Dalton—The World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) has launched a three-part artificial intelligence webinar series through its GROW professional development program. The series aims to help members use AI more effectively in their businesses.
Aaron Welch, founder and CEO of Peritix Technology Advisors, will lead the interactive sessions. Welch is a CISSP-certified cybersecurity leader with more than 20 years of experience. He previously served as director of IT security for the City of Chattanooga, where he authored the city’s first AI policy and led the evaluation and adoption of AI tools.
The 45-minute webinars compare AI to a new employee by showing participants how to define its role, evaluate its work, protect sensitive information and measure its performance.
“AI is already changing the way businesses work, but there’s a big difference between trying AI and knowing how to use it effectively,” said Michelle Nix, director of education for WFCA. “This series is designed to give our members a practical framework they can use in their own businesses, from defining what they want AI to do to evaluating whether it’s actually delivering results.”
Three-part AI training series
The webinar series builds on a practical framework across three sessions:
Session 1: The New Hire Nobody Interviewed — Aug. 13 at 2 p.m. ET. Introduces the AI Worker Model and explains how to create a clear AI “job description” using five elements: Role, Skills, Process, Data and Evaluation.
Session 2: The Interview: Vet It Before You Trust It — Sept. 10 at 2 p.m. ET. Focuses on evaluating AI-generated work, protecting business information and understanding what information is appropriate to share with AI.
Session 3: The Performance Review: Make AI Earn Its Keep — Oct. 8 at 2 p.m. ET. Introduces the CASEE framework—Consistency, Accuracy, Security, Efficacy and Efficiency—to help businesses evaluate AI workflows.
WFCA encourages participants to bring a laptop, tablet or phone along with a business task they want AI to perform more reliably. Each session stands on its own, while the full series provides a practical system for implementing AI in business operations.
Flowood, Miss.—The National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) has announced its August training schedule, featuring seven regional training programs and 17 free evening workshops across 16 states. Installers, contractors and other tile industry professionals can gain hands-on instruction in installation methods, industry standards and product innovations.
Regional training sessions
NTCA’s Regional Training programs provide daylong, hands-on instruction covering the latest tools, materials and installation techniques based on ANSI standards and the TCNA Handbook for Ceramic, Glass, and Stone Tile Installation methods.
August Regional Training topics include:
Interior Installation of Gauged Porcelain Tile Panels/Slabs (GPTP/S)
Substrate Preparation and Tile Industry Standards for Installation of Large-Format Tile (LFT)
Date Host Name City/State Topic
8/06 Floor & Decor Happy Valley, OR GPTP/S
8/06 Daltile Lenexa, KS Substrate Prep for LFT
8/11 Floor & Decor Everett, WA GPTP/S
8/20 Floor & Decor Lombard, IL GPTP/S
8/20 Floor & Decor Denver, CO GPTP/S
8/27 Floor & Decor Gaithersburg, MD GPTP/S
8/27 Uzin Utz Waco, TX GPTP/S
Class sizes are limited to 20 participants to provide individualized instruction and hands-on practice. Registration requires a $50 fee, which NTCA refunds upon completion of the class.
NTCA workshops
Each free workshop combines classroom instruction, live demonstrations, small-group interaction, networking and giveaways. The three-hour sessions help attendees stay current with installation techniques, product innovations and industry standards.
Workshop topics include:
Tile Matters: Best Practices for the Pros
Failures, Could it be Me?
Tile Technology: Membranes
Tile Technology: Adhesives
Foundations of Wet Areas
NTCA said its training events are designed primarily for contractors and installers but are open to the entire tile industry. Workshops designated with AIA approval qualify for continuing education credits for architects, designers and specifiers while maintaining a contractor-focused curriculum.
Orlando—Shaw Industries has opened registration for the Shaw Flooring Network (SFN) 2027 Convention. The event will take place Jan. 17-20, 2027, here at Rosen Shingle Creek Resort. Registration is open through Dec. 4, 2026.
The theme of the SFN 2027 Convention, “Better Together,” celebrates partnership, shared success and the relationships that have shaped the Shaw Flooring Network.
“As we reflected on what makes SFN special, one message continued to rise to the top: we’re simply better when we come together,” said Annie Cowart, senior vice president of Shaw Flooring Network. “Whether it’s sharing ideas, solving challenges, supporting one another or celebrating successes, the strength of this network has always been rooted in partnership.”
Sneak peek
Shaw said the 2027 convention will celebrate the network’s history, relationships and shared experiences. The convention will also continue to support member success through business-building resources and peer connections.
“Better Together captures what has always set SFN apart,” said Ryan Powell, vice president of retail. “When retailers, Shaw associates and industry partners come together with a common purpose, we create opportunities that are difficult to achieve alone. That spirit of connection and shared success will be woven throughout the SFN convention experience.”
Attendees will have access to business solutions, coaching and educational sessions. The convention will also feature an expo with new product introductions, general sessions, networking opportunities and special events designed to help members strengthen their businesses and build industry connections.
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 why the right story can shape the customer experience.
Mountville, Pa.—McDonald’s named Crossville its 2026 U.S. Construction Supplier of the Year.
McDonald’s presented the award during its USRD External Partner Summit in Las Vegas. The company recognizes suppliers that demonstrate exceptional quality, reliability and collaboration across its development supply chain.
“We are honored to receive this recognition from McDonald’s,” said Scott Crandall, vice president of national accounts for AHF Products. “Crossville has supported McDonald’s restaurant design vision for many years with durable, American-made porcelain tile and a commitment to consistent quality. This award reflects the dedication of our teams and the strength of a partnership that continues to grow.”
More than 25 years of partnership
Crossville has supplied McDonald’s for more than 25 years, providing porcelain tile for restaurant projects across the U.S.
“We have been proud to support McDonald’s for more than 25 years,” said Heidi Vassalotti, director of strategic accounts for AHF Products. “Our focus has always been to provide reliable supply, consistent quality and tile solutions that help McDonald’s build durable and efficient restaurants across the United States. It is a privilege to work alongside their design and construction teams and contribute to a system built on collaboration and long-term success.”
Crossville manufactures its porcelain tile products in Tennessee. The company supports national quick-service restaurant programs with products built for heavy traffic, fast-paced construction schedules and long-term commercial performance. Crossville added that its domestic manufacturing and supply chain help provide consistent product availability and responsiveness for large-scale restaurant development.
The Nebraska Furniture Mart store in The Colony, Texas, spans 1.8 million square feet, including a 1.3 million-square-foot warehouse and distribution center and 560,000 square feet of retail space.
The Colony, Texas—Top executives from Nebraska Furniture Mart (NFM) and Shaw Industries gathered here this week to celebrate the grand reopening of its 1.8 million-square-foot mega-store in this suburb of Dallas. Originally opened in 2015, the grand reopening features enhancements throughout the sprawling 560,000-square foot showroom. A key highlight being the unveiling of the third Shaw Anso Gallery, the curated retail flooring concept from Shaw Floors.
“It was kind of shocking to realize that it was just four years ago we opened our very first Anso Gallery in Omaha, Neb.,” David Chambers, director of flooring, NFM, said in his opening remarks to attendees. “We saw an opportunity to create something different. We wanted to create a distinct destination where a consumer shopping for carpet could find an area that was more inspiring and easier to shop and navigate and, more importantly, had products and features that resonated with the consumer today. The response from our consumers exceeded our expectations in Omaha, which allowed us to then take the concept to our Kansas City market. Now we’re bringing the next generation of the Anso Gallery to our customers here in Dallas-Fort Worth.”
The 3,500-square-foot Anso Gallery—the standard footprint for the galleries in Omaha and Kansas City—is much more than an assembly of Shaw’s top-selling carpet brands, according to Chambers. “As you walk the showroom today, you’ll see more than just carpet fixtures; you’ll see a thoughtfully designed shopping experience where consumers can visualize, compare and really shop with confidence about carpet,” he said.
Like the two prior Anso Gallery locations, this latest installation represents the culmination of collaboration and partnership between NFM and Shaw Industries—companies that share a common connection with Berkshire Hathaway, the parent company. That was a key point of emphasis by Benjamin Liebert, president, Shaw residential, in his remarks to attendees.
“Thank you, David, for your partnership, and thank you for pushing us to be better,” Liebert said. “We really appreciate where we’re going. I think this is a great product of that.”
Liebert also acknowledged Tony Boldt, NFM president and CEO, as well as scores of NFM managers and associates. “Thank you, Tony, for your leadership and your trust, and to the entire NFM team for your trust in our brands. Thank you for allowing us to really invade and take over your showroom with these great products and brands. We’re very excited about the opportunity to work with you.”
Liebert also took the opportunity to recognize Shaw team members. “Thanks to our Shaw leaders, whether that be in sales or in marketing. And most importantly, our VPs and our territory managers who make it happen every day—the ‘last three feet’—and support the NFM team here. Thanks for being here and thanks for all your support.”
Shaw’s Aaron John and Benjamin Liebert join NFM’s Tony Boldt and David Chambers for the grand reopening ribbon-cutting ceremony.
More importantly, Liebert stressed the importance of the true meaning of partnership. “To have a great partnership, you have to truly understand one another,” he said. “That means we have to understand NFM’s strategy and what they’re trying to bring to life with their customers. Similarly, they have to understand where we see the business going and where we would like to be. The best partners debate that, they challenge that. I think Dave and his team do a great job of really challenging us to be better every day. That’s the first tenant of a great partnership.”
Lessons learned
The Colony Anso Gallery is not just a carbon copy of the existing Shaw showrooms within NFM. Rather, it incorporates enhancements based in lessons learned from the previous locations.
“With each Anso gallery we have opened, we have had the opportunity to learn, improve and refine the experience,” Boldt stated. “From Omaha to Kansas City, and now here in The Colony, we continue to enhance the fixtures, layout and overall presentation to make this space even better for our customers.”
Part of that entailed tweaking the overall product mix since the first Anso Gallery showroom was unveiled. “We went pretty heavy with Pet Perfect in Omaha, but since then we’ve balanced Anso and Pet Perfect—that was a good learning lesson,” Chambers said. “We’ve also learned how consumers want to see how stairs are going to look with products. Another lesson we’ve learned is patterns have to be displayed in larger samples. The trick is showcasing these large samples without having these tall walls blocking sightlines throughout the department. That led us to create our Luxe display.”
But perhaps the biggest lesson learned, according to Carolyn Haicl, senior vice president, marketing and brands at Shaw, was that you don’t have to inundate the customer with product to seal the deal. “We learned how to offer fewer SKUs so it’s not so overwhelming to the customer,” she said. “It’s about displaying the products that matter, finding that right balance and helping RSAs walk customers through the benefits. It’s just an easier process and hopefully easier for the consumer to make a decision.”
(Look for more on this story in an upcoming edition of FCNews.)
The Nebraska Furniture Mart store in The Colony, Texas, spans 1.8 million square feet, including a 1.3 million-square-foot warehouse and distribution center and 560,000 square feet of retail space.
The Colony, Texas—Top executives from Nebraska Furniture Mart (NFM) and Shaw Industries gathered here this week to celebrate the grand reopening of its 1.8 million-square-foot mega-store in this suburb of Dallas. Originally opened in 2015, the grand reopening features enhancements throughout the sprawling 560,000-square foot showroom. A key highlight being the unveiling of the third Shaw Anso Gallery, the curated retail flooring concept from Shaw Floors.
“It was kind of shocking to realize that it was just four years ago we opened our very first Anso Gallery in Omaha, Neb.,” David Chambers, director of flooring, NFM, said in his opening remarks to attendees. “We saw an opportunity to create something different. We wanted to create a distinct destination where a consumer shopping for carpet could find an area that was more inspiring and easier to shop and navigate and, more importantly, had products and features that resonated with the consumer today. The response from our consumers exceeded our expectations in Omaha, which allowed us to then take the concept to our Kansas City market. Now we’re bringing the next generation of the Anso Gallery to our customers here in Dallas-Fort Worth.”
The 3,500-square-foot Anso Gallery—the standard footprint for the galleries in Omaha and Kansas City—is much more than an assemblance of Shaw’s top-selling carpet brands, according to Chambers. “As you walk the showroom today, you’ll see more than just carpet fixtures; you’ll see a thoughtfully designed shopping experience where consumers can visualize, compare and really shop with confidence about carpet,” he said.
Like the two prior Anso Gallery locations, this latest installation represents the culmination of collaboration and partnership between NFM and Shaw Industries—companies that share a common connection with Berkshire Hathaway, the parent company. That was a key point of emphasis by Benjamin Liebert, president, Shaw residential, in his remarks to attendees.
“Thank you, David, for your partnership, and thank you for pushing us to be better,” Liebert said. “We really appreciate where we’re going. I think this is a great product of that.”
Liebert also acknowledged Tony Boldt, NFM president and CEO, as well as scores of NFM managers and associates. “Thank you, Tony, for your leadership and your trust, and to the entire NFM team for your trust in our brands. Thank you for allowing us to really invade and take over your showroom with these great products and brands. We’re very excited about the opportunity to work with you.”
Liebert also took the opportunity to recognize Shaw team members. “Thanks to our Shaw leaders, whether that be in sales or in marketing. And most importantly, our VPs and our territory managers who make it happen every day—the ‘last three feet’—and support the NFM team here. Thanks for being here and thanks for all your support.”
More importantly, Liebert stressed the importance of the true meaning of partnership. “To have a great partnership, you have to truly understand one another,” he said. “That means we have to understand NFM’s strategy and what they’re trying to bring to life with their customers. Similarly, they have to understand where we see the business going and where we would like to be. The best partners debate that, they challenge that. I think Dave and his team do a great job of really challenging us to be better every day. That’s the first tenant of a great partnership.”
Lessons learned
The Colony Anso Gallery is not just a carbon copy of the existing Shaw showrooms within NFM. Rather, it incorporates enhancements based in lessons learned from the previous locations.
“With each Anso gallery we have opened, we have had the opportunity to learn, improve and refine the experience,” Boldt stated. “From Omaha to Kansas City, and now here in The Colony, we continue to enhance the fixtures, layout and overall presentation to make this space even better for our customers.”
Part of that entailed tweaking the overall product mix since the first Anso Gallery showroom was unveiled. “We went pretty heavy with Pet Perfect in Omaha, but since then we’ve balanced Anso and Pet Perfect—that was a good learning lesson,” Chambers said. “We’ve also learned how consumers want to see how stairs are going to look with products. Another lesson we’ve learned is patterns have to be displayed in larger samples. The trick is showcasing these large samples without having these tall walls blocking sightlines throughout the department. That led us to create our Luxe display.”
But perhaps the biggest lesson learned, according to Carolyn Haicl, senior vice president, marketing and brands, Shaw, was that you don’t have to inundate the customer with product to seal the deal. “We learned how to offer fewer SKUs so it’s not so overwhelming to the customer,” she said. “It’s about displaying the products that matter, finding that right balance and helping RSAs walk customers through the benefits. It’s just an easier process and hopefully easier for the consumer to make a decision.”
(Look for more on this story in an upcoming edition of FCNews.)
Dalton—The World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) has launched a three-part artificial intelligence webinar series through its GROW professional development program. The series aims to help members use AI more effectively in their businesses.
Flowood, Miss.—The National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) has announced 
Orlando—Shaw Industries has opened registration for the Shaw Flooring Network 
Mountville, Pa.—McDonald’s named 
