It seems that major brands are jumping on the QR Code bandwagon. Best Buy, Fox Network, Calvin Klein, Gap and USA Today are just a few who are taking advantage of this exciting new technology.
A QR code (abbreviated from Quick Response Code) is a type of matrix barcode or two-dimensional code first designed for the automotive industry. More recently, the system has become popular for media access, product information (marketing/advertising) as well as other misc. uses.
With over 80% of all adults living in the US using smart phones this is a natural progression in the world of marketing.
Carpenter’s carpet cushion division is using this technology to enable the consumer, at the point of sale, to access information to help them make an informed purchase decision.
By linking into U-Tube we are able to provide a graphic illustration of how our products work while at the same time giving about a 15 second audio presentation on the key benefits.
Unfortunately, every retail sales person cannot be up to speed on every new product. This technology allows us to quickly and accurately deliver information to the consumer when they want it.
QR codes will appear on product samples of Stainmaster, Stainmaster Plus, Odor-Eaters and Spillguard products.
September 29 & 30 saw twelve of Carpenter Co.’s next generation of managers spend two intense, information packed days at the Reinhart Technical Center in Richmond, VA. Attendees met and heard from every senior executive in all functional business areas for updates and insights to our various businesses. As part of the development experiences for the group, they had the opportunity to meet CEO Stan Pauley and his entire executive team for dinner. The next two days followed with conversations on all our operating units. In addition to this experience, trainees have been participating in rotating job assignments and online training supplemented with one-on-one coaching with their respective Division Managers.
L to R attendees included: Mike McLane/Fogelsville, Josh Ferriall/Russellville, Ken Nyguen/Rivreside, Brandon Bednar/Fogelsville, Jonathan Ames/Temple, Travis Gnida/Conover, Barry Kubasek/Riverside, Joel Balaban/Lakeland, Charles Warren/Conover, Eric LaFaucia/Elkhart, Billy Chabot/Taylor and Cliff Paddock/Russellville.
(Loudon, TN -May 31, 2011) - The Polyurethane Foam Association (PFA) has announced the posthumous induction of two prominent foam industry pioneers and innovators into the Flexible Polyurethane Foam Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony took place during the PFA’s Spring General Business Meeting in May in Baltimore, Md.
Bob Bush, Sr., one of the Hall of Fame inductees, was a founding father of the Polyurethane Foam Association. He played a pivotal role in the development of the flexible polyurethane foam and furniture industries throughout his 50-year career at Hickory Springs Manufacturing Company, one of the largest polyurethane foam producers in the country.
Accepting the Hall of Fame honor for Bob Bush, Sr. were his sons Bob Bush, Jr. and Jimmy Bush. Both are members of the Hickory Springs Manufacturing Co. management team and, following in their father’s career path, are active members of the U.S. flexible polyurethane foam, furniture and bedding industries.
Also inducted was E. Rhodes Carpenter, founder of one of the world’s leading producers of comfort cushioning products. Forbes ranked E.R. Carpenter, commonly known as Carpenter Co., as one of the top 300 largest privately-held companies in the U.S., and one of the few to pass the $1 billion sales mark.
Ed Malechek, president of Carpenter Co., Myron H. (Bud) Reinhart, retired president of Carpenter Co., and Ann Day, E. Rhodes Carpenter’s step-daughter and president and chair of the board of directors of the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, accepted the Hall of Fame honor on behalf of E. Rhodes Carpenter.
The purpose of the Flexible Polyurethane Foam Hall of Fame, housed virtually at www.pfa.org, is to recognize individuals and corporations who have significantly contributed to the growth and betterment of the flexible polyurethane foam industry in North America.
Bios of the two 2011 inductees:
Bob Bush, Sr. was one of the founding fathers of the Polyurethane Foam Association and has been described by many as a pioneer and a legendary figure in the flexible polyurethane foam industry. Bush spent his entire 50-year career at Hickory Springs Manufacturing Company, where his energy, ambition, drive and innovative ideas contributed not only to the success of the company, but also to the growth and success of the polyurethane foam industry as a whole. When Bush’s career began in 1953, latex foam rubber was king, and Hickory Springs was buying molded slabs of latex cushioning material from producers in northern states and reselling fabricated products to customers. Bush suspected that a plastic foam could compete with latex, so he sought support for experiments that could result in the development an acceptable plastic substitute for foam rubber. By the time Bush retired in 2002 as executive vice president of sales, Hickory Springs had grown to become one of the largest flexible polyurethane foam producers in the country. The company ranks among North Carolina’s largest private employers and has more than 50 manufacturing plants in 16 states and China. Those who worked with Bush describe him as one of the chief architects of Hickory Springs’ success. One innovation that Bush championed was positioning Hickory Springs’ facilities where they could provide a strategic advantage to customers who were unable to maintain large raw material inventories. In the 1960s, he established an effective “just in time” delivery program. Bush also played an important role in the development of the flexible polyurethane foam and furniture industries through his service as a founding member of the PFA, through his involvement with the International Sleep Products Association (ISPA), and as president of the American Furniture Manufacturers Association’s Suppliers Council. He received the Exceptional Service Award and the Robert MacMorran Award from ISPA, and was inducted into the American Furniture Hall of Fame in 2006. Bush died in January 2010 in Hickory, North Carolina, at age 78. His legacy lives on through his sons Bobby and Jimmy.
E. Rhodes Carpenter, founder of Carpenter Co., built his company from a distributor of Goodyear latex foam rubber into one of the world’s leading producers of comfort cushioning products. After his graduation from Hampden-Sydney College in 1929, Carpenter began working at Crawford Manufacturing Company, a Richmond manufacturer of textiles that his father had founded with two partners. By the time WWII ended, Carpenter had decided to go into business for himself. He formed Southern Foam Rubber Co. when the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. allotted him the distribution territory of Virginia and North Carolina. In addition, he formed E.R. Carpenter Co. to manufacture various latex foam-containing products. In the early years, distributing foam rubber was quite profitable, but soon, competition began to erode profits. At that time, polyurethane foam technology was rapidly developing and Rhodes decided to pour polyurethane foam to supplement the latex foam rubber market. The company’s first polyurethane foam pour line began in 1962 in Richmond, VA. It wasn’t too long before the latex foam market dropped under pressure from less expensive polyurethane foams. Soon, Southern Foam Rubber Co. fell by the wayside and E. R. Carpenter Co. led the way. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Carpenter’s company continued to grow - introducing flexible foam carpet cushioning and foam for automotive applications and establishing a chemical company to produce polyol. Carpenter built manufacturing facilities in Texas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Indiana, Canada, Mississippi, Florida, Pennsylvania, and California. Eventually the company expanded its operations throughout Western Europe. Carpenter Co. now has 19 foam production plants, 4,700 employees and 56 global locations. Carpenter Co. was ranked by Forbes as the 247th largest privately-held U.S. company and one of only 305 to pass the $1 billion sales mark. Carpenter semi-retired in 1965 and died in 1980. His legacy lives on through the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, which was founded in 1975.
RICHMOND, VA May 2011 – The 15th Annual Webby Awards named ‘2 Guys, 600 Pillows’ winner for Best Editing: Online Film and Video of the Year.
Carpenter Co., along with the video’s creators, Rhett & Link, will be honored at the star-studded, live online broadcast of The Webby Awards from New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom on Monday, June 13, 2011. The following day, fans will be able to watch The Webby Awards at www.webbyawards.com and The Webby Awards Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TheWebbyAwards. A full list of both Webby Awards and People’s Voice Awards winners can be found at: www.webbyawards.com/webbys/current/php?season=15
Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by The New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet, including websites, interactive advertising & media, online film & video, and mobile & apps. The Webby Awards is presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 750-person judging academy whose members include Martha Stewart, Darren Aronofsky, R/GA’s Chief Bob Greenberg, David Bowie, Arianna Huffington and Twitter’s Biz Stone.
“The Webby Awards honors the very best of the Internet,” said David-Michel Davies, Executive Director of the Webby Awards. “this achievement is a testament to the skill, ingenuity and vision of its creators.”
Dan Schecter, VP of Sales and Marketing has this to say about the win: “In keeping with our mission to keep our dialog with America about the importance of sleep we know that social media reaches a wide group of people and we are proud to have communicated our message to so many.”
The 15th Annual Webby Awards received nearly 10,000 entries from over 60 countries and all 50 US states.
Founded in 1996, The Webby Awards are known worldwide for its famous 5-word speech limit. Past Webby Award winners – and their speeches - include Al Gore (“Please don’t recount this vote”), Beastie Boys (“Can anyone fix my computer?”), and Stephen Colbert (“Me. Me. Me. Me. Me.”).
About Rhett & Link:
Carpenter Co. joined forces with Rhett & Link to create the memorable and amazing video ‘2 Guys, 600 Pillows (Backwards Music Video)’. With over 4 million views on YouTube alone, the video has reminded many that their favorite pillow might not be as fresh and clean as it once was. As “Internetainers”, Rhett & Link have over 720,000 subscribers and over 90 million views on YouTube, making them one of the most popular internet personalities. On June 24th, they will be seen on IFC (Independent Film Channel) in a new show called “Commercial Kings”.
About The Webby Awards:
Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by the New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites, interactive advertising & media, online film & video, and mobile & apps. Established in 1996, the 15th Annual Webby Awards received nearly 10,000 entries from all 50 states and over 60 countries worldwide. The Webby Awards is presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include: AOL, Aquent, Yahoo!, Microsoft, Ford, Dentyne, Facebook, MLB Advanced Media, Rackspace Hosting, LBi, Buddy Media, YouTube, HP, USA Today, Business Insider, 2advanced.Net, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Time Out New York and Guardian News and Media.
From May 25, 2011 through May 28, 2011 Carpenter will be attending Interzum Cologne and invite you to our stand to give you an update on our latest developments. Find us this year at Hal 10.2 Aisle C N° : 010 where we’ll be highlighting our extensive range of foams, including Avena, Celsius and Naturalis.
We understand that we can make the finest products available that provide the greatest benefit to the consumer - Products that provide you a chance to significantly increase your bottom line - But if the consumer doesn’t buy them, who cares.
Carpenter invested a great deal to better understand what drives the consumer to make buying decisions. We know that today over 90% of all home furnishing purchases are made or are heavily influenced by woman. We understand that no one ever gets excited about spending money to buy PAD. But we also know that the consumer will spend more to get a cushion system that can help make their carpet look new longer, make it easier to clean and maintain and will eliminate odors caused by spills and pet accidents.
The key is knowing how to make a quick, simple presentation that works. To make a presentation that gets results without any risk of losing a sale. We have not only developed this method, but we’ve tested it, and it works!
Later this spring, we will be rolling out an on-line module training program available to all our carpet cushion customers. This training program will show you how easy it can be to sell better quality, more expensive products even in these difficult times. Ask your Carpenter District manager how you and your sales people can participate in this program at no cost to you.
Carpenter teams were on campus at career fairs at Purdue, Texas A &M, Western Michigan, Tennessee, Cal Poly, Penn State, Virginia Commonwealth, Western Kentucky and Murray State. Candidates for positions as Management Trainees were identified for opportunities in our manufacturing sector. Our ‘almost traditional’ school names, nicknames and initials made from flexible foam in school colors continues to be the most sought after item by student, faculty and other companies’ recruiters attending careers fairs across the country. Over 200 were given out at Penn State. The supply was gone with two hours left at Cal Poly when an engineering student came to see us and complimented Carpenter Co. on its innovation for the Cal Poly and Bronco logo. Her compliments and lament about not getting one later brought her one of each from our team who found a pair back at the Riverside Division!
The 200 orange power T’s at Tennessee overshadowed the display in Knoxville!
Carpenter Co, an international company centered on polyurethane manufacturing processes and chemical engineering, has completed a Polyol Manufacturing Technology License Agreement in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This license was recently assigned with a newly formed joint venture between Saudi Advanced Industries Company (SAIC) and National Industrialization Company (TASNEE). Expectation is that SAIC / TASNEE will complete construction of the 120 KT per year polyol facility by the end of 1Q2014. Carpenter’s Mr Chris Ruchte (Vice President of Powell Plant) was present for the signing along with Mr Saleh Al-Nazha (TASNEE President & COO) and Mr Mansour Al-Yahyan (SAIC GM).
The polyol plant site will be built in the adjacent commercial development zone to the PETRORabigh complex located roughly 145km north of Jeddah. In July of last year, SAIC / TASNEE secured a 100KT per year supply agreement of propylene oxide from PETRORabigh. Current demands in the Middle East Region estimate that polyether polyol demand will continue to grow at 8% to 11% annually. Polyol production will focus on polyurethane markets in cellular and non-cellular applications.
Lisa Shives, M.D. to provide medical insights and advice for sleep health,
conduct sleep studies and guide sleep product development
RICHMOND, Va., March 8, 2011 – Talk about a dream job. Carpenter Co. and SleepBetter.org have tapped one of the nation’s foremost medical authorities on sleep as its new expert.
Lisa Shives, M.D. – aka “Dr. Lisa, The Sleep, M.D.” – joins Carpenter Co. and SleepBetter.org’s multi-year campaign to educate America about the importance of sleep as its resident sleep authority. She will dispense medical insights, offer tips for improving sleep health, conduct original research and help shape the development of innovative sleep products.
Lisa Shives is just what the doctor ordered, so to speak,” said Dan Schecter, vice president of consumer products at Carpenter Co. and creator of SleepBetter.org. “The SleepBetter product development process has evolved to a point where it increasingly translates data from sleep studies into technology advanced bedding products. This evolution created the need for an experienced physician as part of our team. Dr. Lisa is a leader in the burgeoning sleep medicine sub-specialty and has thousands of her own patients. We are particularly excited by her interest in helping conduct original sleep studies and in participating in our new product development process. We very much look forward to working with her.”
Dr. Shives is one of only a few practitioners with a fellowship in Sleep Medicine in addition to board certification by both the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Sleep Medicine. She is the founder of Northshore Sleep Medicine in Chicago, which works with more than 4,000 patients. An active member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, she has served as the organization’s official spokesperson, commenting in such national media outlets as USA Today, The New York Times, Redbook, and Prevention, among others. She also is a contributor to CNN.com’s medical blog The Chart.
In addition to conducting original sleep research and providing ongoing sleep tips for the SleepBetter.org Facebook page (www.facebook.com/sleepbetter) as “Dr. Lisa, Sleep M.D.” She will endorse and develop the SleepBetter “Signature” line of products.
Dr. Shives graduated from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. She completed her internship in Internal medicine at Yale University and her residency at Northwestern University. She also completed a fellowship in medical ethics and in sleep medicine, both at the University of Chicago. Before opening her own sleep practice, she was an attending physician at Evanston Hospital and specialist in sleep and pain disorders for Horizon Hospice in Chicago.
It seems that major brands are jumping on the QR Code bandwagon. Best Buy, Fox Network, Calvin Klein, Gap and USA Today are just a few who are taking advantage of this exciting new technology.
From May 25, 2011 through May 28, 2011 Carpenter will be attending Interzum Cologne and invite you to our stand to give you an update on our latest developments. Find us this year at Hal 10.2 Aisle C N° : 010 where we’ll be highlighting our extensive range of foams, including Avena, Celsius and Naturalis.
Carpenter teams were on campus at career fairs at Purdue, Texas A &M, Western Michigan, Tennessee, Cal Poly, Penn State, Virginia Commonwealth, Western Kentucky and Murray State. Candidates for positions as Management Trainees were identified for opportunities in our manufacturing sector. Our ‘almost traditional’ school names, nicknames and initials made from flexible foam in school colors continues to be the most sought after item by student, faculty and other companies’ recruiters attending careers fairs across the country. Over 200 were given out at Penn State. The supply was gone with two hours left at Cal Poly when an engineering student came to see us and complimented Carpenter Co. on its innovation for the Cal Poly and Bronco logo. Her compliments and lament about not getting one later brought her one of each from our team who found a pair back at the Riverside Division!
Carpenter Co, an international company centered on polyurethane manufacturing processes and chemical engineering, has completed a Polyol Manufacturing Technology License Agreement in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This license was recently assigned with a newly formed joint venture between Saudi Advanced Industries Company (SAIC) and National Industrialization Company (TASNEE). Expectation is that SAIC / TASNEE will complete construction of the 120 KT per year polyol facility by the end of 1Q2014. Carpenter’s Mr Chris Ruchte (Vice President of Powell Plant) was present for the signing along with Mr Saleh Al-Nazha (TASNEE President & COO) and Mr Mansour Al-Yahyan (SAIC GM).
Lisa Shives is just what the doctor ordered, so to speak,” said Dan Schecter, vice president of consumer products at Carpenter Co. and creator of SleepBetter.org. “The SleepBetter product development process has evolved to a point where it increasingly translates data from sleep studies into technology advanced bedding products. This evolution created the need for an experienced physician as part of our team. Dr. Lisa is a leader in the burgeoning sleep medicine sub-specialty and has thousands of her own patients. We are particularly excited by her interest in helping conduct original sleep studies and in participating in our new product development process. We very much look forward to working with her.”