Chicago—Last month, the North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors (NAFCD) hosted a virtual town hall that was open to all NAFCD members to address the needs and challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The inaugural virtual town hall was a great opportunity for our members to join as a community,” said NAFCD executive vice president, Kevin Gammonley. “The ability to lean on one another for support, insights and creative ideas has been invaluable for many members. We hope to gain more momentum with this medium to keep our members connected throughout the year.”
According to a survey taken during the town hall, 40% of respondents said the impact on business was better than what they originally projected. About 44% of respondents said their business saw a 20% to 30% decline due to the economic shutdown associated with COVID-19.
Many distribution firms were represented on the town hall, including Blakely Products, Fishman Flooring Solutions, Commercial Flooring Distributors, Herregan Distributors, A&M Supply and Abraham Linc. Distributor executives who spoke provided thoughtful discussion on their experiences at the start of the pandemic and the changes that will be implemented within their operations and sales practices. Major manufacturers also participated and provided insights into what they are seeing across their distribution networks.
The NAFCD continues to update its COVID-19 online repository to make accessing the material and training quick and easy. Much of this content is offered to the industry and is not member-exclusive.