Hardwood Floors E-News - 8/20/2007

Jim Duke has partnered with Barnes Lumber Group (Hamburg, Ark.) to start production on Chickasaw-brand hardwood flooring, the flooring line formerly owned by Memphis Hardwood Flooring (Memphis, Tenn.). Last October, Memphis closed its doors after 102 years of operation. Duke, formerly director of sales and marketing at Memphis Hardwood Flooring, is now responsible for sales and marketing with Chickasaw. The red and white oak Chickasaw solid, unfinished strip and plank line now serves as a division within Barnes Lumber Group and is currently being produced in a facility at the Barnes’ Hamburg location. "We plan to continue the 102-year-old Chickasaw legacy, and we have additional facilities available for expansion," said Duke, who noted that the company is looking for more distributors. For more information, contact Duke by phone at 800/346-3010; by cell phone at 901/230-0566; or by e-mail at [email protected]. Shamrock Plank Flooring (Memphis, Tenn.) has opened a 40,000-square-foot mill designed to increase production by 50 percent. For more information, call 800/473-3765 or visit www.shamrockplankflooring.com.

Mullican Flooring (Johnson City, Tenn.) prefinished domestic products are now recognized as "Verified Sustainable" by the Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Inc. (AHMI). According to the U.S. Forest Service, the hardwood tree growth in the 344 counties in the Appalachian hardwood forest, as defined by AHMI, is occurring at a healthy rate of 2.29 trees for every tree that is harvested or dies of natural causes.

Horizon Forest Products (Raleigh, N.C.) has relocated its warehouse from Maryville, Tenn., to a 15,000-square-foot facility located at 5502 Middlebrook Pike in Knoxville, Tenn. For more information, call 919/848-1025.

Floor Style Products (Hastings, Mich.) awarded several prizes to winners of its Race to the Finish promotion with Norton Abrasives (Sanborn, N.Y.). First prize of race tickets to Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C., went to Pro-Line Flooring (Reno, Nevada). Dramis Hardwood Floors (Fayetteville, N.C.) won second place and tickets to the Homestead-Miami Speedway, and third prize and tickets to Michigan’s International Race in Brooklyn, Mich., was awarded to Cincinnati Floors (Cincinnati).

Magnum Parquet (Vyskov, Czech Republic) is seeking distributors in various markets. For more information, visit www.magnumparket.com or call 843/743-9180.

Aascent Stair and Rail (Westminster, Md.), a custom staircase manufacturer and builder, is seeking dealers. For more information, call 410/346-7747, ext. 2.

IFloor (Tukwila, Wash.) has opened a retail store in Rocklin, Calif., following recent openings in Brooklyn, N.Y.; Concord, Calif.; and Bellevue and Everett, Wash. The company now has 32 retail stores nationwide.

Robina Floors (Kennesaw, Ga.) has promoted Jimmy Yeh to chief financial officer.

Specialty Forest Products (Dallas) has added Joe Buckley to its outside sales force. He can be reached at 508/548-5897.

Clarke American Sanders (Springdale, Ark.) has hired Charles White as sales representative for the Southeast. White was most recently employed by Floorcare Concepts.

The Malish Corporation (Willoughbym, Ohio) has appointed Jerry Schemm engineering project manager. Schemm previously worked for Pacific Floor Care.

Mercier Wood Flooring (Motmagny, Quebec) has added Karey Peterson as sales representative. The company has also placed Robert Pelletier in the newly created role of technical and after-sale service specialist.

Total housing starts for July 2007 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,381,000 units, the slowest rate since January 1997, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. This is 6.1 percent below the June 2007 figure of 1,470,000 units and is 20.9 percent below the revised July 2006 rate of 1,746,000 units.

Remodeling activity declined slightly in the second quarter of 2007, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Remodeling Market Index (RMI). The current market conditions component slipped from 46.1 to 44.8 on a seasonally adjusted basis, and the future expectations indicator declined by more than two points to 44.1.

The NWFA will hold an Intermediate Installation, Sand and Finish School October 24-26 in Seattle. For more information, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.nwfa.org.

The China International Wood Suppliers and Consumers Trading Conference will be held December 6-8 in Shunde, Guangdong, China. This show is sponsored by the China Timber Distribution Association and aims to provide one-stop shopping for global wood suppliers and purchasers. For more information, visit www.woodchina.cn.

Clarke American Sanders has several openings for sander sales managers in the north-central, Southwest and Northwest regions of the United States. These positions deal directly with professional sanding contractors and craftsmen dealers. The ideal candidate will have a bachelor’s degree and five years in the sanding or wood flooring industry. Résumés should be sent to [email protected]; mailed to Clarke, Human Resources/SM-HWF, 2100 Highway 265 S., Springdale, AR 72764; or faxed to 479/750-8236.

Basic Coatings (Toledo, Ohio) is seeking a national sales manager. The ideal candidate will have knowledge and understanding of the wood flooring industry and distribution. A bachelor’s degree in business administration, marketing or sales management is preferred, along with eight to 10 years of direct industry experience. Basic Coatings is also seeking a regional sales manager for the mid-Atlantic (South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania) and the Northeast (New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maine). A bachelor’s degree and five or more years of direct industry sales experience is preferred. Résumés should be sent to [email protected]; faxed to 419/321-9886; or mailed to Betco Corporation, Basic Sales, P.O. Box 3127, Toledo, Ohio 43607.

Dean Hardwoods Inc. (Wilmington, N.C.) has an opportunity for an experienced salesperson with a proven track record to sell its Prestige Hardwood Flooring, Precision Moldings, and foreign and domestic lumber. Résumés should be faxed to 910/763-3748.

Booth selection for the NWFA’s 2008 Convention in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., March 25-28, is now underway. Don’t miss your chance to reach the industry’s decision makers at the largest convention dedicated exclusively to wood flooring. Booth selection will be available based on seniority, and notices will be sent regarding the selection process. 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), by e-mail at [email protected] or visit www.nwfa.org.