NewslineVolume XI, Issue 9 - July 10, 2009
The Carpet and Rug Institute news for industry executives
In This Issue: Seal of Approval Adds Multiple New Vacuums, Two Extractors, and One New Solution
At the Gold Level, the Cookeville, Tennessee-based Oreck Manufacturing Company adds its XL Series upright. At the bronze level, Unisource Worldwide from Norcross, Georgia, adds five new vacuums to the SOA list: their Javelin 6, Javelin 10, Javelin 14, Javelin 18, and Javelin 12X. From Edo De, Mexico, Koblenz Electrica adds 10 vacuums from their Endurance Collection to the Silver- Level Approval ranks, including their U-75Z, U-75ZA, U- 40Z, U-40ZA, U-610Z, U-610ZA, U-310Z, U-310ZA, U-110Z, and U-110ZA models. Windsor Industries, from Englewood, Colorado, has earned bronze-level certification for their Vac Pac 6 and Vac Pac 10 models. In the Extractors category, Los Angeles, CA-based EDIC has won approval at the bronze level for their Polaris 800 and Polaris 1200 models. One new spot remover, from CB Products out of Watervliet, New York, has been added to the SOA list: Nature's Spot Out Carpet Spotter. Congratulations to the new Seal of Approval products! Contact Pat Jennings at 706.428-2123 Search a complete list of SOA-approved products. CRI President Werner Braun Featured on Floor Daily News SiteOn July 10, the flooring industry news site FloorDaily.net featured an interview with CRI President Werner Braun and Floor Daily publisher Kemp Harr. The two discussed issues pertinent to the carpet industry, including carpet's role as a potential economic indicator of economic recovery. Mr. Braun agreed with recent public statements made by former Shaw Industries' CEO Bob Shaw and other industry leaders that carpet sales are a reliable prognosticator of an improving business environment. "Looking back at CRI's collected data, we find that carpet typically leads us into, and, in turn, out of, a recession," Braun said. Although he did not have any hard statistical data, Mr. Braun pointed to local increases in temporary staffing as a positive indicator that Dalton- area mills were "cautiously optimistic" about the future. On the CRI Board of Directors' endorsement of Georgia Republican Congressman Nathan Deal's candidacy for Governor in 2010, Mr. Braun noted past examples of the congressman's support of the carpet industry, including his help in establishing funding for an Emory University and CDC ongoing study examining carpet's alleged role in asthma and allergy symptoms, and his current sponsorship of the HIRE Act legislation supporting the home interiors and building products industries. Contact Bethany Richmond at 706.428-2125. CRI Seeks Public, Legislative Support for Home ImprovementLegislation known as the HIRE Act, for Home Improvement Revitalize the Economy, is sponsored by two powerful Georgia representatives, Congressmen Henry Johnson, Jr. (D-Ga.) and Nathan Deal, (R-Ga). CRI Vice-President Fran Hurd says Congressman Johnson, the bill's lead sponsor and his staff, "have worked diligently to draft this legislation." Congressman Deal has signed on as the Republican lead co-sponsor. The bill, which proposes tax credits for home improvement purchases, is supported by a broad- reaching coalition of home furnishings and building products manufacturers, including the Carpet and Rug Institute, American Home Furnishings Alliance, WFCA, Hardwood Federation, International Wood Products Association, International Sleep Products Association, and Resilient Floor Covering Association, among others. The bill can trace its beginnings to a discussion in Congressman Johnson's office during CRI's most recent congressional visit. The proposed legislation would allow families to claim tax credits against the purchase of home improvement products, as much as $2000 for a family making up to $300,000 per year, and as much as $500 per year for lower income families. Credit amounts would double for products meeting LEED, Green Globes, Green Label Plus, FloorScore, or other recognized environmental standards. The coalition of supporters is urging individuals and businesses to express their support for the HIRE Act by writing to their elected representatives, and they have provided a summary of the bill and a sample letter to help simplify the communication process Contact Bethany Richmond at 706.428-2125. CRI Attends BOMA International's "Every Office Building" ShowCRI Market Issues Director James Beach represented the carpet industry at the recent "Every Office Building Show", sponsored by the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA International), and held June 28-30 in Philadelphia, PA. Attendees included building owners, superintendents, facility managers, real estate investors, and various others involved in commercial real estate. BOMA International President Henry Chamberlain said the purpose of the BOMA show is "to bring the entire marketplace together, during one of the most difficult market cycles in recent memory." Contact James Beach at 706.428-2103. View the CRI Blog Post on this Event CRI's Frank Hurd Keynotes at Inaugural Meeting of Carpet Recycling UKLeicester, England was the setting for the first annual conference of Carpet Recycling UK, the British equivalent of the Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE), in that both organizations are committed to diverting post-consumer carpet away from landfills and into viable, market-based products. The meeting was held June 23 at the NSPCC Training Centre. A capacity audience of 100 was on hand to hear CARE Board Chairman and CRI Vice-President Frank Hurd deliver the keynote address. Mr. Hurd spoke on the success CARE has met with in creating value from recovered post-consumer carpet, and on having achieved a major milestone of more than 1 billion pounds of carpet recovered in the past five years. Hurd stressed the importance of developing market outlets for turning recycled materials into new products. Later, in smaller group sessions, audience members discussed topics of interest, including energy recovery from carpet wastes, land applications for wool carpets, and creating roadstone products from bitumen-backed tiles. CARE board member Sean Ragiel also attended the UK meeting to share his expertise in carpet collection and recycling. Contact Jeremy Stroop at 706.428-2127. View the CARE Newsletter Article CARE Participates in Plastics Industry EventCARE Board members Dennis Hayford, Bob Pilotti, Frank Endrenyi, Ron Sherga, and Georgina Sikorski attended the recent NPE 2009 International Plastics Showcase held June 22-26 in Chicago, IL. The event, billed as "the world's largest plastics event", featured exhibitions highlighting the latest in emerging and new technologies, as well as professional education and business networking opportunities. CARE executive Director Georgina Sikorski said of the meeting, "As CARE works towards finding new outlets for post- consumer carpet, NPE is a great way to talk to potential customers and users of post- consumer nylon (PCN)." More than 2000 companies exhibited, representing the entire plastics value chain, from resin manufacturers to compounders and end users. The show's theme was focused on sustainability, with the Society of the Plastics Industry Inc (SPI), sponsor of the event, announcing a new $10 million campaign, "Imagine the Possibilities with Plastics", aimed at promoting the sustainable message to millennials. "This is a good fit with CARE, as we can help the plastics industry demonstrate its commitment to sustainability by using increasing amounts of PCN," Ms. Sikorski said. Contact Jeremy Stroop at 706.428-2127. CRI Meetings
* Market Issues Committee, July 13, 12:00 - 2:00 pm CRI Participation in Upcoming Events
* Connections, September 9 - 11, Las Vegas, NV If you are aware of other events that present significant opportunities to deliver our messages to our critical audiences, please contact Bethany Richmond at 706.428-2125. Check our website calendar for other industry related events
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