FCEF supports Employer-Directed Skills Act

The Floor Covering Education Foundation (FCEF) is proud to sponsor and support Sen. Ted Budd’s (R-NC) Employer-Directed Skills Act, co-sponsored by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La). This legislation represents meaningful progress in aligning workforce development with real employer needs. Its impact will be felt in states like North Carolina and Louisiana where workforce solutions directly support local businesses and communities.

The Employer-Directed Skills Act empowers employers to play a direct role in identifying, training and hiring the workforce they need. By strengthening access to workforce funding and strengthening collaboration between industry and workforce boards, this bill helps remove barriers that too often slow down skills training in high-demand sectors like flooring. For North Carolina and Louisiana, this partnership is especially significant. Both states have strong flooring manufacturing, distribution and retail networks that rely on skilled installation professionals. As demand for quality installation continues to rise, building structured training pathways becomes essential — not optional.

Through FCEF’s Basic Floor Covering Installation programs, we are actively creating those pathways.

Our programs are expanding into multiple states, partnering with technical colleges, community colleges and high schools to deliver hands-on foundational installation training. These programs do more than teach technical skills; they introduce students to a viable, respected and rewarding career path. They also provide local floor covering dealers with access to trained, entry-level talent who understand industry standards and expectations before they ever step onto a jobsite.

But training is only the first step. Hiring these students is where the real impact begins. Dealers and contractors who bring graduates into their businesses are not just filling open positions; they are investing in the long-term stability of our industry. By providing mentorship, continued education opportunities and real-world experience, employers help these students build sustainable careers.

We are also seeing an exciting trend: retail sales associates enrolling in the Basic Floor Covering Installation programs. There is no better foundation for someone selling installation than to understand it firsthand.

Workforce development is not the responsibility of one organization or one employer. We all have an active role to play in ensuring the floor covering industry is supported for the future with qualified talent. FCEF’s sponsorship of Senator Budd’s legislation reflects our belief that employer-driven solutions are key to building sustainable workforce pipelines nationwide.

In March, WFCA is graciously taking us back to Washington to meet with additional states and representatives to continue raising awareness about the flooring industry and our workforce development needs. Advocacy matters. Visibility matters. And collaborative leadership and policymakers are essential if we are to create long-term solutions.

Supporting FCEF means supporting the future of floor covering. Support FCEF — and the industry will continue to build a strong tomorrow.

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Kaye Whitener is executive director of the Floor Covering Education Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting recruitment, training and retention of floor covering installers. For more information, email kwhitener@fcef.org.

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Surfaces ’26: Software has moved beyond desktop

Las Vegas—At TISE 2026, technology providers didn’t just introduce new tools, they addressed some of the industry’s longest-standing friction points. Across the show floor, software launches focused on simplifying the sales process, connecting previously siloed systems and giving retailers visibility into their businesses. The message was consistent: technology should not complicate the process—it should make selling flooring faster, easier and more aligned with how today’s consumer shops.

With that in mind, here are some takeaways from the show:

Cyncly

This year at Surfaces, Cyncly highlighted HomeBase, a new dashboard integrated into its websites that gives dealers more control over their sales, operations and leads. “HomeBase helps flooring dealers manage the entire process of bringing a job home—from acquiring a customer to generating quotes, processing payments, scheduling installation and creating happy customers,” said Kelly Oechslin, product marketing manager.

The concept is similar to a baseball diamond: the “home plate” represents HomeBase, the starting point from which dealers can manage all elements of their business in one place. It consolidates CRM, digital experience management, payment processing and operational tasks, allowing dealers to take full control without relying on separate systems or waiting for external support. HomeBase also integrates payment solutions.

“The overall goal is to empower dealers to take back control of their business, improve efficiency and increase profit while maintaining a seamless customer experience,” Oechslin said.

Measure Square

Measure Square highlighted the integration of AI capabilities across its flooring software, focused primarily on estimating and takeoff efficiency.

“One of our most popular tools is the AI Auto Takeoff, which can automatically draw room layouts for estimates,” explained Steven Wang, CEO. “We recently released AI Takeoff 3.0, which includes significant improvements in speed and accuracy. Because architects don’t standardize the way they draw plans, our AI is designed to interpret a wide variety of formats, improving over time though not yet 100% accurate.”

The company also has a Scope Analyzer, which is integrated into its CRM and will be released this quarter. It can read a PDF set of plans, provide insights on the project, extract materials from the finish schedule and build them for the user—saving estimators a significant amount of time.

Its third major tool is the AI Agent within the CRM. This tool reads project data and allows users to ask questions, such as identifying which projects are at risk and why, providing detailed reasoning for each answer.

“All of these tools are part of our broader AI strategy, and we have additional AI models integrated throughout our platform,” Wang said. “At the booth, we’re demoing both our mobile applications and CRM tools, giving users a full view of how AI can streamline their workflows.”

Roomvo/QFloors

This year Roomvo/QFloors’ biggest milestone has been the release of QFX, a complete upgrade to its previous software platform. Over the course of nine months, the company has converted all of its legacy customers—including 600 stores—onto new, enterprise-grade software. This upgrade provides faster performance, a modernized UI and mobile accessibility, all while maintaining the familiarity and functionality customers already know and love.

The QFX platform now allows users to work securely from laptops at home or remotely, without retraining entire teams or going through a painful integration. Tasks that previously took over a minute can now be completed in seconds, representing 95%-plus improvement in speed. The platform is fully ported over, with 100% of legacy cloud and on-premise customers successfully migrated. Training and feedback have been overwhelmingly positive, with minimal learning curve.

“At the show, we’re demoing a mobile app that focuses on sales orders and ongoing proposals, giving users full visibility into their showroom operations and the status of all customer interactions,” said Chad Ogden, founder of QFloors.

This release represents a merger of QFloors and Roomvo Technologies, combining CRM, website catalog and ERP functionality into a single system. Customers no longer need to duplicate work: inbound leads from the website, sample checkouts and showroom visits all flow seamlessly into the CRM, allowing proposals to be built directly from captured data.

The integrated system provides full visibility into the customer journey, from website interaction to showroom purchase to post-sale life cycle. Retailers can now track trends, evaluate marketing effectiveness and understand which channels generate the best margins and closed opportunities.

Additionally, reporting has been enhanced: retailers can access both temporary and fully customized reports, helping them understand inventory, accounting and business performance across all channels.

“This upgrade brings speed, security, mobile accessibility and data-driven insights, allowing retailers to manage the full life cycle of their customers efficiently and effectively,” Ogden said.

Showroom Pricing

Showroom Pricing showcased new features including its Smart Scan tool. The new tool gives customers a faster way to explore related products without having to manually scan multiple QR codes. When a user scans a product, Smart Scan automatically shows related items—either similar in material class or from the same distributor or manufacturer—helping them quickly compare options and see what else is available.

“We use fuzzy matching to connect closely related products, and we’re also developing AI-powered matching to improve accuracy even further,” explained Andrew Henry, developer. “The goal is to make it easier for customers to find exactly what they’re looking for—especially when dealing with variations in SKUs or manufacturer data.”

Beyond that, the company expanded its custom pricing capabilities. “We’re introducing a more visual, flowchart-style interface that lets dealers and sales teams easily understand and adjust pricing structures. For example, they can apply a 10% increase to a specific distributor or SKU or modify pricing rules based on current promotions— all without having to write out long calculations,” Henry said. “It makes the entire process faster, clearer and more flexible.”

Lastly, the company enhanced its QR code functionality, adding options for different sizing and configurations to stay current with industry needs and give customers more flexibility.

Comp-u-Floor

Comp-u-Floor provides business management software for the flooring industry, serving retail, commercial, distribution and multifamily markets. Its newest features include an enhanced CRM fully integrated into its system, which helps manage leads, customer interactions and workflows more efficiently. For commercial projects, the company has added project management and costing tools for G702/G703 forms, which are critical for larger commercial contractors.

For companies doing government or institutional work— such as flooring for schools or other public projects—the software supports the legal, contractual and project management requirements needed for large-scale projects, including crews of 200-plus workers. The system is secure, GSA-certified and built for compliance with government standards.

The company also expanded its mobile technology for installers. Field crews can now receive jobs, upload before-and-after photos, update installation status and access the app in English and Spanish.

This combination of CRM, commercial project management and mobile technology allows both retail and large-scale commercial flooring companies to manage their operations efficiently and securely.

With the proliferation of acquisitions of late, Edgar Aya, CEO of Comp-u-Floor added, “We are independent and not part of any large conglomerates, so we have no plans for consolidation, allowing us to remain focused on the specific needs of flooring businesses.”

Flooring OS

Flooring OS is a modern, affordable and intuitive software company for flooring store management. This year, the company launched its new Accounting Wizard, which guides users step by-step through everything needed to manage and close their month, track profits and ensure there’s no unreceived material or missed margin opportunities. Users can run a P&L mid-month with full confidence in their numbers, identify and correct any issues and keep operations profitable.

Flooring OS also developed a new Design-at-Home capability that allows users to take photos and measurements to design and quote flooring directly in the home. It’s a visualizer tool geared toward retail and is currently being tested by some of the company’s customers in the field.

Another major rollout has been its Project Management and Commercial Builder capabilities, which launched in Q3 and Q4. It now fully supports multi-channel, multi-site operations—helping companies increase profits and reduce costs.

“What’s unique about Flooring OS is that we didn’t just decide to build software—the industry asked us to,” said Justin Wirpel, CEO. “We met with over 40 flooring companies and spent time with their teams across quoting, operations, accounting and warehouse management to understand their pain points. We built Flooring OS from the ground up based on those insights, incorporating the best practices of the best in the industry.”

He added that unlike other systems that tie into outdated accounting software or haven’t evolved, Flooring OS has been designed specifically for flooring companies—from large multi-state operations to smaller single-location retailers. Everyone benefits from the same operational excellence and ease of use. “Our customers tell us it’s simply easy—and that’s something we take pride in,” Wirpel said.

Flooring OS is a cloud-based, browser-based platform, so users can work from anywhere with an internet connection. The company has added mobile apps for crew, site and project management, allowing users to check order status, inventory and installation progress in real time.

For installation crews, the company has made it simple to schedule jobs, assign equipment, share materials and site details and even upload photos or report issues instantly. Instead of multiple calls and emails, everything happens in real time, keeping sales, operations and scheduling all connected in one system.

Lastly, its new visualizer tool is currently in beta and will be available soon.

FloorZap

FloorZap rolled out three new products at the show:

• Integrated Accounting: a highly requested feature that brings accounting directly into the core platform, streamlining financial workflows for retailers.
• Zap Assist AI Agent: an AI tool that works both as a phone answering service and a website chat agent, capable of scheduling appointments, rescheduling, taking notes and helping busy stores connect with customers promptly.
• Consumer Financing Integration: powered by WiseTax, allowing customers to run financing directly through the platform without switching systems, making sales smoother and tracking easier.

“FloorZap is actively demoing these tools at our booth, showing how retailers can manage calls, chats and finances all in one place,” said Matthew Buckley, general manager.

Rara AI

Rara AI is a vertical AI company built exclusively for the flooring industry. Its first product is AI Floor-Finder with additional AI-powered flooring products currently in development. The team brings eight-plus years of experience in flooring technology and includes engineers from IIT Delhi (considered equivalent to Stanford in India). Rara Ai was voted 2026 Best of Surfaces winner in the technology category.

“AI Visual Search is the flooring industry’s first AI-powered tool that can instantly match any shopper’s inspiration image to look-alike products from any catalog—in just five seconds,” said Aman Khandelwal, co-founder and head of partnerships for Rara AI. “It empowers both RSAs and shoppers at the earliest stage of the journey, well before visualization, ensuring they’re exploring the right flooring options from the start. With seamless use both online and in-store, it’s a breakthrough the industry hasn’t seen before.”

Modern Estimates—MEasure AI

MEasure is a purpose-built virtual estimating engine designed to help flooring and remodeling retailers operate with modern efficiency while preserving the craftsmanship and trust that built this industry. Engineered by Modern Estimates, MEasure bridges the long-standing tension between traditional, relationship-driven sales workflows and today’s online-first customer expectations. It enables retailers to meet homeowners where they start their journey—online— while giving sales teams the controls, transparency and data they need to win more business with less friction.

“Homeowners upload room photos, answer a few guided questions and instantly receive a virtual estimate based on a retailer’s real pricing,” explained Maksim Nazarchuk, president, Modern Estimates. “That single interaction—simple for the shopper, powerful for the retailer—drives dramatic lift in engagement and conversion. For the first time, flooring retailers can provide a meaningful, on-brand customer experience in the exact moment the shopper is most interested, without sending someone across town to measure a room that may never convert. It’s efficiency with a human touch.”

Every quote captured feeds directly into the retailer’s portal, giving sales teams a clear, standardized workscope for follow-up. Sales reps get the clarity they need. Managers get visibility into volume, quality and follow-through.

What’s more, the platform is built for scale: multi-user teams, multi-location operations and multi-category retailers. “From carpet and LVP to tile, hardwood and full shower systems, MEasure adapts to each retailer’s pricing, product mix and workflow,” Nazarchuk said.

In a market where customers start online, expect speed and reward transparency, MEasure aims to gives retailers a decisive edge.

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Supreme Court tariff ruling leaves many issues unresolved

Flooring industry executives contend the recent ruling by the Supreme Court striking down a huge piece of President Trump’s far-reaching tariff agenda—followed almost immediately by Trump rolling out global tariffs of 15%—has muddled an already uncertain situation.

The Supreme Court, by a vote of 6-3, ruled that the 1977 International Emergency Powers ACT (IEEPA) does not allow President Trump to impose taxes without Congressional approval. Almost immediately, President Trump said he would roll out new global tariffs of 15% across the board. Many observers are predicting a protracted legal battle over a possible refund of money collected from the emergency tariffs.

For now, most flooring professionals are taking a “wait-and-see” approach, noting that not much has happened so far except to add to the level of uncertainty.

“A month ago, one of our partners said to me regarding tariffs, ‘At least we know where we stand now,’” said Don Finkell, industry luminary and partner with importer East Paragon LLC. “Of course, that has radically changed in the ensuing weeks.”

Finkell said the recent flurry of tariff moves has created more questions than answers. “Is the path ahead clear or as muddled as ever as a result of the Supreme Court’s decision? It’s muddled,” he said. “Is there a refund coming? Will there be tariffs beyond 150 days? Which tariffs are stacked on the general tariffs? Clear as mud. What happens to your overvalued inventory if you don’t get a refund of previous tariffs paid before the Supreme Court ruling?”

To Finkell China stands to benefit as a result of The Supreme Court’s decision. As he explained, “China is back on the table. Most new products originate in China and then move to other countries as they achieve scale. The tariffs were especially punitive to China, which had the unintended consequence of stifling innovation.”

With an effective U.S. tariff rate now much closer to that of other countries, companies will no longer have the incentive to shift production to other countries in Asia, at least temporarily. And while SCOTUS’ decision removes the fastest tool for imposing broad country-level duties, it does not end the tariff debate.

“Although Customs halted collections of tariffs pursuant to IEEPA on Feb. 24, we have not received any notification that the tariffs are eliminated,” said Jeff Striegel, president of Owings Mills, Md.-based Elias Wilf, a top 20 distributor. “While the industry is certainly behind more onshoring of the production of flooring, the chaos of what has transpired is not helpful. The constant state of flux around tariffs has created a lot of confusion and does nothing but leave uncertainty within the industry around long-term investments. Additionally, it leaves a huge question around refunds of tariffs and the many implications around that aspect. So, the real implication of this ordeal is getting further and further away from being clear and is actually becoming more confusing than ever.”

Striegel added what’s unfortunate is that this turn of events is occurring when economic numbers in the U.S. are generally solid. “We already have plenty of issues and turmoil going on with regard to inflation, high interest rates and its impact on the frozen housing market, the handling of illegal immigrants in the country and now the impact of what is happening in the war with Iran and its impact on global conflict and on energy costs. This is especially concerning with the possible blocking of the Strait of Hormuz. Adding in the chaos around the tariffs just adds to the drama and is not going to help change the mindset of the consumer. It sure would be helpful to have a few of these things removed from the table to just get back to business.”

Torrey Jaeckle, vice president of Jaeckle Distributors, Madison, Wis., said the Trump administration will continue finding whatever legal ways it can to continue imposing tariffs. “I expect its current reliance on Section 122 (balance of payments emergency) tariffs to be challenged in court. Either way, those [tariffs] can only be imposed for up to five months. I’m more concerned about Section 201 tariffs (currently being considered for quartz surfaces), and additional Section 301 tariffs, which can be put in place for a longer duration.”

Scott Rozmus, president/CEO of top 20 wholesaler FlorStar Sales, Romeoville, Ill, said he believes the marketplace is waiting for the “dust to settle” prior to more specific details emerging. “People I talk to on the manufacturing side anticipate that the administration will seek to reimpose tariffs wherever possible through alternative means,” Rozmus said.

Several flooring observers declined to go on record for this article, but one supplier executive told FCNews confidentially: “We feel like the landscape is forever changing. Is it 10%? 15%? How long will it last?”

To that point, Eric Mondragon, division manager/hard surface buyer for RC Willey in Salt Lake City, said, “We are still waiting to see if refunds are required, if prices will be reduced or if a new standardized tariff on all imports neutralizes the ruling. The road ahead is still very muddled, as suppliers are not sure what course of action is required since The Supreme Court did not establish a refund process or require automatic refunds.”

The uncertainty over tariffs and global trade has been ratcheted up in recent days by the conflict in Iran, which has already sent oil prices soaring while shaking the stock market. “As usual on this topic, nothing ever gets clearer—it is just muddier,” said Phil Koufidakis, president of Baker Bros Area Rugs & Flooring, Phoenix. “I think we need to see what happens when the next shoe drops, which, of course, has been taken off the front page with the latest international issue.”

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NWFA completes 85th R.I.S.E. home with Gary Sinise Foundation

St. Louis, Mo.—The National Wood Flooring Association has provided flooring for its 85th home in support of the Gary Sinise Foundation R.I.S.E. program.

The home dedication for retired U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Joe Bowser took place Nov. 19, 2025, in Ashland City, Tenn. NWFA member Mullican Flooring donated the wood flooring for the project.

Bowser re-enlisted in the Army Reserves following the events of Sept. 11, 2001. While deployed in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom, he was injured when two rockets exploded near him. The blasts resulted in the loss of his right leg.

“Sergeant Bowser underwent 14 surgeries following his injury but continued to serve through 2021 as staff assistant to the secretary of the Army,” said Stephanie Owen, NWFA president and CEO. “His new home will be an enduring reminder of our gratitude for his service to our country. We’re honored to partner with Mullican Flooring to provide beautiful real wood floors for his new home.”

The R.I.S.E. program builds mortgage-free, specially adapted smart homes for severely wounded veterans and first responders. In addition to the 85 completed homes, NWFA is working with its members to source wood flooring for 14 additional R.I.S.E. homes in various stages of planning and construction. To date, 163 NWFA member companies have donated products, logistics and installation services across the United States. Those contributions total more than $7 million.

A list of participating companies is available at nwfa.org/giving-back.

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Unilin prevails against Vilox

Waregem, Belgium—A jury in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas ruled in favor of Unilin in a patent case against Vilox and one of Vilox’s licensees.

The March 3 decision found that products sold under a Vilox license infringed four Unilin U.S. patents. The jury also determined that Vilox willfully infringed the patents.

Because of the willful infringement ruling, the court will now determine whether additional damages should be imposed. The court could award up to three times the compensation for infringement. Both parties have the right to appeal the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

“This is an important decision for Unilin, its licensed partners and for all companies that respect intellectual property rights,” said Bart Van der Stockt, president of Unilin’s IP business. “Unilin invests heavily in the development of innovative technologies that move the flooring industry forward. We remain committed to protecting our R&D investments and supporting a fair and competitive market.”

Unilin Technologies is known for its licensing model for flooring innovations. The company developed widely used locking systems including Uniclic, Unidrop and Unipush.

The company holds nearly 4,500 patents across more than 550 patent families. In addition to technology development, Unilin provides technical services to licensees and supports collaboration across the flooring industry.

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Shaw’s Candi Hampton receives IWBI Visionary Leadership Award

Dalton—Shaw Industries Vice President of Global Sustainability Candi Hampton received the 2025 IWBI Visionary Leadership Award from the International WELL Building Institute. The award recognizes individuals who advance health and wellbeing in the built environment through education and collaboration.

The recognition is part of IWBI’s annual Community Awards. The program honors leaders who promote people-first places designed to support occupant health and wellbeing.

“We are proud to recognize the 2025 Community Award honorees, the visionaries catalyzing a global shift toward people-first places,” said Rachel Hodgdon, president and CEO of IWBI. “These leaders are redefining their industries and shaping the future of WELL.”

Hampton leads Shaw’s sustain[HUMAN]ability strategy, which places people at the center of the company’s sustainability efforts. Nearly 90% of Shaw’s products are Cradle to Cradle Certified. The certification evaluates material health, circularity, clean air and climate protection, water and soil stewardship and social fairness.

She also serves on the IWBI Global Commission for Healthy Indoor Quality. Hampton is a changemaker with the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. The Manufacturing Institute named her a 2025 Women MAKE Awards honoree.

“Candi’s dedication to sustainability has made a profound impact on both Shaw and the broader industry,” said Shaw President and CEO Tim Baucom. “We’re proud of our legacy of leadership and the work Candi has done to build on that foundation and create a better future for our customers, associates, communities and the company.”

Hampton said the recognition reflects Shaw’s commitment to creating spaces that positively impact people.

“I’m truly honored to receive the IWBI Visionary Leadership Award and to be included alongside inspiring leaders from around the world,” she said. “At Shaw, we believe in the power of spaces and the ability of the places where we spend time to positively impact lives.”

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Modern Estimates partners with Flooring Stores United

Edmonds, Wash.—Modern Estimates, creator of the AI-powered estimating platform MEasure, has joined Flooring Stores United (FSU) as a preferred service provider. The partnership gives members access to a platform designed to help flooring retailers qualify shoppers and protect margins.

“FSU’s commitment to measurable value aligns with our mission to modernize the way flooring retailers across the country qualify shoppers, save money and protect their margins,” said Maksim Nazarhuk, founder and president of Modern Estimates. “Digital qualification is no longer optional. It is becoming operationally essential.”

The partnership positions FSU members at the forefront of the flooring industry’s digital shift. Consumer expectations continue to move toward instant pricing transparency. At the same time, traditional in-home estimating models are becoming more expensive and less efficient. Rising labor costs and wasted truck rolls continue to impact profitability for independent flooring retailers.

MEasure addresses these challenges with a web-based platform that allows retailers to offer branded Instant Virtual Estimates for labor and materials directly from their websites. Shoppers take a few photos and answer guided questions. Shoppers do not need to measure or have industry knowledge.

The platform’s AI processes the information and delivers structured project data to retailers before they schedule an in-home visit. The result, according to the company, is digitally qualified shoppers, fewer unnecessary site visits, improved close readiness and stronger margin control.

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