Issue Date:4/29/2002
Log in to view the full article
Issue Date:4/29/2002
Monday, April 29, 2002 Issue 183 Next issue published May 13 Deadline for items April 9 Send news to [email protected] NWFA Wood Flooring Expo Breaks All Records Living up to its billing as the biggest and best ever, the NWFA Wood Flooring Expo and Education Conference in Orlando April 18-20 broke records in all categories. For the first time, attendance broke the 3,000 mark, heartily beating last year's record of 2,485 established in Palm Springs. A total of 300 companies exhibited with 475 booths, and 387 foreign attendees were present from 34 countries. Recognizing the Best of the Best The last day of the show is filled with suspense as attendees wait for the Floor of the Year contest winners to be announced. This year, 12 awards were given to 11 exceptional wood floor installations.
- Floor of the Year-Expert Division: Old Country Hardwood Flooring (Calgary, Alberta)
- Floor of the Year-Master Division: Birger Juell Ltd. (Chicago)
- Members' Choice-Expert Division: Crescent Hardwood Supply (Prairieville, La.)
- Members' Choice-Master Division: Legendary Hardwood Floors (Terre Haute, Ind.)
- Best Job-Site Finished Craftsmanship and Design: Integraf (Moscow, Russia)
- Best Manufacturer-Finished Design: DM Hardwood Designs (Mission Viejo, Calif.)
- Best Manufacturer-Finished Design-Honorable Mention: Oy Karelia Parketti Ltd. (Kuopio, Finland)
- Best Limited Species Design: Old Country Hardwood Flooring (Calgary, Alberta)
- Best Design in a Commercial Application: SCS Hardwood Floors (Orlando)
- Best Use of Wood Technology: Integraf (Moscow, Russia)
- Best Showroom Design: Schumacher & Company (Newport, Ky.)
- Best Member's Residence Design: Craftsman Flooring & Finish (Saugus, Calif.)
The Expert Division is for companies that have not previously won Floor of the Year awards, and the Master Division is for previous winners. Floor of the Year is the top award in judging by panelists from the American Society of Interior Designers, while Members' Choice is the top award as voted by attendees at the convention. All other awards are chosen by the ASID panel.
Additionally, the winners of NWFA's new Designers Choice Wood Floor awards installed their winning designs on-site during the Expo. For the foyer design, the winning team included Goodwin Heart Pine, Palmer Hall Wood Floors, DM Hardwood Designs, Basic Coatings, Alto U.S. and 3M Co. The winning kitchen design team included Affordable Floors, Parquet by Dian, National Coatings and The Master's Craft.
NWFA Leadership in Place for Coming Year At the Annual Meeting on April 20, the NWFA leaders were elected for the coming year. NWFA's executive officers will remain in place for another year. They include President David Williams, Vice President Wayne Cotton, Treasurer Don Conner and Secretary Joe Audino. Continuing on the Board of Directors are Angela Crowl, Galen Fitzel, Tom Gormley, Yvette Monroe, Richard Poirier, Ken Schumacher and Bruce Whisenhunt. New Board members include William "Bill" Costello, Leonard Hall, Glen Miller and Mark Weglowski. Ex-Officio members are now Neil Moss and Janet Sullivan.
Degree Recipients Recognized at Luncheon April 19 Forty-five people received degree recognition at the Degree and Industry Awards Luncheon on the Friday of the show. Craftsman Degrees (for professional education about wood flooring) went to: Larry Alfieri, Leonard Beverley, Joe Boone Jr., Len Daubler, Thomas Dean, Layton Endres, Herbert Fogelberg, Steve Garner, Leonard Hall, Brent Kelosky, Scott Koenke, Daniel Liez, Michael Longshore, David Mansfield, Terry O'Neil, Steve Sharko, Joe Weinmann and Paul Williford. Master Craftsman Degrees (for advanced knowledge and demonstrated wood flooring skills) were awarded to: John Blesing, Jack Campbell, Evandro Carvalho, Richard Conway, Charles Dixon, Robert Moffett and Ken Schumacher. Vanguard Degrees (for leadership and service to the industry) went to Daniel Boone, D. Brian Clark, Larry LeFevre, David Marzalek and Glen Miller.
A new degree, the Advanced Master Degree (for those who have earned Master Craftsman degrees and continue to devote time and energy toward advancing the wood flooring industry) was earned by the following people: Don Conner, William "Bill" Costello, Galen Fitzel, Woody Hilscher, Mark Long, Tom Peotter and Steve Seabaugh. Another new degree, the Ambassador Degree (for those who have earned the Vanguard Degree and continue to serve the association) went to: Christine Coates, Doug Lux, Yvette Monroe, Richard Poirier, Ralph Singer and David Williams.
Additionally, two people were recognized with the Industry Leadership award: Joel Lefkowitz of Hoboken Wood Floors (Wayne, N.J.) and Elizabeth Brown of French-Brown Floors (Dallas, Texas).
By the Numbers According to statistics from NOFMA, The Wood Flooring Manufacturers Association (Memphis, Tenn.), March 2002 strip flooring shipments increased 5 percent over the shipments in March 2001. Shipments numbered 55,179,000 board feet, compared with 52,531,000 board feet in March 2001. That brings the 2002 total to 149,015,000 board feet, a 13 percent increase over the first three months of 2001.
Nationwide housing starts dropped 7.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.65 million units in March, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. The decline in housing starts was confined to the single-family sector, where production slowed 11.4 percent to a rate of 1.3 million units. Meanwhile, housing permits, which can be an indicator of future building activity, fell by about 10 percent overall in March to a 1.6 million-unit rate.
As for home sales in March, the Commerce Department recently reported a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 878,000 home sales, down 3.1 percent from a 906,000-unit rate in the previous month. Most of this decline in March home sales occurred in the Northeast and Midwest, where unusually good weather conditions boosted sales activity earlier in the year. The department also has upwardly revised its previous reports on January and February homes sales. Revised figures for these two months indicate 853,000 unit sales in January, followed by 906,000 units in February. This is up from previously reported 831,000-unit and 875,000-unit sales, respectively.
People News BonaKemi USA (Aurora, Colo.) has promoted Ron Peden to the position of CEO. Peden, who most recently served the company as COO, will continue as a member of the company's corporate executive group and as a board director for the North American division. Stefan Johansson, president and CEO of BonaKemi AB, Bona USA's Malmö, Sweden-based parent company, will continue as chairman of the board for BonaKemi USA.
Harris-Tarkett (Johnson City, Tenn.) has named Dennis Hrusa vice president of sales. He replaces George Celtrick, who recently left the company. Most recently, Hrusa served the company as director of commercial sales. Additionally, Dave Forinash has returned to Harris-Tarkett as vice president of finance for the hardwood division that includes Harris-Tarkett and Stuart Flooring Co. Previously, Forinash had been group controller for Domco Tarkett North America. Additionally, Lindsey Waldrep has joined Harris-Tarkett as national accounts product manager, a new position within the marketing department. In her new post, Waldrep will be responsible for all merchandising and point-of-purchase projects. She also will be responsible for a number of in-house design projects. Most recently, Waldrep worked as an independent graphic design consultant based in Greensboro, N.C. The company also has named William R. Celentano Jr. as regional sales manager for its Northeast region. Celentano will be the primary liaison between Harris-Tarkett and its distributors in the region and will be responsible for increasing sales of the company's full line of flooring products. Prior to joining the company, Celentano served as a business manager for Burke Mercer Co. in Eustis, Fla., and San Jose, Calif.
McGrevor Coatings (Amityville, N.Y.) has appointed David M. Haggerty to its team of sales representatives. Haggerty will lead the growth of distributorships carrying McGrevor Coatings in the Midwest and on the East Coast. Previously, Haggerty worked for Long Floor, a hardwood floor distributor in Richmond, Va., serving in such positions as outside sales representative, purchasing manager and store general manager.
Emerson Hardwood Floors (Portland, Ore.) has appointed Jonathan "Q" Schaller as branch manager of its Eugene, Ore., facility. Schaller formerly served as a sales service representative at the company's Woodinville, Wash., operation.
Micah Robinson has been appointed sales manager of Seattle-based HFD Goodfellow, a division of Goodfellow Inc. (Delson, Quebec). Robinson will report to Nace Henshel.
TRC Distribution (Calgary, Alberta) has appointed Mary Ann Collings to a sales representative position. Collings will be based out of the company's Vancouver, British Columbia, location.
Manufacturer News LifeStyle Furnishings International (High Point, N.C.), a U.S.-based diversified home furnishings company, has announced it has reached an agreement to sell its Universal Flooring business to a buyout group led by Stone Advisors and the Universal Flooring management team. Universal Flooring is a manufacturer of hardwood flooring, with global operations in North America, Europe and Asia and worldwide headquarters in Carrollton, Texas. The management of Universal Flooring is expected to remain the same, with Goran Walhqvist as CEO, Dave Hickman as president, North America, and S.L. Eng as managing officer, Malaysian manufacturing operations.
Distributor News More than 300 contractors and retailers participated in Erickson's Flooring & Supply's (Ferndale, Mich.) annual series of warehouse sales and seminars. The Saturday warehouse sales and training seminars were held throughout the first quarter at each of Erickson's four locations. In addition to the once-a-year warehouse savings opportunity, a training team comprised of Erickson's vendors taught classes on medallion and border Installation, sanding, finish repair and business strategy.
Goodfellow Inc. has announced its financial results for the second quarter ended Feb. 28, 2002. The company recorded a net profit of $111,000 for the quarter compared with a loss of $224,000 in last year's second quarter on sales of $101.3 million compared with $91.5 million in the same period a year earlier. Mild winter conditions in eastern North America, low interest rates and a strong housing market pushed sales; however, earnings were restrained by heavy pressure on margins, the company says. Sales in the first six months of the current fiscal year reached $210.9 million, up 8 percent from $198.8 million a year earlier, while net earnings for the period rose to $1.3 million compared with $1.1 million the previous year.
Leica Geosystems (Heerbrugg, Switzerland) has announced the appointment of Western Tool Supply (Salem, Ore.) as a dealer for Disto handheld laser distance measuring tools. Western Tool Supply is a large dealer organization with 34 retail locations in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and California. The company also supports direct purchase at its Internet store at www.westerntool.com.
Leitinger, one of Europe's largest timber manufacturers, is seeking a distribution partner (agent, distributor, importer) for the U.S./Canadian market for its solid wood flooring. The company produces solid wood flooring in softwood (spruce, pine, larch) and hardwood (beech, oak, maple). Interested parties should contact B. Pleterski at [email protected].
Mercier Wood Flooring (Montmagny, Quebec) has announced the addition of Misco Shawnee (St. Louis, Mo.) to its exclusive list of U.S. distributors. Misco Shawnee will represent the entire Mercier product line, delivering sales and service to 13 Midwestern states including North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio and northern Kentucky. Interested retailers in these areas should contact Misco Shawnee customer service at 888/309-3488, or Michel Collin, sales and marketing coordinator, at 800/463-3385.
Pyramid Sports Floors (Calgary, Alberta) is looking to add to its North American distributor/dealer base for its DIN-approved MaxFlexTM sport floor system. For more information, e-mail Robert Kulhawy at [email protected] or call 403/301-3883.
Shelman USA (Red Bank, N.J.) has named Alaska Wholesale Hardwoods as its exclusive distributor for the state of Alaska.
Southeastern Hardwood Distributors (Alpharetta, Ga.) has announced the opening of its newest location in Augusta, Ga. Steve Taylor heads the distributorship and Pam Collins is in charge of customer service. The new location is 1011 Wheeler Lane, and the telephone number is 706/855-5806.
On the Web Hardwood Floors (Madison, Wis.) magazine recently launched its redesigned Web site, www.woodfloorbusiness.com. The updated site features a user-friendly design and several new interactive functions. Users can now download magazine articles from the past two years, as well as view and add job postings, classified hardwood flooring items and industry events such as technical schools and distributor open houses. The site also features a weekly technical question, a redesigned online version of the Resource Book and current and past issues of the Hardwood Floors E-News.
Dri-Eaz Products, Inc. (Burlington, Wash.) has announced the June 1, 2002, launch of its newly redesigned Web site at www.dri-eaz.com. The new Web site design not only will have a new look, but also will offer easier navigation, quicker access to product information, online warranty registration and expanded parts lists, among other new features.
Premiere Finishing & Coating LLC (Greensboro, N.C.) has a new Web site available at www.prefinishfloors.com or www.premierefinishingandcoating.com.
Correction There was a statistical error in the chart that appears in the State of the Industry article on page 42 of the April/May 2002 issue of Hardwood Floors. The top chart should read "Appalachian 3/4 x 2 1/4-inch No. 1 Common and Select Red Oak Price/Square Foot." In the chart, the price of select strip in December 2001 should be $2.14, a slight drop from the November price, not the sharp increase indicated on the chart. The editors apologize to the readers and to Hardwood Market Report, which provided the correct information, for the error. Candidates who wish to apply for the inside salesperson or inside truckload salesperson positions at Wood Flooring International (Philadelphia) should e-mail a resume to [email protected].
Leaders Gather at Forest Forum On April 25, 2002, the "Forest Leadership Forum" convened the forest products industry, environmental community, private landowners, policy-makers and academia for the first time in North America. The three-day forum, co-hosted by the Certified Forest Products Council and the World Wildlife Fund, addressed key challenges, such as illegal logging, high-conservation-value forests, responsible wood consumption and forest certification.
Economists See No Signs of Housing Bubble The housing outlook remains strong and there are no signs of a housing price "bubble" on the horizon, according to economists for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the National Association of Realtors (NAR). With the inventory of unsold new homes on the market hovering around 4.2 months, housing will not have to make a "payback" for over-building during past recessions, says David F. Seiders, chief economist, NAHB. "While some fallback in housing starts seem inevitable in the second quarter of this year, following a huge first quarter, total starts are expected to hover around the 1.6 million annual rate over the balance of this forecast period," he says.