San Francisco—Artivo Surfaces has opened an expanded showroom inside the San Francisco Design Center.
The space brings Walker Zanger and Galleher Duffy together in one location for the architecture and design community.
Walker Zanger joined the existing Galleher Duffy showroom. The expanded space gives designers, architects, builders and other professionals access to a broader range of products.
Customers can explore Walker Zanger’s tile, stone and surface collections alongside Galleher Duffy’s flooring offerings. The combined showroom also makes it easier to coordinate materials across multiple categories.
“This is an exciting example of the opportunities we have within Artivo Surfaces to bring complementary brands together in ways that better serve our customers,” said Sunil Palakodati, CEO of Artivo Surfaces. “Walker Zanger and Galleher Duffy each maintain their own expertise and identity while giving the design community access to a broader range of products and resources under one roof.”
Artivo Surfaces recently celebrated the expansion with a grand opening event. Members of the local design and building community attended. Guests toured the space, met with vendor partners and enjoyed food, drinks, music and raffle prizes.
The expansion reflects Artivo Surfaces’ effort to create stronger connections across its brands. It also gives customers a more convenient sourcing experience.
Louisville, Ky.—Louisville Tile has introduced the Prime collection, a new addition to its Wilcox Fifty Five portfolio.
The U.S.-made collection combines marble-inspired visuals with performance features designed for residential and commercial spaces. It is available exclusively through Louisville Tile.
Prime Collection features traditional 12 x 24 inch tile and 2 x 2 inch mosaic formats. The collection offers durability, easy maintenance and slip-resistant matte finishes.
The designs pair crisp colors with detailed marble visuals and subtle variation. Louisville Tile developed the collection as a modern take on classic stone looks.
“When it comes to design, true classics never go out of style—they simply adapt to meet modern needs,” said Catherine Buehre, vice president of brand operations for Louisville Tile. “The Prime Collection captures the effortless elegance and warm veining of traditional marble but pairs it with the incredible durability and slip resistance of modern flooring. We wanted to offer a timeless foundation that feels both refined and fresh, allowing our customers to create serene, beautiful spaces that will endure for generations.”
The Prime Collection includes White Marble, White Calacatta and Divine. Each design is available in a 12 x 24 inch matte format and a 2 x 2 inch mosaic.
FCNews has bolstered its editorial team with the addition of Madison Marquis as digital content manager/associate editor. In this role, Marquis will be chiefly responsible for maintaining the magazine’s website and social media channels, as well as special features such as manufacturer spotlights. She will also serve as FCNews’ resilient beat editor.
Prior to joining the FCNews team, Marquis served as media relations/residential PR manager for Shaw Industries. In this capacity, she planned and executed integrated communications that expanded coverage, reinforced brand voice and boosted audience engagement. She also refined the marketing communications strategy to align with the company’s evolving business goals.
At the same time, Marquis managed a sizeable public relations budget across four brands while leading media relations, developing executive messaging and driving campaign success with targeted advertising. Prior to her experience with Shaw, Marquis served as a writer with Floor Covering Weekly and held positions overseeing web content with other agencies.
“Maddie brings relevant industry experience and knowledge, having worked on both sides of the editorial/advertising fence,” said Reginald Tucker, executive editor, FCNews. “She understands the dynamics of navigating through the B2B publications, and she plans to utilize that experience to build on and enhance the editorial coverage at FCNews. In fact, she is already making positive contributions to the magazine.”
Marquis is excited about the opportunity. “I am incredibly grateful to be joining the FCNews team and to have the opportunity to work alongside people who know and love this industry,” she said. “It’s exciting to be part of a publication with such a strong reputation, and I’m looking forward to bringing my perspective, creativity and experience to the team.”
Dallas—Mohawk Momentum Roadshow will return for its seventh year beginning Jan. 6, 2027, in Dallas.
The five-city tour will bring Mohawk’s “Listen. Adapt. Win.” strategy to specialty flooring retailers across the country. The event will focus on product innovations, education and practical business solutions.
“Building on our Listen. Adapt. Win. strategy featured at Edge Summit in December, Mohawk Momentum Roadshow will bring the same consumer-centric thinking to retail partners across the country,” said Jeff Meadows, Mohawk’s chief commercial officer and president of residential sales and marketing. “We are deeply committed to understanding today’s consumer—how they shop, what influences their decisions and what they expect from the flooring experience. During the Roadshow, retailers will see how we are turning those insights into products, programs and tools they can use to engage more effectively with consumers, stay relevant and win more business.”
The education program will include a consumer insights session. It will focus on strengthening sales conversations, improving the shopping journey and growing business.
Product presentations and merchandising displays will also show how consumer preferences influence flooring choices.
Mohawk Momentum Roadshow 2027 will make five stops:
Dallas: Jan. 6-7, Embassy Suites by Hilton
Washington, D.C.: Jan. 13-14, MGM Grand
Chicago: Jan. 20-21, Sheraton Grand
Huntington Beach, Calif.: Jan. 27-28, The Waterfront Beach Resort
Surfaces in Las Vegas: Feb. 2-4, Mandalay Bay
“Retailers are balancing the demands of running a business with the need to stay ahead,” said Laura Bartley, Mohawk’s vice president of customer loyalty and rewards. “We want to make that next step easier. Through the Mohawk Momentum Roadshow experience, our retail partners can connect what they learn with what they do every day. Our goal is for them to leave with fresh ideas, clear actions and greater confidence in how to win with Mohawk.”
Registration for Mohawk Momentum Roadshow 2027 opens Oct. 12.
Las Vegas—Registration is now open for The International Surface Event (TISE), North America’s premier marketplace for flooring, stone and tile professionals. Taking place here at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Feb. 2-4, 2027, the event will spotlight breakthrough design technologies, innovative products and forward-thinking solutions shaping the industry’s future.
This flagship gathering combines an extensive exhibition floor with four days of in-depth educational programming, bringing together the industry’s most influential brands and thought leaders who are redefining surface materials.
With construction momentum building across the country and consumer demand shifting toward smart, environmentally responsible solutions, TISE 2027 serves as the year’s first major industry event. It provides a vital meeting ground for retailers, distributors, fabricators, installers and other professionals adapting to this dynamic marketplace.
“The flooring, stone and tile sectors are experiencing remarkable transformation fueled by evolving consumer expectations and technological advancement,” said Dana Hicks, group director, TISE. “Industry professionals are now serving buyers with different priorities and requirements, from global supply chain considerations and intelligent products to sustainability and versatile solutions. TISE 2027 creates a collaborative space where businesses can thrive and successfully manage these shifts.”
TISE 2027 delivers a robust four-day education program designed to address evolving industry demands through both show floor experiences and classroom learning. Topics span business optimization, advanced installation methods, effective marketing and technology adoption. Returning programs include the Working with Natural Stone Architecture & Design Program and the Women’s Leadership Program, as well as certifications, training sessions and seminars from the Natural Stone Institute, International Certified Flooring Installers Association, National Wood Flooring Association and additional organizations.
The Education+ Pass offers complete access to all educational sessions and materials, maximizing attendees’ learning investment. As market dynamics shift and customer expectations evolve, TISE 2027 represents the essential event where innovation meets opportunity, offering direct product exploration, progressive solutions and valuable connections that accelerate business success.
The all new Connect+ Pass offers five pre-scheduled meetings with exhibitors who are matched with attendees’ product interests and business needs in a comprehensive, done for you, service.
TISE unites retailers, flooring distributors, contractors, fabricators, installers, architects and designers within the flooring, stone and tile industries. It serves as a platform for curated product showcases, informative seminars, networking opportunities and hands-on experiences. Attendees are invited to explore the latest products, technologies and design solutions while connecting with industry experts and peers to drive business success and stay ahead in a competitive market.
RC Willey has seen sales climb 2% year-over-year despite store traffic being down 5%.
The U.S. economy in 2026 has been a tale of two cities. On the one hand, it’s the engine that has motored through inflation, tariffs and higher borrowing costs, resisting a recent spike in Treasury yields and a Fed rate increase along the way.
At the same time, the all-important housing market has stagnated, with mortgage rates for 30-year loans now above 7% and the lock-in effect keeping inventory tight.
Clearly, it has been the kind of year that tests the mettle of even the most experienced and savvy flooring retailer. There is still business to be had, retailers told FCNews, but it takes a much more robust effort to grab it.
“This year has been very unpredictable,” said Bruce Odette, president of Denver-based Carpet Exchange with 17 locations. “The first half was very robust, right up until the start of the Iran war. Even with that uncertainty, we continued to see slight increases and still had good momentum in the business. That changed around Labor Day. Once mortgage rates pushed past the 7% mark, we started seeing sales flatten out, with some weeks actually down.”
Because of that, Carpet Exchange’s focus has been to execute faster, putting great emphasis on getting quotes back to customers quickly and creating a sense of urgency around the purchase.
“I keep telling our team that our No. 1 competitor right now is ‘postponement,’” Odette said. “If we don’t execute the sale while the customer is engaged, too many things can get in the way. The hot water heater goes out. The car needs new tires heading into winter. Something unexpected comes up with the kids. Suddenly, the money going toward new flooring gets redirected somewhere else.”
The reality, according to Odette, is that we’re in a “want” business more than a “need” business. “People can usually live with their existing floor a little longer, and that means it’s up to us to create an experience that makes them want to move forward and gives them a reason to spend those discretionary dollars with us,” he said.
Flooring dealers are generally split on their expectations for the fourth quarter. Beyond the challenges of the housing market and dwindling consumer confidence are the highly contentious midterm elections set for November.
“My expectations for the fourth quarter are for it to be a soft quarter,” said Tom Heffner, owner of About All Floors, Douglassville, Pa. “I think we will hear a lot about the upcoming midterm elections all through October, and the news will most likely be negative. I expect that to soften demand for residential flooring.”
Heffner said there is business to seize out there, but you must look sharp to earn it. “We’ve focused on updating showrooms and recently completed a renovation of our main store both inside and out,” he said. “We want our customers to be very comfortable in our space.”
Flooring retailers have been battling through economic headwinds for most of the year.
Some retailers have focused on operational efficiencies to improve their prospects. A case in point is Marshall Flooring in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, which devoted 2025 to implementing a new business strategy that required it to update its processes. But in so doing, it let go a large number of staff.
“We took an expected dip [in 2025] and now we are clicking as a unit and seeing the fruits of our decision,” said Matt Wien, partner. “We are up 27% over last year, and it feels good. It got a little hairy there for a minute as we were wondering if we made the right decision to implement such a massive change to a very established business.”
In the end, Wien said the move to proactively upgrade its business for the future was the right one. “We have doubled down on our technology and processes to allow our sales team to strictly focus on sales,” he said. “Providing our sales team the tools to increase the average ticket and reduce the sales cycle has been a recipe for success. We’re also partnering with vendors that value our relationship and are willing to work with us on private-label collections and exclusive lines so we can keep our margins where we want them.”
Salt Lake City-based RC Willey, with 13 locations across four Western states, has seen sales climb 2% year-over-year despite overall traffic being down 5%. The good news: “The customers that are coming in are serious buyers, and I’m seeing a trend to better goods,” said Eric Mondragon, division manager/flooring buyer.
It didn’t hurt that RC Willey offered incentives/sales promotions to seal deals. “We offered a free Ninja CREAMi ice cream maker with a $2,000 flooring purchase during the summer months, and it was a huge success,” Mondragon said. “It gave those customers that were on the fence about purchasing a reason to buy. Our Labor Day sales were really good, and that usually is a good indicator of how the fall/winter selling season is going to be. We just started our semi-annual flooring sale, so if that momentum continues, we should end the year up between 2%-3%.”
Fellow NFA dealer Baker Bros. Area Rugs & Flooring, with nine locations in the Phoenix market, is among those facing harsh economic headwinds. “Business continues to be a grind,” said Phil Koufidakis, president. “We are pretty much flat to last year but having to grind much harder to stay there. The place we see the most opportunity is with the aging-in-place boomer generation. With housing continuing to be at a stall and likely to be so for a while, the upper-end boomers should be the most motivated for home renovations. This group has also acquired the most wealth and disposable income. In the end we need lower gas prices. We will see what happens.”
Rising gas and diesel fuel prices, tariffs, spiking grocery prices and 7%-plus mortgage rates have impacted businesses throughout the country, including Ohio, where Flooring Partners operates three retail stores. “The walk-in business is off year over year in our stores, and I think consumer sentiment is driving this negative trend,” said Craig Phillips, executive advisor. “Our builders still report softer sales and don’t see an uptick in the next few quarters. We have committed resources and have hired additional outside sales help to go out and get business in our multi-family, builder and commercial businesses. On the retail side, we have committed to a nice digital campaign to get in front of retail flooring consumers in our markets. All this is starting to make a positive impact.”
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, learn how to validate AI output and determine what business information is safe to share.
San Francisco—Artivo Surfaces has opened an expanded showroom inside the San Francisco Design Center.
Louisville, Ky.—
FCNews has bolstered its editorial team with the addition of Madison Marquis as digital content manager/associate editor. In this role, Marquis will be chiefly responsible for maintaining the 
Dallas—Mohawk Momentum Roadshow will return for its seventh year beginning Jan. 6, 2027, in Dallas.
Las Vegas—
