Issue Date:5/16/2005
Hardwood Floors E-News Monday, May 16, 2005 Issue 263 Next issue published May 31, 2005 Deadline for items: May 25, 2005 Send news to [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------------------------NWFA Intermediate Installation, Sand and Finish School Visits Austin The NWFA held its Intermediate Installation, Sand and Finish School in Austin, Texas, May 4-6. This was the association's first bilingual school, and three Spanish-speaking students were in attendance. The lead distributor for the event was Trinity Hardwoods (Austin), and the lead instructor was NWFA Director of Technical Training and Education Steve Seabaugh. Volunteer instructors were: Chris Livingston, 3M; Bob Bailey, Artisan Hardwood Floors Inc.; Leonard Chapman, Basic Coatings; Mike Rocher and Chris Scott, BonaKemi USA; Don Smithson, Clarke American Sanders; Daniel Saucedo, Daniel Wood Floors; Steve Crawford, Dura Seal; Michael Longshore, HighPro Tools; Tom Peotter, Oshkosh Floor Designs Inc.; and Dave Stark, Virginia Abrasives Corporation.
Manufacturer News Q.E.P. Co. Inc. (Boca Raton, Fla.), a manufacturer, marketer and distributor of a broad line of flooring tools and accessories for the home improvement and professional installer markets, has entered into an asset purchase agreement with Halex Corporation (Pomona, Calif.), acquiring the Capitol USA adhesives division, located in Dalton, Ga. "Capitol USA's adhesives manufacturing facility will be fully integrated into Q.E.P.'s supply chain and augment Q.E.P.'s current capacity to manufacture critically needed adhesives for Q.E.P.'s expanding business," says Lewis Gould, chairman and CEO of Q.E.P. In exchange for the Capitol USA adhesives division, Q.E.P. paid cash, entered into a four-year promissory note and transferred all of the assets of its Roberts carpet seaming tape-manufacturing business to Halex.
Robbins Sports Surfaces (Cincinnati) has announced a 3.5 to 5.5 percent price increase on all maple flooring systems. This price increase is necessary due to higher lumber costs brought on by strong demand for maple in the housing industry, maple exports to China and the increasing demand for hardwood pulp in the paper industry, the company says. Robbins Inc. is concerned that if the trend of increasing demand continues over the next 12 to 18 months, further increases will be required in the third quarter of 2005. The demand for maple also may cause plant shutdowns due to lumber availability, the company says. More detailed information on this price increase can be found at www.robbinsfloor.com. Graf Brothers Flooring (South Shore, Ky.) has broken ground for its newest band sawmill. This operation will be targeted for the wider quartersawn lumber to go into the 6-, 7- and 8-inch-wide rift and quartered floor products. The mill is expected to start production by August 2005. This addition will bring Graf Brothers' daily lumber production to 90,000 square feet, half of which goes into plank flooring. For more information, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.grafbro.com. Mannington Mills Inc. (Salem, N.J.) has been awarded the 2005 Chairman's Award by the Chemistry Council of New Jersey (CCNJ). The award recognizes Mannington's outstanding level of safety, health and environmental concern, the company says.Distributor News Lon Musolf Distributing (Vadnais Heights, Minn.) held its final customer appreciation workshop on May 4. More than 20 vendors were in attendance, and 200 flooring installers came to check out the new products. At the end of the night, one attendee took home a new ATV. The company will hold another series of workshops in 2006. For more information, call 651/484-3020.
Loba (Ditzingen, Germany) has named A & B Hardwood Flooring Inc. (Chicago) the exclusive distributor of its products in Illinois. In addition, A & B Hardwood will host the Loba School beginning in June 2005. Michael Klinge, international technical manager of Loba, will present the Loba product line, including the high solid primer HS GlobaSeal and the water-based 1-Hour Stain. For more information, e-mail [email protected].People News Revolution Inc. (Eau Claire, Wis.) has promoted Don Raether to vice president of sales. He will lead the company's R & D sales department and will continue his role as national sales leader. Raether has been with Revolution for two years.
R & R Hardwood Inc. (Boise, Idaho) has promoted Yvette Monroe to general manager. With this promotion, Randy Nash will be semi-retiring. He will remain CFO and president of the company but will not be as involved in day-to-day operations. In other company news, Nash has announced that he has sold his interests in R & R Hardwood Floors Inc. to his business partner, Rob Nelson. Since R & R Hardwood Inc. and R & R Hardwood Floors Inc. are both located in the same area, R & R Hardwood Inc. has adopted a new logo to help set it apart. Maxwell Hardwood Flooring (Monticello, Ark.) has promoted Rose Mary Laster to senior director of marketing and product development. Laster is responsible for integrating the new marketing and customer relations program for the company, as well as researching markets to enhance and diversify product lines. She has more than 10 years' experience in hardwood flooring sales and marketing. Glitsa American Inc. (Seattle) has named Chris Pryjomski southwest sales and technical representative. Pryjomski, who most recently managed his own floor contracting business, will begin work for Glitsa this month and will be responsible for servicing distributors in Idaho, Utah, Montana, California, Arizona, Wyoming, New Mexico and Texas. Keith Waldrop has joined Oak Crest Flooring Inc. (Buena Vista, Ga.) as sales manager, flooring division. He previously headed flooring sales for the McMinnville Manufacturing division of Columbia Flooring. Waldrop can be reached at 931/212-3586 or by e-mail at [email protected]. Bosch Power Tools (Mt. Prospect, Ill.), a division of the Robert Bosch Tool Corporation, has appointed Frank Carroll president of Bosch Power Tools North America. Prior to Bosch Power Tools, Carroll led the company's Rotary Tool brand business, Dremel and RotoZip by Bosch, as president and general manager. He will continue to oversee those brands until a replacement is announced. Lenox (East Longmeadow, Mass.), a manufacturer of power tool accessories, hand tools and band saw blades, has promoted Bob Heisner, former Lenox vice president of marketing, to company president. Heisner replaces Bill Burke, who has been promoted to group president of Newell Rubbermaid's North American Tool Group. In addition to his two years with Lenox, Heisner has 20 years of tool, hardware and home improvement marketing and sales experience.In Memoriam Jim Myers, education and product development manager at Dri-Eaz (Burlington, Wash.), passed away May 4 due to complications from cancer. Myers served in a number of roles during his 10 years at Dri-Eaz and was a certified IICRC WRT and ASD instructor. He also served on many water damage restoration committees. Myers joined the restoration community in 1986 as the owner/operator of his own carpet cleaning and restorative drying business in western Washington. He preferred the restoration side of the business, and in 1994 decided to sell his firm to join the team at Dri-Eaz to specialize in restorative drying equipment and education. In the last five years, Myers dedicated himself to improving the quality of restoration education in the United States and around the world. A memorial service will be held for Myers on May 21 in Anacortes, Wash. The family has requested that any donations in memory of Myers be sent to: Campus Crusade for Christ, Attn: Campus Greatest Needs, Ministry #2752539, 100 Lake Hart Drive, Orlando, FL 32832.
On the Web Oneida Vac Systems (Syracuse, N.Y.) has revamped its Web site at www.oneidavac.com. The site now features a Contractor Spotlight where homeowners can locate a flooring contractor in their area who uses Oneida's dustless equipment. They also can view testimonials on and samples of the contractor's work.
Job Watch Powernail Co. (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) seeks a territory sales manager for the states of Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Necessary qualifications include a working knowledge and understanding of the wood floor industry and distribution. Management of large territories, experience in hardwood flooring sales, and experience building relationships with distributors are plusses. Travel of 30 to 50 percent is required. The company prefers applicants to be residents of Pennsylvania, but residence is not a requirement. The position offers an excellent compensation and benefits package. Résumés should be sent to Tom Coates, national sales manager, 1300 Rose Road, Lake Zurich, IL 60047 or [email protected].
A privately owned manufacturer of synthetic and hardwood athletic flooring is seeking a proactive leader with results-oriented strategic marketing management experience for the position of vice president of marketing. The ideal candidate will have had success in strategic business-to-business market planning, selling to building trades and institutions through distribution and dealer networks, and should be an out-of-the-box thinker, a relationship builder and a good communicator. A base compensation in the low six-figure range, a potential executive bonus and excellent benefits accompany this position. Relocation assistance also is provided. For confidential consideration, candidates should call 513/825-3258 or send a résumé to the company's executive search consultant Christine Visnich of L. Christine Visnich & Associates LLC at [email protected] or fax 513/825-7716.Mark Your Calendar Owens Flooring Company (Shawano, Wis.) will sponsor an NWFA Installation, Sand & Finish School June 15-17. The school will discuss engineered flooring, concrete subfloors and moisture content testing procedures, all elements of glue-down installation, and sanding and finishing. The event also will include a tour of Owens' new facilities in Shawano. For more information, call Jane Bubloz at 715/524-6080 or e-mail [email protected].
NWFA Member Services The NWFA has released Part I of a two-part study on moisture issues. Part I, "Concrete Slabs and Moisture Issues," addresses three key components, including concrete and cement chemistry, concrete and cement technology, and approaches to remedy problem slabs with high moisture content. The report further addresses moisture sources, both natural and artificial, and testing methods, including qualitative tests providing a general indication of moisture and quantitative tests providing the level of moisture present. The full report is available on the NWFA's Web site at www.nwfa.org. Simply click on the "Services & Supplies" link, and select "Business Publications." For more information, call 636/519-9663 (local and international), 800/422-4556 (U.S.) or 800/848-8824 (Canada).
