Nov 01, 2012. /Lesprom Network/. Mohawk Industries, Inc. announced 3Q 2012 net earnings of $70 million and diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.01. Excluding restructuring charges, net earnings were $72 million and EPS was $1.04, a 25% increase over last year's 3Q adjusted EPS. Net sales for the 3Q 2012 were $1.5 billion, an increase of 2% versus prior year and an increase of 4% on a constant exchange rate, as the company said in the press release received by Lesprom Network. For the nine months ending September 29, 2012, net sales were $4.4 billion, an increase of 2% versus prior year and 4% on a constant exchange rate. Net earnings and EPS for the nine-month period were $184 million and $2.66, respectively. Excluding restructuring charges, net earnings were $191 million and EPS was $2.76, an increase of 25% over the nine-month adjusted EPS results in 2011. Commenting on Mohawk Industries' 3Q performance, Jeffrey S. Lorberbaum, Chairman and CEO, stated, "All of our segments delivered solid third quarter performances with improvements in product mix, pricing, volume and productivity, as well as lower interest expense contributing to our results. Across the enterprise, we have managed to keep SG&A dollars in line with last year even as we invested significantly more in new product innovations and marketing to improve our future sales and product mix. During the quarter, we generated adjusted EBITDA of $179 million and free cash flow of $156 million. Both our net debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio and net debt to capitalization ratio improved to 1.7 and 22%, respectively. Mohawk's strong financial position provides us with the flexibility to pursue strategic opportunities such as the recently announced agreement to acquire Pergo, the most recognized brand of premium laminate flooring in the U.S. and Europe." Mohawk is a leading supplier of flooring for both residential and commercial applications. Mohawk provides a complete selection for all markets of carpet, ceramic tile, laminate, wood, stone, vinyl and rugs. Mohawk's international presence includes operations in Australia, Brazil, China, Europe, Malaysia, Mexico and Russia.