Rug Insider Magazine
News for the Rug and Carpet Professional 
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One of the biggest news items of the last couple of years has been the rise of Artificial Intelligence, and more specifically, of ChatGPT. AI has been integrated into everything from web searches to document preparation to image creation to video rendering. That being said, AI couldn’t possibly make its way into the traditional world of selling vintage and antique rugs, right? Or could it?
Executives across the rug sector point to a measured reality: AI and data tools are accelerating workflows and improving communication, while craftsmanship and human judgment remain central to the business.
In recent issues of Rug Insider Magazine, we have focused on a number of antique Persian carpet styles, with most of those types of rugs emanating from Iran’s Northwest, such as Tabriz and Sultanabad rugs, from Iran’s central regions, such as Kashan rugs, and from Iran’s South, such as Kerman rugs. A significant style that we will be exploring here are from Iran’s Northeast, from the province of Khorason, and more specifically, from its capital city of Meshed.
The rug business has always depended on trust. Customers place that trust carefully, often after long consideration, because the products we sell are not disposable. A well-made rug is meant to last decades, sometimes generations. That durability is part of the value proposition, but it also creates a quiet challenge for retailers: once the sale is complete, there is little reason for the customer to return.
This is not a failure of retail. It is a structural reality of the category. Rugs do not wear out quickly, styles do not change overnight, and most customers are not constantly shopping for replacements. Without an ongoing reason to engage, even the best relationships fade into the background. A showroom becomes a memory rather than a destination.
Rug washing changes that dynamic.
As a former importer of hand-knotted carpets, I wanted to touch base with rug retailers to delve into what makes their multi-generational businesses continue and thrive over the years. Their stories and historic photos are enriched with their ancestors’ sweat, blood, and tears.
As we were celebrating Atiyeh Bros. family business established in 1900 in Portland, OR, last fall on a Willamette River dinner cruise, we enjoyed the sparkle of the city bridges and the dewy night air. Kevin Atiyeh, fourth-generation owner, shared fascinating statistics about family-run businesses in the United States. “Only 3–5 percent make it to 125 years as a continually managed/owned by the same family business.” His current employees have worked a total of 14 years on average.
The family founded flooring company honors a century of heritage, evolution, and vision in shaping the floors and spaces where life unfolds. For 100 years, industry innovator Couristan has woven together tradition, design expertise, and forward-thinking innovation across area rugs, residential broadloom, and a full portfolio of contract and hospitality floor coverings. From its modest beginnings in New York City to a global presence today, the family owned and operated company has weathered wars, economic upheavals, and a global pandemic— emerging resilient and ever-evolving, with its legacy threaded through every area rug and carpet it produces.
Domestic and global rug manufacturers alike are redefining what “Made in America” means—blending automation, agility, and design innovation to thrive amid shifting consumer trends.
As consumer expectations evolve and the retail landscape shift America’s area rug makers are rewriting the playbook on how to compete — and win — in a changing global market.