The MoeDown

07-09

Your Guide To What's Next At The Mohawk Group

Grab SomeSummer

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Durkan Keeps The Heat On p3

Creating A Better Sound Environment p4

It Takes Two p6

Carpet Reincarnated p7

Re:working The Industry p8

REACHing Out With Jonathan Stanley p10

Business Is Like A Day At The Beach p14

Moe's Product Launch Crystal Ball p17

TMG Vault p18

Newly LEED Accredited p19

You Need To Know Moe About NSF 140 p20

A Tale Of Trends p22

TMG In American History p25

Words I Never Thought I Needed To Know p25

Council Kicks Off Greater Partnership p26

Visualize This! p27

Seattle's Amazing Race p28

Mohawk Green Citings p30

NeoCon's Over, What's Next? p32

TMG Floors USGBC's Headquarters p33

Recently, Durkan has been cited in numerous publications including the June 2009 issue of NEWH magazine and a feature story on its design collaboration with Tracy Lee Stum in the May 2009 issue of Interiors & Sources magazine.

The brand is making in roads on the "green front," as well. During HD Expo, it introduced a sustainable pad program, a sustainable rooms carpet and expanded the brand online via the LEED Plus Calculator. Durkan also walked away with the Best Booth Award.

Additionally, Durkan introduced a new rug program, expandedits print collection and CYP collections, as well introduced a newentry mat collection.

Virtually, Durkan is helping its customers save time, money and the environment with a variety of new tools and technologies. ID Studio, an interactive design Web site, and Patternworks™, a custom specification service that uses advanced Web-based technology. Both programs, along with LEED Plus Calculator, are making specifying hospitality

floorcoverings easier and more sustainable than ever before.

And in an effort to continuously raise the bar on innovation, Durkan has recently promoted Barb Marcy to lead thedesign efforts for the brand.

Watch your e-mail and industry publications for more exciting news from Durkan in months to come!

Durkan Keeps The Heat OnDurkan is making some noise inthe marketplace.

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Noted authority, Susan E. Maser, states that “When we think of places where we want to rest and recuperate from illness or medical treatment, most of us visualize places that are quiet, peaceful and serene. This is a stark contrast to the typical hospital, where sounds of beepers, alarms, machines, telephones, voices and more are part of the 'normal' environment.” She continues by saying, “The epidemic of noise in hospitals - one of the biggest complaints of patients - can no longer be ignored. “

Audible sound may be defined as transmitted vibrations with frequencies in the range of 20 hz to 20,000 hz, capable of being detected by the human ear. But noise is a sound that is unpleasant, unexpected and undesired.

The sources of noise in healthcare are many. They include equipment such as telephones, pagers, monitors and alarms, paging systems, wheeled equipment, IV poles, TV speakers, pneumatic tube systems, elevators and automatic doors. HVAC systems are the most common source of background noise, and the human voice itself is a major source.

The effects of noise in healthcare settings are diverse, ranging from inpatient’s reporting unsatisfactory hospital experiences according to the Press Ganey exit surveys, through more serious consequences such as causing life threatening medication errors.

The EPA recommended guideline values for background noise in hospitals is 45 decibels (dB) during the day and 35 dB at night. But these levels are voluntary and not enforced by law or by code, and are rarely met. Published studies have reported noise levels in excess of 95 dB in patient care areas, precisely where the advantages of good acoustic management are most needed.

Patients in facilities with good acoustical management have better outcomes, heal more quickly and report a more satisfactory experience according to Press Ganey exit surveys.

Similarly, caregivers report enhanced performance in quieter environments reflected in fewer distractions, lower mental fatigue and

Creating A Better Sound Environment

Carpet Manages The Noise Epidemic In Healthcare Interiors by Keith Gray, Director, Technical Marketing

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less vocal strain. Investigators further report 20-30% reductions in staff errors, preventing incalculable patient discomfort and saving facilities billions of dollars annually in avoided costs.

So quieter is always better in the indoor healthcare environment, and as the consequences of the noise epidemic in healthcare – physical, emotional and financial – have become more widely understood, so has the role of carpet in creating a better sound environment become more appreciated by hospital administrators, patients, caregivers

and the A&D community. Two tests are most often used to measure the acoustic performance of flooring in healthcare. ASTM C423 reports airborne noise reduction; and Noise Reduction Coefficients (NRC) of interior surfaces and finishes. ASTM E90 reports the impact insulation classification (IIC) of surfaces, which manage noise transmission through building structures. By either test, carpet is an extraordinarily effective acoustic management tool. continued

Carpet absorbs between 15-20% of airborne noise. This is critical as it relates to the patient experience and healing; patient confidentiality; accurate transcription of medical information and potentially life threatening medication errors.

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It Takes Two Roy Glazer & Ted CoxGreg Tant & Lacy LaMartina

I have two teams that exemplify the true spirit, accountability, coordination and intent of the team concept:

-Roy Glazer & Ted Cox (Bigelow) in Kansas City -Greg Tant & Lacy LaMartina (Lees) in Mississippi & Louisiana

Both take a similar approach to team selling. The keys to their success are:

Daily Communication - They keep each other informed about their plans for the week and share detailed notes on projects, claims and price quotes.

Accountability - They hold each other accountable to make sure they are each contributing appropriately.

Planning - They have a list of A&D/Dealers and a plan for how they will distribute new product introductions.

Trust - They are trusting and unselfish to get the job done. They complement one another on individual skills.

Passion - They love to work and to win!

-David Grant, RVP, Mid Delta

Compared to hard surfaces typically found in healthcare, such as luxury vinyl tile, rubber flooring, engineered flooring and VCT, carpet absorbs between 15 – 25% of airborne noise, compared to only 0-5% for the hard surfaces mentioned. Perhaps more important, carpet is especially effective in absorbing those frequencies common to background noise, which dramatically improves speech recognition.

This is important, for example, when transcribing a verbal order from a physician into a written order on a medical chart. Errors of this type often result in lawsuits, and the average cost of an out-of-court settlement is $275,000.

A similar benefit applies to patient outcomes, in general. More than any other surface, carpet effectively absorbs background noise, loud disturbing sounds such as monitors, alarms, paging systems and cell phones, and structure-borne noise. All of these are disturbing and undesirable. They interfere with rest, which interferes with recovery. Only carpet provides acoustic management which, combined with good noise reduction programs, creates an environment favorable to good patient outcomes.

CARPET ABSORBS BETWEEN 15 – 25% Of

AIRBORNE NOISE

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Carpet Reincarnated!The Mohawk Group, in a partnership with Kingston and BMW DesignWorks USA, has created a USB from our Greenworks facility. It is 100% post consumer nylon 6.6 from Greenworks. It comes from carpet face fiber which has been collected from all over the nation. In June, The Mohawk Group provided these flash drives to all attendees of the LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) forum in Boulder, Colorado. Each attendee received a drive with all conference materials. An Atlanta Design Student who attended the forum, Cindy Kaufman, says, "People don't understand that most things we buy today can be made from something which used to have another life. This simple design helps to show people that everything we come across in our daily lives can be used for new products. Nothing has to be made from virgin material, and The Mohawk Group helped demonstrate that." Although not currently available, marketing is working to secure the flash drives to make widely available for marketing and sales purposes. The flash drive is a perfect example of exploring alternative and useful approaches to waste reduction and reuse.

Museum MavericksAtlanta Team

Kudos to the Atlanta team for their evening at the museum events, targeted toward large firms like HOK. The events include a visit to the latest High Museum exhibit (King Tut, The Louvre, etc) followed by appetizers and cocktails. The events are both cost effective and appealing to major firms.

-Paul Cleary, RVP Southeast

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What people are saying about Re:work:

“Please do yourself a favor and get yourself to this workshop, whether you are employed right now or not. Cindy Allen, Editor in Chief of Interior Design magazine, critiqued my portfolio. And Anita Madison, who has over 25 years experience in business management and organizational leadership, went over my resume with me – one-on-one. This is the help that is missing from

many unemployment offices. This is for displaced professionals. I am really, very happy I went to this event.” –Diane Morrison, NYC

Re:working The IndustryFive Re:work events have taken place across the United States: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York City.

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July 21, 23, 28 and 30Re:work Seattle, July 13Re:work Portland, July 15Re:work Washington DC, August 19 Re:work Phoenix/Scottsdale, September 17Re:work Boston, October 27Re:work Minneapolis, November 19

Re:work Expands Nationwide Re:work Webinar Series

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"Everyone, I can't even begin to tell you how proud I was to be part of yesterdays Re:work event. The guest speakers fAR exceeded not only my expectations, but the attendees expectations, as well. We touched so many lives in such a positive way. I received two voicemails yesterday from Designers who said they unfortunately could not make our event, but they both stated that they appreciate our efforts to help. It also put things in prospective on how fortunate we all are to have positions and to be employed by a company that

cares. We had so many compliments from the attendees. A couple of them had tears in their eyes while they were thanking us and saying their goodbyes. We had a total of 121 attendees

out of 209 registrations. That tells me we touched 209 people, either way, in a very positive manner. Thanks for all your support. I have never been part of something so positive."

–Jim Denton, RVP, Midwest

Tell your customers about Re:work! More information at www.themohawkgroup.com/rework.

I have been doing a "Designer Spa Night" with another rep to share the cost. We take two to four designers to a spa for the evening for a one-hour treatment of their choice. The spa we work with has a great meditation room with a kitchen and fireplace to sit and relax in between treatments. We provide salad and fruit with wine or water, and while one group is having their treatments we sit and talk with the others. Then they switch places while the other treatments take place.

It has been a great way to get to know people out of the office and create relationships. The designers tend to ask you to come see them within a week, and they feel obligated to call you or refer to our books the next time they are selecting a project. I have created great relationships with everyone I have shared this experience with, and they really appreciate it. Sharing the cost makes it a budget friendly event.

-Janet Quamme, Lees/KarastanMiddleton, WI

Treating The CustomerJanet Quamme

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Re:work Webinar Series

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Max Holland: Jonathan, in your 10 years with the company, we have really become a different company, a different look and feel. Last year at the national sales meeting, Al Kabus started to introduce us to the REACH sales approach, his trademarked name for strategic selling. We have since taught some modules and provided learning opportunities around REACH, focusing mainly on the R and the E (research and engage) portion. Have you bought into it and adopted it?

Jonathan Stanley: Absolutely, and it has been a real welcomed change. As a matter of fact, when I heard it for the first time, it was like, ‘wow, this is exciting because– I felt like I could really grab onto it and fit it to my personality.’ Some of the things, I was already doing, but it was not a cognizant effort. It was not like a true roadmap on what would affect the next part of the sales cycle and how to move

the customer through the process. I did not have the whole understanding of how to do research and then using that research to engage. And I did not know how one would affect the other. I have absolutely bought into it, and I am working on it.

MH: So, as an example, you may have been researching a client some before, but then you didn’t make a knowing effort to develop status and probing questions in the next step? Are you also doing more research more often with a better understanding of how to use it?

JS: Right, yes, absolutely.

MH: Tell me a little bit about where you are doing your research? How are you researching? What are you finding? How long is it taking?

JS: I think that each client is different, and I think that is probably one of the most valuable points. You cannot take a set of “boiler plate” questions that maybe you would come up with before, like, ‘how does sustainability affect your flooring decisions?’ Each client, each person, each individual is going to answer that differently. I think that has been a big part of figuring out who they are, how they move, what affects their emotions and what makes them, in their own mind, be successful in their own position and even to their boss or their superiors.

Max Holland recently sat down with Jonathan Stanley and had a conversation about REACH and our new approach to strategic selling. Jonathan has had a successful 10-year career with The Mohawk Group so far, currently representing both Lees and Karastan. Additionally, his experience includes representing Mohawk Commercial and Bigelow in South Carolina.

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REACHing Out To Jonathan StanleyREACH Strategic Selling Part I

But I think the easiest tool is Google. A good example involves me going after a relationship with an architect firm, and I knew that the gentleman (who was over the entire interior studio) was very difficult to get an appointment with, a relationship with, lunch with, meeting with—he really did not meet with reps. He did a lot of marketing for the firm and a lot of presentations and interviews for the firm. So I just thought, I will Google him and see what I can find out about him, and it actually showed me a very long history about who he was and where he had been. So, in just a few key strokes online I learned a lot about him. Another good example of research tools is finding someone who is close to a person within the firm and saying, “hey, tell more about …” so it is actually word of mouth, as well. It’s about leveraging relationships you have to find out about people

who you do not have a solid relationship with yet. I also like networking with industry partners, like my friends in furniture. I will say to them, "Tell me more about this client, how did you get on that project, what interested them?"

MH: Tell me more about that – specifically Google as an example. You go online before you meet with a new client or a current client and you Google their company. How much time do you spend per customer or before a meeting? Because that is our biggest asset as a sales organization – time. And we are getting so much of it taken away by other things that are not driving sales right now.

JS: That is interesting, because you can surprisingly find out a lot about a client and prospect in a very short period of time. You can go online and Google from your Blackberry sitting in front of a customer – or even right before you walk in the doors while you are still in the parking lot. Even do a quick Google if you don’t’ have time to do your full research. Look at their mission statement. Most likely the firm, client or person you are meeting with will be aware of what their mission is - it kind of starts from the top and has hopefully drilled down through each employee. That is probably the first thing you look for. The second thing is any common denominator that you may have, whether it is philanthropy or sustainability -anything that might connect you on a different level. Just do that little bit of research, maybe no more than five to seven minutes. It is a simple and surprisingly quick process. I think what you

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I WILL SAY TO THEM, "TELL

ME MORE ABOUT THIS

CLIENT, HOW DID YOU GET

ON THAT PROJECT, WHAT

INTERESTED THEM?"

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have to understand is that you really have to take the time, that five to seven minutes to do it. But yeah, if you sit down and you just go to a website and you Google that specific customer, it is going to help you out. The other thing is go to their ticker symbol, if they are publicly traded. This is where you’ll find information about where they are financially, what their losses are, what their gains are, what other institutions are saying about them. You can immediately have that discussion with the facility managers, "Hey, I realize that your stock has done this or that,” so they understand and feel comfortable that you are really doing your homework, which they appreciate. They really do appreciate it, and it allows you to get into different conversations.

MH: REACH talks about two types of clients - your prospective cients and your existing clients. This might be leading into the ‘engage’ portion. My personal experience so far, Jonathan, has been that it is so much easier to do the research and then create engaging questions for a prospective client, a new client. When I have been in front of people that I already have relationship with and I start asking some of these questions based on my research… they are kind of looking at me like, "who is this guy, what happened to Max?" Have you experienced this, and if so have you been able to overcome it?

JS: Yeah, and I think it has to do with whether you are in a brand new territory or you are just understanding how to approach REACH for the first time. I just took on Lees for the whole state of South Carolina. There are some healthcare groups like Medical University of South Carolina, and in knowing that they are a new customer

and just getting into REACH, I am engaging that customer totally different than somebody who I had been calling on for the last 10 years in the same territory. So, yes, I am getting that reaction when I do bring up maybe something about ‘infection control’ or ‘how does nosocomial disease affect your processes into your finishes selections?’ So when you are doing that for the first time, yeah, you are going to get a little bit of interesting feedback. If you are doing it from a standpoint of a brand new customer, you actually see the light go off – that you are a different type of rep from what they have ever seen. So actually you are exactly right, you ask that question for the first time of somebody who you know and they already know you, and they are like ‘wow, what happened to you and what have you done with Jonathan?’ But at the same time with the new customers, they see a new and refreshing and a different type of rep.

MH: Have you been able to still research a current customer you have been calling for 10 years? Do you have any examples or a specific situation where you did have a success with getting into a different conversation that you

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would not have traditionally from the traditional carpet industry standpoint?

JS: Let’s look at the top two design firms in my territory in the upstate of South Carolina. Something I have been trying to get a good understanding of is ‘what makes you profitable as an interior designer?’ So I serve it up by saying, ‘I understand that maybe this has not been the process of our communication over the last 10 years, but would you mind me asking you some questions so that I have a better understanding of what makes you profitable?’ And when you ask a question like that, you understand what their company thinks of their

position and on a continual basis appreciating that they are working on billable hours. They now know that you understand and appreciate their concept of time, their value of time. Then it begins to resonate that they are starting to deal with somebody who appreciates their position. I think that the second part, with the end user, there is a maintenance process that we are continually talking about. You are selling performance when you are selling different brands, and you sell it differently with each brand that you have. Still, when you are talking to a customer, a healthcare group or a school district as examples, and sitting down with them and saying, ‘hey, tell me about your maintenance program and how does that affect your current carpet selections,’ ( I mean you word it like that

instead of what type of maintenance do you use? ) Or you say, how is your carpet cleaned right now? REACH is about asking the right questions and asking them in the correct order. And that has to do with making the needle switch from ‘a sales person that calls on me’ to ‘somebody who is seen as a consultant and trusted advisor – a knowledge sharer.’

MH: So –it is really like we are moving away from –maybe how most of us were trained to sell in this industry. Probably 90 percent of our current sales force thinks and positions from a ‘features and benefit technical standpoint.’ We go in there and we try immediately to sell the

performance attributes of our product. We traditionally show up with assumptions about the customer. We assumed that they had delamination and edge ravel and zipperingand that their interest would be in tuft bind and pile height and all these various assumptions that we make. Like you mentioned about maintenance, it is just about changing the way you asked the question about maintenance. With REACH you can still ask questions about maintenance, just from a different angle, a customer centric angle. If I am looking at REACH the right way, it is really allowing us to change the conversation. Not that the ‘feature and benefit’ about our technology is not important, it is just that we are going to LEAD TO IT at the appropriate time versus LEADING WITH IT.

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THEY NOW KNOW THAT YOU UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE THEIR CONCEPT Of TIME,

THEIR VALUE Of TIME.

Moe-tivational Ideas

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Moe-tivational Ideas

Business Is Like A Day At The Beach

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Inspired by our Houston teamWhen customers can't find the time to visit the beach, why not bring the beach to them? The Houston team pounded the sand and pulled off a "Beach Party" vendor night! Larry, who has kids, provided 20 plus beach balls, which were strewn about the room. Beach towels were draped across the food table for some added color. Regional Design Consultant, Juliana Young, incorporated "beachy" brand palettes, while each brand brought additional samples following the brightly colored "Beach Party" theme. There was consensus that Seagram's Mojitos and Jose Cuervo Margaritas were the beverages of choice. According to Juliana, "the event was a lot of fun and not much effort on any ones part. I mean really - don't all of us have beach towels and water toys stashed at home? The design firm had a lot of fun, as well, and there was much talk about our 'bikini diet.' Yikes!" Congrats to Juliana (TMG), Larry Blume, Tanya Lonsbury (Bigelow), Joel Kerstein, Lisa Pezzia (Lees), Linda Price (Karastan). Take the Houston team's ideas and recreate your own Beachy event.

Est. cost: $500-$750 See following page for details

Martini and Margarita Glasses Part City has an assortment of disposable cocktail glasses. These are 20 per pack for $9. Also available by the glass, around $3 each. Corresponding cup, pitchers and stirrers available. Real glass martini glasses available from Target, 4 for $15.Visit www.target.com.

Mohawk carpet samples - Use any that you have available.

Beach PailsParty City has two sizes of pails available. Large pails are $3 and the smaller pails are only .99 cents. Both include an attached shovel and come in various colors. Visit www.partycity.com

Party Trays Many different styles and colors are available at Party City this summer season. Ranging in price from $3 and $8. Matching plates, cups and large serving bowls also available.

Beach Balls20" balls available at Target for under $2 each.

Beach TowelsAny department store will have these. Target has some nice options in the $10-$20 range. Remember, the Houston team brought their own from home, for free!

Moe-tivational Ideas

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Business Is Like A Day At The Beach Party Sources

A Surf Side GivewAy:No time for an event? Simply drop off some beach mementos. Assemble a small beach bag filled with sun lotion, lip balm and sunshades. Add a coconut candle for a beachy scent. (6 guests)

Est. cost: $75-$150

A wAlk on The BeAch: SuSTAinABle fliP floPSAsk everyone to bring an old beat up pair from home and go to

the craft store to purchase beads, ribbon, buttons, paint, a good glue, and other appliqués. Michael's is a great source. Of course, everyone's work station will be on top of a colorful carpet tile.Est. cost: $50-$150

MOE’s Product Launch Crystal Ball!Go to www.moeplanet.com to see a 60-day calendar of upcoming product launches for all brands! You’ll see products as works in progress with positioning information, target segments and photography of new styles when available. What are you waiting for?

The Recession BusterMaggie Baumann

Maggie Baumann, sales rep for Durkan in Central florida, is off to a blistering start for 2009. Apparently, someone forgot to tell her we are in a recession (don't say a word). Maggie is a loyal, fair, tenacious and overall fantastic sales rep for our company. She has spent years building and nurturing key relationships in her territory. Her consistent service to her customers and hard work ethic are paying off big this year. She is up over 40% ytd in a year where the market is down significantly. Additionally she has:

• Wonthelargestguestroomprojectin the business this year

• BeeninvolvedinthelargestSynthesis order ever in the business

• HadherlargestbillingmontheverinApril

• Billedmoreyardagein2009thaninanyotheryear.

• Consistentlybeenoneofthehighestin print margin percent

A huge thank you to Maggie for an outstanding beginning to this year!

-Kerry Galloway, Durkan RVP, Southeast

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TMG VaultTools and Treasures You Might Have Forgotten

Online Product Catalogs Don’t forget to use this fast and easy tool to create custom catalogs for your clients in seconds! It's always up to date. It's sustainable. It's customizable. And it's accessible 24/7!

• Choose from a variety of broadloom and modular carpets from your product library.

• Select the desired technology and warranty information to be included with the catalog.

• Download the catalog to your desktop or print directly to a Kinko’s near you. Lastly, need to get it there fast? Email it directly to your customer!

http://leescarpets.com/productcatalog/ http://karastancontract.com/pdfbundler/ http://www.bigelowcommercial.com/pdfbundler/

PRODUCT CATALOG

PRODUCT CATALOG

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Mary Rogers, the territory manager for Durkan Hospitality in Oregon, has already exceeded her 2009 forecast! She accomplished this by building strong relationships with two newly established National Accounts – Village Road Show and Mountain West. Mary took this business from two competitors – Beaulieu and Tascot. Great job Mary!

–Kathy Stein, Durkan RVP, Western

Gaining TerritoryMary Rogers

Branding TogetherThe Houston group is banding together to get the most out of expense money and create a larger audience for events. They held a number of successful events with the help of Regional Design Consultant Juliana Young, and they are calling in other interior design specialists to do the same.

-Dan Kilkenny, RVP, Texoma

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The Boy ScoutGlen VanDerMarkLees/Karastan Rep, Indianapolis, IN

Glen VanDerMark is always prepared. He has tile boxes grouped by color in his van at all times. This way all you have to take to an appointment is your product bag and the appropriate sample box. This also helps present our color logic story. -Scott D. Hesler, Karastan Rep, Carmel, IN

Newly LEED Accredited

Lauren McLeroy,North Georgia Team, Cleary

Luke Albin, Eastern Mass Team, McInturf

Glen VanDerMark, Indiana Team, Denton

Laura Zmuda, Indiana Team, Denton

LEED and related logo is a trademark owned by the U.S. Green Building Council and issued by permission.USGBC and related logo is a trademark owned by the U.S. Green Building Council and issued by permission.

With NSf 140 on the horizon for TMG, we wanted to familiarize everyone with NSf 140 and what it means to your business and the marketplace. MOE sat down with Diann Barbacci for a little NSf 140 Q&A.

NSf 140 is the first multi-attribute, non-proprietary, third party standard based on LCA principles. It is designed as a system with varying levels of certification to define sustainable carpet. This establishes performance requirements for public health and environment, energy, materials, manufacturing and end-of-life. NSf 140 also addresses the triple bottom line – economic, environmental, social – throughout the supply chain. Architects, designers and end-users now have one standard to easily identify certified carpets that have a reduced environmental impact.

Moe: What is the NSF/ANSI Standard 140-2007?Diann: The NSf 140 Sustainable Carpet Assessment Standard is the most comprehensive and rigorous

benchmark in the flooring industry. The standard requires superior performance in

multiple environmental-attribute areas.

More information about this important standard can be found at: www.nsf.org/business/newsroom/pdf/sustainability2.pdf

M: Why is NSF/ANSI 140 - 2007 certification for carpet important?D: Many organizations including the design community, building owners, and corporations are trending toward sustainable practices. In the carpet industry, a multi-stakeholder group including architects, designers, government representatives and manufacturers set out to provide the commercial market with:

- A non proprietary (everyone can use it)

- Multi attribute (includes LCA among many other criteria)

- Third party certification system (independent verification)

- Exclusively for carpet (metrics are not diluted by other products) to make it easier to identify sustainable carpets.

With the assistance of NSf International, a leader in standards development and the American National Standards Association (ANSI), the NSf 140, Sustainable Carpet Assessment Standard was created.

M: How has it been received, or is it tooearly for anyone to even know about it?D: The standard is in the early phases of acceptance and adoption by various organizations. Currently, there are three

You Need To Know MOE About NSF 140

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Interview with Diann Barbacci

states - California, Washington and Pennsylvania that only allow NSf 140 products on state procurement contracts. The number of states adopting the NSf 140 Standard is expected to grow. There are several other states that require some type of multi attribute third party product evaluations.

M: Is it being used as intended?D: Yes. More and more customers are focusing on multi attribute, third party certified standards than single product declarations. As customers become familiar with the standard a broader acceptance level is expected to emerge.

M: Who is this important to? A particulargroup, everyone?

D: No. The standard is being adopted by various corporate customers, A&D

firms AND state agencies for use in commercial carpet specifications. Additionally, if NSf 140 carpets are

selected for a building and/or renovation project, it can help qualify for an

innovation credit within the U.S. Green Building Council LEED® Rating System.

M: What is hoped to be gainedfrom NSF 140?D: NSf 140 is the first multi-attribute, non-proprietary, third party standard based on Life

Cycle Assessment principles solely for carpet. for example, it is not a single

attribute standard like only looking at recycled content. It is designed as a system with varying levels of certification to define more

sustainable carpet products. It also allows for a streamlined approach

for product evaluation and hopefully will reduce the number of standards being developed.

M: What comes next?D: The carpet industry is being used as an example for the development of non-proprietary ANSI standards for other industries including furniture. for the carpet industry, this may cross over into the residential marketplace.

M: What is ANSI?D: The American National Standards Institute or ANSI is a non-profit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services etc. in the United States. The organization also coordinates U.S. standards with international standards so that American products can be used worldwide. These standards ensure that the characteristics and performance of products are consistent, that people use the samedefinitions and terms, and that products are tested the same way.

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LEED and related logo is a trademark owned by the U.S. Green Building Council and issued by permission.

USGBC and related logo is a trademark owned by the U.S. Green Building Council and issued by permission.

ATaleOfTrendsChristian West Unravels the Industry’sMost Recent Trends

Christian West, designer for Karastan Contract, says it’s back to basics in the design world. “I’m seeing a lot of trends out there today, but the common thread running through them all is a yearning for simplicity, familiarity and quality in response to the stressful circumstances we find ourselves in today,” says Christian.

“This trend is manifesting itself in the craft movement that we’re seeing take place. People want hand-made items that have meaning. Whether they’re getting them from places like etsy.com or whether it’s haute couture, it’s all a return to hand-made, qualityitems that have a history. People want to make an emotional investment in their purchases.”

Christian says a similar shift took place at the last turn of the century with the Arts and Crafts movement. “I think people are looking wistfully back to that time in history and wanting to recapture what they think of as simpler life with more meaning,” he says. However, there’s a new twist added to the return of craftsmanship—sustainability."

Sustainability is completely intertwined with this shift. People want their products to last and not harm the environment. IT's part of a product's story. We’re not living in a throw-away culture as much,” he says.Within these two leading trends, Christian has noticed several other trends in the industry:

Linearity/Stripes“I still saw a lot of stripes at NeoCon, but linear is changing. Once it was architecturally inspired and regimented. Now stripes are becoming more organic and graphic, like vines in forest. People are hearkening to nature for a different type of linearity.”

Luxury“Luxury is being redefined. It isn’t necessarily exclusive in terms of pricing anymore. Luxury is now about exclusivity in terms of emotional investment. People are seeing what is precious to them as luxury, whatever that may be.”

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Graphic Simplicity“for awhile we were seeing large, complex graphics splattered on everything, but that’s changing. People don’t want to be overwhelmed. Graphics are more subtle now, a single photograph or a clean font treatment.”

How does Karastan fit into this picture?“The Karastan brand is about luxury, so I think we’re going to find our place there. Our woven products speak to the hand crafted. The Irena Peer Collection was inspired by hand-tufted rugs made from natural fibers. There’s a story there that people will gravitate to.

I think our piece dyed products will also address the need for something exclusive. You can choose a color that resonates with you. I also think installation plays a big part in the craft feel for Karastan. Modular allows you to create millions of fabulous designs with whatever combination of products you

want. I just saw an installation where the tiles were cut in a circle around a conference room. I think that speaks to sustainability, as well. How can you take what you have and reinvent it?”

What are you working on as a Fine Artist?“I am currently working on a project I created with about 50 other artists, What's Happening Now: A Cell Phone Photography Project. In 2007 I noticed how people were changing and responding to the acceleration of how imagery was less something to be saved and more of a message to be dispersed. I also noticed the intimacy of the cell phone and the desire for people to connect using it as a way to do so. Parts of my observations were inspired by my participation in an exhibit exclusively using cell phones. I am hoping to have a minimum of 50 participants that will span the globe. My intent with the installation is to portray the contraction and expansion of information and how the cell phone photos represent how our very visually dominated culture interacts. I will have an opening party of the exhibit on Saturday, September 19th, for Atlanta Celebrates Photography and everyone is invited!

Visit www.christianbwest.com/cellphoneprojectto learn more.

continued

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I’m also being published in Studio Visit magazine near the end of the year. This will showcase a series of paintings based on the dive images that I collect. I am also working with foley Gallery in New York and Matre Gallery in Atlanta. www.foleygallery.com and www.matregallery.com.

You can view more of my art inspired by vintage photographs at www.vernaculardive.com.

continued

Cell phone Photography Project, by Greg Schmigel

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More About ChristianProfession: Textile Designer/fine Artist

Hobbies: Work. full time fine artist. Collecting Vintage Photos. Check out www.vernaculardive.com to see Christian's collection.

Education: Self taught artist. BS in Exercise Science, KennesawState University.

Idol: A conglomerate of family members, friends, and some writers, artists, and a couple

famous people. Pretty much anyone living a conscious life and creating a better life for themselves and in turn others. I find the best idols are not idols at all, but those that live with integrity without the need to be recognized.

Favorite Song: May sound cheesy or quirky - "I Hope You Dance" by Leanne Womack. It is probably on the top five list of songs I'd take to the moon if I could only choose five. Thereare actually seven different versions of the song, and I own all of them. When I love somethingI love it.

Favorite Quote(s):"The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps - we must step up the stairs." -Vance Havner "Courage is the resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not the absence of fear." -Mark Twain

Favorite Artist/Designer/Writer: fellow Virginian and photographer, Sally Mann; fashion designer Sandra Backlund; The spiritual writings of Eckhart Tolle. He has two fabulous books: "A New Earth" and "The Power of Now." Both are extremely transformative and give a new perspective on spirituality.

Karastan In American HistoryKarastan carpets the Statue of Liberty

More than 15,000 people visit the Statue of Liberty each day, walking up 354 steps for a brief glimpse of the New York skyline. That kind of journey takes fortitude…which visitors just happened to have at their feet. Lee Brewer, Central and Western NC Territory Sales Manager for Karastan and Bigelow Commercial, reminded MOE that Fortitude, a Karastan product, was installed on the steps in the Statue of Liberty sometime in the 60s. When the statue was restored during the 80s, Fortitude was once again installed on the stairs.

Though we do not know if Karastan is installed in the statue today, we do know that Fortitude can stand up to the millions of footsteps the statue attracts each year. When the original installation was removed in the 80s, each sales rep received a 12x12 inch cutting from the Fortitude that was removed from the statue. According to Lee, the carpet was still in excellent shape.

WordsINeverThoughtI Needed To KnowRivet [riv-it]Etymology (Just for fun! Won’t your building friends be impressed?) 15th century, from Latin word ripe, meaning the bank of a river. Noun.

Autodesk Revit Architecture software helps architects explore early design concepts and forms, and more accurately maintain their vision through design, documentation, and construction. Revit lets architects and designers deliver projects faster, more economically, and with enhanced potential for reduced environmental impact. Revit can be used in conjunction with AutoCAD.

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First Sales Council Kicks Off Greater Partnership Between BrandsThanks to the members of the new Sales Council for making the first meeting a success! The sole mission of the council is to open the lines of communication and partner to discover ways to strengthen our individual brands and leverage our brands as a whole and increase market share. Based on your input to your council representatives, you’ll soon receive an update on action items resulting from the first council meeting. Keep it coming!

Sales Council 2009

Katy Coyman Huntress

Robert fisk

Nicole ClarkGlen VanDerMark

Susan Leath

Mark Casper

Earle Jenkins

Bob Bell

Cheryl Peale

Tim Bagg

Lynn Allen

Matt Probst

Erik fuller

Jason Hyder

Sean Martins

Kelli Madison

Marty Heitkemp

Jon Jorgensen

J.D. Moore

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Vizualize This!Modular Visualization Tool Now Online!

Customers can now “try on” any modular product with a simple click of a button - all before ever ordering a sample! Using predetermined room scenes, Visualizer allows you to see any modular product installed in all recommended installation methods and any color - all from the product page. You may then save the image or forward along via email providing a means for your customers to share their design vision(s) or ensures that a dealer understands the proper installation method. Visualizer is now available for all modular styles within the product pages online for ALL commercial brands - Karastan, Lees and Bigelow!

1. from a specific modular product page, select the Visualizer option to the left.

2. Choose your desired installation method.

4. Change your color selection. BAM! It's that easy!

3. Select a different, pre determined room environment from the drop down menu.

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“The Amazing Race" theme was very natural for the City By City event,” says Steve. “I was surprised to find out that this was actually the fIRST Bigelow sponsored A&D event in Seattle. That really put the pressure on to make it a good one.”

As Steve began formulating the event plan, he realized that this would also be a great team building exercise. He partnered with reps Elliot Schwartz and Dean Parker.

“I thought it would be a great way for us to promote City By City to our customers, but it would also be a great way for us to get together and have fun as a team. It’s important to have fun when you’re trying to drive sales, especially in the frustrating economic conditions that we’re in.” Working together to

pull off the event also created a sense of trust between the three reps. “We learned to trust one another by depending on the other team members to complete their event tasks. Even if no one had shown up to the event, I would still count it as a success because we marketed the brand, created awareness and really improved the communication and trust of our team,”says Steve.

Each member of the team was given a specific role in the event. Dean handled the space plan and carpet display, Elliot handled food and beverage and Steve created the interactive race tasks. All three reps worked on RSVPs and

Seattle'sAmazingRaceforBigelow's City By City LaunchWhen Bigelow announced the launch of the City By City Collection, Washington State Senior Territory Manager, Steve Stein thought it would be the perfect opportunity for a unique event. Inspired by the CBS show The Amazing Race, Steve and his colleagues put together an engaging event that highlighted the City By City Collection.

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promotions. “We got a great mention in the local IIDA chapter's newsletter, we sent e-mail invites, made personal calls to spark interest in the collection and the event and created a facebook page,” says Steve.

The facebook page was very successful in creating a community around the event. Go to facebook to see The Amazing Race themed video Steve put together and photos from the

event. As the word spread, “it was exciting to see the A&D community really start to rally around the new look for Bigelow! We are getting more and more shelf space daily,” says Steve.

Bigelow budgeted carefully for the event, securing a location that was large

enough, but did not charge a minimum food and beverage fee or in-house catering. “We separated attendees into teams of two divided into three groups – Chengdu, Seoul and Delhi after the City By City collection product names. The groups participated in three heats with

each winner moving to the final round. The event space had a separate foyer area where we staged the games and another room with food and drink that featured the carpet display so everyone was entertained in some way throughout the event,” says Steve.

first, Second and Third prizes were awarded to the winning teams:

1st Prize Two Southwest Airlines Gift cards ($200/ea.)

2nd Prize Two Travelocity Gift cards ($100/ea.)

3rd Prize Two prizes du jour ($25/ea.)

Steve says he couldn’t have envisioned how well the event came off. “It was a total blast! The Travelocity gnome played a role. We gave him and a couple of miniatures away as door prizes,”

says Steve. “He was a huge hit. One designeris even using the Gnome as her facebook profile picture.”

The moral of the story? Team selling can be profitable and fUN with the right mix of attitude, ideas, communication and trust.

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Mohawk Green CitingsForbes Green Visionary SeriesTMG participated in the forbes Green Visionary Series at the forbes Galleries in New York City. Director of Sustainable Strategies, Lewis Perkins joined Steve forbes and other business visionaries in the environmental community to explore the practical side of the green trend in “The Greening of America: Going Green from an Economic Standpoint.” Read more at:http://www.sternassociates.com/blog

Global Green USA Millennium AwardsLewis Perkins represented TMG and the Holy Cross Project in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans was highlighted at the recent Millennium Awards. The awards were established in 1996 to recognize and herald those whose lives and livelihood

embody Global Green USA's mission of "fostering a global value shift toward a sustainable and secure world." Other guests of the evening included Rosario Dawson, Arianna Huffington and Adrian Grenier. The evening’s honorees were: Wallis Annenberg (Annenberg foundation), Jeff Skoll (eBay & Skoll foundation), Marc Nathanson (Waterless Urinal Technology) and Zem Joaquin (ecofabulous Designer & Stylist).

Sustainable Brands ‘09TMG sponsored the Brand Communications, PR and Marketing Best Practices track at the Sustainable Brands ‘09 conference in Monterey. It ended up being one of the hottest tracks at the conference. Lewis Perkins was the closing speaker along with Didiayer Snyder of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and green developer, Martin Melavar of Melaver Inc.

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Holy Cross ProjectNew Orleans area sales reps and A&D customers toured the lower Ninth Ward, including a first hand view of the work TMG has done with Global Green USA to rebuild the Holy Cross Project. The project includes LEED Platinum certified single-family housing, multi-family housing and a community and resource center.

Plastics Recycling ConferenceTMG’s ReCover, Re:work and Greenworks programs were featured at the 2009 Plastic Recycling Conference. TMG spoke on how the company has shifted its corporate culture to invest and engage in sustainability.

LOHASTMG spoke alongside Coca Cola and Wal-Mart at the LOHAS conference about the small steps big corporation can take in the world of sustainability. Other conference speakers included Ray Anderson of Interface and Hunter Lovins of the Presidio School, the nation’s first all sustainability-driven MBA program.

NeoConTMG sponsored and presented along with the CEO of Global Green, Daniel Winker, during NeoCon '09 in Chicago. The panel presentation focused on "Rebuilding Green: A Blueprint for a More Sustainable America.” The two discussed the Global Green Holy Cross project in New Orleans’ lower ninth ward and how partnerships like the one with TMG helps to advance smart green building solutions.

Go Green Live ExpoTMG was part of the keynote address atGo Green Live. Lewis Perkins joined a group of green experts to discuss the economics of greening your business. Other speakers included actress Mariel Hemingway, green activist Laura Turner Seydel and VP of Sustainability for the city of Atlanta, Mandy Mahoney.

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• 10x20 backdrop display (1 available per SVP. Schedule through your assigned contact above) • Electronic “Save the Date” and “Invite” previously distributed by Courtenay Holman • Directional Signs • “What’s Next?” Napkins • Name Tag Templates (To be printed locally on Avery labels) • Balloons featuring “What’s Next?” • An Allotment of Product Postcards • 1 Set of Architect Folders • 1 Set of Cut Samples • Re:work Postcards • 2x3 Brand Posters • Showroom Looping Video (Available from the TMG Web site)

Bring the NeoCon experience to your customers!You can coordinate a road show package through Tandy Knudstrup (Imperatori); Jennifer Roth (Thomas) or DanielleDel Castillo (Graves).

Items available include:

NeoCon'sOver...So,What'sNext?TMG Atlanta Reps along with Daltile hosta successful post NeoCon event

The United States Green Building Council (USGBC), the original developer of LEED®—the nationally accepted benchmark for the sustainable design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings—practices what it preaches. The organization's Washington, D.C. headquarters recently achieved Platinum-level certification according to LEED for commercial interiors standards. floor to ceiling, every aspect of the new space features advanced, innovative and truly sustainable design elements, including carpeting from The Mohawk Group (Lees, The field). The sustainable project designed by Ken Wilson, founder and principal of environmental architecture firm Envision Design (who also designed Mohawk’s own LEED-certified Chicago showroom) is featured in the June issue of Metropolis. Check it out. A PDf version of the article is posted on our websites for your review and will begin working on a case study post NeoCon for mass distribution. We are proud that our carpet was chosen by the USGBC and is

beneath the feet of some of our nation’s most influential green building professionals. We’ve laid a foundation that we should all look forward to building upon. Email Link to use with customers:http://themohawkgroup.com/sitefiles/media/virtualnews_tmg.html

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The Mohawk Group Floors USGBC's New LEED® HeadquartersApproximately 6,000 square yards of Lees productwas installed in the newly, LEED® Platinum certified USGBC headquarters.

The field, Bluestone