As business leaders and local governments struggle to navigate changes in the commercial real estate market to address a forever changed landscape of urban needs, Chobani is embracing a new vision for how businesses can invest in and deliver sustained impact for their home community.

Scott Carothers offers guidance on what it takes to build a proper niche that meshes seamlessly with the wall tile layout.

Scott Carothers, academic director, Ceramic Tile Education Foundation, walks us through the industry standards that are in place to help you achieve a successful cementitious backer unit installation under tile. 

The industry is preparing for 2025 with a focus on improving installation processes and attracting new talent. Initiatives include Mohawk's CFI certification for product development teams, IFC's partnership with FCEF for workforce development, and various educational programs. 

Chunk Foods leverages fermentation for a new wave of cleaner, whole-muscle plant-based meats.

Available nationwide at Whole Foods Market in boxes of six, the gluten-free ice cream bars are made with grass-fed organic dairy, fair trade cocoa, and organic berries. 

These reports highlight that Hispanics now make up 20% of the US population and account for 71% of national population growth between 2022 and 2023. More than 25% of Gen Z and Gen Alpha identify as Hispanic, demonstrating the long-term potential of this powerful consumer group.

Inspired by the classic Tex-Mex dish, Bob Evans Queso Macaroni & Cheese features a rich queso flavor, hints of spice and fresh green and red peppers to bring bold, authentic flavors to gatherings. 

Villa will manage Chilewich Contract and design solutions, which includes installed flooring products, rugs, wall textiles, upholstery fabric, and window coverings for applications ranging from healthcare and corporate to hospitality and multifamily.

Designed from customer feedback and tailored specifically for light strength and conditioning workouts, Performance Motivate Plus complements Ecore’s Performance Beast flooring, which excels in handling heavier weights.

Niagara Bottling’s new 600,000-sq.-ft. production and distribution facility in Rialto, Calif., manufactures and distributes 120,000 bottles of water per hour. Supporting this throughput are 56 laser-guided vehicles, integrated with a 33,000-position robotic pallet shuttle storage system. Designed and built by E80 Group, the distribution automation operates 24/7/365.

Designed to transfer contamination-sensitive bulk solid materials from intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) to downstream processes, dust-free, the system’s discharger frame is mounted on casters for in-plant mobility.

A tubular chain conveyor helps TruFood increase line efficiency and safety, nourishing the manufacturer’s bottom line.

The Volkmann Mini RNT is designed to reduce manual bag handling for improved worker safety.

Conveyor manufacturers have taken many steps over the years to simplify cleaning and operation—and maximize uptime.

The recent CFI FCICA Convention in Orlando challenged the industry to raise the bar on installer recruitment, expand high-quality training, and expand awareness of the latest installation techniques and technologies.

NAFCD Executive Vice President Michael Wilbur applauds the sponsor who committed to the growth of the flooring distribution channel.

¿Habla español? TotalWorx, the flooring accessory brand of Shaw Industries Group, will unveil a new Spanish-language catalog and share its latest innovations for professional-level flooring installations at the 2024 CFI FCICA Convention.

Celebrity designer Jennifer Farrell announced her latest project, I.C.E. House (Interconnected Changeable Environments), set in historic stone farmhouses amid French vineyards. The two-year multimedia experience, culminating in 2026, showcases an adaptable "home of tomorrow" concept blending ancient architecture with modern luxury design.

In a recent Floor Talk podcast, we spoke with Grogan about his goals for 2024, how his past roles at Bentley and Parterre will help him grow connections and market share within the architecture and design community, and what he anticipates for the adhesives and commercial flooring markets for the next year.

Mannington Commercial's Shane Totten, AIA, director of sustainability, offers insights into the manufacturer's recent sustainability announcements. 

Louisville Tile Distributors recently promoted Tina Boyle to the position of Chief Operating Officer. She shares perspective on her career path and leadership roles for women in business.

David Gross, executive director, INSTALL, shares his experience, how he came to land in a union organization and provides next steps for flooring installers who are interested in moving into another role within the flooring industry.

Leslie Del Pozo, vice president of marketing content & communications, QEP/Roberts has been supporting the installation community in a variety of ways for several years now, including sponsoring our Installation Awards for the second year in a row. Here, we dive more into her flooring journey, what supporting the installation community means to her and the importance of just showing up.

David Gross, executive director, INSTALL, highlights the Sisters in the Brotherhood (SIB)—a women’s union organization within the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. He provides an update on how the unions have evolved over time and talks in depth about the support and resources the SIB offers.

Fishman Flooring’s new president Shane Richmond discusses the benefit of Employee Stock Ownership Plans, succession planning and the future of flooring distribution. 

The Belknap White Group recently announced the brand merger of Belknap White, JJ Haines and Swiff Train under the UCX umbrella. Here, UCX CEO Ray Mancini discusses the merger and the future of distribution.   

David Winkler, regional director of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 5, discusses the importance of training, provides insight into the inner workings and benefits of IUPAT and dispells some common misconceptions about trade unions. 

Learn how Showroom Pricing, founded by Kristen Stensby, offers QR code-driven solutions for flooring retailers, enabling real-time pricing updates and comprehensive data reports. 

The joint efforts aim to reduce waste, increase recycling of organics, reduce climate pollution, save families and businesses money, and support a circular economy.

The sampling was conducted to better understand the extent to which these products potentially contain unintended milk at levels that may be hazardous to people with milk allergy.

When it comes to production, similarities exist among alternative and animal protein processes, but several differences occur, particularly around operational footprint, equipment, and water and energy usage.

Mattoni 1873, a distributor of soft drinks in Central Europe, has invested more than €40 million ($43.66 million) in technology for its various plants in the last three years.

Renovating a facility to increase its capacity, energy use and water consumption doesn’t sound like it would earn Food Engineering’s 2022 Sustainable Project of the Year, but that’s exactly what Kerry’s coatings and seasonings facility in Rome, Georgia, has done.

Being able to adapt on the fly is great, but it's a lot easier to do when you've accounted for as many potential contingencies as possible.

Many called 2013 “the Year of LVT.” And with good reason: Resilient has been the fastest growing flooring category, and within this rapidly growing segment, luxury vinyl tile (LVT) is thriving (Editor’s note: For the purposes of this article, LVT refers to both luxury vinyl tile and luxury vinyl plank).

In conjunction with the 2014 InterCork II campaign being launched by APCOR, the international trade body representing cork producers from Portugal, I would like to elaborate further on their efforts while extolling the many virtues cork flooring has to offer the independent retailer.

Oils and waxes have been used to protect natural materials from the effects of the environment—light, water, cats, etc.—in buildings and building materials for as long as such things have existed.

Rob Menefee wants to continue to grow his business. Considering he already has three locations and $12-plus million in annual sales, that is no small task. 

While wood floors are built to withstand the abuse of foot traffic and furniture, humidity is an invisible enemy that can quickly wreak havoc on even the best surfaces.

What happens when a designer redesigns his own home? Floor Trends was invited to the New York City apartment of nationally known interior design Vern Yip to find out.

Long gone are the days of cheap, plastic looking vinyl flooring.

Distribution remains a vital part of the floor covering trade, but distributors are facing increased competition from e-commerce sites and retailers who go direct to manufacturers to buy their flooring products.

In a move to reshape flooring distribution, Transom Capital Group has announced the formation of Artivo Surfaces, a new parent company that brings together distributors Virginia Tile and Galleher. This strategic consolidation creates a multi-regional powerhouse with 48 locations across 18 states, offering an extensive range of flooring solutions from coast to coast. 

The Floor Covering Education Foundation (FCEF), in partnership with the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) Innovation Center, Drake State Community College, and the Industry Task Force, announced the completion of its first pilot cohort for the Flooring Installation Technicians course.

Infinity Drain identifies emerging bathroom trends of 2025.

WFCA’s Steve Abernathy and FCICA’s Pat Kelly discuss the growth each association has experienced in terms of education and membership as well as what business looks like for the commercial and residential segments over the course of the next year.

The company will focus exclusively on non-alcoholic adult beverages and aims to build a portfolio of products across beverage categories, both through internal development and acquisition.

When Mars published the Mars Net Zero Roadmap in 2023, the company committed to investing more than $1 billion over three years – and continuing to commit financial resources as needed until net zero is achieved.

Food and beverage manufacturers are focusing on reducing energy and materials by leveraging automation, capturing more data, sourcing modern processing equipment, and concentrating on quick “digital wins.”