Issue Date:1/6/2003
Hardwood Floors E-News Monday, January 6, 2002 Issue 202 Next issue published January 20, 2003 Deadline for items: January 16, 2003 Send news to [email protected]
Columbia to buy Multiply operation from Weyerhaeuser Columbia Forest Products (Portland, Ore.), parent company of Columbia Flooring, has announced plans to purchase the Multiply hardwood plywood underlayment operation in Nipigon, Ontario, from Weyerhaeuser Co. Ltd. Weyerhaeuser's Building Materials organization will maintain a role as an agent for Columbia in selling and distributing Multiply to North American customers. Terms were not disclosed. Multiply is a branded 3-ply aspen 1/4-inch plywood used as an underlayment for vinyl, ceramic and laminate flooring. The product holds the second-largest share of the market after lauan, the company says. Columbia plans to retain current staffing levels and current production after the acquisition is complete. The Nipigon Multiply plant was purchased by MacMillan Bloedel Ltd. in 1973. Weyerhaeuser acquired the facility as part of its 1999 acquisition of MacMillan Bloedel.
Manufacturer News Powernail Co. Inc. (Lincolnshire, Ill.) has awarded its 2002 Salesman of the Year Award to Dick Ayres. Ayres covers Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont for the company. In addition the company has awarded its 2002 Sales Representative of the Year Award to Stan Lawson of Stan Lawson & Associates. Lawson covers Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi for Powernail.
The Ashley Group, publisher of the Home Book network of annual design sourcebooks, recently awarded Carlisle Restoration Lumber (Stoddard, N.H.) a silver medal in its 2002 Home Book Design Excellece Awards competition. Entrants competed in 36 categories of design, and Carlisle placed second in the hardwood flooring category. Winners were selected based on design aesthetics, detail, uniqueness and functionality.
People News Dianna E. Ashley-Garcia has been named regional sales manager for Harris-Tarkett (Johnson City, Tenn.) for Northern California and the Northwest region of the country. Her responsibilities include promoting the company's residential and commercial flooring lines and working with distributor representatives to implement Harris-Tarkett sales and marketing strategies. Prior to joining the company, Ashley-Garcia served as western regional sales manager for Bruce/Hartco commercial products.
Boa-Franc Inc. (St. Georges, Quebec) has added Nancy Furlonger and Frank Hargadon as representatives for the Mirage collection. Backed by more than 15 years of experience in floor covering sales, Furlonger is heading major accounts for the larger Toronto suburban area and throughout the rest of the province of Ontario. Hargadon spent five years at Hartco Flooring and most recently was in charge of prefinished sales at Zickgraf. He will work to enlarge the company's sales network in the southeastern United States.
By the Numbers The seasonally adjusted annual rate of sales for newly built single-family homes set a new record of 1.07 million units in November, up 5.7 percent from the previous month, according to the Commerce Department. November was the fourth consecutive month in which new-home sales surpassed the million-unit mark. Regionally, home-sales gains were concentrated in the Midwest, where a 41.2 percent increase offset a substantial decline in the previous month, and the South, which had a 2.4 percent gain. The inventory for new homes for sale rose slightly to 335,000 units in November, but at the present sales pace, that is a relatively tight 3.8 months' supply-down from October's 4.0 months' supply.
Strip wood flooring shipments in November were 19 percent higher than the total shipped in November 2001, according to statistics from NOFMA, The Wood Flooring Manufacturers Association. Shipments for the month numbered 51,625,000 board feet, compared with 43,287,000 board feet in November 2001. The total for 2002 now is 10 percent higher than the first 11 months of 2001.
Job Watch Augusta Lumber Co. Inc. (Waynesboro, Va.) is looking for a production line supervisor for its Waynesboro flooring plant. Candidates should be able to work either first or second shift and must have strong people skills, initiative and the ability to adjust to rapid change. A minimum of an associate's degree is required. The company offers health insurance, dental insurance, 401(k) and other benefits, along with a competitive salary commensurate with experience. Fax a résumé to 540/946-9168 or e-mail [email protected].
Junckers Hardwood Inc. (Anaheim, Calif.) seeks a residential territory sales representative to join its team. Covering a high-profile Northern California territory, this challenging position offers an excellent salary, commission and benefits package for an individual with drive, ambition and sales experience. Industry experience is required. Interested parties should fax résumés to 760/599-0884 or e-mail [email protected].
On the Web North Coast Hardwood Floor Center (Cleveland, Ohio) now is online at www.northcoastwoodfloors.com.
Obituary George R. Troendle, former owner of Crescent Hardwood Supply (New Orleans), formerly Crescent Paint & Floor Equipment Service, died on Dec. 27, 2002, at the age of 76. He was the proprietor of the company from 1949 to 1990. His wife, Mary Labry Troendle, ll children, two brothers and 20 grandchildren survive Troendle. Donations to WRBH Radio for the Blind and Print Handicapped, 3606 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA 70775, would be appreciated.
Mark Your Calendar Domotex 2003, the world trade fair for carpet and other floor coverings, will be held Jan. 11-14, 2003, in Hannover, Germany. For more information, visit www.domotex.de.
Harris-Tarkett (Johnson City, Tenn.) has announced the 2003 schedule for its two-day knowledge and sales seminars conducted at its training center in Johnson City. Four general sessions, available for open enrollment by distributors, retailers and flooring contractors, will be held on March 14-15, May 2-3, June 27-28 and Oct. 10-11. All sessions are provided at no charge to attendees. The seminars educate attendees about the company's marketing strategy and the features and benefits of each of the company's products. Harris-Tarkett also will conduct a number of seminars at the training center that will be filled through requests from individual distributor organizations, as well as seminars at distributor locations across the country. For more information, contact your local Harris-Tarkett distributor or call Karen Hodge at Harris-Tarkett at 800/842-7816.
The 2003 International Builders' Show will take place Jan. 21-24 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas. More than 1,000 manufacturers and suppliers will display the newest residential building materials and products in more than 300 different categories on an exhibit floor spanning nearly 1 million square feet. Returning this year is TecHOMExpo, where attendees can learn about cutting-edge technologies and products including hardware, software and services. For more information, visit www.nahb.org.
Product News Viking International Marketing (Middleboro, Mass.) has introduced new lines of flooring: 1/2-inch quartersawn domestic species; engineered 5-inch one-strip exotic and domestic wood; Click engineered 3-strip; and American and exotic solid refinished flooring. Interested distributors should call the company at 508/947-0023 or fax 508/947-1105. The company also has announced a new e-mail address: [email protected].
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