation, Cali created a simple way for retail partners to help address the installer shortage: contributing an additional penny per square foot on Cali orders to fund recruitment, education and training for the next generation of installers.

“This collaboration aims to address the very real challenge with the lack of installers while also bolstering our industry with well-trained professionals,” Jackson said. It’s a fitting expression of a company that has always believed success comes from gathering the right people and doing good work.

Simply authentic

More than 20 years after that first crate of bamboo landed in San Diego, Cali has become something rare in flooring: a brand customers recognize before they read the name. The coastal aesthetic, the curated palette, the wine-country storytelling—it all adds up to an identity that’s unmistakably Cali.

For dealers, that’s the real value. In a crowded market, Cali offers premium, differentiated collections at the best value per square foot, backed by a team that knows the channel and a brand customers already want. From bamboo fencing to a full-portfolio flooring leader, the throughline has never changed: Stay true to the West Coast, stay true to natural materials and stay Simply Authentic.

The post The Cali story is built on lifestyle, authenticity appeared first on Floor Covering News.

The Cali story is built on lifestyle, authenticity Posted First on https://fcnews.net

Stanley partners with Area Floors, i4F on new flooring brand

Turnhout, Belgium—Stanley has entered the global flooring market through a strategic partnership with Area Floors. The collaboration has produced the first Stanley-branded flooring ranges, all featuring i4F drop-lock technologies.

Area Floors has begun production of the new SPC flooring collections. The company plans to roll them out across the EMEA region (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) later this year.

The Istanbul-based manufacturer brings automated production capabilities, product development expertise and international export experience to the partnership.

i4F’s drop-lock technologies provide the installation system for the new Stanley flooring products. “Area Floors is a strong player in the global flooring market and its prestigious partnership with STANLEY makes its selection of i4F’s drop-lock technology a meaningful endorsement,” noted John Rietveldt, CEO of i4F. “Together, we are helping deliver an easy, reliable flooring experience for retailers, installers and consumers.”

Caroline McInerney, EMEA licensing manager at Stanley, added: “For more than 175 years, STANLEY has stood for quality, durability and innovation. Expanding into flooring is a natural extension of our commitment to the residential construction and home improvement markets. Thanks to Area Floors’ expertise, we have developed a flooring collection for today’s consumers, featuring i4F drop-lock technologies for an easy installation experience.”

Branding supports retail rollout

The companies will also coordinate branding, packaging and marketing initiatives. Stanley and i4F branding will appear prominently on Area Floors’ packaging, installation content and supporting sales materials.

The branding helps retailers and consumers easily identify Stanley flooring featuring i4F installation technology.

“We are proud to bring STANLEY Flooring to the EMEA market,” said Ferhat Çalınaltı, CEO of Area Floors. “This partnership reflects Area Floors’ expertise in developing and manufacturing flooring solutions for leading global brands, combining innovative design, advanced production and international market experience.”

Dervis Anil, project lead for the Stanley Flooring Program at Area Floors, said the partnership combined product development and manufacturing. “From concept to commercialization, our focus has been to build a flooring collection worthy of the STANLEY name. Working closely with our partners, we have combined product innovation, manufacturing excellence and reliable installation to create a premium flooring solution for customers across the EMEA region.”

The post Stanley partners with Area Floors, i4F on new flooring brand appeared first on Floor Covering News.

Stanley partners with Area Floors, i4F on new flooring brand Posted First on https://fcnews.net

Reshoring survey finds U.S. manufacturing momentum building

Sarasota, Fla.—U.S. manufacturers are showing greater interest in reshoring, but policy uncertainty, workforce shortages and import competition continue to create challenges.

The findings come from the 2026 USA Reshoring Survey, conducted by the Reshoring Initiative and Regions Recruiting. The annual study surveyed 249 U.S. manufacturers, including 118 original equipment manufacturers and 131 contract manufacturers.

The survey found more OEMs have reshored or are actively engaged in reshoring compared with 2025. Manufacturers cited tariffs, geopolitical risks and proximity to customers as leading reasons for bringing production back to the U.S.

Companies also reported measurable operational benefits. Improved speed to market and on-time delivery ranked among the strongest positive impacts of reshoring.

Capital investment continues

Manufacturers also indicated plans to invest in domestic operations.

Additionally, 63% OEM respondents said they plan U.S. capital expenditures in 2026 or 2027. Those investments will support reshoring or other domestic expansion.

The report found planned investment remained strong even among companies still considering reshoring. Roughly two-thirds of those companies expect to make domestic capital investments.

At the same time, satisfaction with reshoring declined from last year. In 2026, 65% of OEMs said they were satisfied with their reshoring results, down from 96% in 2025.

Dissatisfaction increased to 25% from 4%. The report attributed some of that shift to labor costs, vendor gaps, inflation and implementation challenges.

Policy uncertainty creates pressure

Policy uncertainty emerged as one of the clearest concerns among manufacturers.

Fifty-seven percent of respondents identified changing trade policies as their primary challenge. That ranked well ahead of market pricing and supply chain complexity.

The report said manufacturers are seeking a more predictable framework that allows them to plan long-term investments.

Steel and aluminum tariffs also created challenges for contract manufacturers. Fifty-seven percent said tariff increases hurt their ability to compete against imports. Only 15% reported a positive impact.

Geopolitical risk has also become a larger factor in sourcing decisions. The report found geopolitical concerns now rival tariffs as a driver of reshoring.

Contract manufacturers see growing pipeline

Contract manufacturers reported increased reshoring opportunities.

The percentage of CMs currently quoting reshoring projects doubled to 32% from 16% last year. Meanwhile, 79% said at least some customers discussed reshoring with them during the past 12 months. Still, domestic manufacturers face considerable price pressure.

CMs reported competing against imports on an average of 38% of quotes, up from 31% in 2025. When they lost business to imports, respondents cited price as the primary factor 94% of the time.

Half of CMs that lost orders on price said the winning import bid was at least 30% below their own.

The survey also found growing adoption of Total Cost of Ownership, or TCO, among OEMs. Forty percent now use TCO when comparing domestic and offshore sourcing options, up from 30% in 2025.

Skilled labor remains a barrier

Despite the encouraging results, workforce availability remains another major obstacle to reshoring. Manufacturers reported the greatest difficulty filling skilled-trade positions, particularly technician and maintenance or repair roles. Roughly two-thirds rated hiring for those positions as very difficult or worse.

Companies are increasingly turning to trade schools, internal training programs and community colleges to build their workforce. Those channels ranked ahead of four-year universities in the survey.

Manufacturers remain cautious about whether technology can close the competitive gap. Only 33% believe advances in AI and automation will make U.S. manufacturing competitive enough to cut imports by 50% by 2040.

The 2026 survey marks the second year the Reshoring Initiative and Regions Recruiting have tracked manufacturers’ responses to reshoring, trade policy and domestic investment.

Read the full report here.

The post Reshoring survey finds U.S. manufacturing momentum building appeared first on Floor Covering News.

Reshoring survey finds U.S. manufacturing momentum building Posted First on https://fcnews.net

How a socialist society could impact your business

You don’t need me to tell you that it’s election season. Turn on your TV and you’re either going to hear about midterms or floods. But this year seems a little different. We’re seeing a lot of socialist candidates winning elections. Many cities have elected socialist mayors and a bunch of socialist upstarts are defeating establishment candidates.

This drove me to do a little research. First, I wanted to find out why this was gaining momentum, and what socialism could mean for small businesses. For the record, as small business owners, FCNews is no different than you combatting the challenges every small business faces on a daily basis. (Full disclosure: I favor a capitalist society where the goal is to make as much money to afford us the best lives possible.)

So what’s fueling this socialist movement? The biggest reason: Many young Americans feel the economic system isn’t working for them. Housing, health care, college, childcare and basic living costs have risen substantially, while many younger people feel that owning a home, building wealth and achieving the same standard of living their parents had is increasingly difficult.

A recent 2026 poll of 18-34-year-olds found 96% were concerned about living costs, with 40% saying they were “extremely” concerned. That creates fertile ground for a message that says: “The system is rigged. Government should make sure people can afford housing, health care and a decent life.”

When younger Americans say they like socialism today, many are thinking about universal health care, affordable housing, free or subsidized college, higher minimum wages, stronger unions, paid family leave, higher taxes on billionaires and government regulation of large corporations. At the same time, young people have become much more skeptical of capitalism. A 2025 Harvard Youth Poll found only 39% of young Americans supported capitalism.

But let’s say all of a sudden this country turned from a capitalist society to a socialist one. How would this impact a typical floor covering dealer? I came up with four major ways:

1. Taxes: A more aggressively progressive administration could try to raise taxes on higher-income individuals and profitable businesses. The effect would be particularly noticeable to an owner who earns $250,000-$1 million+ from the business; operates as a pass-through entity; wants to sell the business; owns the building in which the business operates; or is trying to reinvest profits into expansion.

2. Labor costs: A more aggressively pro-labor administration could push for higher minimum wages, expanded paid leave, stronger overtime requirements, greater employee protections, easier unionization, scheduling protections and higher employer contributions to benefits.

3. Rent and real estate: A progressive government could pursue policies involving commercial rent regulation, commercial property taxes, stronger tenant protections, restrictions on landlords, zoning changes and higher taxes on commercial real estate.

4. Regulation: A socialist administration could increase regulation, particularly regarding labor, environmental standards and consumer protections.

Let’s put all this into practice. How might this affect a flooring retailer doing about $5 million a year? I called on everyone’s new best friend, ChatGPT, for some answers. These numbers are illustrative, but they are designed to resemble the economics of a real flooring company.

Our hypothetical $5 million flooring company has a gross profit of $2.25 million, assuming a gross margin of 45%. (Sales of $5 million minus cost of goods of $2.75 million. Yes, I’m optimistic.) Let’s say salaries and wages are $700,000, payroll taxes and benefits are $210,000, sales commissions are $250,000, rent is $180,000, advertising/ marketing is $80,000, freight/delivery is $180,000, vehicles/travel is $75,000, software/accounting/legal is another $75,000, insurance is $70,000 and other overhead is $100,000. I’ve come up with an operating profit of $330,000, or a 6.6% operating margin.

Now, let’s introduce a strong socialist policy environment. Imagine a government that substantially increases wages, employee benefits, payroll costs, business taxes, paid leave, labor protections, compliance requirements and commercial-property costs while leaving private ownership intact.

Employee compensation is probably the biggest immediate impact. Suppose average compensation—including wages, payroll taxes and benefits—increases by 15%. The company’s current $910,000 becomes approximately $1,046,500. The problem is wage compression. If you raise the bottom of the wage scale, the employee making $25 wants a raise, too. That’s why a minimum-wage increase can ripple through an entire payroll.

Next, let’s look at benefits and paid leave. Imagine a government adding more generous paid family leave, additional mandated benefits and other employee protections. Let’s assume another $40,000 per year in incremental benefit/leave costs.

Then we have taxes. A strongly progressive government could raise business taxes or reduce preferential rates for certain small businesses. Let’s assume the company’s effective combined state/local business-tax burden increases by $35,000 annually.

Now, suppose additional labor reporting, scheduling requirements, legal compliance, HR administration and regulatory requirements cost the company $25,000 per year. Bottom line: The starting profit of $330,000 becomes $93,500. That’s a 72% reduction in operating profit. Nothing was confiscated, nothing was nationalized, the company still does $5 million in sales and is still profitable. But the owner’s economic reward for taking the risk has fallen dramatically.

I can’t believe the owner is going to sit there and accept that. He has three ways to respond:

1. Raise prices. But if competitors don’t raise prices as much, he could lose business.

2. Cut employees. Suppose he eliminates two positions and reduces other labor costs by $100,000. Profit goes back toward $193,500 but now fewer people have jobs and the remaining employees have more work.

3. Accept lower returns. The owner could simply accept making $100,000 instead of $330,000. But it changes the economic incentive to own the company.

A flooring retailer is particularly vulnerable because labor is everywhere in the business. A government policy that increases the cost of labor affects almost every step.

And, remember, we are assuming this retailer operates on 45% margin. If it’s more like 37%, the same policy changes could push it very close to break-even. At that point, the owner starts questioning why he is taking the risk of owning a business.

Food for thought.

The post How a socialist society could impact your business appeared first on Floor Covering News.

How a socialist society could impact your business Posted First on https://fcnews.net

Tuesday Tips: Show customers what’s possible

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, retail training expert, explains how helping customers visualize what’s possible can influence buying decisions and make it easier to solve their flooring challenges.

The post Tuesday Tips: Show customers what’s possible appeared first on Floor Covering News.

Tuesday Tips: Show customers what’s possible Posted First on https://fcnews.net

Dan Frierson takes stock of carpet industry changes

Dan Frierson, chairman, The Dixie Group,

Dan Frierson, chairman, The Dixie Group, shares changes that shaped the flooring industry.

The impact of Stainmaster

When I started in this business, we had a mill that ran waste from our cotton mills, which we fed to the chenille operators and then the bath rug producers. We were making tufting yarns out of the waste from our cotton mills, then we went to rayon, acrylic, spun poly and polypropylene and finally to nylon filament because each one provided a better product than the previous fiber. It wasn’t like the world just started in 1986, but when DuPont came out with Stainmaster, they put enough money behind it to make it a brand. And to this day, I think it is the only consumer brand the industry has responded to. Stainmaster changed a lot of things— and it was also about the time they were able to make solid color product out of filament—and that was a huge change for the industry. You had filament nylon you could use, but we typically made high-end critical products, so we could not use much of the nylon filament that was being produced. It wasn’t consistent enough. It wasn’t just the advent of filament nylon; it was the ability to use it in critical products along with the Stainmaster brand.

Advances in manufacturing technology

Product development and differentiation started years ago with the spinners. You had no filament to operate with. It was the spinners that would develop a lot of different products out of a blend of fibers or a blend of yarns. It then moved to the fiber producers who started making lots of different products, different deniers, different sizes, different denier per filament, different dyeing capabilities and so forth. But then it came to the tufting machinery manufacturers who started making equipment on which you could make products that looked more woven. This really began to change product development in the industry.

Mills extruding their own fibers

Extrusion was a dramatic change that started when the mills proved they could make polypropylene successfully. However, it made a lousy carpet. The industry did sell a lot of berbers though. If you remember, DuPont went into the polypropylene business and got their head handed to them. And Amoco was big in their Genesis products. It became clear that if the mills could extrude it, they could do it a lot more inexpensively and have their own colors. It began with polypropylene, but it quickly went to nylon. That led to filament polyester. Spun polyester was a lousy product. There was a lot of it sold, but it hasn’t been a major factor after 1986. The backward integration put the last fiber companies out of business: DuPont, Monsanto, Honeywell, BASF. They really had a major influence 40 to 50 years ago, and that, of course, is totally gone.

Solution-dyed polyester

There was a movement to solution-dyed filament polyester; Bob Shaw led that charge. You had Mohawk with their PTT, which is similar, but that only impacted them. I wouldn’t put it on the same level as what has happened with PET extrusion because the market is now 80% to 90% PET.

The growth of LVT

One of the smartest guys in the industry was whoever decided that vinyl tile ought to be called luxury vinyl tile. This accelerated the erosion of carpet’s share. Because at one point it was just carpet and sheet vinyl. People were still covering up wood. They hadn’t figured out yet they could rip up that carpet and refinish the wood.

The growth of the buying groups and big boxes

Today, I believe the big boxes are losing market share in soft floor covering, but they gained it for years. Everybody was in fear of them. But, if you remember, The Great Indoors (Sears) and the Home Depot Expo Design Center looked like they were going to eat the world, but they determined they excel in DIY-type applications. The home centers scared a lot of the retailers and probably made them better, but they did take a lot of volume out of the specialty retail segment.

The Great Recession

The Great Recession resulted in the most dramatic decline in business our industry has ever faced. You just didn’t know where the bottom was as you were going down. But once we got to the bottom, the industry was off about 40%. It was horrible, but we shot out of it pretty quickly and the carpet industry—and this is what I think is going to happen when we make the turn this time— grew for about eight years. We were able to double our market share over the next five years because we continued to invest as things were going down. But it was a difficult period, no question. This period has not been as severe, but a heck of a lot longer.

The post Dan Frierson takes stock of carpet industry changes appeared first on Floor Covering News.

Dan Frierson takes stock of carpet industry changes Posted First on https://fcnews.net