Issue Date:7/6/2004
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Issue Date:7/6/2004
Hardwood Floors E-News Monday, July 6, 2004 Issue 241 Next issue published July 19, 2004, 2003 Deadline for items: July 14, 2004 Send news to [email protected]
NWFA Takes Two Training Schools to Toronto The NWFA held its Factory Finished Installation School in Toronto June 21-22, with 22 students in attendance. NWFA Technical Director Steve Seabaugh led the school, and volunteer instructors for the event included Len Daubler, Anderson Hardwood Floors; Tom Peotter, Oshkosh Floor Designs; and Alan Blake, Stauf-USA Adhesive LLC. The NWFA followed with its Installation, Sand and Finish School at the same location June 22-25. Seabaugh led the school, and volunteer instructors were: Brent Sorbet, Basic Coatings; Mike Kearns, BonaKemi USA Inc.; Mike Farrell, Clarke American Sanders; Bob Russell, Dura Seal; Leonard Hall, Endurance Floor Co. Inc.; Glen Miller, Preverco Inc.; Mary Thur, Tembec; Karl Stafflinger, Virginia Abrasives Corp.; Peotter; and Blake. The sponsoring distributor for both schools was Goodfellow Inc.
Manufacturer News BonaKemi USA (Aurora, Colo.) has named Custom Wholesale Floors (Jacksonville, Fla.) its 2003 Distributor of the Year. In addition, American Products Inc. (Pineville, N.C.) received BonaKemi's Outstanding Growth Award, and Virginia Hardwood Co. (Azusa, Calif.), Denver Hardwood Co. (Denver) and Machines to Floors Inc. (Birmingham, Ala.) each received Outstanding Achievement Awards. Twenty businesses were recognized as Distributors of Merit. Receiving honors were: Atlantic West Flooring Distributors (Denver); Blake-Stevens Wood Flooring Inc. (Pewaukee, Wis.); Derr Flooring Inc. (Willow Grove, Pa.); Emco Machinery and Rentals Inc. (Montreal, Quebec); Erickson Decorating Products Inc. (Chicago); Erickson's Flooring and Supply (Ferndale, Mich.); Floor Service Supply Co. (San Jose, Calif.); Floor Style Products (Hastings, Mich.); Galleher Inc. (Santa Fe Springs, Calif.); Geysir Sales Corp. (Mamaroneck, N.Y.); Hoboken Floors (Wayne, N.J.); Lon Musolf Distributing (Vadnais Heights, Minn.); Long Floor Supply Inc. (Richmond, Va.); Master's Craft Industries (West Plains, Mo.); South Coast Hardwood Supply Inc. (Charleston, S.C.); Southeast Hardwood Flooring Distributors (Mandeville, La.); Southern Wood Flooring and Supply (Dallas); The Bahr Company (Romeoville, Ill.); The Cronin Company (Portland, Ore.); and Three Trees Hardwood Distributing (Holland, Mich.).
Finium (Frampton, Quebec) has announced that Paul Allen of Hoboken Floors (Stoughton, MA) won the company's prefinished stair tread contest, which was held during the month of June. He won a three-day weekend package deal for two in Quebec City for selling the most stair treads during that month.
Gammapar (Forest, Va.), a hardwood flooring manufacturer, has launched a new venture in the flooring business--Old Virginia Leather Company. Old Virginia Leather is recycled leather flooring and wall tiles. The product is made from 100 percent recycled leather and is then bonded together with latex to form a stable product. The product line includes 24-by-24-inch tiles, as well as leather-wrapped base molding and crown molding. Color matching is possible. For more information, contact Tracey Douthat at 800/769-8274 or visit www.oldvirginialeather.com .
Chinafloors (Shanghai, China) has expanded its production with a state-of-the-art facility of more than 100,000 square feet. The facility will accommodate the company's production of hand-scraped solid and engineered flooring products. The company focuses on export markets only and meets international standards, it says, adding that it specializes in specialty laminate flooring, distressed wood flooring and DIY decking systems in composite and solid wood. In addition, the company is now building a select distributors network. For more information, e-mail [email protected].
Columbia Flooring (Danville, Va.) has announced it will be exhibiting at Surfaces 2004, after opting out of the trade show in 2004 in favor of a large distributor event held in Cancun, Mexico. "Our distributor conference was an outstanding success, and we plan to host another in late 2004 or 2005," says Columbia Flooring President David Wootton. "Whilst we have had no pressure from our customers to return to Surfaces, we believe the rapid growth of our company-evidenced by the four acquisitions in the past nine months and the increased market awareness of the Columbia brand-warrants this additional commitment to the retail trade."
Blastrac (Fresno, Texas) has announced that the Sawtec line of surface preparation tools designed for professional contractors will be rebranded under the Blastrac name. Products include concrete grinders, crack chasing and joint cleanout saws, masonry saws, concrete polishing tools, dust collection systems, hand tools, diamond blades and other consumables, the company says. The Blastrac brand offers a full line of dust-controlling portable surface preparation equipment, as well as equipment designed for light demolition work such as floor scraping and removal of flooring materials.
During the 2004 NWFA convention, DriTac Adhesive Group (Brooklyn, N.Y.) entertained 25 representatives from its best customers at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The event, titled "Racing Your Way To DriTac Profits," was an award for a promotion the company ran for its distributors and was run by the Richard Petty Driving Experience. The group enjoyed first-class treatment at the Speedway Club for lunch and then proceeded to video-, on-track- and in-car-training for a race. Donning safety gear, each group member entered a race car, started their engines and raced around the track. The fastest time of the group was Jack Schroeder, president of The Bahr Company (Romeoville, Ill.), who finished with an average lap time greater than 140 mph.
Clarke American Sanders (Chesterfield, Mo.) has announced the winner of this quarter's free edger--Tyler Lee of Perfection Flooring. To win, Lee purchased a B-2+ edger and returned the quality comment/registration card between April 1 and June 27. The next edger winner will be picked from customers who purchase machines and return the comment/registration card between June 28 and Sept. 30.
Distributor News Derr Flooring Company (Willow Grove, Pa.) recently sponsored a Spring Parade of Products Show in Harrisburg, Pa., to bring new products and installation education to its customers. Derr Flooring and 18 manufacturers presented their newest products to floorcovering dealers. Oshkosh Floor Designs (Winneconne, Wis.) provided a wood flooring education seminar on medallion installation. Dinner and refreshments also were provided.
People News Thomson Oak Flooring Company (Thomson, Ga.) has appointed Melvin M. Reeves president and CEO. Reeves comes to Thomson Oak Flooring with a long career in the hardwood flooring and pine manufacturing industry, with 15 years as vice president of Colonial Hardwood Flooring Company; five years with Knox Wood Products in flooring and pine manufacturing; and 20 years with ITT Rayonier as director of all solid wood products.
Historic Floor Company Inc. (Eureka, Mo.) has named Paul V. Lampe director of sales. Lampe brings more than 16 years of sales, marketing and business development experience to the company. His immediate responsibilities include further channel development in St. Louis and market expansion efforts to other cities.
Penn Wood Products (East Berlin, Pa.) has named Dan Keene warehouse supervisor. Keene is responsible for inventory control and related functions and procedures at the East Berlin manufacturing facility. He has experience in warehouse and store management positions and has completed technical training courses in computer repair and network administration, autoCAD and architectural landscape design.
R&R Hardwood Inc. (Boise, Idaho) has announced that Jim Liddell will be taking charge of the company's local area in Boise. In addition, the company has promoted Todd Chase to purchasing assistant.
Wood Flooring International (Delran, N.J.) has named Tom Crandall northeast regional sales manager for the areas from northern Virginia up to Maine and west to Chicago. Crandall has an extensive background in floorcovering as a territory manager for Harris Tarkett and, most recently, as eastern U.S. sales manager for Tembec.
Horizon Forest Products (Raleigh, N.C.) has announced that John Armfield has joined the Horizon team as branch manager for the Raleigh flooring branch. Armfield was formerly with Armfield Flooring and brings 13 years of hardwood flooring experience to his new position.
By the Numbers Sales of new single-family homes in May 2004 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,369,000, according to the Commerce Department. This is 14.8 percent above the revised April rate of 1,192,000 and 25.3 percent above the May 2003 estimate of 1,093,000.
Strip shipments for May 2004 totaled 53,224,000 board feet, up 9 percent from the 48,747,000 board feet shipped in May 2003, according to NOFMA: The Wood Flooring Manufacturers Association. For the first five months of 2004, strip shipments totaled 275,573,000 board feet, up 11 percent from the 249,223,000 board feet reported during the same period in 2003.
Mark Your Calendar The NWFA will host an Inspection Certification Test on July 14 at the following six locations: Bennett Supply Co., 300 Business Center Drive, Cheswick, Pa., 724/274-1700; J.E. Higgins Lumber Co., 699 S. Front, Livermore, Calif., 925/245-4300; Southeast Hardwood Flooring Dist., 68391 James St., Mandeville, La., 985/875-2091; Longust Distributors, 2432 W. Birchwood, Mesa, Ariz., 480/752-3337; Lon Musolf Distributing, 985 E. Barwood Ave., Vadnais Heights, Minn., 651/484-3020; and NWFA Headquarters, 111 Chesterfield Industrial Blvd., Chesterfield, Mo., 800/422-4556. The testing process will begin at 7:30 a.m. and end at 6 p.m. The primary reference materials and study guides for the test questions include: NWFA Installation Guidelines, NWFA Technical Publication No. C100: Maintenance and Recoating and NWFA Technical Publication No. C200: Problems, Causes and Cures. NWFA members have received these manuals as part of their membership. Additional copies are available. The NWFA also will hold the Inspector Certification Test on Sept. 29 in the following cities: Boston; Boise; Atlanta; Ferndale, Mich.; Denver; and St. Louis. Exact locations will be announced at a later date. For more information, e-mail Bonnie Holmes at [email protected] or call the NWFA at 800/422-4556 (U.S.), 800/848-8824 (Canada) or 636/519-9663 (local and international).
Job Watch A North Carolina-based floorcovering distributor is seeking a sales manager. Three to five years' management experience and a BS/BA are preferred but not required. Wood flooring experience is a plus. This position reports to the vice president of sales and will work with a veteran sales force and the company's retail customers to build on the company's 50-year presence in the marketplace. The position requires travel in the Carolinas and eastern Tennessee and offers a competitive benefit package, including 401(k), life insurance and health insurance. Interested parties should submit a résumé to Jackie Brown, P.O. Box 2628, Durham, NC 27715 or e-mail a resume to [email protected].
Horizon Forest Products is seeking a sales representative in the Greensboro/Charlotte area. Experience is helpful, but the company will train the right individual. Those interested should send a résumé to David Williams at [email protected] or fax to 919/255-9020.
Heritage Veneered Products and Owens Flooring Company, divisions of Owens Forest Products (Shawano, Wis.) are seeking qualified candidates for the following new and open positions within its Shawano, Wis., facility: production manager; manufacturing/process engineer; sales and customer service support specialist; production control specialist; and network/help desk technician. To review the job descriptions for these positions, visit Owens Forest Products' Web site at www.owensforestproducts.com, and refer to the "Career Opportunities" section. For confidential consideration, résumés and salary histories can be e-mailed to [email protected] or mailed to Owens Forest Products, Attn: Human Resources Manager, 1275 Industrial Drive, Shawano, WI 54166. Heritage Veneered Products is a recipient of the 2003 Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Awards for "Commitment to Employees" and Shawano Area Chamber of Commerce 2002 Business of the Year Award.
Wellmade Floor Coverings International (Wilsonville, Ore.) is looking for responsible manufacturer representatives to work in the states of Massachusetts, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Texas, Tennessee, Oregon, Mississippi and Alabama. Those interested should contact Alan at 866/582-0848 or e-mail [email protected].
NWFA Member Services NWFA members can choose a shipping services program that meets their company needs: Shipping Plus includes expanded shipping services with DHL/Airborne Express. DHL offers full domestic and international shipping services, covering more than 220 countries and territories worldwide. Menlo Worldwide/Emery saves you 45 percent on Menlo's Gold Priority Service and 20 percent on International Express with Emery. To find out more about your benefits, contact the dedicated association hotline at 800/636-2377. Freightquote.com offers automated shipping that includes group discount rates on less-than-truckload, truckload and international or domestic air. To find out more about your benefits, contact the association representative at 888/595-5664.