Floors, Floors, and More Floors (and Carpet Too!)

Congoleum DuraCeramic Reviews and Prices

2009-05-03T07:22:00.005-04:00

Congoleum DuraCeramic continues to be the best selling groutable luxury vinyl tile on the market. It is a great alternative to hard, cold, and high maintenance ceramic tile. I monitor several DIY and installation related flooring forums and chat rooms to keep abreast of consumer problems and complaints about different types of flooring.

The most common complaints I read about DuraCeramic tile is installation related and mainly about cracking grout. This is usually caused by not enough grout and is easily corrected. For installation, it is essential only the correct adhesive and grout are used. Another complaint I see here and there are the ones of damage caused by dropping heavy objects or dragging heavy furniture accross the surface. To this I say, not even a concrete driveway is damage proof if precautions are not taken.

I have DuraCeramic tile in my kitchen, breakfast room, and laundry room. It has been down about 2 1/2 years. I have a dent by my cooking island caused by dropping a crock pot. Did I get mad at Congoleum? No, I was mad at myself for being clumsy. I also had some grout related problems right after installation which have been corrected. Did I get mad at Congoleum? No, I was mad at the installer for not following instructions. I also had a water issue in the laundry room that caused no damage.

We sell about 50,000 flooring products on a yearly basis and Congoleum's DuraCeramic Luxury Vinyl Tile has the fewest complaints of any product we sell. Consumers must remember that no floor, or any other product for that matter, is indestructible. I am proud to offer DuraCeramic tile to our customers that are considering this type of floor. So buy with confidence that your new floor will look great and be serviceable for years to come.

Hartco Parquet Flooring by Armstrong

2009-04-19T08:10:00.006-04:00

We sell several brands of wood parquet flooring but for our money and more importantly for the consumer's money, the best value and the best quality is the Armstrong Parquet Wood Flooring by Hartco. We have almost no complaints with this floor. Our customers have commended us on our suggestions that this is the product to use for dining areas, hallways, and entrance foyers, It is also a great floor to use in game rooms or family rooms and for do-it-yourself installations, nothing could be easier.

American Carpet Wholesalers Customer Reviews

2009-04-19T07:41:00.010-04:00

Customer reviews about American Carpet Wholesalers of Georgia provided by Google. A reason to smile? Maybe not yet. Although we have a great rating (almost twice as good as any other online flooring retailer), I personally do not think we can smile until it is perfect. Every staff member at ACWG is committed to making sure our orders are shipped timely, accurate, and damage free. Occasionally something falls thru the cracks and we drop the ball, but those instances are rare and every time we find those cracks, they are sealed. American Carpet Wholesalers has been online for about 10 years and 7 with the current employee structure. Our experience has taught us not to make excuses for our mistakes, but to admit to them and not to make them again. One day soon I hope to report our rating has reached 5 out of 5.

Mannington Hardwood Flooring - New Lower Prices

2009-04-19T07:26:00.007-04:00

We have always been a fan of Mannington Engineered Hardwood Flooring. But now we have negotiated lower pricing to pass on to our customers. Visit our site to see the selections we have to offer and then call us. We are sure you cannot find a better value on Mannington Wood Floors, than at American Carpet Wholesalers of Georgia. Pricing starting as low as $2.79 sf on a quality product such as Mannington Hardwood is almost unheard of, but you can find it at our place,

Foor Covering Installers

2009-03-08T11:48:00.007-04:00

First, let me make one thing perfectly clear. I am not an installer. but I did stay at a "Holiday Inn Express" last night. Seriously, I am not an installer, but I am a dealer and over the course of my career I have dealt with thousands of installers. And for the most part, very good ones. The best one that I ever worked with was Frank Britton, when I worked in Bricktown, NJ. He has long since retired so there is no need to rush to the phone book and look up his number. He was a true artisan of his craft.

Frank could install any type of floor which brings me to the point of this post. There are many reputable installers in the business who can install just about any type of floor and have the necessary training and tools to do quality work. But there are many more carpet installers than hard surface installers. With the resurgence of hardwood and tile floors, some very good carpet installers are doing work in which they are not properly trained nor have the required equipment. Because of the state of the economy, the same can be said about hard surface installers. They're not going to turn down a carpet job if they are only booked about half the time.

My experience shows that about 85% of all consumer complaints for the failure of a floor covering is installation related. Whether the dealer sold a product not suitable for a particular application or a non-qualified installer was given the job.

OK, you are a dealer. You have an emergency situation. You are overbooked for your normal crews and need an installer. How do you know the person you are going to send is competent? He's clean cut, has a new van, and he's articulate. Does that qualify him? Hardly. So what is the answer? There is a new service in town or should I say the country.

When I attended the trade shows that Shaw and Mohawk held in Atlanta, I noticed a booth set up called "InstallerPool.com". I first noticed at Shaw. Then later in the day I noticed the booth at Mohawk's show. Being as curious as I am, I wondered over to check it out. I spoke with a gentleman named Aaron Johnson of Knoxville, TN. He explained the concept to me and shortly into the conversation I knew this could be a great service.

The concept is simple. installers sign up at installerpool.com list all their specialities, their equipment, etc. When a dealer needs an installer, they go to the website and sees a list of installers in their area. Dealer interaction with installerpool.com is critical. The installers are rated by all sorts of categories, such as quality of work, on time appointments, appearance, etc.
If a dealer who participates always rates the installer by all the categories, when that critical job comes up, there will be no guess work. There will be a rating provided by other dealers as to the qualification and level of craftsmanship a particular installer exhibits. Frankly, I am excited about this concept and really hope that all dealers embrace it.

For a more in depth presentation go to http://www.installerpool.com/ . I am not affiliated in any fashion with installerpool.com. I just like the idea and thought I would tell you about it.

Mannington Adura Luxury Vinyl Plank and Tile

2009-03-07T14:22:00.004-05:00

I neglected to mention in my previous post that also included in the special purchase of Mannington Flooring are several patterns of Mannington Adura Luxury Vinyl Plank and Mannington Adura Luxury Vinyl Tile. These products can be found in the inventory clearance section "Tile Floors".

Mannington Laminate Flooring

2009-03-07T14:03:00.006-05:00

American Carpet Wholesalers has just received a truckload of Mannington Laminate Flooring of various patterns I purchased at a great price while attending Surfaces 2009. Several shades of Mannington Laminate Revolutions Plank Flooring, Mannington Coordinations Laminate Flooring, and Mannington Revolutions Adirondack Tile. All patterns can be found in the "Laminate Floors" Clearance Center of our website at great laminate floor prices.

Anytime we find a deal like this we try to buy it to save our customers even more money on popular flooring.

Flooring Prices for 2008-2009

2009-03-07T08:07:00.004-05:00

All of 2008 we saw unprecedented escalation of the price of oil, resulting in price increases in the flooring industry. Usually every 2-3 months price increases occurred. Now that the price of gasoline hovers anywhere from $1.60 - $1.80 per gallon (down from over $4.00), we have not seen any price roll backs with exception of Supreme Carpets. Manufacturer's have sporadically offered certain products at reduced prices for limited time. Usually some of their slow moving products.

Only Supreme has sent us a complete price list reflecting lower prices across the board. For that reason I am acknowledging my appreciation in this post. Supreme Carpet is a family owned mill for over 37 years. They manufacture both residential and commercial lines carpet. Not a huge line, but a line of great values. As of this post, we do not have all the products on our website. but we will in the near future.

Thank you Dan McIntire and Supreme Carpets, Inc.

Nafco Luxury Vinyl Elite Dealer Trip

2009-03-07T07:08:00.004-05:00

I have just returned from a wonderful trip to Breckenridge, Colorado sponsored by Nafco for their Elite customers. Everything was first class and all the employees of Nafco involved were extremely accommodating. It was a trip I am not likely to forget soon. Nafco Vinyl Tile customers were treated to skiing, snow mobiles, snow boarding, or just generally relaxing at the exquisite Beaver Run Resort. I spent time with old friends as well a made new ones.

I enjoyed one evening in particular. I was treated to a fabulous dinner with Pierre LeFort (GM and VP at Nafco), John Neugent (territory rep at Nafco), Dr. Gary Huckaby (motivational speaker for Nafco) along with John and Gary's wives. Good food and good conversation and not all business. I was humbled by the attention I was given.

A full presentation of Nafco by Tarkett's new products to my staff is scheduled for March 24th. John and Pierre graciously agreeing to come over from Florence, Alabama for the presentation.
Nafco's manufacturing facillities are located there. Worth mentioning is that all Nafco Vinyl Tile products are manufactured in the USA in Florence, AL.

Meeting with Congoleum

2009-02-07T05:57:00.001-05:00

On Tueday, even before the show started, I had an early morning meeting with my friends at Congoleum. Since American Carpet Wholesalers is the largest dealer in the world for Congoleum's DuraCeramic Luxury Vinyl Tile, I got an early preview of new introductions to the line.

Although I had previously been exposed to considerations, the new patterns were the final cut. The intros fall under the new line called DuraCeramic Plus. I was reading a forum post and the writer was wondering what the plus meant. It means the new patterns incorporate Scotchgard protector into the finish. The two patterns, DuraCeramic Polished Cement and DuraCeramic Rustic Stone, have a combined color line of seven new and exciting shades. These new patterns will quickly become top sellers in the product line. They are simply gorgeous.

All in all, the meeting went well. We discussed my sales figures for 2008 and projections for 2009. In such an unsettling economy projections are very difficult. Advertising support, sample support, and other topics I think proved fruitful. I am thankful for a supplier like Congoleum and the wonderful support personnel at their headquarters in Mercerville, NJ.

Floor Covering Trade Show - Surfaces 2009

2009-02-07T05:44:00.003-05:00

I have just returned from the annual Surfaces floor covering trade show held in Las Vegas. This year I went a couple of days early to watch the Super Bowl with some of my friends at Quick-Step Laminate Floors. I had a nice meal, good conversation and a few laughs. Although Quick Step Flooring is one of my larger suppliers, nothing business was discussed here. we just enjoyed the game and relaxed a bit. This was on Sunday and with the show not starting until Tueday, I took advantage of the day off to find new ways to support the economy of Las Vegas.

Luxury Vinyl Tile Prices

2009-01-26T05:10:00.005-05:00

Luxury vinyl tile prices have remained fairly stable over the last few months and we expect that trend to continue as long as oil prices stay at current levels.

Congoleum Duraceramic Tile Prices are the same as we offered 6 months ago. With the exception of a special purchase of excess inventory we made from one of our suppliers. These discount DuraCeramic tile prices are well below our normal low DuraCeramic prices. About a 25% discount on our everyday sales price. DuraStone Luxury Vinyl Tile is also available at great prices from American Carpet Wholesalers.

Nafco Luxury Vinyl Tile by Tarkett has experienced only a minimal increase. Our Nafco Luxury Vinyl Tile prices continue to be some of the lowest to be found anywhere. Look for us to carry more inventory in the near future. An order for this product already ships within 2-3 business days and with an inventory increase we will be able to ship an order usually the same day. Another great service from American Carpet Wholesalers that keep our customers coming back.

Again only slight increases have been seen for Mannington Adura Luxury Vinyl Tile and Mannington Luxury Vinyl Plank. These luxury vinyl tiles and planks are another area where we anticipate and inventory increase.

You can always count on American Carpet Wholesalers for the latest floor innovations at discount flooring prices.

Green Carpet gets Greener (or just more exposure)

2009-01-21T06:24:00.005-05:00

I remember back in the early to mid 90's when Image Carpet Industries (later becoming part of Mohawk ) first starting reclaiming pop bottles and making beautiful carpets. Initially it was a tough sell. consumers somehow felt the carpets were inferior in some sort of way. But to the contrary, the new "P.E.T." carpets were in some ways superior to nylon carpets and equal in other ways. They were superior in stain resistance and wear ability was about equal. To answer consumers objections, I and most other sales people would use the line "have you ever seen a stain on a Coke bottle"? However, some of the carpets were made so dense and thick, it would take months and months for the loose staple fibers to completely shed. Consumers thought and complained their carpet was defective and coming apart. So the new polyester carpets were getting a bad rap. Over the last several years, more and more of the vendors are using continuous filament P.E.T. to solve the problem and with new technology, continuous filament fibers can be made just as dense and thick as a bulked staple fiber.

Philadelphia by Shaw and Bliss by Beaulieu have added to there Green Carpet Products. Shaw has added and reinforced their "Clear Touch by Philadelphia" and tout it as made from 100% recycled material. "Healthy Home" by Bliss has many beautiful styles and vibrant colors that only a polyester fiber can deliver.

Going green usually means the manufacturer will ask more for a green product. You buy a hybrid vehicle and you will pay $5000 to $10,000 more than the non green version. Not so with these carpets. On the average, they will run 10 to 20% less than a comparable nylon carpet. So you can go "Green" and keep some green for yourself.

More About Mohawk and Shaw's Trade Show

2009-01-20T08:02:00.003-05:00

As I mentioned before, I attended two trade shows last week in Atlanta. At the Shaw Industries' show I was particularly impressed with the addition to some of their green products line. Namely, Philadelphia Carpets' Clear Touch line and Queen Carpets' Anso Choice line. Both lines offer enviromentally friendly carpets and have added some new great looking carpets for more choices to the consumer. Both carpet brands (Queen Carpet and Philadelphia Carpet) have added new offerings to their commercial carpet tile line. Since American Carpet Wholesalers does a ton of commercial work, I was quite excited.

Shaw Industries acquired both the Anderson Hardwood and Zickgraf Hardwood companies and gave me the opportunity to visit with reps for these products (Calvin and Tony) as well as my reps from Shaw( Chris, Vickie and Jacob). Overall, for me it was a good show. New products, great friends, good conversation, and a terrific lunch on Shaw. The interest in the new products was upbeat and traffic seemed to be up from last year.

At the Mohawk show it was a little different story. Not nearly as upbeat and traffic seemed to be down. However, I did get to visit with my reps which is always a pleasure, especially Congoleum.
Congoleum has a distribution relationship with Mohawk and show their products at the Mohawk regional shows. DuraCeramic Tile by Congoleum is one of my top selling products and just to say hello to Pete and Mike is a reward in itself.

One thing I did take note of and was very interested in was a booth at both shows by a third party vendor. It is Installerpool.com. Their concept is new and unique and I certainly hope it takes off. I will post more on this subject once I spend a little more time with them at Surfaces.

It is Floor Covering Trade Show Season

2009-01-20T07:10:00.004-05:00

Every year at this time floor covering manufacturers have regional and national trade shows to show new introductions and stimulate awareness of their products. Last week I attended Mohawk Industries and Shaw Industries regional show in Atlanta, Georgia (at separate locations). Neither Mohawk nor Shaw participate in the national convention (Surfaces) held in Las Vegas, Nevada. About 90-95% of the other manufacturers do. The Surfaces show is more convenient for the dealers because you have all the mills in one location. All the majors such as Beaulieu America (carpet), Quick-Step, Mannington Mills (Mannington Laminate, Mannington Hardwood, Mannington Adura, and Mannington Commercial Carpet), Anderson Hardwood, The Beaulieu Group (Berry Floor Laminate and Alloc Laminate), Nafco Luxury Vinyl Tile and many, many, more. Not only carpet manufacturers and flooring manufacturers, but related equipment producers, sundries producers, and carpet padding and laminate underlayment manufacturers. All showing their wares to about 40,000 retail floor covering dealers from across the USA as well as some international visitors.

All will offer special pricing concessions for show attendees. I always take advantage of as many of these carpet deals and flooring bargains as possible to pass on to the customers of American Carpet Wholesalers. This year will be no different except I expect to see more specials given the state of the housing market and the overall state of the economy.

This show is geared toward the residential flooring market. NEOCON is the commercial trade show held annually in Chicago, Illinois.

Quick-Step Laminate Flooring

2009-01-17T08:13:00.007-05:00

After venting my frustration about Quick Step Laminate's pricing policies, let me clarify what I think about the product. Fact: Quick Step is the best selling laminate floor on the market in our opinion. There are other brands that can claim this distinction because some of their products are placed in big box centers under different labels (mainly the lower quality products). However, we find that the majority of our sales come from the high quality laminate floors such as, Quick-Step Perspective Laminate, Quick-Step Eligna Hand Scraped (better known as Quick-Step Country Laminate) and Quick Step Quadra Tile Floors. Our customers for laminate floors represent a good cross section of home builders and the actual end user. Because most of them are looking for the best laminate floors at a good price, we generally include Quick-Step Flooring in our recommendations. As I previously stated, Quick Step is our best selling laminate flooring.

As a footnote, I will be joining Quick Step representatives at a Super Bowl event in Las Vegas on February 1st, followed with a free day on the 2nd and then attending Surfaces 2009 (the flooring industry's annual convention) on the 3rd and 4th and then back to Dalton, Georgia on Thursday.

Buy Quick-Step Laminate Online?

2009-01-07T06:11:00.006-05:00

Buy Quick Step Laminate floors online? Searching for Quick Step Laminate prices online is going to be harder if Unilin (Quick Step's parent, a Mohawk company) has their way. The manufacturer has increasingly been applying pressure to dealers to use minimum advertised prices. American Carpet Wholesalers is no exception. Because we are one of the top Quick-Step Laminate dealers in the country, and we value our relationship with Quick-Step, for now we have just removed our prices from the website. I say for now because there are 12-16 sites out there openly displaying less than minimum advertised prices. Why 12 or why not 16? One dealer has multiple websites with different marketing trchniques for the product and all below the minimum prices we are allowed to show. We mainatain a huge inventory(over $100,000) of Quick-Step Laminate Floors and if these sites do not comply soon, we will have no choice but to display competitive prices just to compete.

This is not to say American Carpet Wholesalers is not competitive now. What it means is that the consumer has to call us for our best pricing. Some sites are using a free shipping model to get around the pricing issue. We feel this is not consumer friendly that a customer 1000-1500 miles from the dealer would pay the same shipping cost as one say 100-200 miles away. Unless a dealer has dire need for cash flow, and wants to lose money on the sale, our prices for Quick-Step Laminate floors have consistently be some of the best to be found anywhere.

Sometimes the lowest price is not always the best. We have gone head to head with some competitors over price and won because of customer satisfaction. When the price diference is minimal, why would a customer buy from a dealer who has a consumer satisfaction of 1.5 to 2.0 when ours is usually 4.6 to 4.8 out of 5. We have worked hard to achieve this rating and feel American Carpet Wholesalers is a consumer friendly company. A little comfort of buying such a large purchase from a trusted company and recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing corporations in the country in 2007 and again in 2008.

For now we ask that our customers just pick up the phone and call us. We know convenience lies in the shopping cart and apologize openly that Quick Step Laminate cannot be ordered online at our site at this time.

2008 A Year of Challenges!

2009-01-04T11:14:00.004-05:00

2008 was year of turmoil in the financial and housing markets. For most of us in the flooring industry it has kept us on our toes. For me 2007 was far more challenging. Fortunatley we adjusted our expenses and marketing and actually saw growth and profit for 2008.

Unfortunately, it was not to be for others. Banks, brokerage firms, automakers made almost daily headlines. So was it in the flooring market. One of the biggest failures was that of iFloor.com. I have in the past had a business relationship with iFoor and was both stunned and disappointed.

Throughout the years the floor covering industry has had some true pioneers. Too many to mention by name. The same is to be said for Steve Simonson, the founder and CEO of iFloor.
Way back before I ventured online, Steve had a vision as to what consumers wanted and set out to provide a vauluable service to them. For this, Steve caught hell from manufacturers and competitors alike. I watched and learned from the constant evolving process of iFloor.com. I was, and I am now, envious of their software and marketing efforts.

So why did they fail? I am not on the inside, but from the outside looking in I would say two things caused their failure. An ambitious expansion program at the wrong time in history. Second, is the that banks do not care who fails, or what they promised, as long as they can cover up their own lack of restraint. Funding or the lack of it was the major culprit.

Steve is a visionary, so he will be back. As to iFloor.com, they are in Chapter 11 and this competitor is pulling for them.

12.3 MM Piano Finish Laminate Floors

2009-01-04T10:23:00.004-05:00

There have been some high gloss laminates around for a while. But only Lamett Laminate Floors and Alloc Laminate Floors have achieved what was the initial goal. The look, sound , and feel of a truly elegant hardwood floor.

Lamett Flooring is an up and coming supplier to the market. Based in Georgia, their laminate floor products are becoming more and more in demand. Their latest introduction is called "Charisma". It's a 12.3 mm high gloss (piano finish) laminate floor when installed has all the characteristics of a fine wood floor. We are pleased to have received inventory in 5 of the 6 shades. At $2.48 per sf, it is the best value for this type of laminate floor. We expect "Charisma" to quickly become one of our top sellers.

Cheap Laminate Floors or Laminate Floors Cheap!

2009-01-04T09:19:00.008-05:00

Believe it or not, there is a difference. Not long ago I was talking with one of my suppliers about prices and why people drive long distances to the Dalton Georgia Carpet Outlets to buy laminate flooring. It was my observation that on the signage of a lot of stores was "Laminate Floors $.49 sf" or "Laminate Floors $.59 sf". I don't know where these floors come from. Maybe from China or maybe they are defective or discontinueds. Probably ok for rental property that needs to be replaced regularly. This is the defintion of "cheap laminate floors". We do not stock it or sell it.
The only time we offer discontinueds is if they are discontinued while we have inventory, in which case the warranties are still valid.

Our customers are usually looking for name brand laminate flooring. Such as Quick-Step Laminate floors (our number one selling laminate floor), Berry Floor Laminate, Lamett Laminate, Alloc Laminate, Tarkett Laminate and other laminate floors. Buying laminate floors long distance has to be rewarding. For instance, a $4.-$6. sf name brand laminate floor can be bought at American Carpet Wholesalers for $2.-$4. sf. This would be the defintion of "laminate floors cheap".

For consumers that want a serviceable, fully warranted product, I would recommend a quality name brand with a good reputation for years of trouble free performance. Buying a low quality laminate floor for a rental or institutional application on the assumption it would need replaced regularly does not hold water. A good laminate floor with proper installation and a good laminate underlayment will last for years and years. It will also save you money for the material replacement and the labor to replace it countless times. A little more intial investment is much more cost effective.

The Face of Competition

2008-10-04T07:12:00.000-04:00

As promised in my last post I will show you what floor covering store competition looks like. There are many, many reputable companies in Dalton, Georgia and I am going to show you just a few.

Myer's Carpet Company has been a fixture in the community for over 50 years and offer many high end products such as wool and custom area rugs.

Beckler's Carpet has also been around for the
better part of half a century. Beckler's is also a
family owned company offering honesty, integrity and a wide assortment of floor coverings.

Next we have Carpets of Dalton, long established as one of the largest in the country. Not only do they offer all sorts of floor coverings, a wide selection of high end furniture and appliances can be found under "The Big Sign".

Georgia Carpet Industries is owned by a
friend and has experienced tremendous
growth over the last couple of decades. GCI
offers a huge inventory of carpet, vinyl, and other floor coverings mainly to dealers and builders, but sports a full
showroom for the retail customer.

Another decades old company and also a friend of
mine is Owen Carpet Company. They, like the rest of us, maintain a huge inventory of floor coverings to service their wholesale carpet customers.

One of two Carpet Express locations in the area.

ifloor.com (a Washington state company)
felt they needed a store way down here in
the southland.

And of course American Carpet
Wholesalers of Georgia. We needed more of a warehouse location to accomadate many trucks on a daily basis. Although many customers come to our showroom on a regular basis.

Dalton Georgia Carpet Outlets

2008-09-15T06:51:00.006-04:00

This post is more about competition and competitor pressure than about touting Dalton, Georgia and Dalton Georgia's famous carpet outlets. It is well documented that to save big bucks when you buy floor coverings, you need to buy carpet or buy flooring from one of over one hundred shops along the I-75 corridor thru North Georgia. Again, I must mention that is so documented that "The Today Show" broadcast live from the area a few years back. They did not broadcast from any one outlet or recommend any one carpet outlet over another. Simply stated, if you want to buy floor covering cheap, then a Dalton Georgia Carpet Outlet is the place.

Most of the flooring outlets in the area peacefully coexist. Unlike a floor store in any particular local market where a competing carpet store may be miles away. At multiple exits on I-75, a shopper can literally choose from scores of stores within walking distance. No matter where a floor covering store or carpet dealer is located in our great country of free enterprise, they will never see competition this strong. Yet we all tolerate each other with minimal animosities.

Although most floor dealers in the area provide excellent customer service and support, our main attribute is discount carpet prices or wholesale flooring. If a carpet dealer in Anywhere, USA provides a great turnkey solution with very little customer participation, then that is their strong point and that is what they need to sell. What we do in Dalton, Georgia requires a great deal of consumer participation and is, quite frankly, not for everyone. Our customers are more demanding and extremely price conscious.

In my years of retail carpet sales and management career outside of Dalton, Georgia, I cannot remember a single instance of losing a sale to a carpet outlet in Dalton. If a consumer gave me any indication that Dalton, Ga. was my competitor, that is when I quit selling price and started selling my store's attributes. Most consumers would rather deal locally, unless they know the outside entity to be trustworthy and stand behind the products they sell.

Want to see what competition is? Check out my next post.

Stainmaster and Shaw Carpet Cushion (Padding)

2008-08-25T06:20:00.006-04:00

Much has been written about the importance of quality carpet cushion. Good or better carpet padding provides both acoustical and insulative properties as well as adding longevity to your carpet investment. Some carpet cushions will go a step or 2 farther by increasing your carpet manufacturer's warranty.

Stainmaster carpet cushion (when used under stainmaster carpet) will add years to the Stainmaster carpet wear warranty. It will add 3 years wear protection to carpets made of Stainmaster nylon and 5 years to the wear warranty of carpets made of Stainmaster Ultralife nylon.

Shaw Industries produces 2 exceptional carpet cushions. Premium Touch 6lb carpet cushion and Ultimate Touch 8lb carpet cushion. If you use either of these carpet pads under a Shaw residential carpet, Shaw Industries will double (that's double) the wear warranty of that particular carpet. Shaw apparrently has great condidence in both their carpet and carpet cushion.

Carpet cushion by both manufacturers are available at American Carpet Wholesalers. When purchasing carpet, be sure to ask about these carpet life saving paddings.

INC Magazine Recognition

2008-08-21T07:32:00.004-04:00

For the second year in a row, INC magazine has recognized American Carpet Wholesalers of Georgia as one of the fastest growing companies in America. Last year we were number 4060 on a list of 5000 and this year we improved our market position by coming in at 3489 on the list.

With so many bankruptcies and company failures, how did we manage to not only stay on the list, but also improve our ranking. It is the attitude of our team members. They believe without question that our company is the best. It is our customers who have given us such great customer reviews and recommended our company to family and friends. It is offering a great value on name brand floors at a time when getting the most for your dollar is important. It is our suppliers who have continued to support us. It is all of these things and more that helps this company continue to thrive and outpace the competition.

Last year we were honored to be named to list. This year we are honored, humbled, and very thankful for the recognition. It would not be possible without great team members. Congratulations belong to them.

Questions about Carpet Brands and Styles

2008-08-05T07:54:00.005-04:00

Some customers get confused when shopping locally at local home centers and at different retails stores on mill labels:

Karen S. of Sioux City, IA wrote:

I'm looking to carpet 3 bedrooms in my home. I found a great color at a local home center (name omitted) and at another(name omitted), It had the same manufacturer's name but the pattern names were different. I know it was the same because the color was so unique. Why were the names different and why can't I find either on your site?

Karen S------

Hello Karen,

The manufacturers do this so as to give each dealer a unique product to prevent price wars and protect the profit margin of not just the home centers but also of the retail flooring stores that do battle daily with the big box stores in your area. It is understandable from a cost of inventory standpoint of the manufacturers. They use a master inventory number for the product and when an order is placed, simply label it for the ordering stores sample name. It is a common practice and all mills do it. From a consumers standpoint, it hinders comparison shopping. This is referred to as a "Private Label".

Why can't you find it on our site? It's probably there or on one of our price lists, but as the name assigned to our account. Usually, but not always, there is nothing unique about the carpet. Manufacturing specifications of a carpet are limited. With enough specifications and our experience in dealing with carpet, we can usually identify it as one of our products and provide you with a competitive price quote.

I hope I have cleared up some of the confusion and I our staff is available to try indentify the carpet and give you the best deal for your money.

Regards,

Jerry Bryson
ACWG, Inc.

It was July - So what happened?

2008-08-01T06:54:00.007-04:00

For as long as I can remember, July has been the worst month of the year for floor covering sales. "It's July, you may as well take a vacation," was the phrase most oft used in our industry. In years before the whole town of Dalton, GA shut down. Restaurants, dry cleaners, tire dealers, it did not matter. The whole town was on vacation. There are over 100 carpet outlets here, and the majority closed for the week of July 4th. Sales were miserable and the state of the economy was not a factor.

Dalton Georgia Carpet Outlets have long been famous for floor covering discounts and wholesale carpet prices. So famous in fact that "The Today Show" broadcast live from the area as the place to buy floor coverings. People would drive from 100's of miles away to buy floor covering. But not in July.

Normally when the calender shows July 1, I go into a state of depression. There are only meager sales but the overhead keeps on rolling. This year was no different July came and I made adjustments to expenses to try and minimize the pain. But wait, the first week was good and then the second week was OK. The third week was great and so was the fourth. This was something I had never witnessed, a great month of July! In fact I had to go back 2 years to find any month that American Carpet Wholesalers had more sales. So what happened to make July 2008 such a great month?

Nothing really stands out. No single product really stood out as the reason. No extra large sales. I spent less on advertising. The only thing I see at present is we had a tremendous amount of customer referrals, which relates directly to my previous post about customer reviews and doing the right thing.

Accolades must be given to our whole team. Sales, customer relations and order fulfillment. I have previously stated our team was the best and this just reaffirms my belief. Needless to say, I am a happy camper and so are my creditors!

Don't Be Afraid of Customer Reviews

2008-07-31T05:55:00.005-04:00

........... unless you have something to be afraid of.

A customer review system is the single most important way to improve any business. We love to know when we have fulfilled an order in such a way that the customer wants to tell the world. Be it good or bad. We have two separate independent review portals that give us a good barometer of what kind of shopping experience our customers had. On one, our satisfaction rating is 4.6 out of 5 ,and the other it is 4.8 out of 5. I will not be happy until they are both 5 out of 5.

I do not have time to respond to each and every one of them, but I do respond to negative feedback. Not to make excuses, but to make the customer believe we appreciate the feedback and to promise we will do better. We have kept those promises. Since our last negative feedback we have raised those scores from 4.3 out 5 and 4.5 out of 5 respectively. I am proud of my crew that is in charge of maintaining our customer relations. They are Monica Cunningham, LeAnda Seay, Shirin Rana, and Tammy Anderson.

Improving those scores was not just a simple matter of delivering the order on time. It involves staying in touch with the customer all thru the order process. Let them know if there will be any delays, what day to expect the delivery, and make them aware of what to expect and what to do in case there is a problem. One customer gave us a 4 out of 5 for one simple correctable reason. She got the order a day early than she anticipated, she saved a lot of money, the product was beautiful in her home, so what was the reason? We failed to notify her that the order was shipped and it caught her not prepared to receive the order. We acknowledged our shortcomings and promised to do better. She has since placed another order and this time we received a 5 out of 5 from her.

We are not a perfect company. Our team is made up of human beings, computers, and third party vendors and transportation companies. We do our best to keep orders from falling thru the cracks. But when one does, we try to identify the crack and seal it.

Sometimes it hurts the bottom line to do what is right. but as a service company, if we or any other company are not prepared or willing to service a customer's needs, there will soon not be any customers to service.

Quick-Step Laminate Rebates

2008-07-29T13:47:00.004-04:00

I almost forgot to post info on the Quick Step Laminate Flooring promotion going on July 1st thru September 30. Consumers get from $100 - $150 via mail in rebate directly from Quick Step depending on the floor you choose. A purchase of Quick Step Elegance, Quick Step Eligna, Quick Step Classic Elite, or Quick Step Classic will get you $100 from Quick-Step. A purchase of Quick Step Arte, Quick Step Perspective, Quick Step Linesse or Quick Step Quadra will get you $150. Certain restrictions apply and a minimum purchase 0f 300 sq ft is required.

A great promotion for a great laminate floor.

Laminate Flooring. Is one brand better?

2008-07-27T08:47:00.006-04:00

At ACWG, we offer laminate flooring from all the most recognizable names. Quick Step Laminate Floors, Pergo Laminate Floors, Mohawk Laminate Floors, Shaw Laminate Floors, and Mannington Laminate Floors are our best sellers and most widely known. But recently we have seen strong sales of Berry Floor Laminate, Alloc Laminate Floors, and Tarkett Laminate Floors with their new product line.

For me to make a determination as to which brand is better or identify a single product that is better will take quite a bit of thought. The obvious answer I would want to give as a retailer would be the brand that I sell the most of, which is Quick Step Laminate. But our sales are strong for Berry Floor, Mohawk Laminate Floors, and Alloc Laminates in that order. I am sure that our sales for Shaw Laminates would be as strong as the others, but we are not allowed to show our best price on our site.

Depending on what you're looking for in a new floor also determines which is better. For the realistic look of a real wood floor, I think that Quick Step, Berry Floor, and Tarkett have that market cornered. For commercial use, most brands have an answer but I would choose Alloc. After all, commercial laminate has been in their offerings from day one and some of their residential lines have commercial warranties. For cost conscious residential applications all brands have one in their line. We align ourselves in this area to Quick Step's "Steps 700" and "Classic 800" because the variety of colors and species look in those lines.

Scratch resistance, cleanabilty, and wear resistance are characteristics of just about all brands of laminate floors because of the nature of construction. We have sold millions of square feet of laminate flooring and the rate of product failure for those reasons have been miniscule. Failure from moisture is a different situation. Most laminates are susceptible, while some brands tout moisture resistant on some products but limit warranty on moisture. Laminate flooring in bathrooms is not a good idea.

These are strictly my opinions based on our sales and claims experience. I am sure there will wide and varied opinons depending on who you ask. Laminate floors in general is one of the best floors on the market and will give you years of service.

Asian Walnut Wood Flooring (Acacia)

2008-07-27T08:17:00.005-04:00

Acacia Asian Walnut Wood Floors at great prices are now available at American Carpet Wholesalers.

Asian Walnut or Acacia is a very tough little tree common to the most arrid areas of Southeast Asia, India, Africa, and Austrailia. It is an enviromental friendly pod bearing tree with rich colors from golden to dark brown. Growing in such a harsh and hostile environment makes it 90% harder than oak and resists warping and cupping.

Many of our customers have asked about it, so we found the best value around and added it to our inventory. If you're looking for a floor with depth and vibrant color range, this is your floor.

Comments from Rug Rag

2008-07-26T09:28:00.003-04:00

David from rugrag.com posted a comment about one of my posts. I welcome all comments and post them after reviewing for inappropriate content. I also reviewed David's site and highly recommend it for info about hand made oriental rugs. The site is quite informative about the care and cleaning of fine handmade rugs. They also offer an online appraisal service. We do not sell handmades on our site as we feel it is better left to the experts.

Check them out it is good information.

......the best carpet...Part 2

2008-07-12T09:55:00.005-04:00

Now that you know that I believe there is not a best carpet, only a best carpet for a particular application, let's explore the manufacturers. Is one better than the other? That depends on who you ask. Not too long ago we had hundreds of different manufacturers, but with industry consolidation over the last decade and a half, we now have only 3 or 4 major manufacturers owning 20-30 different brands collectively. Plus there are 15-20 independent reputable manufacturers in the U.S. and Canada. There are only a handful of companies that make the manufacturing equipment all these carpet mills use to produce their carpets. As well as just a handful of producers of the fibers used to make these carpets with some of the major manufacturers buying up these producers to better their market position.

So it really boils down to which carpet mills have the best quality control, is the most innovative in product development, and can keep the manufacturing cost down to produce a great value for the ever cost conscious consumer. Using my 35 years experience in the carpet and floor covering industry, Shaw Industries year after year has been the leader in producing cutting edge carpet styles while maintaining quality and cost controls that are second to no other carpet manufacturer. Shaw Carpet brands include such long established names as Cabin Crafts Carpet, Philadelphia Carpet, Queen Carpet, Sutton Carpet, Tuftex Carpet, and many commercial carpet mills.

My second favorite is Beaulieu of America. While green is in, Beaulieu has been producing enviro-friendly carpet for years. Just in the last 5 years I have seen their quality improve at a much faster pace than any other carpet manufacturer. Innovative styles and fibers have established Beaulieu Carpets as some of the finest in the world. In February of this year, Beaulieu intoduced their newest brand "Bliss by Beaulieu". This brand is not simply an acquisition, but a new launch geared to appeal to the female consumer. It will truly compliment their long existing brands such as Beaulieu Carpet, Coronet Carpet, Hollytex Carpet, and their many commercial carpet mills.

Dixie Home Carpets is coming of age with carpet lines geared to the core consumer as well as some upper end lines geared more toward designers. Of some of the major idependents, Kraus Carpet (a Canadian mill) is one of our favored suppliers. One of the California mills that has had great success is Royalty Carpet Mills and for specialty prints and florals, Milliken Carpet Mills cannot be beat. For carpet designed with kids in mind, it's Joy Carpets. There are several lesser known mills we deal with for value priced carpets Supreme Carpet, Cherokee Carpet, Southwind Carpet along with others.

There is my list of the best. If I have left any mill out, it was intentional. Next I will give my opinion on laminate floors and laminate brands.

What is the best ... Carpet..Laminate..Hardwood..Tile? Part 1 Carpet

2008-07-09T06:12:00.007-04:00

What is the best carpet? .. the best laminate...the best hardwood? ...the best tile? The question is put to me or my staff almost on a daily basis. The answer is pretty much the same for all the different flooring options. My opinion is that there is no best. Only a best choice for a particular application. Carpet as well as all the other flooring available are offered for both residential and commercial applications.

Your budget plays a big part in what product you choose. A carpet, laminate floor, hardwood floor, or vinyl tile floor can be found to fit just about any budget that will offer years of serviceability. Design choices and color schemes are somewhat limited in the lower price points, but good matches for your lifestyle are available nevertheless.

No matter what price range you are considering for carpet, you should never compromise the quality of the underlayment (padding). A good padding will make even the least costly carpet perform to its maximum ability. Thicker is not better, whether it's carpet or padding! Face weight typically has no bearing on durability. It is the density factor that is most important. No carpet padding should be used over 1/2" thick and 7/16" is the desired thickness recommended but most all carpet manufacturers and the Carpet and Rug Institute. For loop pile carpets (berber loop and multi-purpose loops) 3/8" and less is recommended. Minimum density of recommended pads should be no less than 6lbs and 8lbs for loop pile.

Shag or thick saxony plushes are not good choices for high traffic areas such as hallways, stairs and family rooms. For these areas a low profile, high density carpet is advised with the good low profile high density carpet padding. For bedrooms these carpets work well. Some of the more expensive ultra shags are better suited for area rugs. Berber loop and low profile cut and loop hybrids work well for all areas of your home.

Commercial carpets are made for moderate to heavy traffic. Most are extremely low profile from 1/4" to 3/8" thick with high density factors. Loop piles are typically installed with adhesive to prevent movement underneath. While low profile cut piles are generally installed over a carpet padding with density factors of 8-14 lbs. These are general requirements for general commercial use. Carpets are usually specified for the type and amount of anticipated foot traffic. Carpet tiles are suited for just about all commercial use and are available in many different patterns and colorways.

You can get more detailed information by visiting the Carpet and Rug Institute.

Part 2 will cover laminate floors.

Carpet Tiles for Home or Office

2008-07-06T06:44:00.012-04:00

We have had several questions about the carpet tiles we offer. Although most are commercial carpet in nature, they can be used residentially. Depending on the pattern you will get a look that is modern and is quite attractive, not to mention great wearability. Plus, they make for a great do it yourself project.

We offer carpet tiles in several different options. For larger jobs or continuity (you may need more at a later date), we offer DesignTek Modular Carpet Tiles, Shaw Philadelphia Carpet Tiles, Shaw Queen Carpet Tiles, and for day care, kids rooms, and schools we offer Joy Carpet Tiles (most available in broadloom as well).

For tremendous savings, we stock almost 500,000 square feet of 1st quality overruns in various colors and patterns in our "Carpet Tile Clearance Center". Savings on these carpet tiles can be anywhere from 50-80% of their original value. Availablility for these tiles are limited to inventory on hand, although from time to time we will have access to some of the same patterns.

Installation methods vary depending on application. Kathryn (in the above pics) is using tape dots. These are sticky on both sides and work better on smooth surfaces. They do not work very well on concrete. For commercial applications and for concrete, we (and most manufacturers) recommend a pressure sensitve adhesive. This type of adhesive is releasable in case you want to rotate the tiles from high traffic areas to prolong carpet life. You apply the adhesive the same way as the dots, make about a 3 to 4 inch diameter dot on each corner and 1 or 2 more dots in the center.

Overall, for durability and ease of intallation, carpet tiles cannot be beat.

Customer Feedback

2008-07-05T15:58:00.010-04:00

Typically most of our customer reviews and feedback are posted on American Carpet Wholesaler's website. Here are a couple that were sent directly to customer service I would like to share:

To: LeAnda Seay

We needed 8 cartons of Quik-Step laminate flooring to finish a project we had started 3 years ago (finances and time delay). I found the exact match, and on sale at that, ordered 8 cartons and they arrived within 10 days. We had them delivered to my husbands workplace, which cut shipping. We were able to finish our project and still saved almost $200; without compromising product or quality. With the price of gas and the value of your time, this was ideal. I highly recommend shopping their products and giving them a try. We were thrilled with our results.

Dean & Ronda Rustad

To: LeAnda Seay
Subject: Thank You

Dear LeAnda,

I just wanted to let you know how please I am with the service of your company. The flooring arrived just as you predicted and the delivery guy was so nice and helpful. I have had the floor layed and it's absolutely beautiful, much prettier than I imaginaged. I'm sending you an attachment of what the floor looks like in my kitchen.

Thank you and the ones that helped with the shipping of the floor. I have already recommended you to my sister, which she will be ordering soon.

Thanks again,
Karen Young

I wish to thank Mr. and Mrs. Rustad and Karen Young for their kind words and LeAnda Seay for a job well done. Keep up the good work.

Quick Step Laminate and Congoleum DuraCeramic Tile are two of the products in which we maintain a huge inventory. Most orders can be shipped out the same day on these products.

Armstrong Raises Hardwood Prices

2008-07-05T07:03:00.002-04:00

Press Release From Armstrong:

Lancaster, PA, July 1, 2008 – Armstrong has raised prices on select Armstrong and Bruce hardwood products, effective immediately. Increases in raw materials, transportation, and surging prices for oil and natural gas have necessitated this increase,” said Paul Murfin, vice president of sales

Source: Floor Daily

Products affected at American Carpet Wholesalers include the Bruce Hardwood Floor line and the Armstrong Hardwood line by Hartco.

Our Team is THE Best

2008-06-26T10:05:00.006-04:00

At least that is my opinion. I think it would be in order to introduce you to some of our key team members. I do not like to refer to them as employees because they do not work for me. They work for themselves and for our customers.

Here we go. Eddie Caldwell is in charge of our IT department and programmer extraordinaire. He is our CTO. Next we have Greg Dykes. Greg does a lot of things, he is sales manager, oversees most warehouse functions and also is on the sales service desk most of the time. Oh, he also keeps our warehouse cat (Jessie) fed. Leanda Seay (everyones go to for answers) keeps our bills paid while backing up sales service. Monica Cunningham, our customer relations and claims analyst and is another back up to sales service. Shirin Rana is our product manager. She fights a never ending battle of keeping products updated on our site as well as backing up sales service. Alicia Metcalf is one of our sales service pros and never complains about anything. Brandi Shelton and Greg Hayes are sales and sales service and both get great customer feedback. Tammy Anderson processes both incoming and outgoing shipments and you guessed it, backs up sales service. Gloria Kirkland is also in accounting. Keeping the check book balanced, the credit cards paid and the IRS happy. Oh, and making calls for me that I don't want to make.

Assisting Shirin with new products and product update are Tiffany Kennedy, Alicia Wnorowski, and Brooke Pacheco. They are responsible for everything from product photos and product specification to making sure our inventory is properly marked and located. In our customer fulfillment department we have Fernando Delgado, Audiel Mondragon, and Jonathan Barrett. They make sure that our shipments are received properly and shipped in a timely fashion.

There you have it. A great group of people. It would be tough to function without any of them.

Mohawk To Raise Hardwood Prices

2008-06-26T07:17:00.000-04:00

Press Release From Mohawk:

Dalton, GA, June 26, 2008—Mohawk Industries has announced a price increase on select hardwood products ranging from 3 to 5 percent effective July 14.

A letter announcing the price increase was sent to Mohawk dealers in mid-June.

“Increases in raw materials, transportation, and energy have required this action,” said Bob Leahy, senior vice president, hard surfaces.

Source: Floor Daily

We will post our price changes for Mohawk Hardwood Floors as soon as they come available.

Money is not the only thing Green!

2008-06-20T22:23:00.000-04:00

Today I met with manufacturers' reps to consider two green product lines that we currently do not offer. Cork Floors and Bamboo Floors (Well, we have Bamboo, but this line is priced really great). I am meeting with them next week at their corporate showroom to negotiate final pricing and how much inventory I will commit to. At American Carpet Wholesalers, we stock a great deal of the products we sell. Currently, over $1,000,000. We do this for better pricing but also to get the products to our customers as quickly as possible. Usually on an order we have in stock ships the same day.

I will keep you posted as to when the new products are on the website.

Bliss by Beaulieu

2008-06-19T07:02:00.002-04:00

Well we finally have started getting the new Bliss by Beaulieu carpet line on our website. Images are coming a bit slow as we have not received our showroom display yet. Hopefully it will arrive soon. We are anxious to start showing the products to our customers.

More Price Increases Announced

2008-06-18T13:08:00.000-04:00

Over the last few days more price increases have been announced. Mohawk Industries and Shaw Industries have announced price increases of 3-5% on their hard surface products (laminate floors, hardwood floors, and tile products). The Congoleum Corporation announced a 3-6% increase on their entire product line which includes items such as DuraCeramic, DuraStone ,Duraplank and sheet vinyl flooring. Kraus Carpets has also announced price increases on their entire product line. Earlier Quick-Step Laminate (Unilin, owned by Mohawk Industries) also announced a price increase. Beaulieu has announced a price increase on their carpet line. And as I am writing this post, I just received notification from Shaw Industries the price increase will apply to their residential carpet and commercial carpet as well. Mohawk inevitably will follow suit. All of these increases take effect mid July.

Keep in mind, we just had all these increases less than 2 months ago. All of this is directly the result of oil prices. I find it very difficult to understand why Congress will not lift the ban on offshore drilling, because it looks like this trend is not going away any time soon.

We at American Carpet Wholesalers as well as some of the other reputable online flooring merchants are doing all we can to keep our prices affordable to the consumer. All the while some of the manufacturers are trying to establish minimum adverised pricing. What's next, minimum selling prices?

Rest assured, if we cannot show you our lowest price, we will certainly tell you and you can always call us for that price. You can also be assured that if a manufacturer establishes a minimum selling price, we will no longer offer their products. It is un-American and defeats the spirit of free enterprise.

Welcome Back Lt. Colonel Dan West

2008-06-05T07:27:00.000-04:00

Being a Vietnam Veteran myself, I understand the hardships one faces in a war zone. Being away from family and friends for such a long period is enough, but add enduring a hostile environment and continually watching your back and keeping your head down. Throw in the apathy of the American public toward our military and it becomes even harder.

Dan West is the Southeast Regional Manager for the Congoleum Corporation and a U.S. Army
Reserve Officer. He has just recently returned from a year and a half deployment in Afghanistan. It also hits close to home as my nephew, Army Sgt. Steve Hammontree, is finishing up his third tour in Iraq.

Dan West and Pete Dumenil both manage my relationship with Congoleum and are reponsible for growing my business with Congoleum. Especially the Congoleum DuraCeramic Tile line and the DuraStone Tile line.

Welcome home Dan.

We Ship AnyWhere - Even Mercerville, NJ

2008-05-19T06:01:00.003-04:00

What a coincidence! Just back to work after my Congoleum visit, I decide to walk thru our shipping department. I do this almost daily to make sure we are protecting our shipments to minimize possible freight damage. I don't know of any company that takes the time or spends the money we do for shipment protection in our industry.

It was a busy shipping day. There were lots of pallets of Quick-Step Laminate, Mohawk Laminate, Mohawk Hardwood, Bruce Hardwood, Tarkett Laminate, Nafco Vinyl tile, several pallets of Congoleum DuraCeramic tile, several rolls of Beaulieu carpet for Pakistan, and lots of Shaw Carpet being shipped to residential customers.

While walking thru the pallets I noticed one particular shipping address on a pallet of Congoleum DuraCeramic. It was shipping to Mercerville, NJ. That is where Congoleum is located. Now Mercerville is not that big, so I wondered if this person worked at Congoleum. After investigation, I decided not, because the customers email address indicated the New Jersey Dental Health Association and we were just shipping to a residence in Mercerville. So in fact it was just a coincidence, Strange but true. In fact we ship a lot of other products to New Jersey.

We are thankful for all of our customers. No matter where we ship.

New Jersey Trip To Congoleum Factory

2008-05-17T14:12:00.000-04:00

I just returned from touring Congoleum's tile factory in New Jersey where DuraCeramic is made. Unfortunately I left my camera back here in Georgia so I cannot share pictures. The tour was quite interesting to see the overall quality control of the product. From the time the limestone composite is placed in the hopper until it goes to distribution warehouse for shipment is about 10 days. I was impressed with the amount of attention given through the various stages of the manufacturing process
to insure the precise outcome of each production run. I can honestly say that I take a great deal of pride and comfort knowing that with each order we sell, our customer is getting the best product for their money.

That evening I was treated to a fantastic dinner at The Ferry House. Great food, great company. Before and after dinner I was given a driving tour of Princeton, New Jersey and I must say (even being from Georgia)that Princeton University is one of the most beautiful campuses I have ever seen. So rich in architecture and tradition.I lived on the Jersey coast for three years and I can honestly say, I have never seen such a gorgeous community.

The next day was a meeting at Congoleum's Corporate Headquarters in Mercerville, New Jersey. I met with their national sales and marketing team to share ideas on my particular efforts on selling and marketing Congoleum products. The meeting was very enlightening and I feel it will help us to continue to be strong in the sales Congoleum flooring. By noon we were on our way to the Philadelphia airport where our flight was delayed about two hours and then on to Atlanta and my drive to Dalton, GA. Welcome home. It's always good to be home.

Alloc added to Our Product Line

2008-05-01T20:24:00.000-04:00

In response to many of our customer's request for a commercial laminate flooring at a reasonable price, American Carpet Wholesalers responded by adding the Alloc line of beautiful laminate floors. While Alloc Commercial Laminate is designed for commercial use, Alloc Original and Alloc Domestic are warranted for light commercial use

With Alloc Laminate's exclusive and patented mechanical locking system you are assured of close fitting seams and the joints will remain secure.
With superior joint integrity, stain, fade,wear, and water resistance Alloc laminate floors will be a popular choice for our commercial and residential builders. We are extremely excited about Alloc's product line.

Congoleum Duraceramic

2008-03-21T00:00:00.001-04:00

What a GREAT product!
Congoleum has a winner here. Looks exactly like ceramic but is more durable and is warmer to foot traffic. It is easy to install. You can install with or without grout. We have literally sold millions of dollars of this product at American Carpet Wholesalers almost complaint free. Congoleum Duraceramic is the name to remember when considering tile for your floor.

Tarkett Residential Raising Prices April 1

2008-02-23T06:37:00.002-05:00

Press Release From Tarkett:

Farnham, Quebec, Canada, February 22, 2008--

Tarkett Residential said it will increase prices for its residential resilient products 5-7-percent, effective with shipments on April 1.“Due to ongoing increases in raw materials, energy and freight costs, we found it necessary to adjust our pricing,” said President Guillaume Laverdure.

Source: Floor Daily

Products affected at American Carpet Wholesalers is our Tarkett Laminate Flooring line and the Nafco Luxury Vinyl Tile brand.. Our prices for the laminate flooring line and the luxury vinyl tile line are already extremely competitive. Because our volume puchasing of the Tarkett Laminate and the Nafco Vinyl Tile, I do not foresee a major impact. We negotiate our pricing on these products in advance at American Carpet Wholesalers. I do not see a price increase to be passed on to our customers until maybe late June or early July of 2008.

What is Bliss by Beaulieu™?

2008-02-14T07:38:00.001-05:00

Bliss by Beaulieu™ is not just a new brand from Beaulieu of America. Owner of such brands as Hollytex Carpets, Hollytex Commercial Carpets, Coronet Carpets, Coronet Commercial Carpets, Beaulieu Carpets, Beaulieu Commercial Carpets and several other lines. It is also a new way of marketing these unique carpets to the consumer. It is an attitude starting at the employee level. It is about bringing the employer, supplier, and consumer together on a personal business level.

The Bliss by Beaulieu™ line will consist of several collections Healthy Home™ , Natural Comfort™, and Ultimate Home™. Once rolled out, these collections will offer innovative carpet solutions for an individual consumer's lifestyle.

Beaulieu is already one of our favorite suppliers and once the new line is available, we will begin to promote it. I expect you will begin to see the products on our site beginning late May or early June. Once we start adding the products I will add another post.

Suffaces 2008 Floor Show and Convention

2008-02-05T09:32:00.002-05:00

I just returned from Surfaces 2008 (Floor covering dealers and manufacturers annual convention). Because of the state of the economy and housing market, it was not nearly as crowded as in previous years. But all in all, I have to say that it was one of the better shows I have attended. Lots of new products, updating of some older dependable ones and an exciting new brand.

It was not possible to see every new entry. Previously I had made appointments with some of my major suppliers to see their new wares and to take advantage of some market specials. Mannington Mills was quite hospitable. There were some new additons to their Mannington Adura Tile and Plank line and a great market special. I bought a truckload. Mannington Laminate Floors and Mannington Hardwood Floors had some beautiful new additions. Mannington and the R A Siegel Company (my distributor for Mannington) gave me $100 in chips for my visit which I promptly turned into $300 while walking back through The Venetian Hotel casino.

But the most exciting part of the show for me was the introduction of "Bliss". A new carpet brand by Beaulieu USA (one of my major partners). I will give you more info on Bliss in my next post.

Southeastern Freight Lines Honors ACWG

2008-01-19T22:41:00.000-05:00

SEFL named American Carpet Wholesalers of GA, Inc as one of their top 25 accounts. Considering that we are in Dalton, Ga along with the big names such as Shaw Industries, Mohawk Industries, Beaulieu of America, and about 100 other carpet manufacturers, this is a huge honor. Just think, 6 years ago it was very hard for us to get supplier recognition. My staff and I realize as long as we continue to provide products at a fair price and great customer service we will continue to grow and set sales records. All I can say to my crew is "You've come along way, baby". Thanks to all.

Floor Muffler Laminate Underlay

2008-01-04T15:45:00.000-05:00

We have added Floor Muffler brand laminate underlay to our stocking inventory. Our customers have been asking for it for months. It has remarkable noise reduction characteristics and produces a sound almost identical to that of walking on real wood floors. We have not had anything but positive feedback for the product. Laminate flooring never sounded so good.

Congratulations from Inc. Magazine

2007-10-30T10:47:00.000-04:00

This is a letter from the publisher of Inc. Magazine on making the list.

Dear Jerry,

Congratulations again on making Inc.'s list of America's fastest growing private companies. Over the years, we've seen many companies leverage their appearance on the list to actually accelerate their growth. That’s one reason I hope you’ve been sharing the achievements of American Carpet Wholesalers of GA with your employees, customers, and the many others who have contributed to its great success.

You can also view former President Bill Clinton’s speech. In both his presence at the event and in his remarks, I think he showed that he understands the important role entrepreneurs play in America’s economic success. He and I also both share the belief that entrepreneurship is one of our best hopes for expanding opportunity in the nation’s distressed and emerging communities. We'll begin recruitment in the next month for the Inner City Entrepreneur Initiative, a high-impact mentoring program between successful entrepreneurs and emerging growth companies in America's inner cities.

Sincerely,

John Koten
CEO and Editor In Chief
Mansueto Ventures

Inc Magazine Press Release

2007-09-07T10:36:00.000-04:00

Copy of Press Release Distributed by Inc Magazine.
"Excuse me while I kiss the sky."
This a lot of work and a lot of dedication by my entire staff.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jerry Bryson,
FIRST-EVER LIST OF THE 5,000 FASTEST-GROWING BUSINESSES
REPORTS TOTAL REVENUE OF $194.5 BILLION

American Carpet Wholesalers of GA, Inc. Ranks No. 4060 on the 2007 Inc. 5,000
With Three-Year Sales Growth of 60%

NEW YORK, August 23, 2007 – Inc. today ranked American Carpet Wholesalers of GA, Inc. #4060 on its first-ever Inc. 5,000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the country. The Inc. 5,000, an extension of Inc. magazine’s annual Inc. 500 list, catches many businesses that are too big to grow at the pace required to make the Inc. 500, as well as a host of smaller firms. Taken as a whole, these companies represent the backbone of the U.S. economy. “Our growth can be attributed to great employees who believe that above all else, providing the best customer service will keep the phone ringing and customers coming back over and over.” says Jerry Bryson, President and CEO.Based in Dalton, GA, American Carpet Wholesalers sells name brand floor coverings such as carpet, area rugs, commercial carpet tile, vinyl tile, hardwood flooring and laminate flooring directly to the consumer via their website ( www.carpet-wholesale.com ). Consumers save up to70% over traditional local brick and mortar establishments. A great deal of these products are in stock and ready to ship at one of their facilities

Let's try something new!

2007-08-20T00:01:00.000-04:00

Blogging is something new for me, but I will give it my best shot. Flooring is something we all use, but reading about it is not something we will rush to the public library for books about . A lot of info and images can be seen on my site http://www.carpet-wholesale.com/ .

We at American carpet wholesalers maintain a full showronn for our instore customers, but we also maintain a 30,000 sq ft warehouse to service our online customers. Operating online is a very competitve neighborhood. While I have competitors that I respect and admire, I also have competitors that I am not too fond of. I will not name names. Lets just say they reside on the west coast and the east coast respectively. And some in the middle as well.

This month brings new challenges for all of the products we sell, carpet, hardwood floors, laminate flooring, luxury vinyl tiles, carpet tile, and accessories. Rising petroleum prices as well as rising labor costs have forced most of our suppliers raise prices. At American Carpet Wholesalers, we will absorb some of the increase, taking lower profit margins and pass as little
as possible to our customers.

The economy is not helping us out either. While people are watching their pennies and new home construction is at a virtual standstill, all housing related businesses are facing greater challenges everyday. It appears that there isn't a white knight out there to guide us thru this downturn.

Because of our sales volume at American Carpet Wholesalers and our extremely efficient operation, we will continue to offer our customers a great value for their dollar. Last year we were honored by Inc Magazine as one of the top growth companies in the nation. This year we are thankful that it appears we will not only stay on the list, but move up the ladder a little.