There are certain products or services you associate with a particular part of the world. Even here in the U.S., there are differences from state to state and city to city. In fact, one of our family’s rituals is around football Sundays when we make food of our home team’s town (Pittsburgh) and that of our opponent’s city.
Each week we research food and drink from a given area and come up with a creative menu. The journey has had us making foods such as Cincinnati Chili (which includes spices, unsweetened chocolate and is served over spaghetti) and, of course, crab cakes for Baltimore. Week 1 this year will bring clam chowder in a sourdough bowl and Irish coffees for San Francisco and kielbasa on the side for Pittsburgh. While the practice has now become part of our game day superstition, it’s also introduced us to the unique cultures of cities across the country.
There are regions and cities that are iconic for music or industry, for example. I love the new Ford ad that reclaims the automotive industry here in the U.S. The ad announces: “There are people that say things aren’t made here anymore. Those people should come to Michigan or Kentucky or Missouri where you’ll find Ford workers not just assembling vehicles but building the future of automotive manufacturing. It’s why Ford employs the most hourly autoworkers in this country.”
As well, each country around the world provides a product or service indigenous to it because of specific expertise, resources and assets. Think about Italian leather and French wines. And every country has its distinct menu for which I am grateful — I’m food forward and love trying new and delicious cuisine. (Thus, the connection to my other love NFL Football.)
Indeed, international trade, at its best, creates choice and diversity in the marketplace as well as healthy competition with competitive pricing that typically results in less expensive product for consumers.
A recent article by Investopedia reported, “International trade allows countries to expand their markets and access goods and services that otherwise may not have been available domestically.”
The same holds true for the floor covering industry. When I think of tile, for example, I think domestically but my mind also goes to Spain, Italy and Mexico.
Rigid core, despite efforts to onshore, is still largely made in China. But in addition to expanding domestic production, suppliers are looking to other areas of the world to set up operations from Cambodia to India. The map of where flooring is made has diversified for sure with companies finding the right capabilities and trade environment for production.
So many conversations over the last several months, as containers from China sit on the water held up by customs, have been about seeking and identifying regions to shift manufacturing to in order to deliver on a maker’s promise to its customers.
Managing the supply chain has been fraught with complications, with one obstacle after another. And while relocating production of a product is an arduous task, it is a necessary one. Diversifying is a good long-term strategy as it makes you nimble to change when needed — and that is something we continue to experience.
This issue looks at the changing dynamic of sourcing models. On the lighter side, it also looks at global design influences and what is shaping today’s most popular styles and designs. Global inspiration comes from the far corners of the world from Scandinavia to Morocco and Japan, for example. And there are common threads too such as biophilia and the consumer’s desire to reflect their own personal style in their home.
At FCW, we continue to diversify how we deliver content in an effort to serve all of our readers the way that works best for them, whether in print or online. We have also expanded our team and with this issue, we welcome Suzy Krogulski to the FCW family as associate editor. We’ve already witnessed her talent and you’ll see her mark on the Floor Covering 101 Guide to Tile & Stone, mailed with this issue.
Stay safe. Stay inspired.