Issue Date:4/28/2003
Log in to view the full article
Issue Date:4/28/2003
Hardwood Floors E-News Monday, April 28, 2003 Issue 210 Next issue published May 12, 2003 Deadline for items: May 8, 2003 Send news to [email protected]
Mullican Flooring Acquires Airedale Woodworks On April 4, 2003, Airedale Woodworks (Murfreesboro, N.C.), a small manufacturer of wood floors reclaimed from tobacco barns prevalent in the Carolinas, became a division of Mullican Flooring (Johnson City, Tenn.). According to Brian Greenwell, Mullican's vice president of sales and marketing, Airedale's operations will continue to be located in Murfreesboro, at least for the short term. The acquisition of Airedale will further position Mullican as the premier supplier of 3/4-inch solid specialty flooring, the company says. Products manufactured by Airedale include tobacco barn pine, heart pine, oak, cypress and wormy chestnut, and the new division will sell flooring under the brand names of both Mullican and Airedale. "We are very excited about this new venture and are looking forward to growing this segment of our business," said Neil Poland, president of Mullican Flooring. Mike Windhom, president of Airedale, will be joining the Mullican Flooring team and will be responsible for the reclaimed operations. The rest of Airedale's staff also will remain on-board, Greenwell says.
Manufacturer News Decorative Flooring (Port St. Joe, Fla.) has teamed up with a major mill in South America to import santos mahogany, nogal, rosewood, sapele and a variety of other species in unfinished, 3/4-inch, tongue-and-groove and end-matched flooring. The mill is complying with NOFMA requirements and higher, says Decorative's owner, Jim Garth. "There are many so-called mills that pop up with the latest and greatest, but rarely do you find one that has a business philosophy of making the product based on installers' recommendations," Garth says. Product is available at pallet- and container-pricing.
Distributor News Avalon Distributing (Santa Ana, Calif.) has changed its name to Avalon Wood Flooring, reinforcing its focus on wood flooring contractors and retail stores, the company says. In addition, the company recently purchased the stock of the other shareholder, leaving Avalon's president, Stephen Guenther, as sole stockholder. "We are truly focused on the needs of the wood flooring professional, including products, machines and machine rental and repair, and ongoing seminars and training for our staff and customers," Guenther says. "Our name change reflects this focus, and we are no longer distracted by ceramic tile products or other projects."
Contractor News AmeriKlean Hardwood Floors Co. Inc. (Brick, N.J.) has changed its name to 99 Percent Dust-Free Sanding & Refinishing Co. Inc. to reflect the company's emphasis on its proprietary 99 percent dust-free sanding system. All contact information remains the same. Its new Web site is www.dustfreesanding.com.
People News TimberGrass LLC (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) has named Donald Markey CFO. Markey has more than 20 years of executive management and financial leadership experience working with fast-growth West Coast companies. Most recently, he served as executive vice president and CFO for Pinnacle Realty Management Company in Seattle.
The Bostik Findley Flooring Group (Middleton, Mass.) has appointed Donna Lea Grady as territory sales manager for Bostik Hardwood Products in California, Nevada, Arizona and Hawaii. Grady has served Bostik as an independent rep in Southern California, Las Vegas, Arizona and Hawaii for the past seven years. She reports directly to Rick Tredwell, the western sales manager for the Bostik Findley Flooring Group.
By the Numbers In March, strip shipments numbered 56,136,000 board feet, up 2 percent from the 55,179,000 board feet shipped in March 2002, according to NOFMA: The Wood Flooring Manufacturers Association. For the first three months of 2003, strip shipments totaled 151,752,000 board feet, up 2 percent from the 149,015,000 board feet shipped during the same period in 2002.
New homes were started at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.78 million in March, an increase of 8.3 percent from February's pace of 1.64 million units, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. Single-family starts in March climbed 7.7 percent to an annual rate of 1.41 million units, and the rate of multifamily construction during the month quickened to a pace of 366,000, a 10.6 percent gain. Regionally, housing starts climbed 9.8 percent to a rate of 157,000 in the Northeast; 25.4 percent to 355,000 units in the Midwest; and 9.4 percent to 827,000 units in the South. Starts registered a 4.5 percent decline in the West, to an annual rate of 441,000.
Mark Your Calendar NWFA will hold its Installation and Sand & Finish school in Houston, Texas, May 13-16, and in Hartford, Conn., June 10-13. Also upcoming is NWFA's Advanced Installation school in St. Louis, June 5-7. For more information, call the NWFA at 800/422-4556 (U.S.), 800/848-8824 (Canada) or 636/519-9663 (international), or visit www.nwfa.org.
Job Watch Verrazano Flooring (Brooklyn, N.Y.) currently is seeking a full-time warehouse manager/buyer. Candidates must be knowledgeable about wood and hardwood flooring, as well as wood floor installation and refurbishing products. Verrazano also is hiring full- or part-time salespeople. Candidates must have knowledge of the hardwood flooring industry and its processes (including installation, repair, sanding and refinishing). The company also is looking for full-time wood floor mechanics with a minimum of three years' experience. A position also is open for a full-time machine repairman with good working knowledge of floor sanding machines. Send a résumé to Frank Buono Sr. at [email protected], or call 718/369-WOOD.
Weyerhaeuser Building Materials/Appearance Wood Products (Federal Way, Wash.) is seeking a floor products manager for North America. Candidates may reside in either the United States or Canada. This position coordinates the execution of supplier marketing agreements; leads the development of sales and marketing strategy; and helps ensure beneficial supplier relationships and strategies. Candidates should have a bachelor's degree and five-plus years of leadership and product management experience, as well as the ability to travel and access to a major airport. To apply, e-mail [email protected], referencing job requisition number 001000. The position closes May 12.
TRC Distribution (Calgary, Alberta) is seeking a purchaser. The successful candidate will be responsible for strategic and inventory management based on market conditions and sales history. This position involves extensive contact with vendors in many countries and requires excellent negotiation and communication skills. This is a pivotal role within the company, and the right individual will be compensated accordingly. Fax or e-mail a résumé in confidence to TRC Distribution, Attention: T. O'Neill at 403/250-8261 or [email protected].
Product News Wood Flooring International (Delran, N.J.) has added new point-of-purchase racks to support its customized sample boards. WFI now offers a three-wing (7-foot tall) rack, a 1-by-10-foot waterfall rack and 2-by-5-foot waterfall rack. The company also has created a Tekno version of the 2-by-5-foot rack to support its Tekno line.
Correction In the April 15 issue of Hardwood Floors' E-News, the contact e-mail address in the job watch listing for Wood Factory Ltd. should have been listed as [email protected].
NWFA Member Services Sharpen your installation skills with NWFA's Video Education Series. Call NWFA to order "Repairing a Finish," "Board Replacement" or "Installing Prefinished Wood Flooring." Ask about the newest video, "Pride and Professionalism." Videos are $15 each, plus shipping. For more information, call the NWFA at 800/422-4556 (U.S.), 800/848-8824 (Canada) or 636/519-9663 (international), or e-mail [email protected].