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Web Exclusives
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 | Case Study: Acoustics in Camden Commons, Franklin, Tenn.
Keene Building Products' QUIET QURL MT "Muffler" sound mats were recently used in the Camden Commons condominium complex in Franklin, Tenn. The Muffler product is designed to improve the IIC level by as much as seven points, according to Keene.
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Centiva launches Big Book 2.0
Centiva has unveiled Big Book 2.0, a comprehensive product guide covering the company’s Wood, Stone and World Options resilient collections for both residential and commercial use..
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 | NFT exclusive interview: Mohawk's David Duncan
David Duncan, vp marketing for Mohawk Industries, sat down with NFT at the recent Mohawk Solutions convention in San Antonio, which was Mohawk's first convention to combine dealers from both Floorscapes and ColorCenter Elite stores.
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CFI to offer members new benefits in 2010
Certified Floorcovering Installers is offering its membership a range of new benefits in 2010, including discounts at local distributors and manufacturer discounts.
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 | Karastan, WE Cork update websites
Karastan and WE Cork are two of the latest manufacturers to update their websites for easier navigation and a broader array of product information.
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Balta Group works on large-scale solar energy install
More than 18,000 solar panels will be installed on the Balta Group's Belgium-based factory roof, in a project the flooring maker calls the region's largest. The company, which manufactures broadloom carpets, rugs and laminate flooring, is devoting 88,000 square meters of its roof area to the project.
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 | Sound Investment: Underlayment Can Boost Acoustical Performance
Contractors, architects, distributors and retailers doing business with
owners of new and renovating rental units and condos should recommend
or specify acoustical floor underlayment for under new finished floors
that meets or exceeds local building department acoustical standards.
by Bob Pratt
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Continuing Wood Trade Under the Specter of Lacey
In May 2008 the U.S. passed the world’s most punitive and far reaching “ban” on illegally harvested forest products; declaring this country would no longer traffic in, or allow its consumer market to be the primary channel for “illegally logged wood.”
by James C. Gould
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 | Slim tiles, green products highlight Cersaie 2009
BOLOGNA, ITALY -- Celebrating its 27th edition, Cersaie once again staked its place as the world's largest exhibition of ceramic tiles and bathroom furnishings by drawing an international crowd of over 83,000.
by Alexis Fisher
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 | Floor To Ceiling debuts Kathy Ireland cabinetry
Preferred Brands Corp., parent to the Floor To Ceiling and World of Floors retail groups, has launched a new line of affordably priced custom cabinetry to be marketed nationwide under the Kathy Ireland HOME brand.
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 | Armstrong gets aggressive with hardwood assortment
Armstrong has expanded its hardwood flooring assortment significantly in what the company calls its “most comprehensive hardwood launch ever.” The launch, which includes 126 new SKUs across 13 product collections, features traditional, hand-scraped and exotic/specialty visuals.
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Mohawk University rolls out green course
Mohawk University has launched “Environmental Advantage: Business Growth Through Sustainability,” a course aimed at teaching owners, sales associates and retailers the steps to decrease expenses and increase business with a greener footprint.
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 | Installing Recessed Shelving with Confidence
In the past when if you wanted recessed shelving in your shower you had to construct it by framing it out, cladding it with cement board and covering it with a waterproof membrane.
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Las Vegas Market events to focus on color, trends
The fall edition of the Las Vegas Market, set for Sept. 14-17 at World Market Center Las Vegas, will include a Trend Series to offer attendees a glimpse of "what's hot and what's on the horizon for next season," according to event organizers.
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FcB2B group moving closer to adoption of technology
The Floor Covering Business to Business Association (fcB2B) recently held its fourth annual meeting in Atlanta. Attendees said the group is making “great strides” toward the utilization of B2B technology in the industry.
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RFCI's Thompson, and his coalition, push HIRE Act in industry
Dean Thompson, president of the Resilient Floor Covering Institute (RFCI) and one of the architects of the proposed Home Improvements Revitalize the Economy Act of 2009, or HIRE Act, spoke with NFT recently about the efforts of his industry coalition to help jumpstart the building products sector.
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 | Revitalized Concrete Flooring Streamlines Building Maintenance
>When looking to repair and revitalize the aging concrete floors throughout its 150,000+ square foot facility in Traverse City, Mich., Cone Drive specifically aimed for a finished floor that would not only look great but also – most importantly for the bottom line – be easy to maintain.
by Bill Feldman
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 | Starnet zeroes in on creative commercial projects with Design Awards
Starnet Worldwide Commercial Flooring Partnership has announced the winners of its 2009 Starnet Design Awards competition. Aimed at honoring the best and most creative designs in commercial projects involving Starnet members, the awards were presented recently at the co-op’s annual meeting in Palm Desert, Calif.
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J.H. Freed's Chris Freed reflects on 30 years
San Diego, Calif.-based J.H. Freed & Sons is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a range of sales specials and discounts throughout June. Specials include “Milliken Mondays,” “Click 2sdays” (for Marmoleum Click 2 products), “Wild Card Wednesdays” (for accessories), “Thirty Thursdays” (a $30 delivery charge on orders) and “Flexitec Fridays.”
by Michael Chmielecki
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 | Reflecting on its journey, Mirage celebrates 25 years
Mirage, one of North America’s largest prefinished hardwood flooring makers, recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. All Mirage employees received special commemorative items decorated with flames meant to symbolize the company’s spirit by evoking Mirage reopening for business just three months after being gutted by a fire in 1984, only a year after it opened. Pierre Thabet, the company’s president, joined employees for special activities aimed at honoring Mirage’s history.
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J+J/Invision’s Clayton discusses new branding efforts
J & J Industries and Invision recently merged their brands
under one name: J+J/Invision. NFT spoke with Mark
Clayton, the company’s vp marketing, about what this change means for
the company and its customers.
by Michael Chmielecki
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 | Laminate Gallery
The Laminate Gallery is designed to showcase some of the latest and most innovative laminate flooring products available.
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 | Celebrating 100 years of linoleum, Armstrong rolls out new products
Armstrong is celebrating 100 years of producing linoleum for
the North American market. To ring in the occasion, the company has unveiled
new linoleum patterns and colors, along with a “Color Continuum” specifying
system. While the company is not planning an advertising campaign to promote
the 100th anniversary, Armstrong said it will mark its milestone at
the upcoming NeoCon and Greenbuild shows, and host an exhibit at the company’s
Lancaster, Pa., headquarters with vintage advertising.
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 | Alliance Flooring honors retailers at recent convention
Alliance Flooring, parent company of CarpetsPlus Color Tile, Carpetland Color Tile and Floorco Direct to the Trade, held its 12th annual convention earlier this month at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville. Carrying the theme "United We Stand," the meeting was aimed at reminding members that working together they could find ways to power through this tough economy.
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 | NALFA announces Lammy winners
The North American Laminate Flooring Association named the winners of the trade group’s Lammy Awards during the recent Surfaces show in Las Vegas. Designed to honor the best laminate flooring companies and individuals of the year, for "positive accomplishments with regard to the laminate flooring industry," NALFA said.
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 | Shaw Hospitality goes to the Emmys
Two patterns from Shaw Hospitality Group's angela adams Garden collection were front and center during HBO's Emmy afterparty held late last year in Los Angeles. The garden-inspired looks were complemented by several other products designed to evoke a late '50s/early '60s Brazilian architectural feel.
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 | Ultron honors innovative contract designs with Doc Awards
Solutia‘s Ultron carpet fibers has named the winners of the
21st annual Doc Award competition. Named after Dr. Robert F. “Doc” Docherty, a
pioneer in the contract interior design industry, the award aims to honor the
best contract interior designs and carpet product designs featuring Ultron
fiber. The winning architects, designers and manufacturers were honored
recently at an awards luncheon in New York City.
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 | Karastan wins two awards at Atlanta Rug Market
Karastan won two awards during this year's America's Magnificent Carpets Awards held earlier this month at the Atlanta Rug Market. Netting its 12th America's Magnificent Carpets award overall, Karastan was honored in the Power-Loomed $1,000+ and Power-Loomed $400-$1,000 retail categories. Specifically, the company was honored for its Eastport rug in the Original Karastan Collection as well as French Quarter in Bluestone from the Sierra Mar Collection.
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DaltileGreenworks site explains company’s ‘green’ products, message
Daltile has launched the DaltileGreenworks
program, an extension of parent company Mohawk’s Greenworks environmental
sustainability initiative. Along with promotng Daltile’s “green” philosophy on
its website, the program is aimed as a resource for dealers and builders
searching to learn about the LEED rating system and how it relates to “green”
tile products.
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 | Flooring makers spruce up websites with sales, ‘green’ tools
A range of companies including Tate Access Floors, Amorim, GranitiFiandre, Couristan, and Balta Group recently revamped their websites with new tools and updated product information. Here is a roundup of the additions to the newly enhanced websites.
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 | J&J/Invision donate rugs to troops in Afghanistan
J&J/Invision recently received an American
flag and a message of thanks from U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan. The company donated 50 rugs to the soldiers
to help keep them warm during the winter months. The flag will be displayed in
the front lobby at the company’s corporate office in Dalton, Ga.
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 | Abraham Linc takes on IVC US resilient lines
Bridgeport, W. Va.-based distributor Abraham Linc is now marketing and distributing the IVC US line of glass-back vinyl products in the Virginias, Pennsylvania and western Maryland. According to Abraham Linc, the partnership with the resilient maker is a "good fit."
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 | NTCA sees big jump in attendance at Total Solutions show
The National Tile Contractors Association reported a 29 percent increase in attendance at this year's Total Solutions conference in National Harbor, Md., near Washington, D.C. The two-day show, which included a range of presentations, hands-on demonstrations and manufacturer exhibits, "enjoyed some of the best participation we have ever experienced," said Bart Bettiga, executive director of the NTCA.
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Leadership event highlights 15th anniversary CFI meeting
At the Certified Floorcovering Installers’ 15th Anniversary Celebration held recently in Kansas City, Mo., Sam Allman of Allman Consulting presented a rousing Leadership Conference to installers on hand. Sponsored by Mohawk and the World Floor Covering Association, the conference aimed to give attendees tips on energizing their business.
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 | N.J. INSTALL apprentices show their colors during contest
Apprentices of INSTALL's New Jersey program
recently showed off their skills (and their patriotism) during a skills
contest. Among the highlights were an American flag depicted using VCT, and a
tribute to prisoners of war using Forbo linoleum. The work was done by apprentices
Andrew Miller and Sean Quinn.
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 | Eyeing ‘green’ and growth, Shaw starts new council
Shaw has launched the Growth & Sustainability Council.
The group, which comprises 15 top executives at Shaw, will focus on long-term
business growth and issues surrounding sustainability. “Shaw sustainability is
about driving growth, innovation and productivity throughout the value chain
and, therefore, better serving our customers, said Vance Bell, Shaw’s CEO and a
member of the council.
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CARE honors Shaw, Kruse recycling efforts
Shaw Industries and Kruse
Carpet Recycling were named Recyclers of the Year during the recent Carpet
America Recovery Effort Conference in Clearwater Beach, Fla. The event, which
featured updates on carpet reclamation efforts in the industry and a discussion
on the role of government procurement activity, marked the second year that the
award was given to both large and small companies.
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 | ‘A major market with long-term potential’: Alloc boosts its commercial business
Alloc says that its
commercial business is well positioned to grow during the current economic
climate. Though most of its sales volume has traditionally been in residential
laminate flooring, Alloc said efforts that began three years ago to bolster its
commercial business have led to the company “building a foundation that has
readied the brand to tap opportunities in 2008’s challenged economy.”
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Retail Group Directory
Editor’s Note: The Retail Groups and Franchises listed below are those that responded to a special questionnaire send by National Floor Trends for our 2008 directory. This is not intended to represent all of the industry’s buying groups and should not be interpreted as such. If you represent a Retail Group or Franchise organization and would like to be listed in this directory, please let us know.
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 | Armstrong Commercial site takes the ‘LEED’
Armstrong Commercial has updated its website at www.armstrong.com/flooring with
details on how each product can contribute to LEED points and the EcoScorecard
tool that allows users to evaluate products under several “green” rating
systems.
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The ‘greening’ of laminate
NFT asked laminate flooring
manufacturers to weigh in on the issue of sustainability. It is hard to argue
that ‘green’ has become an increasingly important aspect of the industry, but
how does this translate to a product that is a composite of natural and manmade
materials? Here is what they had to say.
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 | BPS goes ‘Boom’ at recent design show
At a time when many makers of residential
flooring are eyeing the commercial market, Bentley Prince Street is taking a
different approach. The company, which is based in City of Industry, Calif., was
on hand at a recent design show in Santa Monica to promote bps rugs, a line of upscale
area rugs that are designed to expand flooring options for the home.
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 | Shaw’s Design Is … Awards seeks best and brightest for 2008 contest
The 2007 Design Is … Awards hosted by Shaw Contract Group
honored six firms from the U.S. and across the world for projects that captured
“the challenges, processes and results” of great design using Shaw Contract
carpet. The award winners were given $2,000 to donate to schools or
organizations of their choice. Winners donated to design education funds, arts
colleges, demonstration houses and interior design programs.
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 | Armstrong product preview ‘08: Company beefs up existing lines, plans more U.S. production
Armstrong officials gave a preview of some of
their latest products during a press event recently at the company’s
headquarters in Lancaster, Pa. The company showed off additions to existing
lines and discussed the benefits of its recently launched Migrations BioBased
Tile product range as well as several green programs. While the products were
eye-catching, it was clear that the company is treading carefully in a
softening market that one staffer called “a unique economic situation.”
Armstrong Floor Products
president and CEO Frank Ready was even more blunt. “It’s a very tough
environment,” he said. “We’re very happy where we’re positioned right now – we
feel very good about where we’ll finish in 2007, but the market in 2008 is
going to be really tough.”
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 | Milliken recognized for ‘Making the Shade’
Milliken was recently honored for “outstanding contributions
to urban forestry” by the Georgia Forestry Commission. The flooring maker
helped establish the Making the Shade program, which is committed to planting
shade trees near elementary school playgrounds to help shield children from
high temperatures.
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 | BR-111 Foundation: Hardwood, and heart, in Brazil
Exotic hardwood flooring maker BR-111 and its supply
partners say they are doing their part to expand social programs and brighten
the lives of children in Brazil through its BR-111 Foundation. The programs
offer education and social services to impoverished children in the areas that typically
produce BR-111 flooring. According to BR-111 CEO Daniel Pagano, “We have a
social responsibility to give back to the communities that produce our flooring
products.”
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 | Brintons helps recreate original carpets for historic mansion
Brintons, widely recognized for its range of Axminster
carpets, recently participated in a $20 million restoration of the historic
Leland Stanford Mansion in San Francisco. Built in 1856, the 19,000 sq. ft.
Victorian mansion originally served as the office of three governors and is
today used for the state’s diplomatic and business receptions. Brintons, which was founded in 1783, provided
carpet patterns designed to match the original flooring from photographs taken
during the 1870s.
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Two rug companies expand showrooms as AmericasMart grows
AmericasMart
Atlanta is set to add an additional 250,000 sq. ft. of space for furniture,
home furnishings and area rugs in time for the January ’08 Atlanta Rug Market.
The expansion in Bldg. 1 follows a planned 1.5 million sq. ft. addition to
Bldg. 2 slated to open in 2009. When completed, the new wing in Bldg. 2 will
create one of the largest assortments of high design, garden and gourmet
products in the U.S., according to the company.
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WFCA offers Window Coverings course through Trainingspace
Online training group
Trainingspace now offers a course on window coverings. Topics include selling
window coverings, window coverings types, and measuring, installing and
maintaining the product. The window coverings class marks the first course from
Trainingspace that moves beyond the traditional areas of flooring and
countertops.
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 | At recent convention, CFI celebrates industry ‘challenges’ and ‘changes’
“Change! Challenge! Choice!” was the theme of the 14th
annual Certified Floorcovering Installers Association (CFI) meeting in Kansas
City, Mo. With an eye toward arming CFI members with the latest tools and
techniques to combat the recent downturn in housing, the recent event included
educational sessions and hands-on workshops designed to take a hard look at the
business.
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‘A logical next step’: Intertech opens Rio Grande branch
Full-service commercial flooring provider Intertech Flooring,
with offices in Austin and San Antonio, recently opened its third office.
Located in Mission, Texas, in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley, the branch
location will serve the Rio Grande with the company’s blend of commercial
flooring products, installation expertise, design consultation and maintenance
services.
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Solutia picks judges for 2007 Doc Award contest
Solutia’s Ultron carpet fibers business has named its judges
for the upcoming 2007 Doc Award Competition in New York. Set for Nov. 28, the
contest aims to honor outstanding achievement in contract interior and product
design. The awards honor not only architects and designers and their projects,
but carpet mills for creating aesthetic and durable contract floor coverings
using the company’s fiber.
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Armstrong gets highest LEED approval for Lancaster HQ
Armstrong World Industries said it has received Platinum
Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system for its
Lancaster, Pa.-based headquarters. Built in 1998, the location is only the
sixth existing building and the first outside of California, to achieve USGBC’s
highest certification, according to Armstrong.
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 | CMI’s Summer Splash sample sale aimed at rug dealers
Colonial Mills Inc. is hosting its annual Summer Splash Rug
Sample Special event, now through Aug. 31. Featuring savings of up to 60
percent for dealers on the company’s Rug Sample Centers, Swing Arm Systems,
Fabric Rug Customizers and Custom POM Sets, the sale is designed to help
dealers get the most up-to-date samples and selling tools at deep discounts.
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 | CRI certifies latest cleaning solutions, extractors for Seal of Approval status
Six carpet cleaning solutions and eight extractors recently
earned the Carpet and Rug Institute’s Seal of Approval certification. Seal of
Approval products meet the highest standards of effectiveness and quality in
carpet cleaning, according to CRI. Products must pass a series of stringent
tests based on strict criteria in order to receive the certification.
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 | Shaw Learning Academy’s Floor Tech course includes training, mill tours
Shaw Learning Academy, the training arm of Shaw Industries,
said that flooring professionals who completed the company’s Floor Tech class
in the last three years have increased their sales volume by more than 20
percent. The course remains one of Shaw’s most popular offerings, according to
the company.
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 | Colin Powell gives keynote at first Hunter Douglas dealer event
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell gave a rousing
keynote address on leadership and how it can be applied to everyday
circumstances during Hunter Douglas’s inaugural International Alliance
Conference. The July 25-27 event in Denver brought together dealers, fabricators
and manufacturing partners, and included presentations on consumer habits,
fashion trends and product rollouts.
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 | Atlanta Rug Market to feature greener rugs, retailer awards
The Atlanta International Area Rug Market
will be getting more green this year with the introduction of the AmericasMart
Green Product Showcase. The showcase, running through the second day of the
July 15-18 market, will include more than 300 products, including eco-friendly
area rugs, furniture, apparel and gifts. In addition, more than 140 exhibitors
are planning to exhibit their latest handmade and machine-made rugs, many of
them environmentally sound.
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2010 Radiant Flooring Guide
We have digitized this year’s edition of the Radiant Flooring Guide for your convenience; now you’ll have access to it 24/7 via the Internet.
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