Happy Holidays from the staff at Hardwood Floors.
Independent Study to Determine Hardwood’s Environmental Impact
The
National Wood Flooring Association Industry Research Foundation has contracted with the University of Wisconsin to conduct an environmental study on solid hardwood flooring. This study will provide a detailed lifecycle analysis of solid hardwood flooring to assess the environmental impact of hardwood compared with other floor coverings. Specifically, researchers plan to examine hardwood flooring’s environmental impact in terms of energy consumption, air pollution, water pollution, solid waste pollution and climate change relative to non-wood products.
The Consortium for Research on Renewal Industrial Materials (CORRIM), a research entity comprised of 13 cooperating universities and research institutions, will conduct the research to make a lifecycle inventory model for solid-strip hardwood to compare with data collected on other types of floor coverings.
NWFA Executive Director/CEO Ed Korczak believes this research will help consumers make more informed product decisions. "Products with low environmental impacts have a competitive advantage and are in greater demand than products with high environmental impacts. Based on sound scientific fact, it is important to evaluate the impacts of hardwood flooring on our health and our environment," Korczak says.
The study will be published in August 2007.
Manufacturer News
BonaKemi USA Inc. (Aurora, Colo.) has relocated its corporate offices to Waterpark III, 2550 S. Parker Road, Suite 600, Aurora, CO 80014. The new phone numbers are 800/872-5515 and 303/371-1411.
Timbermate USA Inc. (Chicago) has relocated to a 7,500-square-foot facility in Skokie, Ill. The new address is 8118 Monticello Ave., Skokie, IL 60076.
Blastrac Global (Atlanta) has a new distribution center-Blastrac South Pacific-located at Unit 1, 22 Export Drive, Molendinar, Queensland, AUS 4214. It carries a full line of Blastrac surface preparation equipment for distribution throughout Australia, New Zealand and surrounding island nations. For more information, call 61-7-5577-5972.
Distributor News
Blake-Stevens Wood Flooring Inc. (Pewaukee, Wis.) is sponsoring "Tom’s Sanding and Finishing School" throughout January and February 2007. Each branch location (Pewaukee, Madison, Hudson and Kaukauna) will host its own class with a maximum of 10 participants. A comprehensive binder and giveaways from various vendors will be given to participants. This school is a two-day, back-to-basics class with hands-on training on abrasives, belt machines, drum machines, edgers, buffers and staining and finishing techniques. For more information, contact
Diane Wendelberger at 800/322-0488 or e-mail
[email protected].
By the Numbers
Total housing starts for November 2006 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,588,000 units, according to the
U.S. Commerce Department. This is 6.7 percent above the October 2006 figure of 1,488,000 units.
The overall December 2006 National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) declined one point from 33 to 32. The component measuring current single-family sales remained even at 33. The component for sales expectations for the next six months rose three points to 48, and the component gauging traffic of prospective buyers dropped three points to 23.
Mark Your Calendar
The NWFA will hold its first school of 2007 with its Intermediate Installation, Sand and Finish School January 24-26 in Denver at the Colorado Convention Center. For more information, e-mail
[email protected] or visit
www.nwfa.org.
Dalian Northern International Exhibition Company will hold ChinaBuild2007 March 30-April 2, 2007, at the World Expo Plaza in Dalian, China. For more information, call Cindy Pei at 86-411-82538628 or e-mail her at [email protected].
The Australian Timber Flooring Association will hold its Education Conference and Timber Flooring Exhibition at Randwick in Sydney, Australia, October 10-12, 2007. This is the first time the ATFA will hold the show, which will feature keynote speakers, education sessions and demonstration schools from the United States. For more information, visit www.atfa.com.au.
Job Watch
Garco Clear Finishes (North Brunswick, N.J.) is looking for qualified sales agents. The candidates should have direct sales experience calling on distributors serving the hardwood flooring industry. Garco offers an excellent compensation package with paid travel expenses, 401(k) and profit sharing. Résumés should be sent with salary history by mail to Garco Clear Finishes, Attn.:
Michael Schnurr, 1999 Elizabeth St., North Brunswick, NJ 08902; by fax to 732/821-8180; or by e-mail to
[email protected].
Ancestral Floors (Saint-Georges, Quebec) is seeking experienced independent sales agents to market its line of pre-oiled hardwood floors in commercial applications, as well as over radiant heat and on concrete slabs. Résumés should be sent to Lynn Buth, P.O. Box 106, Lancaster, NH 03584.
Baltic Wood SA (Jasio, Poland) is seeking sales representatives for the West Coast (California, Arizona, Oregon and Washington); the Southeast (Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida); and the Northeast (New York and surrounding areas). Résumés should be sent to [email protected]. For more information, visit www.balticfloor.com.
American Made Flooring (Spartansburg, Penn.) is seeking an aggressive, highly motivated, team-oriented person with a strong work ethic to develop the company’s Northeast sales. Experience in hardwood flooring sales, knowledge of the wood flooring industry and distributor sales experience is preferred. Salary is commensurate with experience and is competitive, with huge growth incentives. The company also offers a strong benefits package including medical, dental, 401(k), company-provided vehicle and electronics. Résumés should be e-mailed to [email protected] or faxed to 814/654-7846.
Send us Your Mail!
Hardwood Floors is looking for great direct mail pieces for its April/May 2007 dealer/contractor marketing contest. A professional branding expert will pick the best one, the winner will receive a
Hardwood Floors T-shirt, and the winning mail pieces will appear in the magazine. The deadline for submitting items is Friday, January 5. If you are a hardwood flooring dealer or contractor and think you have a great company direct mail piece, mail it to: Direct Mail Pieces, Hardwood Floors, 4130 Lien Road, Madison, WI 53704.
NWFA Member Services
The NWFA will offer two optional outings during its 2007 Convention in Denver on Tuesday, April 10. The annual Golf Outing will be held from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Arrowhead Golf Club. The $150 registration fee includes transportation, green fees, golf cart, lunch and a gift bag. The ski outing will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. at the Loveland Ski Area. The $150 registration fee includes transportation, discount lift tickets, and either ski, boot and pole rentals or snowboard and boot rentals. To register, visit
www.nwfa.org and click on the "Convention & Expo" link. For more information, contact the NWFA by phone at 800/422-4556 (U.S.), 800/848-8824 (Canada) or 636/519-9663 (local and international) or by e-mail at
[email protected].