Surface Blog

Introducing: “True Hardwood Story” - Carlisle Customer Interviews!

• Posted by
• Lesley Anderson

We’re excited to introduce a new type of blog post that we’ll be offering to you regularly here on Surface - "True Hardwood Stories" - real stories and feedback from actual Carlisle customers!

Flipping through our books full of heartfelt, handmade customer letters and photographs, we thought it would be a shame to keep that to ourselves and not let others see what wonderful and different ways Carlisle has been impacting the lives of our customers over the years. We’ll be conducting interviews and featuring customers on the blog to help tell their story and hopefully inspire you to do the same.

As always, feel free to share your questions and concerns. Are you a previous or current customer with your own story to tell? We’d love to feature you! Just leave us a comment expressing your interest and we’ll be in touch with you right away. Maybe you’ll get to feel like a celebrity and see your story on the blog someday! What’s your True Hardwood Story?

Posted on Apr 16, 2008 AT 11:30 PM in (0) Comments

The Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in Chicago—what a great show!

• Posted by
• Megan Sprague

I just returned from the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in Chicago—what a great show! The venue is in such a beautiful place, bordering Lake Michigan and large enough to fill three exhibit halls worth of kitchen and bathroom products/services. Carlisle’s booth was in the Lakeside Center. Our 200 square foot booth had two of our signature wood floors: 12-16” Eastern White Pine with Plymouth Pumpkin stain and 7-10” Hickory with our Tung Oil finish. Both floors and sample panels were show stoppers and attracted DIY homeowners and architects/designers alike. Our sales staff had a nice time chatting with clients and really enjoyed the high number of people walking KBIS this year. Gary and Erin especially liked answering questions and educating booth visitors about our new Custom Coat™ Pre-Finished floors—our latest product to launch. Brian and Eric, members of our sales staff from our new Chicago design center commented that dispelling common myths about wood floors was one of their favorite topics to speak about.

As I walked the show, I did see some neat products. The latest kitchen and bathroom counters that peaked my interest are of recycled glass and I saw some neat handmade pullware for kitchen or bathroom cabinets, designed to match any style or decor.  Lastly, radiant heat—which has become a popular heating source, is a luxury underfoot in bathrooms. Before the show ended I was able to listen to Home Magazine Live, a radio program hosted by Alan Taylor—he interviewed our very own Gary Ryer for a short segment on our wide plank floors.

Posted on Apr 16, 2008 AT 05:08 AM in (1) Comments

Sara Fritz

• Posted by
• Sara Fritz

Hi everyone.  I’m Sara Fritz and I am the Human Resources Manager here at Carlisle Wide Plank Floors.  It’s hard for me to believe but I have been part of the Carlisle family for just over 7 years now and what a great time it has been.  As a Carlisle customer myself, I’m ready to share my take on the installation process, four-legged animal distressing (I have two dogs) and the overall experience of living on a Carlisle floor.  As the HR Manager I don’t get to spend much time educating our customers so this may be my chance, but other than that I’m hoping that my blog additions will help you to get the inside scoop on what makes Carlisle tick.  

One thing I will share with you is an intimate look into the Carlisle employee culture.  I’m proud to say that we have a unique bunch of people working here and by sharing some of our experiences you may see just how special our company is.  Be it though different volunteer projects we participate in, how we celebrate each other’s personal/professional successes or the companies charitable giving initiatives you will have a unique window into what makes Carlisle, well, Carlisle.

On a personal note, my passions include cooking/baking, softball and the Boston Red Sox.  I absolutely love to bake and decorate birthday cakes for fellow employees (and their families) and I hope to one day make it a more formal business for myself.  And yes, I do share recipes.   I have also been a Boston Red Sox fan for over 35 years now, so I guess you could call me gluten for punishment who finally knows the sweet taste of success.  Yes, I survived the Bucky Dent home run of 1978 and the Bill Buckner event in 1986 but lady luck has been shining on us as of late.  Two World Series wins in 3 years is pretty cool, I must say.  I actually attended Opening Day at Fenway Park on April 8th and to see the team receive their World Series rings was a personal dream come true.  Not to mention the public display of forgiveness for Bill Buckner as he threw out the first pitch.  So if any of you ever want to talk Boston baseball, I’m your gal.

Well, I look forward to chatting with you and I’m sure we will share lots of thoughts, ideas and passions.  Until then!

Sara

Posted on Apr 16, 2008 AT 01:28 AM in (0) Comments

All about wood: Longleaf Yellow Heart Pine Flooring

• Posted by
• Chris Sy

Longleaf Yellow Pine used to be the dominate species in Southeastern United States. It was the Driving force behind the South’s post Civil War industrial revolution Established the social status of hard wood floors Primary wood used in early 1900s Southern homes, mills, and factories. Not to be confused with Shortleaf Yellow Pine, a fast growing timber that is used today for plywood, pulp and pressure treated lumber.

What makes Longleaf Heart Pine so special and prized by our customers is the deep amber-colored patina which darkens and becomes more beautiful as the wood ages. If a floor rich in history, family tradition, and color is your idea of the perfect surface for your home, ask for a sample of Carlisle’s Old Growth Heart Pine today. It will be a floor that grows with your family for generations.

John Crosby and Don Carlisle on the Crosby Alabama plantation.

For more than 40 years, Carlisle Heart Pine has come from a 30,000-acre plantation in Alabama, owned and operated by the Crosby famliy.

This is the first in an on going video series we are calling All About Wood, highlighting the history, facts and thoughts about our most popular wide plank hard wood flooring.

Posted on Apr 10, 2008 AT 02:44 AM in Hardwood Flooring • (0) Comments

Expressing Personal Style is the Latest Trend in Kitchen Design

• Posted by
• Sharon Bondie

Can’t buy a home with the kitchen of your dreams…then remodel your current home and express your personal style in every design element! According to the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, business is booming for contractors and others in home improvement businesses. In fact, a recent study conducted by Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies estimates Americans will spend $160 billion on repairs and home improvements in 2007, a 3.2 percent increase over the previous year. The five most popular remodeling projects will be kitchens and bathrooms, additions, and changing the paint, floor and wall coverings.

Posted on Apr 09, 2008 AT 03:52 AM in (0) Comments