From The Desk Of: Our Interns – “The Recipe for Consolidated”

Tradition, Quality, Service, and Pride are the key ingredients to Consolidated Carpet. These values are a part of the Consolidated culture and were obvious to us from the moment we walked in the door. History is important to Consolidated being that it is a 70 year old third-generation business, owned and operated by the Meberg family. However, you do not have to have the last name Meberg to feel like family here. There is a sense of trust and respect between every associate within the company. At Consolidated, relationships are important. Internally, team work is essential during all parts of an operation. Even though we’ve only been here a few weeks, it is obvious that the associates work to each other’s strengths because the company understands that everyone works differently, encouraging them to work the way that is best for them. The different perspectives that associates have blend together- which is one factor to the company’s success. 

Everyone from the estimators to the installers is knowledgeable about the products that Consolidated installs. Because of this, there is fluent communication within the office community. Even before a bid is received, the company’s mission, “to proudly service our valued clients’ every flooring need”, is in full effect. Consolidated’s commitment to quality is found throughout the office, starting with the precise work of the estimators. Then coordinators, project management, and back office operations complete their responsibilities in a productive manner. The salespeople understand how Consolidated fits in to the industry and act upon opportunities to succeed.

Consolidated Carpet is so much more than just flooring. The associates have  been more than just educators to us  and are willing to learn from each other. Every day we have come into the office, we have not only learned something new about the industry but also about life as well. One lesson they have stressed is the importance of relationships. Through building relationships on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn, Consolidated has increased transparency to vendors, general contractors, and end users.

Consolidated is a unique company because every associate has a sense of pride in what they do, making it a very positive place to work. Associates are proud to be part of the company. The company trusts everyone to do their jobs and represent the Consolidated brand: The Consolidated Way.

*”From The Desk of Our Interns” is a summer series written by our interns Alyssa & Ameilia

Consolidated Carpets The Community

Being active in our community is something near and dear to us at Consolidated. Since our founding almost 70 years ago, we have been active in giving back to those in need. Whether it is through monetary sponsorships, participation in toy and clothing drives, or through donations – we have made it a priority to be a good corporate citizen.

Most recently, we were able to provide carpet to a local non-profit in need. After a flood damaged much of the office carpet at their 81st Street Residence, the Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter needed assistance. NCS’ goal is to end homelessness for men, women and youth who have aged out of foster care in New York. Having forged a relationship last year with the NCS through our friends at IFMA Cares New York City, Consolidated was happy to help again. With our donation of over 1,035 square feet of carpet tile, NCS was able to renovate the damaged space in two hallways, eight offices, a health room and a conference room.

A special thank you goes out to the team at IFMA Cares New York City for your partnership, as well as the dedicated associates at Consolidated for helping to coordinate this donation. We wish the Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter the best of luck in their updated space!

Lunching & Learning at NYP/CUMC

At Consolidated Carpet, we pride ourselves on not only being superior installers and contractors, but as a resource for people to learn more about flooring products and applications. We like to share our knowledge base with people who can use these facts to make informed decisions on what products should be installed throughout their spaces. An industry that has very specific requirements when specifying and installing flooring is healthcare. Because of the various needs of healthcare facilities, from anti-microbial and slip-resistant products to air quality awareness, there are lines of products that most appropriately fit into the space. We work to ensure that healthcare facilities decision-makers are aware of the many problems that exist in their spaces, and how we can offer solutions tailored to their needs.

With these goals in mind, our healthcare team and two college interns visited the team at New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center (NYP/CUMC) to discuss some of the latest innovations in healthcare flooring. Partnering with a local distributor, we helped to present about PVC-free flooring – a product attribute that is becoming more popular in institutional projects for environmental and health benefits. After the presentation, we spoke with the team at NYP/CUMC about our healthcare division and previous project successes.

We received feedback that the group not only learned a lot about PVC-free flooring options, but installation methods that could best suit the facilities’ needs. Thanks to the team at NYP/CUMC for lunching & learning with Consolidated!

Some of our lunch & learn materials

Some of our lunch & learn materials

Consolidated at NeoCon

At the tail end of each spring, the commercial interiors industry comes together for a celebration of new products, innovations & best practices at the must-attend showcase of the year: NeoCon. Held at Chicago’s famous Merchandise Mart, the 3-day exhibit brings the “who’s who” of interiors to view and interact with vendors ranging from textiles to furniture, with our favorite being the flooring! Networking and trend-spotting take a front row seat to see what the next year will bring for the industry.

From June 10 – June 12, NeoCon shined, and we were excited to be in attendance. Our Executive VP spent time viewing the newest products in the floor covering industry, learning more about sustainable qualities, durability, and specific applications for install. One of the major flooring stand-outs for us was J+J Flooring Groups‘ new product line, Kinetex. Kinetex is a hard surface alternative, with high-performance in healthcare, educational and other institutional spaces. The wear-layer is created from “abrasion and ravel resistant knitted fabric”, while the Polyester backing offers a bit of cushion. With some interesting colorways, our team knows the Kinetex product will be a perfect solution for us to offer through our Healthcare Division.

Another group of products we found to be interesting and unique came from Shaw Contract Group. Their debut of “Hexagon” was stunning – carpet tiles in an uncommon shape with 6 sides instead of the usual 4. In addition, we enjoyed Shaw Hard Surface’s new “Chordinates” product, and look forward to working with both of these products!

Not to be outdone – many of of our other favorite debuts came from Milliken, Mannington, Tandus & Tarkett Johnsonite. Don’t miss the photos below of these stellar products. Can’t wait for NeoCon 2014!

“Fashion Meets Finish” at IIDA NJ Event

On Thursday, June 6, our team took in a night of fun, fashion & flooring at the 2nd Annual Fashion Meets Finish Event hosted by IIDA NJ | PA | DE. Held at the STEM Building at Kean University in Union, NJ, the fashion show brought together local design teams to create wearable art constructed from materials provided by sponsoring manufacturers. We proudly participated as a sponsor along with other industry leaders, including Bentley Mills LA, Shaw Contract Group, Haworth, Gensler, Knoll, Armstrong and Mohawk Group.

With over 20 design teams taking their “Sinister”-themed designs to the catwalk, an audience of over 500 attendees admired the incredible garments.  Three celebrity judges participated in the event, including HGTV’s American Handyman Shaun Killman, DesignStar Blanche Garcia, and Project Runway Star Austin Scarlett.

The resulting fashions captured the spirit of young designers – fresh, unique and thrilling. Congratulations to the participating teams & IIDA NJ | PA | DE Chapter on an amazing event! Be sure to click through the pictures below to see the exciting and stunning garments.