Issue Date:5/5/2009
As expected, attendance was down, however, it was better than expected: 2,438 people attended the show, about 28 percent less than the 3,411 at last year's convention in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. There were 434 booths at the show, representing 238 companies.
NWFA Announces Leadership During the NWFA convention, the new NWFA leadership was announced. They include Executive Committee members Don Finkell of Anderson Hardwood Floors (Clinton, S.C.) as chairman; Neil Poland of Mullican Flooring (Johnson City, Tenn.) as vice chairman; Rick Holden of Derr Flooring Co. (Willow Grove, Pa.) as treasurer; John Lessick of Apex Wood Floors (Downers Grove, Ill.) as secretary; and Ken Schumacher of Schumacher & Company Inc. (Newport, Ky.) as immediate past chairman.
New to the Board of Directors are Bob Haggard of Hassell & Hughes Lumber Company (Collinwood, Tenn.), and Tommy Maxwell of Maxwell Hardwood Flooring (Monticello, Ark.). Returning directors include Tom Anstett, Powernail Company (Lake Zurich, Ill.); Dewevai Buchanan of Mohawk Industries (Dalton, Ga.); Jeff Fairbanks, Palo Duro Hardwoods (Denver); David Graf of Graf Brothers Flooring (South Shore, Ky.); Lenny Hall, Endurance Floor Company (West Park, Fla.); Sprigg Lynn, Universal Floors (Washington, D.C.); Glen Miller, Superior Flooring (Etobicoke, Ontario); Kevin Mullany, Benchmark Wood Floors (Albuquerque, N.M.); and Sam Smith of Koetter Woodworking (Borden, Ind.). The ex-officio directors are Jerry Coleman, Jr., Porta-Nails (Wilmington, N.C.); Mark Elwell, Bamboo Flooring Hawaii (Honolulu); Kim Holm, Mannington Wood Floors, (Salem, N.J.); Jim Schumacher, 3M (Annandale, N.J.); and John Wooten, CMH Flooring Products (Wadesboro, N.C.).
During the convention, Jim Gray of Floor Style Products (Hastings, Mich.) finished his term on the Board, and Joe Audino of Rode Bros. Floors (Los Angeles) finished his term as immediate past chairman.
Contractors Win Wood Floor of the Year Awards Winners of this year's Wood Floor of the Year Awards were announced at the convention's awards presentation and party April 30. There were 142 entries from the U.S., Canada and Russia in this year's competition, which featured 19 awards and three honorable mentions. Voting was conducted online from March 1 to March 31, while voting for the Members' Choice category took place both online and during the convention. Winners included:
Members' Choice: DM Hardwood Designs (Farmington, N.M.).
Best Xtreme Makeover: Majestic Wood Floors (Frederick, Md.).
CNC/Laser Cut: -Best Kitchen/Dining Room: Diamond Flooring (Elizabethtown, Ky.) -Best Living Room/Family Room: SVB Wood Floor Service (Grandview, Mo.) -Best Entry/Foyer: American Hardwood Flooring of MN (Delano, Minn.) -Best Commercial/Showroom: Birger Juell Ltd. (Chicago) -Best CNC/Laser Cut: Universal Floors (Washington, D.C.) Hand-Cut: -Best Kitchen/Dining Room: American Hardwood Flooring of MN (Delano, Minn.). Honorable mention: Al Havner & Sons Hardwood Floors (Vonore, Tenn.) -Best Living Room/Family Room: Yantarnaya Pryad (Khimki, Russia) -Best Library/Office: Universal Floors (Washington, D.C.) -Best Bedroom: CP Wood Floors (Gales Ferry, Conn.) -Best Entry/Foyer: DM Hardwood Designs (Farmington, N.M.) -Best Commercial/Showroom (tie): Woodwright Hardwood Floor Company (Dallas) and Divine Hardwood Flooring (Calgary, Alberta) -Best Restoration: Universal Floors (Washington, D.C.) -Best Manufacturer Factory Finished: Red Oak Hardwood Floor (Glenview, Ill.). Honorable mention: Gaylord Forest Products (Tweed, Ontario) -Best Limited Species: Precision Floorcrafters (Ocala, Fla.) -Best Reclaimed: Birger Juell Ltd. (Chicago). Honorable mention: Al Havner & Sons Hardwood Floors (Vonore, Tenn.). -Best Engineered: DM Hardwood Designs (Farmington, N.M.)
Community Service Recognized New to the convention this year was the NWFA Community Service Award for companies who have helped those in need. Projects ranged from flooring donations for facilities housing families with children undergoing cancer treatments, to providing flooring for returning veterans, to providing Habitat for Humanity with materials, among others. Recipients included: 3M (St. Paul, Minn.), Accent Hardwood Flooring Inc. (Durham, N.C.), Allegheny Mountain Hardwood Flooring (Emlenton, Pa.), Avi's Harwood Flooring (Martinez, Calif.), BR-111 Imports & Exports Inc. (Medley, Fla.), Costen Floors Inc. (Richmond, Va.), Custom Hardwood Floors Ltd. (Reno, Nev.), DriTac Flooring Products LLC (Clifton, N.J.), Dura Seal (Cedar Hill, Texas), Erickson's Flooring & Supply (Ferndale, Mich.), Erskine Floors Inc. (Hudson, Wis.), European Flooring Co. Inc. (Upper Montclair, N.J.), Finishing Touch Hardwood Floor Co. (Charlton, Mass.), Flooring Designs Inc. (Madison, Wis.), Floors Etcetera Inc. (Houston), Fortifiber Building Systems Group (Reno, Nev.), Golden State Flooring (San Diego), Goodwin Heart Pine Co. (Micanopy, Fla.), John Griffiths Hardwood Flooring (Charleston, S.C.), Johnson Premium Hardwood Flooring (City of Industry, Calif.), L & L Hardwoods (Milford, Ohio), Maruhon Inc. (Hamamatsu City, Japan), Mullican Flooring (Johnson City, Tenn.), Ogle's Hardwood Flooring Inc. (Charlotte, N.C.), Powernail Company Inc. (Lake Zurich, Ill.), Rode Bros. Floors (Las Vegas), Seneca Millwork Inc. (Fostoria, Ohio), Sheoga Hardwood Flooring & Paneling Inc. (Middlefield, Ohio), Stauf-USA Adhesive LLC (Memphis, Tenn.), W.D. Flooring (Laona, Wis.), and WoodPride Flooring (Littleton, Colo.)
NWFA Members Receive Awards and Degrees The NWFA Craftsman Degree recognizes individuals who have attained 25 credits for education, achievement and service, of which 15 must be in education. At the convention, those receiving a Craftsman Degree included: Joe Albany, Seneca Millwork (Fostoria, Ohio); Donnie Bouchard, Perfection Home Flooring (Glendale, Calif.); Cort Dunlap, Hardwood Inspections (Seattle); Jeff Fairbanks, Palo Duro Hardwoods (Denver); Yves Godbout, Plancher Yves Godbout Flooring (Morin Heights, Quebec); Michael Palembas, Palembas Hardwood Floors (Escondido, Calif.); Larry Scott, DriTac Flooring Products (Clifton, N.J.); and Mike Summers, UFloor Systems (Bend, Ore.).
Master Craftsman Degree recipients must earn another 25 NWFA credits, 15 of which must be for achievement. They must also have attended or served as an instructor at an NWFA Advanced or Expert School and/or received an NWFA Floor of the Year Award. Recipients in Long Beach included Johannes Boonstra, Synteko Floor Finishes (Pontiac, Mich.), and Mike Osborn, Glitsa American (Seattle).
NWFA Advanced Master degrees are reserved for individuals who take their wood flooring education even further; they must attain another 25 achievement credits. Recipients included Roger Barker, Fortifiber Building Systems (Reno, Nevada); Alan Blake, Chemque (Arvada, Colo.); and Daniel Racareanu, American Woodcraft (Naperville, Ill.).
The NWFA's Vanguard Degree recognizes individuals for attaining 25 credits, 15 of which are for industry service or achievement. Recipients included: Gary Arnold, Synteko Floor Finishes (Dove Canyon, Calif.); Brett Butler, Lenmar (Houston); Mark Elwell, Bamboo Flooring Hawaii (Honolulu); Don Finkell, Anderson Hardwood Floors (Clinton, S.C.); Barry Gork, Timbermate USA (Skokie, Ill.); Drew Kern, Flooring Works (Milton, Ontario); Steve Lima, Bostik (Middleton, Mass.); Randy Moore, RC Moore & Associates (Redding, Calif.); and Tony Robison, Washington Wood Floors (Manassas, Va.).
The Ambassador Degree is awarded to Vanguard Degree recipients who have earned an additional 25 credits for servicing the industry. Recipients included: Evandro Carvalho, Maximum Hardwood Floors (Coral Springs, Fla.); John Lessick, Apex Wood Floors (Downers Grove, Ill.); and Matt White, Hardwood Floor Connection (Danville, Calif.).
Domotex Asia/ChinaFloor Attendance Figures Released Attendance at this year's Domotex Asia/ChinaFloor, held March 24-26 in Shanghai, China, reached nearly 37,000, down about 7 percent from last year's 39,509 attendees. More than 900 exhibitors from 38 countries participated at the event.
Manufacturer News Mohawk Industries (Dalton, Ga.) lost $106 million, or $1.55 per share, in the first quarter of 2009 as sales declined 20 percent; analysts expected a loss of 85 cents per share. The company had $1.2 billion in sales, 30 percent lower than the same quarter one year ago. According to an earnings release, the company expects all of its segments to have positive returns in the second quarter.
Armstrong World Industries (Lancaster, Pa.), parent company of Armstrong Hardwood Flooring, lost $11.2 million, or 20 cents per share, in the first quarter of 2009 as sales declined 15 percent. The company had $668 million in sales, 19 percent lower than the same quarter one year ago. It posted $122 million in wood flooring sales, down 24 percent from $160 million in the same quarter of 2008. Its wood flooring segment lost $7.8 million; in the same quarter last year it made $2.5 million. In other Armstrong news, the company recently re-hired 95 workers it laid off at a Randolph County, W. Va., wood flooring plant last year, according to a company spokeswoman.
Mannington Wood Floors (Salem, N.J.) is continuing two local philanthropic projects again this year, Art is Cool and the Stand On A Better World Scholarship. Art is Cool helps Salem County High School art students display their work, while the scholarship is offered to students that demonstrate a commitment to community service.
Distributor News ENiTo Flooring Pte. Ltd. (Singapore) is seeking distributors and importers in the United States. Those interested should contact the company at [email protected] or No. 23 Tai Seng Drive, #05-00, Singapore 535224.
Patriot Hardwood Floors and Supply Inc. (Wilmington, Mass.) is now a distributor for Cikel America LLC (Miami) in the Northeast; Patriot will service Cikel with its Wilmington and Pompton Plains, N.J., locations.
Galleher Hardwood Co. (Santa Fe Springs, Calif.) has said that, in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, it will plant a tree for every 800-square-foot order for Reward hardwood flooring it receives. Reward is a value-priced wood flooring in a variety of species, stains, character levels and sizes, and it is distributed through Galleher's 12 branches in California, Arizona and Nevada.
People News Greyne Custom Wood Co. (Charlotte, N.C.) has added Deborah Damato to its sales team. Damato has more than 25 years of experience in the floor coverings and textile industry, and she will represent Greyne through Chicago's Watson Smith surfaces store. Greyne is the first hardwood flooring manufacturer to be featured at Watson Smith.
By the Numbers
On the Web All Globe Inc. (Nobleton, Ontario) has launched a new Web site at www.allglobe.ca.Lubrizol Advanced Materials Inc. (Cleveland) has launched a new Web site at www.lubrizolcoatings.com. It features advanced search capabilities and easier navigation.
Delle Vedove USA Inc. (Charlotte, N.C.) has launched a new Web site at www.dv-systems.com, designed specifically for profile finishing professionals. The site includes videos, photos and product spec sheets.
Absolute Coatings Inc. (New Rochelle, N.Y.) launched a new Web site at www.LastnLast.com. It includes a new "Healthy Home" section, informational videos, new product images, and updated technical and MSDS pages.
Job Watch Kirk Francis is seeking a sales representative or product development position in the United States. Francis has over 22 years' experience in the wood flooring industry and was most recently strategic business unit manager for machines, abrasives & adhesives at Bona US; he was with the company from 2000 until 2009. Prior to that he was with The Cronin Company, a wholesale floor covering distributor in the Pacific Northwest. He is based in Denver and can be reached at 303/660-9362 or [email protected].
A New York-based wood flooring contractor seeks a manager to oversee operations from specifying to installation and finishing. The individual must be knowledgeable of all aspects of wood flooring and must be able to read blueprints. Responsibilities will include crew management, price negotiation and field inspections during all phases of work. Outside sales experience is a plus, and benefits are available. Resumes and salary requirements should be sent to: Attn: NY Job Watch, Hardwood Floors magazine, 4130 Lien Road, Madison, WI 53704.
Dhomus Fine Flooring Corp. (Miami) seeks an experienced operations manager at its headquarters. Candidates should be fluent in both Spanish and English, possess a college degree (preferably in business), have international work experience, and at least four years of imported hardwood sales experience. Candidates must be willing to travel. Send resumes to [email protected].
Hardwood Floors ad deadline May 11 is the deadline to reserve ad space in Hardwood Floors' June/July 2009 Wood Floor of the Year issue. For more information, contact Publisher Kris Thimmesch at [email protected] or 800/722-8764, ext. 107.
NWFA Member Services The NWFA's 2008 Dealer/Contractor Profit Report provides detailed financial results of wood flooring contractors with and without a showroom based on income statements, balance sheets, and operating data. The report provides information comparing typical-profit firms, and high-profit firms. Get your copy of the report to see how you compare, and how small changes in your operations could positively impact your bottom line. The report is available online at www.nwfa.org. Simply click on the Services & Supplies link and select Statistical Reports.
