Issue Date:1/14/2002
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Issue Date:1/14/2002
Hardwood Floors E-News
From Hardwood Floors magazine and NWFA
Wednesday, January 14, 2002
Issue 176
Next issue published January 28
Deadline for items January 23
Send news to [email protected]
By the Numbers
The value of new construction starts in November fell 3 percent from October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $478.2 billion, according to the F.W. Dodge Division of The McGraw-Hill Companies. November's data lowered the Dodge Index to 144, compared with a reading of 148 in October. Though nonresidential building in November grew 10 percent to $184.5 billion, residential building dropped 5 percent to $202.6 billion. Single family housing was down 6 percent in dollar volume, while multifamily housing remained steady with the prior month.
Strip shipments in November 2001 were 43,287,000 board feet, a 1 percent increase from the 42,913,000 shipped in November 2000, according to data from NOFMA, The Wood Flooring Manufacturers Association (Memphis, Tenn.). That brings shipments for 2002 to 1 percent above last year's total at the same time.
People News
Goodwin Heart Pine (Micanopy, Fla.) has added Frank Krivas to its team as the director of sales and marketing. With more than 20 years of experience in the flooring industry, Krivas brings a wide breadth of knowledge to the company. To contact Krivas, call 800/336-3118 or e-mail [email protected].
Nicolet Hardwoods Corporation (Laona, Wis.) has appointed Rick Degen sales manager for its hardwood lumber division. Formerly with Owens Forest Products, Degen is the incoming president of the Lake States Lumber Association. Degen will oversee all lumber sales for Nicolet, as well as seek and develop new accounts.
WD Flooring (Laona, Wis.) has appointed Tom Bieberitz national sales manager. Formerly with Aacer Flooring, Bieberitz will be responsible for identifying major distributors in several regions, as well as overseeing regional sales representatives. He will carry out these responsibilities from WD's Menominee, Wis., office.
The Wood Guys LLC (Andover, Mass.) has added Jeffrey Harrington as director of warehouse operations. Harrington was formerly with Patriot Hardwood Floors.
Manufacturer News
Mercer Abrasives (Deer Park, N.Y.), a division of Mercer Tool Corp., has opened "Mercer West," a 12,000-square-foot distribution center in Fullerton, Calif. Beginning in late February, the company will have flooring products, including its Mercer Blue line, available at the new location.
Berry Wood Products recently opened its 60,000-square-foot facility in Berry, Ala., where it houses its offices, manufacturing plant and warehouse. The company provides contracted finishing services to hardwood flooring manufacturers. Berry Wood can finish flooring products according to specifications, design and print product packaging, pack the product in the company's own boxes, inventory the finished product and ship it to its final destination.
Sheoga Hardwood Flooring & Paneling (Middlefield, Ohio) has broken ground for a 12,000-square-foot addition to its manufacturing facility. The work is scheduled to be completed in spring of 2002.
Wood-Mizer Products Inc. (Indianapolis, Ind.), a manufacturer of portable sawmills, opened its sixth center last November in Chesterville, Maine. The new center will be managed by Ross Clair, a veteran Wood-Mizer owner and operator. The company hopes to establish as many as a dozen new sales and service centers across North America over the next several years.
Distributor News
LOBA GmbH & Co. (Ditzingen, Germany), a manufacturer of hardwood floor finishes, will start selling its products in the United States and Canada in 2002. In an effort to find distributors, the company will present waterborne finishes, sealers and fillers at the NWFA Convention in Orlando.
Contractor News
Contractors concerned with health and safety issues can request free technical assistance or evaluations from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) through the institute's health hazard evaluation program. For more information, click on Health Hazard Evaluations on NIOSH's Web page at www.cdc.gov/niosh.
On the Web
Bamboo flooring manufacturer Sekulic International Trading Co. (Los Angeles, Calif.) has a new Web site, www.geocities.com/sekulic_international/index.html.
Mark Your Calendar
The NWFA has implemented an interactive Web site for its 17th Annual Education Conference and 2002 Wood Flooring Expo to be held April 18-20, 2002 in Orlando, Fla. By signing on to NWFA's Web site at nwfa.org, and clicking on the Convention link, attendees and exhibitors can access information about the convention. Online registration is available, or forms can be received via fax or mail. Attendance options and fees, information about educational workshops, a schedule of events and travel and hotel information also are included. The site's interactive exhibitor search allows attendees to research the companies that will be participating in the expo, both by name and product category. Exhibitors' products and services are featured along with their booth location on the interactive floor plan.
Product News
3M (St. Paul, Minn.) announces a promotion for contractors and distributors who sign up for the 3M Frequent Buyer Program. Each contractor who enrolls in the program will receive a 500 point bonus. New distributors to the program will receive a 4,000 point bonus. There are already more than 11,000 contractors enrolled in the program who earn points with each qualifying purchase of 3M floor sanding products. Those points are then redeemable for rewards such as electronics, sporting goods, tools, jewelry, travel and more. Contact Program Headquarters at 888/595-8245 to enroll in the rewards program and to receive your bonus points for signing up.
Kentucky Wood Floors (Louisville, Ky.) announces a promotion for distributors and dealer sales personnel who sell quartered oak flooring during the January to March quarter. Those who place an order for 1,000 square feet of Kentucky's quartered red oak or white oak flooring between Jan. 2 and March 28 will receive a personalized Louisville Slugger baseball bat with the salesperson's name engraved on the 34-inch major league bat. For more information, call 502/451-6024, fax 502/451-6027 or e-mail [email protected].
Wood Flooring International (Delran, N.J.) introduces the engineered, quartered SingleStrip Collection available in clear or natural grade. Offered in American cherry, red oak, white oak, maple and walnut, the domestic collection is available in 9/16-inch by 3- or 5-inch widths and random lengths up to 7 feet. This three-ply prefinished engineered flooring comes with square-edged milling, and it may be nailed, glued or floated.
Satin Finish Hardwood Flooring (North York, Ont.) introduces an 8-by-10-inch specification book and brochure. The first in a series, the book features the company's Multi-Plank engineered flooring, and includes product information and specifications required by flooring specifiers. The book also includes installation and maintenance information, as well as wood specie and color selections with tear-out color swatches. The booklet is included on CD-Rom.
NWFA Member Services
Tap into the group buying power of the NWFA for an affordable health insurance package. Contact Ed Sterczek of Mass Marketing Insurance Consultants at 800/349-1039.