Surfaces & the Future of Flooring: CRI's Werner Braun

Good News is Surfacing at Surfaces ~ CRI President Werner Braun positive about future outlook for flooring

Carpet and Rug Institute President Werner Braun’s February 5, 2011 column in Dalton’s Daily Citizen titled, “Scratching the ‘Surfaces,’” addresses the atmosphere at the floor covering industry’s largest trade show, Surfaces.

“With roughly 35,000 floor covering buyers, sellers and customers and more than 1,000 exhibitors, Surfaces is an important business and education event for the floor covering industry, as well as an opportunity for some enjoyable social interaction with my flooring friends.

I also had the opportunity at Surfaces to speak on a state of the industry panel with representatives from other areas of the floor covering industry, such as laminate, hardwood, tile, and resilient. Each of us spoke about our industry’s current position in the global market. I shared the good news that buyers are still investing in carpet because they recognize its beauty and long-term value.

It was heartening to hear my counterparts from other industries share my views on the economic future of flooring. We’ve all felt the squeeze of a tight economy over the past few years, but ultimately, we’re optimistic that brighter days lie ahead.

Because in the end, nothing is more comforting than hearing that times are getting better, innovation is still occurring and new ideas are flowing for future development.”

Thank you, Werner.

~Bethany

Carpet Industry Started with One Woman’s Creative Idea

One Woman's Creative Idea: From Bedspreads to Carpet

She’s such an interesting figure to me, with her honest face and sensible shoes. Since coming to work at the Carpet and Rug Institute, I have frequently found myself wondering what Catherine Evans Whitener thought about the explosive success of the industry she inspired here in the northwest corner of Georgia.

The fact that Dalton, Georgia is known as the carpet capital of the world is due in large part to the fact that, prior to earning that name, the town was known as the bedspread capital. And the reason for that is embodied in the story of Catherine Evans Whitener.

Randy Patton, a professor of history from Kennesaw State University who has written two books about the carpet industry in Georgia, came to Dalton several weeks ago to talk about Mrs. Whitener and her uniquely American story of how she created a grass-roots, women-powered movement that ended up becoming a multi-million dollar bedspread industry. Here are excerpts from a story titled Carpet Just a Big Bedspread about his lecture from the Dalton Daily Citizen News:

“It started out as the bedspread capital of the world,” Patton said. “If you look at a piece of carpet, it’s just a big bedspread.”

Whitener is commonly credited as the mother of the carpet industry, but her story is one that would be incomplete without her sister-in-law, Addie Cavender Evans, Patton said. Evans was the marketing brains of the family’s home-based industry, while Whitener handled the “manufacturing” side.

It began when 15-year-old Catherine made her first candlewick bedspread after admiring a similar spread she saw at a cousin’s home. Candlewicking is a form of embroidery done with yarn, and Whitener is known for slightly changing the technique to make it more efficient. A nearly identical technique is used to make most carpet.

Bedspread with Peacock Design

 Whitener was born in Whitfield County in 1880 and began popularizing the handmade spreads as she trained other men, women and children in the region in the technique. The spreads became a popular way for families to supplement their income while working at home and were far more than a hobby craft.

‘People were always looking for ways to generate more cash income,’ Patton said. ‘This was often hard work. This was not something they did to soothe their soul ... 10-hour days devoted to craft work were common.’

Many would hang the finished products outside for passersby to purchase during the 1920s and onward.

By the 1940s, U.S. Highway 41, or Dixie Highway, was known as ‘Peacock Alley’ for the peacock designs found on many of the spreads. It’s a name Patton said was actually preceded by the less glamorous but more popular term “Bedspread Boulevard.”

Some spread makers were on contract for various department stores where the spreads were sold to the public for $5 or $6 in the early 1920s. By 1934, the process became automated, and hand-tufted spreads became less common.’”

Catherine Evans Whitener was named as a Georgia Woman of Achievement in 2001.

I like remembering that the industry I work for started with a woman who had an idea to make something lasting and beautiful for her home. In that sense at least, it hasn’t changed.

~Bethany

2011 National Manufacturing Summit: 5/19/11, Dalton, GA - Register Now!

The 2011 National Manufacturing Summit takes place on May 19th in Dalton, Georgia. Will you be there? It will highlight how important manufacturing is to America - something we take for granted.

More specifically, a week or so ago, my 8-year-old son was on this kick where he kept calling out the names of foreign countries he found attached to any and every product he could find. He would point out that his ruler was made in Vietnam and then give me a fact or two about that country. He went on a mission in the house to find as many different countries as he could. He told me things about China, and Taiwan, and the Netherlands, and Mexico and even the maple syrup from Canada we had stored under the cupboard.

Finally, after exhausting himself of just about every trinket the Beach family of hoarders had collected, he looked at me and asked a really defining question for an 8-year-old boy.

“Daddy, how come I can’t find anything that has America written on it?”

Until you go through such an exercise, you are probably like the rest of us Americans. We take it for granted. Having seen enough Made in China stickers over the last 40 years, you become immune to it, especially when you see the price tags that go along with most of these little piece of junk we collect.

One of the things the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) has been most vocal in proclaiming over the years is the fact that the carpet industry is one of the last bastions of American manufacturing left. It is something our industry leaders say with pride. It was something I was able to look at my 8-year-old son and tell him “well, son, that fuzzy comfortable piece of carpet underneath your feet was made right here in America.”

As the economy continues to consume our daily lives and we look at rising gas prices which in turn raise the cost of most of everything we buy these days, it is nice to know that our message about carpet and American manufacturing is starting to resonate in high places. It was one of the things we most emphasized on our trip to meet with our nation’s leaders a couple of weeks ago in Washington DC.

And earlier this week, I had the pleasure of attending a press conference to announce A National Manufacturing Summit that will take place right here in Dalton, Georgia later this spring.


Werner Braun speaking as Brian Anderson, Chamber President, Don Cope, President of Dalton Utilities, Mayor David Pennington, City of Dalton, and Congressman Tom Graves look on.

The press conference was highlighted by Congressman Tom Graves (GA-9) and Dalton Mayor David Pennington announcing the 2011 National Manufacturing Summit which will be held at the Northwest Georgia Trade and Convention Center on May 19th (1-6 p.m.).

“The National Manufacturing Summit is being held to highlight the importance of the manufacturing sector to our overall economy. It provides the best jobs with the best benefits, to the most Americans,” Mayor Pennington said at the announcement.

The summit will feature leaders from private sector, manufacturing, education, and the government. Speakers will address how these sectors can positively affect manufacturing and will include Congressman Graves and Mayor Pennington along with Stephen Moore of the Wall Street Journal; Tom Fanning, CEO and Chairman of Southern Power; Bud Peterson, President of Georgia Tech; Don Cope, President of Dalton Utilities; Paul Bower, COO of Georgia Power; Norman G. Holmes, President of Southern Natural Gas; and Robert P. Johnston, CEO of MEAG Power.



Television reporter interviews Congressman Tom Graves (GA-9)


Rep. Graves will discuss proposed legislation that supports manufacturing.

“It’s time to start talking about U.S. manufacturing seriously; to begin the dialogue of where we are and how we can create growth again,” Rep. Graves says. “Let’s use the entrepreneurial, free-market solutions that made us great.”

This event will act as an educational event designed to inspire and motivate attendees. It will be based on the idea that manufacturing makes America’s economy great and a dominate force in the global marketplace. We can make it in America is the theme of the evening.

US manufacturing is under attack by a growing government, high taxes, increasing regulations, rising energy costs, and a new global climate that is making it easier for companies to do business overseas. Event organizers believe we must educate ourselves about the current state of US manufacturing, understand the challenges that manufacturers are facing, and discuss how America can retain her manufacturing strength by learning to strengthen and grow business at home.

Mayor Pennington and Rep. Graves both emphasized Dalton’s role and the carpet industries record as key to what needs to take place across America. They were joined at the announcement by CRI President Werner Braun, Don Cope of Dalton Utilities, and Chamber of Commerce President Brian Anderson.

“Dalton is one of the last great manufacturing centers in America. If we don’t make it, create it, or grow it of the ground of the ground then we are basing everything on shifting sands,” Mayor Pennington said.

“This summit will be an opportunity for us to tell the world how we are not going to sit back despite setbacks. We will continue to strengthen ourselves through American manufacturing,” added Mr. Anderson.

The National Manufacturing Summit is an event open to senior-level manufacturing executives. If you are a CEO, COO, CTO, CIO, CFO, President, Owner, Division President, Division Director, Managing Director or Partner you are encouraged to attend. If you cannot attend in person, you may send a designated representative from your company in your place. Space, however, is limited to the first 1000 people to register.

Werner Braun and Congressman Tom Graves (Ga-9)

Admittance to the National Manufacturing Summit is by ticket only, and you will receive it upon pre-registering for the event. Unfortunately, no registration will take place the day of the event. The event is FREE!

This sounds like an excellent opportunity to be part of something special as the Manufacturing Summit is about sharing the collective vision that WE CAN MAKE IT IN AMERICA.

To register for the event go to http://www.mfg2011summit.com/.

I hope to see you there!

~ James

Spirit Walk Celebrates Catherine Evans Whitener

Werner Braun: Spirit of Catherine Evans Whitener lives among us during Dalton's Little Theatre 'Spirit Walk' - transformed Dalton into Bedspread Capital of the World

In his column titled "Spirit of Catherine Evans Whitener Lives among us" that appeared in the November 12, 2010 edition of Dalton’s Daily-Citizen, Carpet and Rug Institute President Werner Braun  talks about a local Dalton event that took an historical look into the lives of several prominent citizens from Dalton’s past, including Catherine Evans Whitener, the woman credited with starting a cottage industry that eventually grew to be the carpet industry.

The event was Dalton Little Theatre’s “Spirit Walk” that took place in Dalton’s historic West Hill cemetery and its environs. As visitors toured the cemetery, they met and heard the life stories of eight former Dalton residents and one anonymous Confederate soldier who are all buried in the cemetery. The article reads:

“The industry began in a simple way, around the turn of the century. A young Dalton woman, Catherine Evans Whitener, recreated a bedspread for a wedding gift in a hand-crafted pattern she had seen. Copying a quilt pattern, she sewed thick cotton yarns with a running stitch into unbleached muslin, clipped the ends of the yarn so they would fluff out, and finally, washed the spread in hot water to shrink the fabric and hold the yarns in place.

“Interest grew in young Catherine’s bedspreads, and in 1900 she made the first sale of a spread for $2.50. Demand became so great for the spreads that by the 1930s local women, who were real entrepreneurs, had “haulers” who would take the stamped sheeting and yarns to front porch workers. Often, entire families worked to hand tuft the spreads for 10 to 25 cents per spread. The local term for the sewing process was “turfin” for the nearly 10,000 area cottage tufters — men, women and children. Bedspread income was instrumental in helping many area families survive the Depression.

“As an example of the spirit of these early entrepreneurial women, Mrs. J.T. Bates stated that she simply ‘shipped 15 spreads to John Wannamaker’s department store in New York. On a piece of plain tablet paper I made out a bill for $98.15 and put it in with the spreads. Although there had been no previous contact whatsoever with the store, Wannamakers sent us a check for $98.15.’ Chenille bedspreads became amazingly popular all over the country and provided a new name for Dalton: The Bedspread Capital of the World.

“Even though we have changed to the “Carpet Capital of the World,” what Ms. Whitener started has lived on in Dalton.”

Thanks, Werner

~ Bethany

Register for 3/22/11 California AB 2398 Retailer Webinar

Registration Still Open for 3/22/11 California AB 2398 Retailer Webinar ~ Important information on AB 2398 California Carpet Stewardship Bill

For carpet retailers in California or anyone who has questions about California’s new carpet recycling law, the Carpet America Recovery Effort is hosting a webinar that will provide the answers. The webinar is scheduled for March 22, 2011 at 2:00 pm eastern/11:00 am pacific and will be moderated by Georgina Sikorski, Executive Director of CARE. There is no charge to attend the webinar.

The passage of AB 2398 in California means new responsibilities for carpet retailers. As of July 1, 2011, there will be a $0.05/sq. yd. Carpet Stewardship Assessment fee placed on all carpet sold into the state of California. Retailers must include the $0.05/sq yd Carpet Stewardship Assessment fee as an after-tax line item on the customer invoice starting July 1, 2011.

From details on how the assessment fee is to appear on invoices to who will be eligible to receive the funds collected, this webinar will provide retailers and others with the necessary information to comply with California State Law AB 2398.

Click on this link to register for the California AB 2398 Retailer Webinar Now!

~ Bethany

Carpet Gets Deserved Spotlight by Werner Braun

Carpets for Airports: Carpet Gets the Spotlight It Deserves by Werner Braun

Carpet and Rug Institute President Werner Braun’s February 5, 2011 column in Dalton’s Daily Citizen deals with a funny article that appeared on CRI’s blog, titled “Happy Landings: A Frequent Traveler Calls Attention to the Colorful World of Airport Carpet.” The blog post describes a weird, but fascinating, website called Carpets for Airports that features photographs of the carpet in airports all over the world. The site was put together by an author named George Pendle, a world traveler who also happens to be keenly interested in carpet.

In his column titled "Carpet finally gets spotlight it deserves", Mr. Braun comments:

“I can understand that — carpet is one of my favorite topics, too. Pendle’s site is called Carpets for Airports (carpetsforairports.com), and anyone who visits the site will see right away they are in for an experience that is as much comic monologue as travelogue.

“From Santiago to Sydney, from Bishkek to Boston, the airport carpet sings out its inviolable song, a sign of man’s refusal to go drably into that dark night of international travel. Such aesthetic intimacy, poetry and passion has for too long gone unnoticed by the modern traveler. Until now.”

See what I mean?

Pendle has garnered quite a bit of attention for his quirky site. He was featured in an article in the Los Angeles Times, and the CRI blog post about Carpets for Airports was mentioned by Floor Covering News publisher and well-known flooring industry icon Al Wahnon in one of the last columns he penned before his death earlier this week. On why he started Carpets for Airports, Pendle told the LA Times, “Flooring is considered mundane. We’re all too busy looking at the sky and the planes to look at the ground beneath us. So I thought it would be a fun experiment to compare and contrast airport carpets from around the world.”

Now, that’s a thought. Suppose next time I miss a flight, I blame it on the carpet and not the airline? That could make for happier travels, don’t you think?

In any case, I recommend you check out carpetsforairports.com. It’s fun and funny, and best of all, it calls attention to carpet, its beauty (or strangeness in some cases), and reminds us all of how important carpet is to our overall impressions of our surroundings. Carpet is quieter, it’s safer to walk on, and it adds unmistakable warmth and beauty to homes, schools, businesses and, of course, airports.

Pendle welcomes photographs to the site, saying, “All carpets gratefully received. All photographs fully credited.”

That sounds like an offer worth considering. Next time I’m stuck in an airport gate with nothing to do and a little time on my hands, I think I’ll take out my camera and look down. Who’s with me? It’s time carpet got the spotlight it deserves, in airports and everywhere else it is used to enhance the lives of the people who live with it and on it.

Happy travels, everyone!”

Thank you, Werner.

~Bethany

Vacuum Carpet First: Essential Step for Professional Cleaning

Vacuuming: An Essential Step When Having Your Carpets Professionally Cleaned

Plus other tips to help make sure it’s done right

Does your carpet cleaning technician vacuum first before he turns on the extractor? He should, and here’s why, from Daniel Frimml, Technical Service Representative for cleaning equipment manufacturer Tornado Industries, a Carpet and Rug Institute Seal of Approval Participating company. The article titled What is the number one thing carpet cleaning technicians forget to do when they clean carpets? is posted on MyCleanlink.com, a website for cleaning professionals.

“Vacuuming is key to carpet extraction. This is because as much as 80 percent of the soil in carpets is dry soil, which is typically light and small, and most of it can be removed through proper vacuuming with a quality vacuum cleaner.

However, as soon as moisture is applied to this dry soil, which occurs in the extraction process, the dry soil turns to mud. Now it is heavy and considerably larger, negatively impacting the cleaning performance of the unit.

The result of not vacuuming is that the carpets are not cleaned as well as they could be, which impacts their appearance. Further, rapid resoiling can occur because the mud, now mixed with chemical solution residue, actually attracts soil to the carpet.

Bottom line: The professional and proper way to clean carpets is to always vacuum them first.”

On cleanfreak.com, an article on carpet cleaning for the do-it-yourselfer - titled Carpet Extraction Procedure - also lists vacuuming as an important first step prior to using a rented or purchased carpet extracting system.

“1. Preparation - Remove all obstructions from the area to be cleaned. If possible, remove the furniture. Vacuum the area with a dual motor vacuum prior to cleaning with a carpet extractor.“

And that follows right along with the recommendations published in CRI’s booklet, Carpet Cleaning Tips for Dummies.  According to author Elizabeth Goldsmith, Florida State University professor and household management expert,

“If you are a do-it-yourselfer, here are the steps to take for effective cleaning. Remember, this does not replace the need for periodic professional cleaning!

1. Remove furniture. If too heavy, place plastic film under and around the legs of furniture.

2. Vacuum thoroughly first — this often has the biggest impact on the whole process!”

Finally, make sure you are using an effective and efficient vacuum by selecting one that has been approved by CRI’s Seal of Approval testing and certification program for carpet cleaning products and equipment. All of the vacuums in the SOA program have been rigorously tested and shown to remove and contain soil without damaging carpet. 

There is a great deal of good information online about how to keep carpet clean and well-maintained – much of it published right here on the Carpet and Rug Institute blog. But there’s nothing I like more than to be agreed with, and I am always pleased to find other sources of good information for consumers.

By the way, you may enjoy reading some of the other posts that Daniel Frimml has written for CleanLink.

~Bethany

Legislative Reception Shines Light on Carpet Industry

In his column in the January 27, 2011 edition of Dalton’s Daily-Citizen, Carpet and Rug Institute President Werner Braun discussed the 11th Annual Legislative Appreciation Reception held in Atlanta and co-sponsored by the CRI and the Dalton/Whitfield Chamber of Commerce. His article is titled "Legislative reception shines light on our carpet industry".

This year, the event, which attracted legislators and state dignitaries, focused on North Georgia’s contribution to the state’s economy.

Attendees were given cards with the following information:

• The carpet and rug industry is the fifth largest industry in Georgia

• The carpet and flooring industry employs more than 30,000 workers in Georgia with a payroll topping $4 billion — the largest of any manufacturing sector in the state.

• Whitfield County is the third largest manufacturing county in Georgia and ranks No. 1 in carpet manufacturing.

• The world’s four largest carpet manufacturers are located in Georgia.

• Of the top 50 manufacturers of all U.S. floor covering, 14 are carpet manufacturers located in Georgia.

• More than 80 percent of the U.S. carpet and rug market is produced by mills located within a 65-mile radius of Dalton which equals to an estimated $8 billion in business activity,

The article concludes: “[Dalton is] showing that we are an economic engine not only in Georgia and the South, but in the world. Dalton is dedicated to bringing out the best in its people so they can continue putting Dalton on the map.”

Thank you, Werner.

~Bethany

CRI's Werner Braun on CA's Proposed Caprolactam Limits: TalkFloor TV

California Proposed Limits on Caprolactam Would Negatively Affect State’s Economy: Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) President Werner Braun Comments on TalkFloorTV

In a video interview titled CRI’s Werner Braun on the California EPA’s Caprolactam Emissions Decision that appeared on February 25, 2011 on TalkFloorTV,  host Dave Foster spoke with Carpet and Rug Institute President Werner Braun about measures currently proposed in California that would dramatically reduce the permissible exposure limit of caprolactam, the primary building block of nylon 6, an important source of carpet fiber.

(See related blog post California’s Proposed Reductions in Caprolactam, Formaldehyde Emissions)

Mr. Braun points out that, at a time when regulatory agencies in Europe and the U.S. have either significantly raised their allowable limits (and in the case of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, altogether removed the compound from its list of hazardous air pollutants), California is set to slash its allowable levels from the current 100 micrograms emitted per cubic meter of air down to 2µg/m³. The recommendations are coming out of the state’s Office of Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), a division of California’s Environmental Protection Agency.

Mr. Braun had strong words concerning the proposed decreases, saying that, as a former toxicologist, he thought the proposed changes were ill-conceived and wrong-headed.

He also notes that OSHA, the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration, has set a limit on caprolactam that is 500 times the amount proposed for California. In addition, OSHA’s limit is set to reflect a total exposure that even sensitive individuals could tolerate without negative health effects during eight-hour work days spanning a 40-year career. In contrast, Caprolactam emissions from carpet, already set at one-quarter of OSHA’s allowable levels, dissipate completely in a few months.

The OEHHA proposals are relevant to the carpet industry in that once OEHHA sets a level for a particular Volatile Organic Compound (VOC), California’s Department of Public Health uses one-half of that number to set emission limits in its 01350 Indoor Air Quality Standard Standard Method for the Testing and Evaluation of Volatile Organic Chemical Emissions from Indoor Sources Using Environmental Chambers, Version 1.1 (2010). In turn, the 01350 standard, as it is commonly known, is what the CRI uses as the basis for establishing the emission levels in its Green Label Plus (GLP) IAQ Standard.

This is significant to the carpet industry, because, if the GLP standard discontinues its adherence to the requirements of CA 01350, it will no longer be eligible for credit under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Green Building program.

As to the impact the proposed changes would have, Mr. Braun said they would cause significant deselection of nylon 6 carpet and have, “Dire consequences on jobs and revenue in the state of California.”

He said the timeline for the proposed change is mid-April, but that CRI was asking the state for additional time to respond to comments on the issue.

“It’s an incredible can of worms,” he said.

~Bethany

Flooring Industry Will Get Facts at Surfaces Trade Show

The Daily Citizen, Dalton, GA: Werner Braun: Industry will get the facts at flooring trade show

In his January 21, 2011 column for Dalton’s Daily-Citizen, Carpet and Rug Institute President Werner Braun discussed his presentation, “Just the Facts, Please: the Truth About Carpet, Asthma and Allergies” at the Surfaces floor covering exhibition and trade show. The article is titled "Industry will get the facts at trade show".

In his comments, Mr. Braun debunked the following carpet myths:

“Myth No. 1: Carpet aggravates asthma and allergy. The weight of evidence does not support a link between carpet and asthma and allergy symptoms, even though some health care providers believe there is an association. In fact, clean, dry, well-maintained carpet actually improves indoor air quality.

Researcher and toxicology expert Mitchell Sauerhoff (doctorate and diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology) reviewed 23 U.S. and international scientific studies and concluded in “Carpet, Asthma and Allergies — Myth or Reality” that carpet’s alleged negative characteristics are not consistent with current research. In fact, he concludes that the literature on carpet and asthma and allergies confirms that children and adults living with carpet do not have an increased incidence of asthma or allergy. (See related blog post here NFT: Scientific Facts Dispel Carpet Myths – ed.)

Myth No. 2 is tied into No. 1: Carpet can’t be cleaned and maintained (thus causing allergies and asthma). Through proper maintenance and cleaning with Seal of Approval (SOA) cleaning solutions and vacuums, a carpeted home provides a clean and healthy environment, as well as a cozy atmosphere!

And last, but not least, Myth No. 3: Carpet is not environmentally friendly. As consumers become more interested in environmental sustainability, green building practices are becoming more important as a lasting trend. Schools, health care facilities, businesses and public facilities recognize the benefits of building green, and governmental entities are even passing laws to mandate future green construction of public and private buildings.

Carpet, carpet pads and carpet adhesives contribute to green building in two important ways, by helping reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and emissions, and contributing to the growing use of recycled content for building materials.

We’ve heard these myths time and time again, and it never gets old defending the floor covering choice that provides comfort, warmth and a little pizzazz to any business or home.”

Thanks, Werner!

~Bethany

Carpet Recycling 'Growing Like Crazy' in California: Ron Greitzer, LA Fibers

Carpet Recycler Says His Industry is “Growing Like Crazy” in California

~ Surge is due to state’s AB 2398 Carpet Recycling Law, says Carpet America Recovery Effort board member Ron Greitzer

In an interview on TalkFloor TV that aired on February 23, 2011, host Dave Foster interviewed Ron Greitzer, President of LA Fibers,  and a member of the Carpet America Recovery Effort’s board of directors, on the influence California’s new carpet recycling law AB 2398 is having on carpet recycling activity in the state.

California passed AB 2398 to increase landfill diversion and recycling of post-consumer carpet generated in California. The law requires all carpet manufacturers to add a stewardship assessment of $0.05/square yard onto all carpet sold in the state as of July 1, 2011.

Calling AB 2398, “A model program” that would work in any state, Greitzer said that, since the law’s passage last year, the number of carpet collectors in California has grown from one business to seven. “It’s growing like crazy,” Greitzer said, predicting that California would see diversion rates for carpet surge to 30% in a year.

He added that, “The most important thing about recycling is not just bringing the goods in - it’s converting them to useable products.” Greitzer’s company produces Reliance carpet cushion, a fiber carpet underlayment that is made with 100% post-consumer nylon 6,6 content.

Robert Reiss, Vice-President of Reliance Cushion, who also participated in the interview, said the exclusive use of nylon 6,6 made Reliance Cushion a superior product compared to other fiber cushions, in that nylon 6,6 offers excellent performance characteristics in terms of its resilience and durability. He added that Reliance cushion has passed multiple performance tests. Through a partnership with fiber producer INVISTA, the cushion carries the Stainmaster® brand. (See related interview Ron Greitzer Announces the Development of a New Stainmaster Recycled Carpet Pad.)

Ron Greitzer says major hotel chains are excited about Reliance Cushion’s sustainability story as well as the LEED points it offers end-users. (Click here to see how Reliance Cushion earns LEED points.)

See the complete 9-minute video interview by clicking on Recycler & Carpet Cushion Producers Ron Greitzer and Robert Reiss.

~Bethany