Article Number: 6186
New Mohawk Solutions Convention Celebrates the "Spirit of the Entrepreneur", Deals with Tough Economic Climate
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. (December 2, 2010)—Mohawk’s Manny Llerena knows the flooring industry is very different today than it was just a couple of years ago. And he knows that even very good dealers have to change to be successful in today’s marketplace.
He believes Mohawk’s Solutions Convention, the annual gathering of Mohawk Floorscapes and ColorCenter dealers, is one of the most important ways for stores to embrace change—take full advantage of the entrepreneurial spirit of the independent flooring retailer.
Mohawk’s 2011 Solutions Convention is the largest retail meeting ever convened by a flooring manufacturer. More than 1170 of the nation’s best flooring dealers have gathered for this year’s convention to see Mohawk’s newest products and programs—and to share ideas with each other on how to cope with the realities of today’s marketplace.
“The years between 1996 through 2006 were great for the flooring industry. Sales were growing, stores were opening and life was good,” said Llerena, Mohawk’s Vice President of Retail Marketing. “When 2007 rolled around, it became pretty evident the ‘Gold Rush’ days were over. Intense competition exists for the sales that are available, and margins are squeezed from all sides. The path to success needs to be redefined. We need to become better business people, hire better, train better and operate better.”
The path for this, he said, is to “remind and reawaken ourselves to the power of the professional small business owner.
“There are five characteristics of the entrepreneur that spell success in times like these: leadership, passion, adaptability, ambition, and courage. Our Mohawk Aligned Dealers are remarkably strong in these areas, and Mohawk’s role is to partner with them and support them so that they have everything they need to be successful.”
Llerena said this means making sure every store utilizes every element of the Mohawk Aligned Dealer program for maximum advantage.
“Think of what we do as a GPS system for success,” he said. “For the last three years, the Aligned Dealer Program has been developing new tools and benefits—and refining existing ones—to help our retailers meet today’s challenges and succeed. I can say without any hesitation the more Mohawk Aligned Program resources dealers use, the greater sales, margins, and profitability they will experience. We have proven that time and time again at stores in different markets, with different customer bases, and with different circumstances around the country.
“What we’re doing at convention is making sure all our Aligned Dealers understand the power that is available to them to make positive changes in their business. We know we can guide dealers in the right direction, even in these times.”
Llerena said the focal point of this year’s convention is a “Benefits Area” that provides complete details on all programs available for Aligned Dealers—advertising, training, web services, operations, merchandising, and other disciplines. He said Mohawk has coupled this with new products to capitalize on what consumers are demanding today—and what offers stores the best profit potential.
“None of us can be blinded by believing what made us successful in the past will keep us successful in the future, or that business growth will some how magically happen,” he said. “Every store needs a road map on how to take advantage of the tools available to create action items, time lines and methods to measure results.
“At the Solutions Convention, that’s what we intended to deliver.”
He believes Mohawk’s Solutions Convention, the annual gathering of Mohawk Floorscapes and ColorCenter dealers, is one of the most important ways for stores to embrace change—take full advantage of the entrepreneurial spirit of the independent flooring retailer.
Mohawk’s 2011 Solutions Convention is the largest retail meeting ever convened by a flooring manufacturer. More than 1170 of the nation’s best flooring dealers have gathered for this year’s convention to see Mohawk’s newest products and programs—and to share ideas with each other on how to cope with the realities of today’s marketplace.
“The years between 1996 through 2006 were great for the flooring industry. Sales were growing, stores were opening and life was good,” said Llerena, Mohawk’s Vice President of Retail Marketing. “When 2007 rolled around, it became pretty evident the ‘Gold Rush’ days were over. Intense competition exists for the sales that are available, and margins are squeezed from all sides. The path to success needs to be redefined. We need to become better business people, hire better, train better and operate better.”
The path for this, he said, is to “remind and reawaken ourselves to the power of the professional small business owner.
“There are five characteristics of the entrepreneur that spell success in times like these: leadership, passion, adaptability, ambition, and courage. Our Mohawk Aligned Dealers are remarkably strong in these areas, and Mohawk’s role is to partner with them and support them so that they have everything they need to be successful.”
Llerena said this means making sure every store utilizes every element of the Mohawk Aligned Dealer program for maximum advantage.
“Think of what we do as a GPS system for success,” he said. “For the last three years, the Aligned Dealer Program has been developing new tools and benefits—and refining existing ones—to help our retailers meet today’s challenges and succeed. I can say without any hesitation the more Mohawk Aligned Program resources dealers use, the greater sales, margins, and profitability they will experience. We have proven that time and time again at stores in different markets, with different customer bases, and with different circumstances around the country.
“What we’re doing at convention is making sure all our Aligned Dealers understand the power that is available to them to make positive changes in their business. We know we can guide dealers in the right direction, even in these times.”
Llerena said the focal point of this year’s convention is a “Benefits Area” that provides complete details on all programs available for Aligned Dealers—advertising, training, web services, operations, merchandising, and other disciplines. He said Mohawk has coupled this with new products to capitalize on what consumers are demanding today—and what offers stores the best profit potential.
“None of us can be blinded by believing what made us successful in the past will keep us successful in the future, or that business growth will some how magically happen,” he said. “Every store needs a road map on how to take advantage of the tools available to create action items, time lines and methods to measure results.
“At the Solutions Convention, that’s what we intended to deliver.”
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