Expert Skills Taught at Schools in St. Louis
The NWFA held its Expert Installation and Expert Sand & Finish schools for elite contractors Oct. 3-6 and Oct. 8-10, respectively. NWFA’s
Steve Seabaugh and
Frank Kroupa led the in-depth instruction. For the Installation school, volunteer instructors included:
Chuck Crispin, Birger Juell Ltd.;
John Fairbanks, BonaKemi USA Inc.;
Robert Humphreys, Majestic Wood Floors Inc.;
Tom Peotter, Oshkosh Designs;
Mark Scheller, Scheller Hardwood Floors; and
Tony Robison, Washington Wood Floors Inc. For the Sand & Finish school, volunteer instructors included:
Chris Livingston, 3M;
Gene Jarka, BonaKemi USA Inc.;
Wayne Lee, Clarke American Sanders;
Lon Vaughn, Glitsa American;
Charles Peterson, The International Parquetry Historical Society;
Don Jewell, Timbermate USA Inc.; and
Don Bollinger, Wood Floor Products Inc.
Manufacturer News
Gestion Gino Ouellet, president and general manager of
BSL Wood Products, (Mont-Joli, Quebec) has acquired 58 percent of the shares of
Plancher Ancestral (St-George-de-Beauce, Quebec), a manufacturer of high-end oiled wood flooring and complementary products. The two companies’ flooring products will be marketed and distributed independently of each other under their own brand names. The acquisition has expanded BSL by 35 employees, and Plancher management will stay in place.
A study by the Freedonia Group, an independent business research company, has concluded the demand for wood protection coatings and preservatives, including those for hardwood flooring, is forecast to increase 3.4 percent per year to $3.4 billion in 2011. The study also shows a shift in product mix to higher value formulations in both coatings and preservatives, due primarily to environmental issues. Those interested in purchasing the study can contact Corinne Gangloff at 440/684-9600 or visit www.freedoniagroup.com.
Distributor News
Long Floor Supply Inc. (Richmond, Va.) partnered with
Clarke American Sanders (Springdale, Ark.) to host its second annual Customer Appreciation Event at the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 NASCAR race held September 8 at the Richmond International Raceway.
Robina Floors (Kennesaw, Ga.) has selected Classic Tile (Elizabeth, N.J.) as a distributor for its engineered hardwoods, and Design Distributing Inc. (Richmond, Va.) for its laminate and solid wood products.
Golden State Flooring (South San Francisco, Calif.) has constructed a 1,200-square-foot addition to its prefinished showroom to showcase its unfinished products.
People News
Oshkosh Designs (Winneconne, Wis.) has named
Isabel Antunes territory manager for the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. She is based out of Manorville, N.Y., and can be reached at 516/509-9218 or at
[email protected].
Zipema Wood Products (Curitiba, Brazil) has added Ma Wen Hao to its Shanghai, China, sales staff. Wen Hao has more than five years of experience in hardwood flooring distribution. He can be reached via e-mail at [email protected] or at 86-1381-796-0206.
Long Floor Supply Inc. has promoted Danny Yarbrough to outside sales and Nicole Hudson to inside sales. Yarbrough has been with the company for over two years and will focus on business development. Hudson has been employed with the company since 2006.
Welco Floor Coverings (Vancouver, British Columbia) has appointed Marc St-Cyr flooring sales manager. He can be contacted at 800/999-3526 or by e-mail at [email protected].
Arrow Wood Floors (Beaverton, Ore.), a national importer and distributor of hardwood flooring from mills in China, Indonesia, South America and Europe, has hired Ken Barhorst as its national sales representative. Barhorst previously worked as sales representative for Base King.
Magnum Hardwood Floors (Charleston, S.C.) has appointed Joe Valenza exclusive manufacturer’s representative for Magnum products in the New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland markets.
Vecoplan LLC (High Point, N.C.) has appointed Vinnie Carpentieri to national sales manager-mobile division, to oversee all mobile shredding system sales.
By the Numbers
New residential sales of single-family houses in August 2007 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 795,000 units, according to the
U.S. Commerce Department. This is 8.3 percent below the revised July rate of 867,000 units and 21.2 percent below the August 2006 total of 1,009,000 units.
On the Web
Aascent Stair & Rail (Westminster, Md.) has launched a Web site at
www.stepsabove.com.
Wood floor specialist Tina Boone of Boone, N.C., has launched a new Web site at www.boonewoodbrokers.com.
Mark Your Calendar
The NWFA will hold an Intermediate Installation and Sand and Finish School in Portland, Ore., January 23-25. For more information, e-mail
[email protected] or visit
www.nwfa.org.
Domotex Hannover 2008 will be held January 12-15 at the Hannover Fairgrounds in Hannover, Germany. The 2007 event attracted more than 44,000 attendees and 1,360 exhibiting companies, including eight companies in the NWFA pavilion. For more information, visit www.hf-usa.com.
Job Watch
BonaKemi USA (Aurora, Colo.) is seeking experienced candidates for its regional contractor manager positions in Atlanta, Texas and Seattle. Ideal candidates will be enthusiastic, energetic and willing to travel 70 percent of the time. Job requirements include at least five years of sand and finish experience and two years of sales experience. Contract managers are responsible for developing relationships, training and educating contractors and distributors, performing on-site demonstrations and executing sales. The ability to speak Spanish is a plus. Résumés should be sent to
[email protected].
Floor Style Products (Hastings, Mich.) is looking for a phone salesperson with general hardwood flooring knowledge. Basic computer knowledge is preferred, but the company will train the right person. Floor Style is also looking for a technical support person mechanically inclined with superior attention to detail. Résumés and references should be sent to [email protected].
Magnum Hardwood Floors (Charleston, S.C.) is looking for two manufacturer representatives with a working knowledge and understanding of the hardwood flooring industry for the Florida and Texas markets. Resumes should be sent to [email protected] or faxed to 404/745-0274.
Baltic Wood-USA (Newark, N.J.) is seeking multiple sales representatives for the Southeast, including Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. Résumés should be sent to [email protected].
Caliber Flooring (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) is seeking salespeople in the United States. Experience in hardwood flooring sales is preferred. Résumés should be sent to [email protected].
Business for Sale
An established 27-year-old high-end custom hardwood flooring installation and refinishing business on the California coast is for sale. The company’s extensive customer list and contractor referral base provides plenty of repeat business. For the past several years, gross revenues have consistently exceeded $1 million. The asking price is $175,000. For more information, call
Andy Borges at 408/385-0516.
Looking for a Few Good Contractors
In 2008,
Hardwood Floors will once again be profiling exemplary contractors. The first profile will be from the Charlotte, N.C., area (or within several hours of Charlotte). If you would like to recommend a hardwood flooring contractor, send an email to
[email protected] as soon as possible telling us who the company is and why it's outstanding.
Correction
In the previous issue of
Hardwood Floors' E-News, the Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association also should have been listed as a sponsor of the Wood Flooring Basics School held September 18-21 in St. Louis.
NWFA Member Services
Sponsorships for the NWFA’s 2008 Convention in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., March 25-28, are available to all Expo exhibitors. Sponsorships are a great opportunity for companies to promote their names efficiently and affordably to the more than 4,000 expected attendees. All sponsorships are available on a first-come, first-served basis, with the previous year’s sponsor having first right of refusal. Additional sponsorships are available for the golf outing, and include tees and greens, closest to the pin, longest drive, golf balls, golf towels, visors and other giveaways for 150 participants. Each sponsor program includes signage at the sponsored event, coverage in on-site promotional materials, right of first refusal for future shows and additional benefits specific to the event sponsored. 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.
