With this issue, FCI is now 20 years old. Twenty years of covering the industry, and more importantly, connecting with the industry. Twenty years is a big milestone for us, but one thing I did not want to do is make it so central that it took away from the real meat of our coverage, which is you guys, the issues you face and the business decisions you make every day.

Seeking out unique products in the ceramic and stone arena that it can bring to market is a core value of The Tile Doctor.

So looking back at Surfaces 2013, what’s your take?

We had an opportunity to sit down with Bob Peoples, the Executive Director of the Carpet America Recovery Effort or CARE, a man who in 2002 took lead of the organization during its formation and left a few years ago to take over the Directorship of the ACS Green Chemistry Institute.

Today, it’s near impossible for a retailer to thrive in any economy if they’re not competitive on the Internet and dedicated to staying that way. 

Like everybody else I’ve always looked at CARE, the Carpet America Recovery Effort, as forward thinking on the part of the carpet industry in its mission to divert post-consumer from the nation’s landfills.

If you want to get a reading on what the consumer is thinking in this post-recession and the painfully slow recovery era, you need to talk with Gary Johnston, Marketing Communications Brand Manager at Invista.

If you have any doubt about who really builds small business or the uniqueness that defines American entrepreneurship, I suggest you make plans to attend the next Connections.

Certified Floorcovering Installers (CFI) hosted its 19^th annual convention in Nashville earlier this month, providing us an opportunity to talk with CFI Chairman Jim Walker.