2014 Annual Convention Wrap Up

We would like to thank you for helping to make the 2014 NAFCD Annual Convention one of the best yet! More than 700 distribution professionals came together from throughout the leading floor covering and specialty building material industries. The convention was a huge success, and your attendance and participation made it all possible.

 

If you haven't already, be sure to share your thoughts and help us make future conventions even better by taking the 2014 NAFCD Annual Convention Survey. Tell us what you enjoyed best and how we can make the event even more valuable for you and your company in the years to come.

 

Speaker Presentations 

 

All speaker presentations from this year's convention are now posted for you to share with your colleagues. Log in to the NAFCD website to download presentations from: 

• Trends in the Building Product Supply Chain
  Mark Herbek, Sr. Analyst, Cleveland Research
• Understanding the Generations of the Nanosecond Culture
  Richard Honack, Adjunct Professor, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
• Work Smarter, Reduce Your Stress & Lead by Example
  Steve McClatchy, President, Alleer Training and Consulting
• Years of Calculated Opportunity
  Alan Beaulieu, President, ITR Economics

We hope to see you next year at the 2015 NAFCD Annual Convention in Orlando, Florida, November 3-5!

 

Leadership in Action and Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients

 

All award recipients have made a tremendous impact in the floor covering distribution channel, and were honored during the 2014 NAFCD Annual Convention.

 

The Leadership in Action Award recognizes individuals for the positive impact and meaningful contributions that they have made to their company's success. Aaron Hormann of Herregan Distributors, Jim Boyce of Rosel-Heck Co., and Flavia Baggio of IndusParquet have all demonstrated leadership and contributed positively to the industry while being an innovator, motivator and a proactive contributor towards effective solutions.

 

Lifetime Achievement Award recipients have shown exceptional leadership and made outstanding contributions that have led to expanding the vision of the floor covering industry. Don Evans of Swift-Train, Jim Gunter of The Cronin Company, Jim Gould of The Floor Covering Institute, and John Capell, Kerry Capell and Marsden Haigh, founders of CMH Space Flooring, are all 2014 recipients of the award.

Economic Trends Forecast - Summer & Fall 2013

8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

CEO of Institute for Trend Research, Brian Beaulieu will be presenting on the Fall 2013 Economic Outlook Report at the 2013 NAFCD + NBMDA Annual Convention. During this session, Beaulieu will overview short- and long-term global economic forecasts, regional economic updates, and an outlook on inflation. In addition, he will provide insight into the relationship of political events and economic growth and provide economic indicators that executives should follow and receive proven strategies for leveraging economic forecast.

Before this session, don't forget to review the Summer 2013 NAFCD Economic Outlook Report, which is now available to all NAFCD members (login required).

Fall 2013 NAFCD Quarterly Executive Trends Index

The next Quarterly Executive Trends Index online survey was sent last week directly from Cleveland Research. At this time, the survey was only sent to the main contact (or Cleveland Research Survey designee) at our distributor member companies. The survey will be open to Manufacturers in 2014. Please note that the deadline to respond is November 1st. Additional questions have been added based upon member feedback. All survey responses are anonymous and confidential with responses aggregated only to identify key trends in the industry (sales growth for the industry, inventory levels, changes in operating costs, etc.). Mark Herbeck from Cleveland Research will be providing the survey results with full analysis at the Annual Convention on Wednesday, November 13th. 

NAFCD Quarterly Executive Trends Index Available

NAFCD has partnered with a leading research firm to provide you with the NAFCD Quarterly Executive Trends Index. The report is based on member data submission and provides valuable benchmarking and forecasting data. You can compare the results of your company with key trends identified by your fellow NAFCD members.

This data and analysis is available exclusively to NAFCD members. View the first report here.

Your input will be requested for the second report which will be available in October and presented at the 2013 NAFCD + NBMDA Annual Convention during Mark Herbek's session, Trends in the Building Product Supply Chain. With your participation in the Quarterly Executive Trends Index survey, a larger amount of data can be aggregated for better comparison and analysis.

In addition to the Quarterly Executive Trends Index, NAFCD's new partnership provides you with access to research on home centers, residential construction, non-residential construction, industrial distribution and other related topics. These industry updates and insights will be provided monthly and are available in the Members Only section of the website, username and password required.

 

2013 Performance Index Survey Deadline Extended to August 26!

The best source of financial benchmarks for the industry is the NAFCD Performance Index. This report presents a wealth of financial and operating guidelines. In addition, it provides direct comparisons between your firm and other participating firms. This valuable information is, however, only available to firms that participate in the study.

To participate in this survey, please click here (Excel) or here (PDF) for a copy of the survey. Once you download the survey, please mail the completed survey to The Profit Planning Group with a copy of your income statement and balance sheet by August 26, 2013.

 

NAFCD Announces New Alliance Partner

Trinity Logistics is a leading privately-owned 3PL offering truckload, LTL, intermodal, international, and specialty freight arrangement, as well as logistics consulting, technology, and freight management services.

Their devotion to service, commitment to continuous improvement, and dedication to honesty and ethics set them apart in the industry. With so many 3PLs to choose from, count on their 35 years of experience and our solutions-driven team. They have over 200 team members in over 90 locations across the country. Trinity is consistently ranked in the top 25 providers of our kind in the nation by Transport Topics magazine, providing freight solutions on a global scale. With their corporate headquarters in Seaford, Delaware, multiple regional service centers, and over 90 agent offices throughout North America, they are positioned to provide a solution for any of your logistics needs, no matter how extensive, with the best customer service you'll see in the industry.

For more information, visit www.trinitylogistics.com.