Made In The USA

Many flooring dealers that I visit with state that “advertising just doesn’t seem to work very well for us. We run ads occasionally, but usually don’t see immediate results.” In most cases, the problem that I see is not the message itself, but rather the messenger. They forget that the products that we are offering…

I am a big believer in reducing costs and quotations to the lowest common denominator possible. I read a great example recently. Please allow me to share. Post recession, Hard Rock Café had a corporate goal of adding $150 million to its bottom line. Most would agree that this is a number beyond our comprehension….

We continue to see the independent contractor classification under attack. Recently, the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry issued a new policy making construction employers responsible to furnish upon demand proof that its subcontractor have the required licenses. The Virginia Occupational Safety and Health Compliance (VOSH) inspectors will enforce this new policy during periodic inspections….

This past week I had the privilege of hosting the WFCA’s Industry Hall of Fame induction ceremony that honored three people; the late Sonna Calendrino, Sandy, and Paul Pumphrey for their distinguished contributions to the flooring industry. On paper, these three are actually quite different. Sonna was largely known for the work that she performed…

On July 15, 2015, the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor (DOL) issued what will be effectively a new standard of who qualifies as an independent contractor that will likely limit significantly the number of workers that meet the criteria. While claiming this was just an “interpretation” of the current standard and…

Many states have scheduled increases in their minimum wage.  Fourteen states have announced they will be raising their minimum wages the first of the year.  A number of other states will adjust their rate annually based on the cost of living.  In addition, some cities, counties, state governments, and companies have higher minimum wage rates…