Jeffrey Lorberbaum, JT Turner and Brian Carson
At Solutions 2012, just one year in as president of Mohawk Flooring NA, Brian Carson told FCW that execution would be key to the company’s growth — Mohawk had just launched SmartStrand Silk, Wear Dated Embrace nylon, and acquired Pergo and Marazzi. Since then, the company acquired IVC and launched the next generation of SmartStrand among other initiatives. Just weeks before Solutions 2016, Carson shared news about Mohawk’s continued expansion and its commitment to its retail partners.
FCW: You became president of Mohawk Flooring NA four years ago and much has changed since then. Through acquisition, you have become a complete soft and hard surface business. What has the impact been on your customer?
Carson: The most significant change is increased investment in all of our businesses. In the past year, we have started construction of a new laminate plant, a new engineered wood plant, a new LVT plant, a new carpet cushion plant and expanded our Continuum polyester carpet operations, all aimed at giving us additional capacity and innovative capabilities. We have substantially increased the resources in our R&D so we can create greater product innovation with superior features and benefits. Today’s consumers are shopping for more than carpet — they are in the market for all surfaces. We have restructured our organization to make it easier for our partners to provide all flooring categories with the style and value their customers desire.
FCW: Mohawk finalized the purchase of IVC in June of 2015. How has that acquisition progressed this year?
Carson: I’m extremely pleased with the progress our resilient team has made. Since the acquisition in mid-2015, we have completed a state-of-the-art, fully-integrated LVT plant, and we have broken ground on a new facility that will make both rigid and flexible LVT. We are installing unique new technology that will bring incredible realism and new features to our products. In addition, we are uniquely positioned to satisfy the market’s change from felt to better performing glass sheet vinyl with industry-leading color and design.
FCW: Mohawk’s family of brands extends across multiple product categories. How do you keep a clear identity for each brand while leveraging the overall strength of Mohawk in the marketplace?
Carson: It all starts with innovation and differentiation. Each brand and product category has differentiated styling, features and benefits, so that all are profitable for our retail and distribution partners. We know that if our customers don’t make more money with our products, then they may like us but they don’t need us. Creating value for our customers is our number one job each and every day. By aligning our hard and soft businesses, our retail partners can leverage our brands across different categories and offer more compelling value propositions to consumers.
FCW: As we head into show season, what innovations can we look forward to from Mohawk and its brands?
Carson: As we speak, we are investing hundreds of millions of dollars in the development of four industry-leading plants — all designed to manufacture differentiated products to be introduced over the next year. This isn’t just about adding capacity; it’s about implementing new technologies that create disrupting innovation. Over the last couple of years, we’ve introduced an enormous amount of innovation in SmartStrand Forever Clean, All Pet, Silk and Continnum — the list goes on and on.
FCW: You talk about your partnerships with the retailer in terms of creating shared success. In what ways are you doing that?
Carson: Our retail partners are focused on providing great products and service to optimize their sales and profits. Their question is, ‘What’s Mohawk providing in products, services and innovation to accomplish that?’ We must help them to grow their businesses so that we are their provider of choice. We are benefiting our retail partners through continuous innovation in styling, merchandising and product features every year. If we aren’t advancing at a rapid pace, then we are not delivering the value that we expect.