up for commercial projects, retail, institutional and offices. Michigan saw similar growth over those years due to new hospitality and office construction, and high-and- mid-level residential, with 60% sales due to remodeling. 2018 saw a slight slowdown. Illinois saw 15-20% growth per year 2012- 2018 in residential remodeling or multi-unit construction until a slowdown in 2018. Post-tornado sales in 2015 soared. Tiles are mainly used in bathrooms and some kitchens, fighting competi- tion from wood flooring. Wisconsin is a mixed bag with some reports of booming 30% sales increas- es from 2017 due to high-end residential, remodeling and new commercial building; others saw sales are down due to competi- tion from VCT and LVT. Minnesota distributors saw yearly increases of 10-20% from 2012-2016; in 2018, some reported 10% hikes, while others said installation costs are negatively impacting tile sales and one distributor said sales fell 20% due to customers switching to LVT. Northwest – Sales in Oregon last year spiked 5-15%, with residen- tial construction doing well; some distributors reveal that remodel- ing makes up 50% of sales. In Washington, recovery began in 2013; between 2016-2018 new high-end residential and retail projects pumped up sales 10% each year. New England – Sales were mostly flat for 2018, declining in the second half of the year. New high-end residential and commer- cial fueled sales, but some dis- tributors say companies are leaving Connecticut due to high taxes and the recently-instituted $10,000 cap on state and local taxes (SALT) that taxpayers can claim on their fed- eral income taxes. New York – Though sales surged in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, 2018 was mostly flat in the area, except in high-end Manhattan apartments and suburban areas with high birth rates that spurred residential remodeling. Big-box competition, internet sales, and exodus of people to the South and West are depressing sales in the region. New Jersey – 2018 was stellar for many companies, though sales fell after August and some companies are reporting flat sales, depressed by competition from Floor & Décor and similar stores and high installa- tion costs that spurred a switch over to LVT products. Sales health was found in new commercial building and residential remodeling. Mid-Atlantic – Sales were down or flat in Virginia and Pennsylvania (except for an increase from 2011 to 2018 in Pittsburgh); Maryland is expecting an increase in the first quarter with most companies reporting 5-15% increase due to healthy mid-to-high-end residen- tial and commercial, except in areas where construction is down. BUSINESS TIP ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 44 TileLetter | July 2019