Carpet and Rug Institute's Jeff Carrier Brings Upbeat Message Home From Surfaces Show
Last week I had the opportunity to participate in one of the world’s premier flooring events- Surfaces in Las Vegas, Nevada. Having been around Dalton and the carpet industry for most of my life, I had wanted to see this spectacle for some time and I can tell you that it did not disappoint. It’s no secret that the flooring industry has been hurt as badly as any other by this prolonged financial crisis, but I detected a noticeable presence of optimism that I haven’t seen in the two years since I returned to the carpet industry.
As I walked the Surfaces trade floor and spoke with industry people, I saw orders being placed and deals being made. In fact, it was busy. Attendance was up 15% over 2009 and the increases were evident to those who’ve struggled through a couple of down years. The general sense I gathered was, “We made it. Let’s get back to work”. I was not alone in this interpretation. Many of the manufacturer members that I spoke with shared the opinion. The travails of the past two years have led to open doors for many of our industry members. Said one member, “There are a lot of open doors now. Areas that used to be locked up are now wide open”.
The optimism I detected at Surfaces was shared by the good people I spoke with from the concrete industry (who were attending “World of Concrete” in Las Vegas). The woes faced by the concrete industry have been very similar to those faced in the carpet industry. When I asked many of them if they were optimistic, most were surprised to admit that they were indeed feeling optimistic. It wasn’t something they had expected to feel or had even hoped to feel. Yet, there it was. That element of surprise was repeated many times during the Surfaces show as well. People came to the show hoping that things were improving but confidence had been so battered by the past two years that believing what they were seeing was difficult. It had been so long since expectations had been exceeded that few wanted to take the leap of faith and say that things really were looking up.
In the end, Surfaces provided so many tangible and valuable benefits. Perhaps none of these are more important than the evidence and reassurance that the long-awaited recovery is finally underway. Having so much of the carpet industry together provided a great view of the state of the industry. The remarkable leadership of our carpet industry members has enabled us to emerge from this dark time ready to resume growth and prosperity. Yes, I dared to say it. Prosperity. It’s not so far away as it once sounded.
Finally, we can get back to the work our growing our businesses and industry.
~ Jeff
Jeff Carrier
CRI Sustainability and IAQ Program Manager







