[Chicago] Floor covering companies are uniquely positioned for success in the commercial market, according to Mark Falanga, president of MMPI. The performance of companies that show at NeoCon alone, he said, is a strong indicator.
Falanga credits the floor covering industry with being progressive in a number of areas. First, he said, floor covering suppliers lead the way in sustainability. Several have LEED certified showrooms in the Mart including Invista, Milliken and Mohawk.
The other interesting thing about the floor covering industry, unlike other categories that are part of NeoCon, is you've got the fiber companies in the show as well,VbCrLf he said. It's great vertical support to have fiber companies available to talk about raw material so end users and specifiers can learn about the fibers that go into the carpet.
He also noted that floor covering companies have set the tone for a wide strategy to target and pursue a variety of vertical markets and not put all of its eggs into one basket, Falanga said. Because of that, floor covering companies have weathered the economic situation. These companies have seen a lift in their businesses over the last year or so and will continue to see a lift.
At last year's NeoCon, for example, there was palpable enthusiasm on the part of both flooring exhibitors and the designers working in their showrooms. Commercial business, in fact, was a bright spot in an otherwise dim economy.
This year's NeoCon is shaping up to be another strong showing for the floor covering industry. Falanga said he expects 2012 attendance to surpass last year's 42,500 visitors. Registration opened on the first of March and, he said, floor covering will continue to prove a key element of the show. NeoCon is scheduled to be held here June 11-13, 2012.
A little more than a decade ago, NeoCon was primarily an office furniture trade show. And then we started doing a lot of research with the design community. And they said that they weren't just engaged in office projects, but hospitals, schools. And floor covering is specified for every one of those jobs. It's almost more important than the furniture.
Today, he said, there are 60 or so floor covering exhibitors at NeoCon, either in permanent showroom or in a temporary space. We feel that it is a pretty comprehensive representation of floor coverings. New exhibitors this year include Metroflor Corp. and Ardex.
NeoCon's approach, in fact, is to include all aspects of commercial by continuing to expand the exhibitor list, creating unique pavilions that spotlight markets of opportunity and making a great effort to foster relationships between vendors and designers. Paul Heinen, senior vice president of commercial office and contract furnishings, explained, The theme this year is, Think Big. Our approach is to be multi-dimensional and offer something for everyone and offer a wide range of activities.
Within the commercial market, Falanga noted that healthcare and education tend to be very stable and able to withstand a lot of market swings.
Falanga did say that he believes the uptick companies are experiencing now is more reliable. He pointed to S&P 500 4Q results and pent-up demand as good market indicators. We've seen a couple quarters of robust earnings reports of the majority of those companies, he said
NeoCon will once again feature a Healthcare Pavilion. That seems to have a lot of momentum. It's a function of how stable that end of the marketplace is. There is a change or shift in how those facilities are being designed•bCrLf they are very customer focused. A facility is an important part of giving a patient an indication of the kind of care they are getting. NeoCon will also feature Education and International Pavilions.
Other highlights of NeoCon 2012, according to Falanga, will include a keynote by Ian Schrager of Ian Schrager Company and a concept visionary and designerVbCrLf and a tour of the Rebuilding Exchange, a home department operation for reused merchandise. The 60,000 square foot facility here in Chicago sells materials taken from job sites and markets them for new settings. This has hit a real need, noted Falanga.