Kitchen & Bath Design News

MAY 2014

Kitchen & Bath Design News is the industry's leading business, design and product resource for the kitchen and bath trade.

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10 | Kitchen & Bath Design News May 2014 Industry Update { Noteworthy developments impacting the kitchen and bath market } Dal-Tile to Build Manufacturing Plant And Distribution Center in Tennessee Dallas, TX — Dal-Tile, the largest manufacturer and marketer of ceramic tile and natural stone prod- ucts in North America, also a business of Mohawk Industries, Inc., has announced plans to build a glazed porcelain and colorbody tile manufactur- ing plant and distribution center in Dickson, TN near Nashville. The 1.4 million-sq.-ft. plant is scheduled to open in late 2015 and will be the Dallas-based company's 11th manufacturing facility in North America. Dal-Tile President John Turner, Jr. announced the new plant recently in Dickson, along with Mohawk Industries Chairman and CEO Jef Lorberbaum, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and other state and local ofcials. "We're extremely pleased to further expand our manufacturing capability to Dickson and the state of Tennessee, which will grow our leading position within the industry to meet customer demand," Turner said. "By partnering with Dickson County and Tennessee state ofcials, we were able to fnd a match for our manufacturing expansion needs and continue to provide the service our custom- ers require." Turner said the Dickson plant will utilize the latest advanced decoration technology, including its Reveal Imaging capability, to produce ceramic tile products. The plant will also have the fexibility to produce larger format and plank format tiles, marketed through its fve brands in North Amer- ica: Daltile, American Olean, Marazzi, Ragno and Mohawk. The Dickson plant will have glazed porcelain capabilities, as well as technology, to meet the needs of the market through technical color body products, plus in-line rectifcation and polishing to meet market requirements. Dal-Tile products are used throughout new residential construction, residential remodeling construction and commercial construction. In 2013, Mohawk completed its acquisition of The Marazzi Group, a global leader in ceramic tile with opera- tions in the U.S., Europe and Russia. Marazzi's U.S. operations were integrated into Dal-Tile in 2013. Milwaukee This Month's Site of KBDN Seminar Melville, NY — The Milwaukee metropolitan area will be the site this month of the fourth in an eight- city series of all-day seminars being produced by Kitchen & Bath Design News in key markets this year. The Hilton Garden Inn Milwaukee Park Place hotel will serve on May 29 as the latest venue for KBDN's 2014 educational initiative, which has al- ready visited Fort Lauderdale, St. Louis and the Philadelphia suburb of King of Prussia. The program will be brought to four additional markets – Seattle, Denver, Stamford, CT and Dallas – according to KBDN Publisher Emeritus Eliot Sefrin. Remaining 2014 dates and targeted cities are as follows: June 26: Seattle metro area. Sept. 18: Denver metro area. Oct. 23: Stamford, CT metro area. Nov. 13: Dallas metro area. KBDN's 2014 seminar series – entitled "Art + Science: How Contemporary Design & Cutting- Edge Technology Can Increase Profts & Resonate With Today's New Clients" – was rolled out in 2013 to rave reviews and a record number of corporate sponsors. Created for kitchen and bath designers looking to refresh their creative talents and expand their technological skills, "Art + Science" is aimed at identifying "what's next" in design and technology so that design professionals can better address the needs of a younger, less-traditional client while increasing company profts in the New Digital Age. "Art + Science" spotlights the growing trend toward contemporary kitchens and baths that re- quire an entirely new way of managing the space and connecting the elements of the room. Also featured is a multi-media program that presents a vision of the industry's digital present and future, including ways design professionals can leverage cutting-edge technological tools from initial client contact through fnal contract. Leading the programs is a pair of KBDN con- tributors: Ellen Cheever, CMKBD, ASID, CAPS, widely considered to be the nation's premier kitchen and bath design authority, and Eric Schimelpfenig, AKBD, a leading authority on cutting-edge tech- nology impacting the kitchen and bath industry. Sponsors for 2014 include BEST, Geberit, Hafele America, Jenn-Air, Rev-A-Shelf and Showplace Wood Products. Information about attending any of the 2014 programs can be obtained by visiting KBDN's Web site, www.ForResidentialPros.com. KBDN -SEN Seminar Set for May in Chicago Melville, NY — Chicago will serve as the site this month for the fourth in a series of six all-day semi- nars being produced in 2014 under the terms of an exclusive alliance between Kitchen & Bath Design News and the SEN Design Group. The ongoing seminar series, which has already visited San Francisco, Philadelphia and New York this year, will continue its 2014 run with the next event set for May 14 at the Cosentino showroom in Chicago. Titled "Systemizing Your Sales Approach for Maximum Proft," the program is led by SEN V.P./ Education Tom Blau. Created specifcally for kitchen and bath show- room owners, managers and sales designers, the day-long program focuses on teaching es- sential business management and sales skills designed to help improve overall proftability. The program will address ways that kitchen and bath dealers can improve their closing percentages, sales volume and gross margins by implementing a well-thought-out selling system keyed to today's challenging market. The KBDN -SEN seminar series will con- tinue throughout the calendar year, including stops in Kansas City, MO (Oct. 1) and Denver (Oct. 29). Sponsors of the 2014 Kitchen & Bath Design News /SEN educational initiative include Silestone by Cosentino, Hafele America, Dura Supreme, Medallion/Yorktowne/MasterCraft/Design Craft, Autokitchen, Signature Kitchen & Bath magazine, Cambridge Steel Works, Task Lighting, WoodTrac and Warmly Yours. Information about the program, including registration details, is available by contacting the Chapel Hill, NC-based SEN Design Group, at (800) 991-1711. Watermark Donates to Hurricane Sandy Charity Faucet and fxture manufacturer Watermark Designs has made a $5,000 donation to the Friends of Rockaway charity, which has been set up to help those whose homes and businesses were destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. Employees of the Brooklyn, NY-based company, many of whom were personally afected by the storm, have aided in the clean- up and rebuilding of the communities, which is ongoing. At right, Avi Abel (right) of Watermark Designs presents the company's donation to Todd Miner (left) and Evan Abel (center) of the Friends of Rockaway organization. KBD_10-17_News.indd 10 4/15/14 1:02 PM

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