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Triangulo Seeks $1.6 Million From BR-111
Triangulo (Curitiba, Brazil) has petitioned the U.S. District Court in Miami to enforce an arbitration tribunal's award ordering BR-111 (Medley, Fla.) to pay Triangulo nearly $1.6 million and to cease using the "Triangulo Engineered" trademark. The money owed Triangulo is for unpaid invoices, interest on those invoices and attorney's fees, according to the petition submitted to the court. Within three to four months, a judge will make a ruling on the petition.
On June 22 both Triangulo and BR-111 agreed to engage in arbitration to settle disputes over the unpaid invoices and use of the disputed trademark. The arbitration tribunal concluded that BR-111 should pay Triangulo for the unpaid invoices and that it had no right to use the "Triangulo Engineered" trademark after the two companies severed ties in October 2008; until then, Triangulo was a private label wood flooring supplier to BR-111. According to the petition, BR-111 has "failed to adhere to the terms" of the tribunal's decision.
BR-111 President Ricardo Moraes declined to comment on the matter.
According to Doug Leigh, Triangulo's director of operations in North America, BR-111 continued to attach the "Triangulo Engineered" trademark to products from suppliers other than Triangulo after the two companies cut ties more than two years ago.
Quinn Smith, an attorney for Triangulo, said it's "an exception to the rule" when a party involved in arbitration does not follow the terms set by the tribunal.
Triangulo launched its eponymous flooring line in 2009. The company has a warehouse and offices in Virginia and other offices in Atlanta. Leigh can be reached at 678/488-7283 or [email protected]
Australia Moves to Ban Illegal Timber
On Dec. 9 the Australian government announced it introduced legislation restricting the importation and sale of illegally logged timber. "Under the legislation, importers will now need to meet a due diligence test to ensure the timber they are sourcing has not been illegally logged," said Australia's Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Senator Joe Ludwig. Ludwig said the legislation, which will be introduced into Parliament next year, will protect Australian timber jobs and help ease consumers' concerns over the legality of products they buy. Ludwig added that the legislation is part of a global effort including the United States and the European Union, both of which already have illegal timber bans in place. The press release from the Australian government can be read here, and further information from the Australian government on illegal logging can be found here.
New LEED Standard for Wood Fails
The Forest Certification Benchmark, which would have established a standard against which all forest certification systems would be evaluated to determine whether they can earn points in the LEED green building certification system, has failed. The proposed standard was put up for a vote by the U.S. Green Building Council membership in November and did not pass; the status quo, in which only Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood can earn LEED points, will remain in place. The proposed standard faced opposition from a spectrum of organizations, from the FSC to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, whose certification scheme currently cannot earn LEED points.
Distributor News
Blake-Stevens Wood Flooring Inc. has relocated its Pewaukee, Wis., showroom and warehouse to W228 N2792 Duplainville Road, Suite E, Waukesha, WI 53186; while the mailing address has changed to Waukesha, the new location is just one mile east of the former location and is still in the city of Pewaukee. The branch's phone (800/322-4088) and fax (262/523-4584) numbers are unchanged.
Horizon Forest Products and Long Floor recently held Customer Appreciation Nights at the companies' branches in Charleston, S.C.; Wilmington, N.C.; Raleigh, N.C.; Colfax, N.C.; Norfolk, Va.; Richmond, Va.; and Beltsville, Md. More than 500 people from 250 companies attended the events. The events were sponsored by Ten Oaks, 3M and Bona US. Along with various door prizes, each branch held a $1,000 giveaway.
People News
The North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors (NAFCD) recently announced its executive officers and board of directors for 2011. Executive officers for 2011 include: Bob Wagner, president (L. Fishman & Son Inc., Baltimore); David Williams, vice president (Horizon Forest Products, Raleigh, N.C.); Harvey Johnson, secretary (Mastercraft Flooring, Miami); and Joe Reddington, treasurer (BPI, Irving, Texas). Also, Fred Reitz (JJ Haines & Company, Inc., Glen Burnie, Md.) will serve as NAFCD immediate past president, and Michelle Miller (NAFCD, Chicago, Ill.) will continue to serve as NAFCD executive director. NAFCD directors for 2011 include: Dan Blakely (Blakely Products, Warren, Mich.), Shane Calloway (Columbia Flooring, Danville, Va.), David Ford (Stauf USA LLC, Memphis, Tenn.), Duane Goetze (Shawmark Floors Inc., Dalton, Ga.), Brian Greenwell (Mullican Flooring, Johnson City, Tenn.), Chris O'Connor (CMH Space Flooring, Wadesboro, Colo.), and George Roth (Lockwood Flooring, St. Louis). Retiring from the NAFCD board of directors are: Darren Abraham (Abraham Linc, Bridgeport, W.V.), Roy Foster (Quick Step, Dallas), Jack Lindenschmidt (ISC Surfaces, St. Louis), and Scott Rozmus, (FlorStar Sales Inc., Romeoville, Ill.).
Erickson's Flooring & Supply has named Jim Bossier branch manager of its Glendale Heights, Ill., branch. Bossier brings with him many years of experience in sales and operations while working in the Chicago flooring market. He can be reached at 800/225-9663, ext. 1204.
Post Your Thoughts, Win 3M Products
Every week, someone who posts on the Hardwood Floors Forum wins handy 3M products. Last week's winner of a 3M Hand-Masker dispenser and film was Dan Schultz for adding his knowledge about quarter-round and base shoe molding. To add your input to the forum or start a new discussion, go to www.woodfloorbusiness.com/forum. The next winner will receive a box of 3M's Scotch blue tape.
This Week on the HF Blogs & Forum
Contractor Blog: Wayne discovers the joy of installing in a trailer home.
Green Blog: Elizabeth weighs in: Is bamboo really green?
Inspector Blog: Whose fault is it when someone acclimates per the manufacturer's directions?
HF Forum: Hot topics in wood floor maintenance.
NWFA Member Services
The NWFA will offer the last of three Green Forest University webinars on Dec. 16. Anne Middleton, outreach coordinator for the Forest Campaign at the Environmental Investigation Agency, will present "Illegal Logging and Lacey Compliance," which will address illegal logging and its impact on our industry, what the Lacey Act is and what it requires of wood products importers and their customers, and what the latest strategies, resources, and tools for managing risk and exercising "due care" are under Lacey. The cost of the session is $75, and the webinar will begin at 12 p.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Mountain, 2 p.m. Central, or 3 p.m. Eastern; it will last one hour. Discounts are available to NWFA members. For more information, contact the NWFA at 800/422-4556.