NEW YORK CITY — June 10, 2019 — Fuigo, the award-winning developer of end-to-end technology solutions for professional interior design, announces a partnership with Kravet Inc. Established in 1918, and now a fifth-generation family business, Kravet is a leader in the trade home furnishings industry, distributing fabrics, furniture, wall coverings, trimmings, carpets and decorative accessories.

Kravet joins Fuigo as a vendor in Market, a first-of-its-kind digital platform that is custom-built for design professionals to discover, source and order from the world’s finest luxury trade brands. In one place, designers can purchase materials and organize client proposals, analytics and invoicing, streamlining their workflow and leaving time for business development and creative ideation.

Offering a range of styles from contemporary to traditional across all product categories, Kravet has one of the largest sourcing lists in the industry. Now just past its 100th anniversary, the heritage company owns Lee Jofa, Brunschwig & Fils, and GP & J Baker and distributes a series of other high-end luxury brands across the globe.

Kravet’s commitment to the interior design industry and showcasing a wide range of the best and the brightest designers aligns with Fuigo’s vision for Market as the one-stop-shop for the savviest industry professionals working today. All of Kravet’s collections will be included in Market, making Fuigo the first trade-focused business management platform to hold Lee Jofa and Brunschwig & Fils.

“This is an exciting partnership for us,” says Fuigo co-founder Maury Riad. “With a 100-year history of excellence, Kravet Inc. is a sterling addition to Market and its breadth and power as a one-of-a-kind sourcing tool for the trade.”

With the inclusion of Kravet in Market, buyers will have access to an incredible diversity of categories and price points, launching both Kravet and Fuigo into a design future that does not sacrifice quality and care to the hands of technological advancement and greater accessibility. Both brands are working hard for today’s designers.

Fuigo was founded in 2015 by Maury and Mickey Riad, owners of the heritage textile company Fortuny. Fuigo’s mission is to build real and virtual platforms that promote and future-proof exceptional interior design. Fuigo’s award-winning 18,000 square-foot Park Avenue studio includes beautiful workspaces and New York’s largest material lending library with samples from over 1,000 of the top A&D vendors. Fuigo is a leading technology company providing end-to-end business software that allows interior designers to achieve both creative and business excellence.

Posted June 10, 2019

Source: Fuigo

DALTON, Ga. — June 10, 2019 — In 1979, when the industry leaders created AFA, as the Carpet Manufacturing Marketing Association (CMMA), our sole purpose was to organize carpet markets and support the carpet industry. Over time, with the shifting nature of our industry, the focus of FloorTek also changed and became more oriented on the technology and machinery aspects of the floor covering industry. In honor of AFA’s 40th anniversary, we are returning to our roots and extending invitations to flooring manufacturers to exhibit at the FloorTek Expo.

This year’s Expo will be held September 10-12, 2019 at the Dalton Convention Center. AFA is proud to announce that Engineered Floors has already accepted the invitation to exhibit at the inaugural reintroduction of manufacturers to the FloorTek Expo. Engineered Floors is on the cutting edge of innovation & design in the flooring industry and we are excited to have them as an exhibitor. FloorTek aspires to be a hub of innovative thinking and idea sharing in the industry and seeks the participation of all of the industry leading companies at our show.

Stephanie Manis, AFA’s executive director stated: “Our current FloorTek motto is ‘innovation, technology, machinery,’ and we believe that the reintroduction of the floor covering manufacturers at FloorTek will move us in a positive direction to fulfill our commitment to our motto and serve the entire floor covering industry. With the combination of floor covering manufacturers and suppliers exhibiting at the FloorTek Expo 2019, we are expecting a larger attendance than in the past. The upcoming event format will offer an ideal opportunity for flooring industry professionals at every level from around the world to share information and explore every avenue for growing the flooring marketplace”.

Dalton is where decisions are made; Dalton is where technology is making consumer products a better value; Dalton is where flooring begins.

Posted June 10, 2019

Source: American Floorcovering Alliance Inc.

WASHINGTON — June 7, 2019 — The United States and Mexico met this week to address the shared challenges of irregular migration, to include the entry of migrants into the United States in violation of U.S. law. Given the dramatic increase in migrants moving from Central America through Mexico to the United States, both countries recognize the vital importance of rapidly resolving the humanitarian emergency and security situation. The Governments of the United States and Mexico will work together to immediately implement a durable solution.

As a result of these discussions, the United States and Mexico commit to:

Mexican Enforcement Surge

Mexico will take unprecedented steps to increase enforcement to curb irregular migration, to include the deployment of its National Guard throughout Mexico, giving priority to its southern border. Mexico is also taking decisive action to dismantle human smuggling and trafficking organizations as well as their illicit financial and transportation networks. Additionally, the United States and Mexico commit to strengthen bilateral cooperation, including information sharing and coordinated actions to better protect and secure our common border.

Migrant Protection Protocols

The United States will immediately expand the implementation of the existing Migrant Protection Protocols across its entire Southern Border. This means that those crossing the U.S. Southern Border to seek asylum will be rapidly returned to Mexico where they may await the adjudication of their asylum claims.

In response, Mexico will authorize the entrance of all of those individuals for humanitarian reasons, in compliance with its international obligations, while they await the adjudication of their asylum claims. Mexico will also offer jobs, healthcare and education according to its principles.

The United States commits to work to accelerate the adjudication of asylum claims and to conclude removal proceedings as expeditiously as possible.

Further Actions

Both parties also agree that, in the event the measures adopted do not have the expected results, they will take further actions. Therefore, the United States and Mexico will continue their discussions on the terms of additional understandings to address irregular migrant flows and asylum issues, to be completed and announced within 90 days, if necessary.

Ongoing Regional Strategy

The United States and Mexico reiterate their previous statement of December 18, 2018, that both countries recognize the strong links between promoting development and economic growth in southern Mexico and the success of promoting prosperity, good governance and security in Central America. The United States and Mexico welcome the Comprehensive Development Plan launched by the Government of Mexico in concert with the Governments of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras to promote these goals. The United States and Mexico will lead in working with regional and international partners to build a more prosperous and secure Central America to address the underlying causes of migration, so that citizens of the region can build better lives for themselves and their families at home.

Posted June 8, 2019

Source: U.S. Department of State – Office of the Spokesperson

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — June 7, 2019 — Healthcare launderer Up To Date Laundry of Baltimore has been recertified Clean Green, reflecting the company’s continued dedication to operational efficiency and sustainability. Companies that have earned this certification adhere to TRSA-designated water and energy use thresholds and deploy best management practices (BMPs) consistent with the ASTM International environmental laundering standard.

Up To Date Laundry’s customers can be assured their linens, scrubs, cubicle curtains, mats and other products are washed, dried and finished with processes that maximize sustainability and reduce greenhouse emissions. Clean Green certified operations demonstrate significant commitment to conservation and green operations through these BMPs:

• Recovering heat from drained hot water and heat dispersed from the process of warming water;
• Recapturing drained water from rinses for reuse;
• Using environmentally friendly detergents;
• Removing solids and liquids from wastewater;
• Solar energy and energy-efficient lighting;
• Recycling programs;
• Re-routing trucks to save vehicle fuel; and
• Spill prevention plans.

The Clean Green certification is valid for three years at a time. TRSA inspects laundry facilities seeking certification and approves documentation of their water and energy use and BMP deployment through production reports they submit to auditors during the inspections. TRSA’s certification management protocol includes auditor training by the association’s inspection program administrator.

Clean Green aligns with the ASTM International standard, Guide for Sustainable Laundry Practices, which recognizes key criteria for the certification as universal indicators of maximum sustainability in commercial laundry work. ASTM’s review of TRSA BMPs verified these as the most effective and practical techniques for a laundry to achieve green objectives.

TRSA members prompted development of the standard, which was vetted in the sustainability subcommittee of the ASTM Committee on Textiles. Top technical experts, scientists and environmental professionals from outside the linen, uniform and facility services industry reviewed the BMPs. ASTM is the global leader in developing and delivering voluntary consensus standards unparalleled in building consumer confidence in product and service quality.

“I applaud Up To Date Laundry for their sustainability efforts and maintaining the highest standards in their production and delivery operations,” said Joseph Ricci, TRSA president and CEO. “Meeting all the criteria for certification is not easy, but Superior Linen is committed to industry-leading processes and technologies.”

Up To Date Laundry also holds the Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification, proving its commitment to customers that their laundries are dedicated to standards for best management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by on-site inspection and its capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbial testing. Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification confirms its continuing dedication to infection prevention, compliance with recognized industry standards and processing healthcare textiles using BMPs as described in its quality assurance documentation, a focal point for Hygienically Clean inspectors’ evaluation.

Posted June 7, 2019

Source: TRSA

WASHINGTON — June 7, 2019 — Imports at the nation’s major retail container ports are expected to continue to grow this summer as retailers stock up inventory to get ahead of higher tariffs, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“With a major tariff increase already announced and the possibility that tariffs could be imposed on nearly all goods and inputs from China, retailers are continuing to stock up while they can to protect their customers as much as possible against the price increases that will follow,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “Tariffs are taxes paid by American businesses and consumers, not foreign governments. Retailers will continue to do everything they possibly can to mitigate the impact of tariffs on consumers, but if we see further escalation in the trade war, it will be much more difficult to avoid higher price tags on a wide range of products. It’s time to stop using American families as pawns in negotiations for better trade deals.”

The Trump administration increased 10 percent tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods to 25 percent in May, with the increase applying to imports that arrive in the United States after June 15. The administration has also proposed to implement new 25 percent tariffs on $300 billion worth of Chinese goods and recently removed India and Turkey from the Generalized System of Preferences program, which allows certain items to be imported duty-free. In addition, the administration announced a 5 percent escalating tariff on all imports from Mexico, but those goods travel by truck or train and do no effect cargo numbers at U.S. seaports.

“One must wonder who the Trump administration is trying to punish with its growing enthusiasm for tariffs,” Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett said. “The tariffs are offsetting much of the savings from tax cuts, and if this continues there could be tough months ahead.”

U.S. ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 1.75 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units in April, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available. That was up 8.4 percent from March and up 6.9 percent year-over-year. A TEU is one 20-foot-long cargo container or its equivalent.

May was estimated at 1.88 million TEU, up 3 percent year-over-year. June is forecast at 1.86 million TEU, up 0.3 percent; July at 1.93 million TEU, up 1.1 percent; August at 1.95 million TEU, up 3.3 percent; September at 1.89 million, up 0.9 percent, and October at 1.95 million TEU, down 4.4 percent. The August and October numbers would be the highest monthly totals since the 2 million TEU record set last October as retailers rushed to bring merchandise into the country ahead of expected tariff increases.

Imports during 2018 set a record of 21.8 million TEU, an increase of 6.2 percent over 2017’s previous record of 20.5 million TEU. The first half of 2019 is expected to total 10.6 million TEU, up 3 percent over the first half of 2018.

Global Port Tracker, which is produced for NRF by the consulting firm Hackett Associates, covers the U.S. ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma on the West Coast; New York/New Jersey, Port of Virginia, Charleston, Savannah, Port Everglades, Miami and Jacksonville on the East Coast, and Houston on the Gulf Coast.

Posted June 7, 2019

Source: The National Retail Federation (NRF)