New CARE Board Members

New Faces Add Depth to Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) Leadership

Carpet recycling and diversion is a growth industry in the U.S., as evidenced by the increase in diversion that occurred in 2009 – up 6% to 331 million pounds of post-consumer carpet recycled and kept out of the nation’s landfills – much of it because of the efforts of the organization that is committed to finding market-based solutions for carpet reuse and recycling – the Carpet America Recovery Effort, or CARE. (See CARE related blog posts)

The CARE Board of Directors grew as well, with the addition of four new members. I thought CRI blog readers would be interested in knowing who they are, and what they bring to the leadership of CARE.

Vann Brown - Mohawk Industries

As Vice President of Innovation & Technology at Mohawk Industries, Vann leads the company's research & development, environmental services, and sustainability efforts developing advanced/emerging technologies and concepts for flooring applications that deliver tangible, environmentally responsible, market-focused products to add value to the business and to encourage continued growth.

Vann has over 20 years experience in research management with multi-national, technology-based durable goods companies. Prior to his present position, he was the global carpet business manager for Shell Chemicals, moving PTT (Triexta) polymer into a leading position for carpet applications, and he pioneered the product applications and business development activities to commercialize bio-based Polylactic Acid (PLA) polymers at NatureWorks.

Larry Cook - Beaulieu Group

Director of Manufacturing Initiatives, Larry has been with Beaulieu Group LLC since August 1999. Currently, Larry oversees yarn, backing and carpet manufacturing with a focus on process improvement, cost reduction and elimination of waste. During the last six years, Larry has been instrumental in initiating many of the recycling initiatives at Beaulieu, while reducing waste numbers and increasing yields. In addition, Larry is involved in Accounting, I.S., Planning, Engineering, and Quality Assurance for Beaulieu, working to improve processes and standardize operations.

Larry graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. During his Navy career he served on nuclear submarines and as a field officer in Aviation Supply and Logistics. Larry currently serves as the CRI Chair for the Government Issues Committee (GIC) and Vice Chair for the Sustainability Issues Management Team (SIMT).

Glen Hussmann - Tandus Flooring Inc.

Glen Hussmann is President and CEO of Tandus Flooring, Inc., where he reports directly to the board and works with the Tandus leadership team to achieve the company's strategic growth initiatives.

He recently earned LEED AP accreditation from the US Green Building Council.

Prior to joining Tandus in 2007, Mr. Hussmann was the President, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of Reeves Brothers Inc., a global producer of specialty-coated fabric products. In addition, Mr. Hussmann has held various leadership positions during an 18-year career in the Plastics division of General Electric.

Tom Pendley - J&J Industries

Tom serves as Vice President of Product and Finance for J&J Industries. He holds degrees from Vanderbilt University and the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt.

Previously employed by SunTrust Bank in Nashville, Tennessee and Chase Securities Inc. in Houston Texas, Tom joined J&J Industries, Inc. in July of 1998 as a Management Trainee. Since that time he has worked as a Special Projects Manager, Director of Carpet Manufacturing, Senior Director of Operations and, most recently, Vice President of Product and Finance.

I am excited that CARE has such fantastic new board members. To see the rest of the CARE board, read the latest CARE newsletter, and review the presentations from CARE’s 2010 Annual Meeting, click on this link to the May 2010 CARE newsletter.

~Bethany

CARE News: Carpet Recycling Leaders & A Good Year!

News from CARE: Carpet America Recovery Effort has a Good Year and Recognizes Leaders in Carpet Recycling

It is an exciting time for everyone involved in carpet recycling and reclamation. There’s much to be proud of, and fantastic benefits are at hand – for the carpet industry, the environment, and Americans everywhere.

Today’s blog post features excerpts from CARE’s recent newsletter, beginning with comments from CARE Executive Director Georgina Sikorski. CARE’s recent Annual Meeting had a record 125 attendees, with almost half of those attending for the first time. CARE also showed an increase in carpet diversion during 2009 – a year when sales were down in the carpet industry.

“I am pleased to share a summary of the Annual Report with you, most notably our collective achievement of diverting 311 Million pounds of carpet from the landfill. This was an increase of 19 Million pounds (+6%) versus 2008. This is an excellent accomplishment, considering that sales in the carpet industry were down in 2009, and the economic climate was not healthy. It is a tribute to all of the CARE members that we returned to year over year growth in 2009, and we thank you for that commitment to the mission of CARE. The outlook for CARE in 2010 is good, and we will be working hard to continue on the path of significant growth for our members.

As many of you know, we also held our initial MOU 2012 meeting at the end of the CARE Conference. We were pleased to have approximately 38 attendees at the meeting, representing many different stakeholder groups. In the meeting, the attendees recommitted to the mission to divert carpet from the landfill and recycle/reuse carpet. Further, Werner Braun, CRI, and Garth Hickle, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, were selected as co-chairs of the MOU Joint Committee. The next meeting of the MOU Joint Committee will be held September 9, 2010.”

Shaw Industries and Georgina Sikorski were named CARE’s 2009 Recycler of the Year and Person of the Year. CARE also recognized two member organizations - Starnet Worldwide Commercial Flooring Partnership and ReSource Commercial Flooring Network were presented Awards of Excellence recognizing their years of commitment to CARE, and most recently, their support of CARE's Aligned Dealer membership program. In 2009, both Starnet and ReSource made it possible for their dealers to join CARE as individual members. Thanks in large part to the support of Starnet and ReSource and their members, CARE's Aligned Dealer membership program had a successful first year, helping to increase CARE's overall membership to 280, up from 50 in 2008. (See related CARE blog posts.)

Here’s the story in pictures:


Congratulations to Georgina, and everyone involved with making CARE a success!

~Bethany

Werner Braun: Proper Carpet Cleaning Products Pay Off

Using proper carpet cleaning products pays off
By Werner Braun President, Carpet and Rug Institute

In the third installment in a series of articles written for the Dalton, Georgia newspaper, The Daily Citizen-News, Carpet and Rug Institute President Werner Braun talks about the benefits of the Seal of Approval testing and certification program for carpet cleaning solutions, vacuums, extractors, and cleaning systems. He explains how the program started in 2004, after CRI discovered that many of the spot removers on the market didn’t work. Werner explains,

“Out of 25 products, only four cleaned a soiled carpet sample better than water. Some of the products caused the cleaned carpet area to re-soil faster, and even worse, some products damaged the carpet’s color and texture. We also tested vacuums and extractors, finding a wide variance in how well they cleaned carpet or, more, didn’t clean carpet.”

To help make his point, Werner cited two different scenarios where consumers used improper cleaning products.

“Take for example these two “real life” situations. A family purchases 100 square yards of carpet for their residence. They spent $3,100 for the installation of carpet designed to last seven years. The family used harmful cleaning products to spot remove accidents from dirty shoes and everyday accidents. The carpet “uglied out” in only two years and the customer lost $1,500. Or the company that purchased 4,400 square yards of carpet for its new commercial building installed for $183,000. The carpet design life was 11 years, but the carpet “uglied out” in simply four years because of improper professional cleaning.

You may know someone who has made this costly mistake, or you might have found your own carpet “uglied out” many years before you ever dreamed. So what should you do now? Look for the SOA green and blue label and leave the worrying to the experts.”

Thanks for the good information, Werner!

~Bethany

CRI's Werner Braun Addresses Carpet & Allergies

Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI)'s Werner Braun Addresses Ad Linking Carpet and Allergies

In both an editorial that appears in the May 17/24 issue of Floor Covering News and a guest column in the Dalton, Georgia Daily Citizen-News, Carpet and Rug Institute President Werner Braun explains the carpet industry’s reaction to a Lumber Liquidators ad. The ad features a quote from a customer that reads, “We are excited to be rid of the carpet and (hopefully) the allergy symptoms it caused…”

The Floor Covering News editorial is titled, “An Open Letter to Lumber Liquidators”. Here’s an excerpt:

“My first reaction was disappointment. I’ve been in and around the floor covering industry long enough to know how destructive and demoralizing the business climate becomes once competitors start taking pot shots at each other.

I don’t know how many magazines ran the ad, or even whether it’s still being placed in different publications, but it’s safe to say that a large audience of consumers has been exposed to its message. Without question, CRI and its members (many of whom manufacture hardwood as well as carpet) feel that this kind of product-bashing advertising is detrimental to the entire flooring industry and runs counter to the business ethics that promote a sense of balanced, but healthy, competition that presents consumers with the benefits of different floor coverings.

But worst of all, the ad’s message that carpet causes allergies is simply incorrect.”

The article goes on to point out how research conducted independently and on behalf of the CRI clearly demonstrates that there is no scientific link to the use of carpet and increased asthma and allergy symptoms. It refers to the study, “Carpet, Asthma and Allergies - Myth or Reality,” by noted toxicologist Dr. Mitchell Sauerhoff that seeks to find the evidentiary support linking carpet use and increased asthma and allergy symptoms. The study explains how, after reviewing over twenty different U.S and international studies, Dr Sauerhoff found that none existed. The entire article is posted online as part of the International Journal of Flooring Sciences.

Werner says, “Choice is good, in flooring and everything else. CRI’s position is that keeping the air inside a house healthy for allergy sufferers and everyone else isn’t so much about what flooring product you use as how you keep it clean. Carpet and hardwood both require frequent cleaning – a homeowner must work just as hard sweeping and mopping hardwood floors as they do vacuuming and occasionally deep-cleaning their carpets. Maybe even harder.

I like to think that most flooring professionals share my view that flooring beautifies the home and negative or inaccurate messages affect the entire flooring industry.”

Thank you, Werner, for speaking out on this important issue.

~Bethany

For the Daily Citizen-News article "Don't bash me to sell yours" click on this link.

Designer Touts Carpet's Style

Carpet is Green, Just Not Avocado Green: Designer Touts Carpet’s Style

by Annette Callari

I really liked an article I read recently on National Floor Trends magazine web site entitled, New Carpet Stars in the Residential Galaxy. The article was written by interior designer Annette Callari, and it speaks to an issue that’s important to us here at the Carpet and Rug Institute: carpet’s popularity as a floor covering. You know what I’m talking about – everywhere you look, in décor magazines or designer blogs, or on home remodeling shows on HGTV and elsewhere, pulling up the carpet and replacing it with some form of hard surface flooring seems to have become the default first step.

But everything old is (eventually) new again, and there’s nothing the fashion world likes better than change. Accordingly, I was delighted to read this from Ms. Callari:

“I was appalled to hear someone say recently that carpet might go the way of avocado green appliances from the ‘70s—used to love it, but has outlived its time. That couldn’t be more wrong! As a designer focused on marketing trend research, I see that carpet is experiencing a resurgence of popularity.

Hard surface is awesome, but the livability factor brings the customer back to reality. It’s hard, it’s often cold, it bounces sound, and it isn’t particularly inviting to sit on. Enter (or should I say re-enter) carpet. The new styles offer aesthetics and solutions to each of those negatives, offering softness, good sound abatement and an inviting feel. Read on to see the galaxy of options carpet has to offer.”

So, in addition to all the benefits of carpet – warmth, comfort, improved acoustics, etc., carpet is very exciting to shop for these days, with a wealth of gorgeous product available. Check out the rest of her article to see what new styles she is talking about.

Thank you, Annette!

~ Bethany

Carpet Care & Maintenance In Military Housing Magazine

Carpet Care and Maintenance Featured in Military Housing magazine: Defense Communities publishes article by CRI President Werner Braun

Defense Communities magazine is published for the design and construction professionals who are responsible for building and maintaining our country’s vast resources of housing facilities for military personnel and their families. The March/April, 2010 issue contains an article by Carpet and Rug Institute President Werner Braun titled, Strategic and Sustainable: Tips for maintaining carpets can help save money in an eco-friendly way.

The five-page article focuses on the importance of two vital elements of using carpet successfully in any type of facility: first, that project planners choose the appropriate carpet for the setting in which it will be used, and second, that the carpet is cleaned and maintained properly for optimal performance. The article then details the growth of carpet reclamation and recycling, and the role played by the Carpet America Recovery Effort, or CARE.

Some excerpts:

“Another program sponsored by the Carpet and Rug Institute is its Texture Appearance Retention Rating program, or TARR. The TARR system is designed to help designers and property managers specify carpet in terms of its performance characteristics. The TARR system is a simple six-step process for matching products to their intended end uses. To establish each product's TARR rating, a carpet is exposed to simulated wear testing and then assigned a number rating to represent its ability to handle heavy foot traffic. That number can then be matched against a reference list of various environments and their expected use. For example, a dormitory-style military housing unit will need carpet with a 3.0 or greater TARR rating in the common area, but only a 2.5 or greater TARR-rated carpet for the bedrooms. A useful chart that outlines the TARR system is also available online.”

“One of the most exciting aspects of carpet's role in the built environment is the phenomenal growth of carpet reclamation and recycling. The polymers in the carpet face fiber, primarily nylon, are valuable components, which, when cleanly separated from the carpet backing can be put back into a wide range of products. It is remarkable that, given today's current difficult economic conditions, over 1.3 billion pounds of post-consumer carpet have been collected and diverted from landfills in just the last five years. Carpet can be recycled back into new carpet or carpet pad, or into a wide range of plastics parts, such as automobile parts and various consumer household items.”

For the complete article click on Strategic and Sustainable: Tips for maintaining carpets can help save money in an eco-friendly way.

Thank you, Werner!

~Bethany

Werner Braun: Carpet Good Choice for High-Traffic Areas

Carpet stands up in high traffic areas

by Carpet and Rug Institute's Werner Braun

Contrary to what is often assumed, carpet is easier and less expensive to clean and maintain over time than hard surface flooring. This myth-busting fact and others are explained in the second of a series of articles Carpet and Rug Institute President Werner Braun has prepared for Dalton, Georgia’s newspaper, the Dalton Daily Citizen. In the article, titled, “Carpet Stands Up in High Traffic Areas,” Braun refers to a study done by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) that demonstrates that carpet can save money in a commercial setting like a school or business. The IICRC’s study looked at the costs associated with various floor coverings extrapolated over 22 years, the average expected usable life of a hard surface floor in a school in schools. The study found that, even when factoring the costs of replacement, installation, cleaning supplies, and labor, carpet was still more economical.

“The 36-week study tested school’s light-to-medium traffic areas and heavy traffic areas on both carpeting and hard surface flooring. On the light-to-medium traffic areas (conference rooms, teacher offices, break areas, auditoriums, media centers, administrative offices and such) the study showed it costs 55 cents a square foot to maintain carpet for a school year while it costs $1.08 to maintain a hard surface flooring. In the heavy traffic areas (corridors, classrooms etc.), it was even more diverse, costing 61 cents for the square foot of carpet compared to $1.72 for the hard surface. This includes both labor and chemical costs.

When everything was added up, even I was a little taken back by the number, especially when I started doing some of my own arithmetic. Let’s take those numbers and stretch them on out to a 50,000 square foot flooring space, or about the size of Dalton Middle School. Based on the labor and chemical costs derived from the study, it would cost $30,456 a year to maintain carpet if we assumed all 50,000 square feet were a high traffic area. In the same situation, it would cost $86,026 to maintain hard surface for a comparable high traffic area…53 percent higher per square foot than carpet in high traffic areas and 31 percent higher in the light-to-medium traffic areas. I don’t have all the answers, but the numbers speak for themselves.

Aside from carpet’s many other inherent features in a business, school or household environment, one of its best features might be its ability to help make some of those other difficult decisions a little easier thanks to the money it can put back into your pocket.”

And who couldn’t use a little more money these days?

Thank you, Werner

~Bethany

Werner Braun On Asthma Study of Carpet

Werner Braun: Asthma study of carpet could yield big results for industry