JThe pandemic fueled a passion for all things home—but recent indicators show that the appetite for spending is slowing. The University of Michigan’s gauge of consumer sentiment fell 58.4 in May from the initial reading of 59.1 earlier in the month— its lowest level in more than 10 years. High inflation remains at the top of consumer minds.

This recent drop was largely driven by continued negative views on current buying conditions for houses and durables, as well as consumers’ future outlook for the economy, primarily due to concerns over inflation,” said Joanne Hsu, director of consumer surveys at the University of Michigan. “At the same time, consumers expressed less pessimism over future prospects for their personal finances than over future business conditions. Less than one quarter of consumers expected to be worse off financially a year from now.”

Looking into the long term, Hsu said that a majority of consumers expected their financial situation to improve over the next five years; this share is essentially unchanged during 2022. A stable outlook for personal finances may currently support consumer spending. Still, persistently negative views of the economy may come to dominate personal factors in influencing consumer behavior in the future.

With all that said, U.S.-based manufacturers contininue to address domestic supply to help ensure steady supply of flooring products.

AHF Products has seven manufacturing facilities across the United States and continues to invest in capacity. The company makes or sources domestic wood, rigid core, laminate and flooring accessories.

CFL’s $100 million, 700,000-sq.-ft.plant, opened in 2021 in Calhoun, Georgia, and is producing two collections of waterproof SPC—Firmfit Intown and Firmfit Downtown—in an to maximize service levels for U.S. distributors. Company leadership is already planning expansions on the site to incorporate more digital printing technologies and add capacity.

Mohawk brand Daltile continues to manufacture most of its products in the United States. In 2020, the brand opened a new quartz plant in Dickson, Tennessee, to make large quartz slabs. The company also makes wall tile in El Paso, Texas; quarry tile in Fayette, Alabama and Dickson, Tennessee; floor tile in Sunnyvale, Texas; Muskogee, Oklahoma; Florence, Alabama; and Dickson, Tennessee; and mosaics in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Mohawk continues to invest in domestic production with more capacity coming online in 2022 and 2023. Its current plants include carpet, carpet tile, laminate, resilient and wood,  and the company recently announced it acquisition of the Vitromex ceramic tile business. Vitromex was founded in 1967 and includes four manufacturing facilities strategically located throughout Mexico.

Jeffrey S. Lorberbaum, Mohawk’s chairman and CEO, stated, “In the past decade, we have significantly increased our participation in the Mexican ceramic tile market, including developing a world-class organization and constructing a state-of-the-art facility in Salamanca. Ceramic tile is the primary flooring utilized in Mexico, and the market has grown approximately eleven percent in pesos per year over the past five years. Combined with Vitromex, we will offer our customers a complete array of residential and commercial products at all price points with enhanced service capabilities. Vitromex is one of the most highly regarded brands in the Mexican market and is recognized as a leader in innovation and design."

At the end of 2021, Shaw Industries announced a $400 million investment for a carpet manufacturing facility in South Carolina. Shaw said the expansion will increase the company’s manufacturing capacity and support future growth for new products and should be complete by the end of 2024.

Engineered Floors has become the first manufacturer in the United States to purchase a Hymmen Jupiter Digital Printing Line. The company signed a license agreement with I4F for digital printing technologies. Hymmen and I4F's patent partnership gives I4F exclusive licensing rights for all Hymmen’s digital printing patents and technologies for flooring production.

The new Jupiter digital printing line from Hymmen will be located in North Georgia where the company already operates multiple manufacturing facilities. The decision to start with the Jupiter line highlights Engineered Floors’ strategy to digitally print all LVT flooring produced in North America using new materials.

"The latest innovation and technology has always been important to us," said Robert E. Shaw, chairman and CEO of Engineered Floors. "Whether it is carpet or LVT, our customers can expect high-quality, stylish products made with disruptive technology like solution dyed PET or digital print LVT. We will continue to innovate.”