TWST: Please tell us the history of Armstrong World Industries and how it has evolved from its founding to today.
Mr. Espe: We just celebrated our 150th anniversary. We had a campus-wide celebration in October to commemorate that milestone. It is a remarkable accomplishment. The theme that the organization came up with for that celebration was "Leading with integrity for 150 years," and that really goes back to the founders' philosophy around how our buyers and consumers need to have faith in the company instead of the old adage "buyers beware." The whole foundation of integrity that the company experiences today was established at the very beginning of the company. So we've evolved over the last 150 years changing, adapting, taking advantage of emerging opportunities, shedding unproductive businesses, always continuing to proceed and move forward.
Today we find ourselves a global leader and a desired manufacturer of floors, ceilings and also cabinets. We have 33 plants in eight countries, and we sit here today with virtually a brand new management team and an extremely talented base of employees. And I think we have a great future ahead of us.
TWST: You mentioned the basic types of products Armstrong provides. Would you please tell us a little more about each of those?
