Carpet community mourns the loss of Cheri Hunter

The international rug and textile community is mourning the loss of Cheri Hunter, who passed away on 19 May 2026 during a journey in her beloved city of Istanbul. A graduate of UCLA in Art and Cinema and a career film editor in Hollywood for nearly thirty years, Hunter was widely known as a driving force behind the Textile Museum Associates of Southern California (TMA/SC). Furthermore, she was a dedicated member of the international committee of the International Conference on Oriental Carpets (ICOC), where she volunteered her professional skills to edit English conference texts.

Flanders Flooring Days draw mixed anniversary results

The Flanders Flooring Days (18–21 May 2026) concluded their fifth edition with a solid yet nuanced overall result. The editorial team of Carpet Home and its sister publication BTH Heimtex was on site across all four show days to gather insights on current innovations within the central exhibition hall at Kortrijk Xpo as well as the 18 regional showrooms of participating carpet and floor covering manufacturers.

Deutsche Messe expands Executive Board

Deutsche Messe has expanded its Executive Board to three members in order to strengthen the company’s future strategic direction. Chairman of the Executive Board Dr Jochen Köckler will focus on further developing the exhibition business at the Hannover venue, with a particular emphasis on strengthening established flagship trade fairs such as Domotex and attracting new partner events. Since May 2026, he has been supported by Dr Holger Feist and Konstantin Kühl as additional board members.

Ege Carpets: Bo Thuesen appointed Head of Sales

The Danish manufacturer of textile floor coverings, Ege Carpets, has introduced Bo Thuesen as its new Group Chief Sales Officer. In this role, he will lead the company's global sales operations with immediate effect. Thuesen brings more than 30 years of experience in the international design and furnishing industry to his new position.

Jos Vanneste wins Joe Lano as investor

The Belgian flax yarn manufacturer Jos Vanneste has brought two new strategic investors on board: industry expert Joe Lano and the investment company Vybros Capital Partners. Joe Lano was previously the owner of the eponymous textile floor covering manufacturer Lano Carpets. Based in Harelbeke, the long-established company Jos Vanneste is a key supplier of flax fibres and yarns for the home textile industry and generated a turnover of 52.0 million Euros in the 2025 financial year.

Inter Ikea Group plans to cut 850 jobs worldwide

The Inter Ikea Group – the global franchisor behind the brand, responsible for the design and supply of the legally independent Ikea stores – intends to cut around 850 jobs worldwide, with approximately 300 positions affected in Sweden. Together with all 13 Ikea franchisees, the group plans to focus on driving sales growth, implementing significant price reductions and increasing visitor numbers across all customer touchpoints.

Stäubli to cease carpet weaving machine production in Germany

The Swiss technology group Stäubli is discontinuing the production of Schönherr carpet weaving machines at its first German site in Bayreuth. According to a report by the Bayreuther Tagblatt, the company is responding to the current difficult situation in the global carpet market. While the manufacturing of these machines will end, customer service and the spare parts business for the Schönherr division will be maintained.

Jysk plans 100 new city stores

Danish interior retailer Jysk is continuing its global expansion with plans to open up to 100 new stores in major European cities over the next three years. The company is increasingly focusing on central locations in capitals such as Dublin, Madrid, Oslo, and Amsterdam to reach urban customers more effectively. Since its founding in 1979, Jysk has primarily concentrated on peripheral locations and medium-sized towns to benefit from larger floor spaces and parking facilities.

Einrichtungspartnerring VME increases turnover

Following two years of declining figures, Einrichtungspartnerring VME has reported a positive trend for the 2025 financial year. The purchasing association's centrally regulated turnover rose slightly from EUR 1.34 billion to EUR 1.37 billion. In tandem with this growth, the net profit increased by 8.5% to EUR 11.5 million.

KHG (Krieger / Höffner) exits Begros

The central purchasing and administrative company of the Krieger/Höffner Group, KHG, officially resigned as a shareholder from the Begros purchasing association on 30 April 2026. The association informed its business partners of this move in a recent circular. To ensure an orderly transition, a specific transitional arrangement was agreed upon between Begros and the management of KHG.