Issue Date:2/25/2002
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Issue Date:2/25/2002
Hardwood Floors E-News
From Hardwood Floors magazine and NWFA
Monday, February 25, 2002
Issue 179
Next issue published March 11
Deadline for items March 7
Send news to [email protected]
Surfaces 2002 Proves Productive Despite 9/11
Total attendance at Surfaces 2002 held in Las Vegas, Nev., Jan. 30-Feb. 1 was 35,312, a nearly 10 percent decrease compared with last year's total attendance of 39,183. "Traffic was down ever so slightly," said Chris Davis, CEO of the World Floor Covering Association, "but quality buyers were in attendance and there were very few 'tire kickers.'" The show also drew 917 exhibitors featuring their products in approximately 517,000 square feet of exhibit space. This sets a record for the amount of square footage used for the show. Once again the show experienced an increase in the number of exhibiting companies showcasing hard surfaces. "Between the tile and stone exhibitors and manufacturers with hardwood and laminate, the show is over 45 percent hard surfaces," said Michelle Troop, senior show director. Attendance at the Surfaces 2002 Conference Program showed a 16 percent increase compared with 2001. Several of the 39 workshops, seminars and panel discussions were sold out.
Denver School Kicks Off 2002 NWFA Technical Schools
Seventy-one students learned the basics of installing, sanding and finishing wood flooring at the NWFA's Introduction to Wood Flooring Installation School held in Denver, Colo., on Feb. 6-9. Participating instructors led by NWFA's Steve Seabaugh included: Dennis Plaut, 3M; Don Smithson, Alto U.S.; Todd McDonald and Brent Sorbet, Basic Coatings; Evandro Carvalho, Blesing's Flooring; Tom O'Halloran, Mike Rocher and Todd Schutte, BonaKemi USA; John Jarnagan, Bostik Findley; Jack Campbell, Campbell & Company Construction; Christine Coates, Coates & Associates; Terry Green and Craig McIntosh, Dura Seal; Layton Endres, Forest Floors; Sheldon Walker, Glitsa American; Don Conner, Harris-Tarkett; Rick Zimmerman, Industrial Resources; Glen Miller, Satin Finish Hardwood Flooring Ltd.; Todd Theisen, TMT Integrity Flooring, Dave Stark and A.J. Winstead, Virginia Abrasives Corporation and Joe Weinmann, Floor One. Denver Hardwood Co. (Denver, Colo.) was the sponsoring distributor.
By the Numbers
The National Association of Home Builders' Housing Market Index dropped two points to 58 in February after climbing a cumulative 13 points in November, December and January.
Nationwide housing starts rose 6.3 percent in January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.68 million units, the fastest monthly pace in nearly two years, the Commerce Department recently reported.
People News
Plumly Flooring (Winchester, Va.) has added Don Thomason as assistant sales manager for the Maryland branch now under construction. Thomason can be contacted at 540/662-3891. Also new is Frank Marini, who will handle outside sales responsibilities for Plumly's Merrifield, Va., branch. Marini can be contacted at 703/641-0345.
NOFMA, The Wood Flooring Manufacturers Association's (Memphis, Tenn.) board for 2002 is President Tommy Maxwell of Maxwell Hardwood Flooring, Vice President Jim Duke, Memphis Hardwood Flooring; Jon Smith, Smith Flooring; Paul Stringer, Somerset Hardwood Flooring; Buzz Spivey, Cumberland Flooring; Larry Leslie, Leslie Brothers Lumber Co.; and Sam Sharp, Partee Flooring.
TSH Products Inc. (San Dimas, Calif.) has appointed Douglas Wilson national sales manager. Wilson has 30 years' experience in the hardwood flooring industry.
Manufacturer News
Woodwise/Design Hardwood Products Inc. (Redmond, Wash.) recently added another 5,000 square feet of warehouse space, which will include a product testing room to complement the company's R&D lab.
Wood Flooring International (Delran, N.J.) recently expanded, now occupying the other half of its building, located seven miles outside of Philadelphia at 1810 Underwood Blvd., Delran, NJ 08075. This expansion doubles its office space and increases warehouse capacity by 50 percent. In addition, WFI has expanded inventories kept in its Charleston, S.C., and Los Angeles warehouses.
Applicator & More...Ltd. (Paterson, N.J.) has relocated to a new, larger facility at 312 River St., Paterson, NJ 07524. The company can be reached at 973/345-9563 or 973/345-0847 (fax).
Viking International Marketing Inc. (Middleborough, Mass.) is constructing a prefinishing plant in Guadalajara, Spain, which will be ready by midsummer. In addition, the company's Brazilian unfinished and prefinished flooring plant will be closed until April for the installation of new German equipment. The company has also purchased additional forest land for future growth.
Bruce Hardwood Floors (Addison, Texas) was featured in three show homes this month in Atlanta, Ga., during the NAHB 2002 International Builder's Show. Bruce flooring was in The New American Home, Homelink Show Home and The Genesis Show Home during IBS.
Distributor News
Horizon Forest Products (Raleigh, N.C.) is now stocking Mullican's Highland Series, a line of prefinished hardwood flooring, in its three flooring locations: Raleigh, N.C.; Wilmington, N.C.; and Charleston, S.C.
Inland Wood Specialties (Spokane, Wash.) has awarded the 2001 Distributor of the Year award to Kelly-Goodwin Co. (Tukwila, Wash.) for outstanding sales and support of Pollmeier steamed beech flooring.
Panamerican Woods, one of the largest manufacturers of hardwood flooring in Central America, is looking for regional distributors in the United States for the company's new line of flooring, Costa Rican Hard Mahogany planks. For more information, contact Juan Solera at [email protected].
Australwood, an Australian marketing organization for the export of sustainable hardwoods, is looking to hire distributors for its Australian hardwood flooring products. Interested distributors should contact Fabian Rizzotto at 61-3-9662-3222 or e-mail [email protected].
Contractor News
Sound Hardwood Flooring (Port Townsend, Wash.) is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The company also has a new showroom and office located at 800 West Park, Port Townsend, WA 98368. Contact the company at 360/385-3390, 360/379-0676 (fax) or e-mail [email protected].
On the Web
Kentucky Wood Floors (Louisville, Ky.) has redesigned its Web site, www.kentuckywood.com.
Back to School
Columbia Flooring (Danville, Va.) offers free training schools in Danville. The school covers solid and engineered flooring, as well as laminate. The remaining 2002 dates are: May 6-8 (advanced class), June 10-12, July 15-17, Aug. 12-14, Sept. 9-11, Oct. 7-9 (advanced class), Nov. 11-13 and Dec. 9-11.
Job Watch
Pollmeier Leimholz GmbH (Rietberg, Germany), manufacturer of unfinished and prefinished European beech flooring, is looking for independent manufacturers' sales representatives for the east coast of the United States (except New England). Interested candidates should have years of sales experience, and a winning nature. Interested candidates should fax a résumé to Doris Tegelkamp at 49-5244-9205-77 or e-mail [email protected].
In Memoriam
Robert W. (Bob) Anderson, founder of Anderson Hardwood Floors (Clinton, S.C.) and chairman emeritus, passed away after a brief illness on Feb. 11 at age 74. He was responsible for steering the company into the wood flooring business in 1954 when a fire destroyed the plywood plant in Fairmont, N.C. Bob Anderson took sole control of the company in 1967 upon the death of his father and established the Anderson brand in 1978. He relinquished day-to-day control with his retirement in 1992, but remained a guiding influence until his death.
NWFA Member Services
Audio Advantage offers telephone on-hold music and advertising programs. Make on-hold time profitable and let callers know they are important. For more information, call 800/664-6531.
Global Payments Inc. serves as the NWFA check guarantee service. For more information, call 800/638-4600.