Mark Goodman Receives Wallcovering Industry’s Highest Honor

The Wallcoverings Association (WA) announced that the Allman Award, its highest honor, will be presented to Mark Goodman, president of Crown Surface solutions and J. Josephson, at the WA’s Annual Meeting in Delray Beach Florida April 4 – 7. The industry’s most prestigious award is named for the WA’s founder and is presented each year to a leader who has made a long-lasting, positive contribution to the wallcovering industry.

Mark has been a long-standing leader in the wallcovering industry. He committed to sustainability when the NSF342 standard was adopted by the WA and has been the highest scoring manufacturer since inception.

Mark began his career in wallcovering at the age of nine sweeping floors in the Warehouse at Crown Wallpaper in Toronto. After a number of hands-on roles, his father and mentor, Gilbert Goodman (a 1991 Allman Award recipient) wisely noted that Mark might instead have a future in leading rather than doing. Gil’s “sink or swim” approach to leadership development resulted in Mark relocating to New York in 1980 when the family purchased J. Josephson. Mark has since led the company through the acquisition of Omnova Solutions’ North American Commercial Wallcovering Business in 2011, transitioning Omnova to JJ’s New Jersey factory, a manufacturing joint venture in Asia and the introduction of P3TEC.

“The wallcovering industry is fortunate to have leaders like Mark Goodman, who work continuously to improve the industry,” said Matthew Jones, Wallcoverings Association Executive Director. “His efforts have helped the industry’s commitment to sustainability, and he has built a lasting legacy.”

“I appreciate this great honor,” Goodman said. “I am proud of my family’s 84-year tradition in the wallcoverings industry of keeping the values of quality, service, and integrity in everything they do. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed being part of the Wallcoverings Association.”

Outside of work you will find Mark skiing, mountain biking, traveling, and staying in hotels where, to the embarrassment of his wife and children, just as Gil did, he checks every wall to make sure that they are covered with JJ wallcovering.

About the Wallcoverings Association

The Wallcoverings Association is a nonprofit trade association representing wallcoverings manufacturers, distributors and suppliers. The WA educates consumers, designers and specifiers about the beauty and use of wallcoverings. The association keeps the industry at the forefront of sustainability with specifier tools such as NSF 342 and Environmental Product Declarations.