DALTON (October 19, 2011)— Mohawk’s SmartStrand carpet is now the talk of the town in Princeton, Illinois. Todd and Debra Burrows, owners of Princeton’s Wyanet Carpet, decided to conduct a SmartStrand Challenge for their whole community to see. The Burrows installed SmartStrand carpet on Main Street for the popular Homestead Festival Parade.

The SmartStrand carpet endured serious abuse all day. Tractors, trucks, cars, people, and even animals traveled down the parade route, and eventually, all of them made their way on the SmartStrand carpet. The mess was bigger than the Burrows expected, (parade animals can leave behind an unpleasant situation).

“It was bad,” said Todd Burrows. “But we never doubted the power of SmartStrand’s durability and built-in stain resistance.”

A team of carpet cleaning professionals from ServiceMaster of Princeton volunteered their services and went to work as soon as the parade ended. A crowd of more than 50 people watched as they easily removed heavy dirt, stains and soiling. Within just a few minutes, the SmartStrand carpet looked just as good as new. In fact, it’s in such great shape the Burrows recently installed it in the Wyanet Carpet showroom for every customer to see.

“It’s a great conversation starter for our sales team,” explained Burrows. “Customers love everything about the SmartStrand story. It’ s the only carpet with built-in stain resistance that never washes off or wears away, plus it has lasting durability, and exceptional softness. When you tell customers that SmartStrand carpet is eco-friendly and made in part from corn, that really seals the deal.”

“We are always encouraging our retailers to find fun, unique ways to separate themselves from the competition and invest in the local community,” added David Duncan, senior vice president of marketing at Mohawk. “Wyanet Carpet has certainly done that with the SmartStrand Parade Challenge. When it’s time for people in Princeton, Illinois, to shop for flooring—whether it’s two days or two years from now—they will remember this.”

Burrows agrees with Duncan. While it’s still too early to know what impact this promotional event will have upon his SmartStrand sales, he says the SmartStrand Parade Challenge has certainly positioned him as the top of mind flooring retailer in his local community.

“I can’t wait to see what we come up with next,” added Burrows. “Mohawk has provided us with great products and a lot of great marketing support. Really, the sky’s the limit.”

To see pictures from the Wyanet Carpet SmartStrand Parade Challenge, visit the Mohawk Facebook page.

About Mohawk Industries
Mohawk is a leading supplier of flooring for both residential and commercial applications. Mohawk offers a complete selection of carpet, hardwood, ceramic tile, laminate, stone, vinyl, rugs and other home and business products. These products are marketed under the premier brands in the industry, which include Mohawk, Karastan, Columbia, Century, Dal-Tile, American Olean, Quick-Step, Lees, Bigelow and Durkan. Mohawk's unique merchandising and marketing assist our customers in creating the consumers' dream. Mohawk provides a premium level of service with its own trucking fleet and over 250 local distribution locations.