Hardwood Floors E-news: October 18, 2010

Brazil to Privatize Amazon Rainforest

In an effort to curtail illegal logging, the government of Brazil will auction logging concessions for "large swaths" of the Amazon rainforest, the world's largest, to private timber companies and cooperatives, according to Reuters. Within the next five to six years, Brazil will grant logging concessions for nearly 30 million acres of rainforest; existing concessions total about 370,000 acres. Antonio Carlos Hummel, head of Brazil's National Forestry Service, said the future of the Amazon is dependent on strengthening forest management. It's expected that the private logging companies will only harvest as many trees as the rainforest can regenerate, unlike illegal loggers that have already destroyed nearly 20 percent of the rainforest regenerate. Hummel said earlier concessions helped establish state control in certain lawless regions of the rainforest. To lessen abuse of the auctions, upcoming concessions will be overseen by non-government organizations.

NWFA Holds Expert Sand & Finish School

The NWFA held an Expert Sand & Finish School in St. Louis Oct. 11-13. NWFA's Director of Technical Training Steve Seabaugh led the course, and volunteer instructors included Galen Fitzel (3M), Josh Neuberger (Basic Coatings), Wayne Lee (Cardinal Hardwood & Tile), Joe Boone Jr. (HardwoodFloorsOnline.com Inc.), Trevor Hayden (Metropolitan Hardwood Floors Inc.) and Daniel Boone (Powernail Company Inc.).

Manufacturer News

Renaissance Wood Floor of NY Inc. has relocated to 4605 13th Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11219. The company's phone number remains 718/972-9537.

Distributor News

Blue Ribbon Flooring Co. Inc. (Hartland, Wis.) and Top Quality Flooring (Schiller Park, Ill.) have been named distributors for Berger-Seidle America (Duluth, Ga.). Blue Ribbon will service Berger-Seidle in the Milwaukee are and can be reached at 262/367-2100. Top Quality Flooring will service Berger-Seidle in Chicago and its surrounding areas and can be reached at 847/233-6300.

People News

Matthew B. Dean has succeeded his father, Chuck Dean, as president of Dean Hardwoods Inc. (Wilmington, N.C.). The announcement of the leadership change took place Oct. 8 at a fundraising event for U.S. Sen. Richard Burr. The elder Dean has led Dean Hardwoods Inc. since 1980 and will continue to serve as chairman of the board. In this photo, Matthew Dean is flanked by U.S. Sens. Richard Burr (left) and Saxby Chambliss (right).

Essential Industries (Merton, Wis.) has named Mike Griffin territory manager, overseeing Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and northern Florida. Griffin has more than five years of experience in the building industry.

By the Numbers

Mark Your Calendar

Basic Coatings and 3M (St. Paul) will offer an Install, Sand and Finish school Jan. 17-20 at Basic's headquarters in Toledo, Ohio. Advanced finishing, sanding and installation techniques in a real-life work environment will be taught. The cost of the school is $499, which includes meals and lodging. For more information or to register, contact Basic's Kellie Smithson at 419/725-3798 or [email protected]. Class size is limited to 25 students, and the deadline to register is Dec. 15.

The North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors (NAFCD) and North American Building Material Distribution Association (NBMDA) will hold a joint exhibition Nov. 16-18 in Colorado Springs, Colo. The NAFCD & NBMDA Distributor Marketplace event will bring together manufacturers, distributors and service providers from the floor covering, specialty building material and cabinetry/woodworking industries for networking, general information sessions and roundtable discussions.

The Wood Flooring Forum will take place March 21 in Shanghai, China. Emerging global issues will be discussed by buyers, executives, associations and government officials. The Wood Flooring Forum leads into Domotex Asia/ChinaFloor, which will take place March 22-24 at the Shanghai New International Expo Center in Shanghai, China. The main event will host 40,000 visitors and 1,000 exhibitors from 80 countries, according to an event release. For more information on the Wood Flooring Forum, e-mail [email protected]. For more information on Domotex Asia, visit www.domotexasiachinafloor.com.

This Week on the HF Blogs

Contractor Blog: Wayne comes across "DIY gone bad."

Green Blog: Elizabeth explains your CARB-related responsibilities.

Inspector Blog: Craig finds some of the funniest installation instructions ever.

HF Forum: How do you avoid those time wasters?

Post on the HF Forum, Win a 3M Product

Visit the HF Forum and start a discussion with your peers or respond to a question. Each week, the HF staff will pick their favorite post on the forum. That person will receive a gift courtesy of 3M. Prizes include selections from 3M's new Hand-Masker line of job site protection products; the first one is the Dirt Catcher Super Tacky Mat, for use at entryways to trap dirt before it reaches a home's interior. The mat comes with 15 easy-peel, sticky sheets and is refillable.

NWFA Member Services

Looking for ways to cut costs while improving efficiencies? NWFA members can simplify the numerous tasks associated with shipping and freight services for their business through the association's partnership with Meridian One Corporation. Whether you ship envelopes, packages or heavy freight, Meridian One is committed to on-time delivery. For more details, contact Brian Raniewicz at 703/461-5200 or [email protected].