Exhibitors Say Surfaces Was a Success
Keeping in line with predictions that 2011 will be a turnaround for building (and the wood flooring industry, in turn), exhibitors at this year's Surfaces flooring trade show said the event was a success, painting a picture of general optimism and improved business over the difficult conditions experienced in recent years.
One person who was convinced of the success of this year's show was Peter Connor, president of W.D. Flooring (Laona, Wis.).
"This year's Surfaces show was unequivocally the best show we have had since 2004 and perhaps the best Surfaces ever," he said. "We signed up a host of new distributors and we re-engaged distributors whom had fallen by the wayside for one reason or another."
Other companies reported receiving good sales leads during the show.
"With the quality of leads for us, and the discussions that we had, hopefully we will reap some rewards," said John Lio, marketing manager of Dri-Tac Flooring Products' (Clifton, N.J.) adhesive group. "It was definitely a successful show; we had some great product introductions," he added.
And yet other people said they were overwhelmed by the attendance.
"We ran out of some of our literature; we ran out of our giveaways," said Diane Choate, public relations specialist at MAPEI (Deerfield Beach, Fla.). "There were more people than we expected to be here."
"The show was fantastic," said NWFA Executive Director Ed Korczak. "Attendance was up over last year; we had good, steady traffic; and the most important thing is that the attitude of the buyer is back. The industry is going to be strong, and everybody is going positive. We're going to have a terrific 2011."
For the first time, this year's show was held concurrently with StonExpo | Marmomacc Americas, a leading stone trade show, and some said the diversification of attendees was beneficial. "It was good that the show was held along with Marmomacc and StonExpo," MAPEI's Choate said. "We got some exposure to companies and customers that we probably wouldn't have seen at Surfaces alone." During the combined show's opening session, Garis Distelhorst, executive vice president & CEO of the Marble Institute, said he hopes the shows will continue to be held concurrently.
Next year's Surfaces will be held Jan. 23-26 at Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay.
Kennebec Receives Pine Tree Award
Kennebec Lumber Company (Solon, Maine) has been awarded the Pine Tree Award by the Maine Wood Products Association (MWPA). The award is presented annually to a Maine-based wood products manufacturing company that has taken innovative steps in the past two years to strengthen its business. Kennebec Lumber Company is owned by the Carrier family and operates a hardwood lumber sawmill in Solon, where it processes hardwood logs into kiln-dried lumber and hardwood flooring.
Kennebec received the award primarily for its efforts to expand its operations in Solon. Previously, the company shipped sawn and dried lumber to a sister facility in Quebec where the lumber was manufactured into solid wood flooring, most of which was shipped back to the U.S. market. That all changed, however, in 2011 with the opening of the Solon flooring facility. On average, the company's wood flooring program expanded 35 percent in 2008 and 2009; in 2010 the program expanded 45 percent. The company's expansion resulted in the creation of about 20 new jobs in the Solon area.
"While there has been a trend of consolidation and shutdowns in our industry statewide and beyond, through careful planning and growth, the Carrier family has quietly become a major player in the U.S. solid wood flooring industry," said MWPA Executive Director Bob MacGregor.
Distributor News
Pine Floors USA (Dallas), manufacturer of ¾- and ½-inch-thick Honduras long leaf heart pine and old-growth Honduran mahogany flooring, is seeking distributors. The company is currently stocking 3¼-, 5¼- and 7¼-inch-wide flooring. For more information, contact Ollie Thompson at 817/734-8699 or [email protected].
By the Numbers
Home Sales Surged in December
The final month of home selling in 2010 was a good one, as the annual rate of sales of newly built single-family homes increased 17.5 percent to 329,000 from 280,000 in November, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Commerce. However, 2010 turned out to be the worst year on record for the homebuilding industry; there were just 321,000 new-home sales recorded in 2010, the lowest figure since the government began tracking that data in 1963. What's more, December sales were 7.6 percent below the December 2009 mark of 356,000.
"After six very tough months, the housing market ended the year on an upbeat, with signs of stabilization beginning to take hold in many markets," said Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
"I read [the] report as a promising sign that the new-home sales market is re-starting its long journey to a more normal pace after the lull that began in May," added NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe.
Remodeling Activity Improving
Remodelers' impressions of remodeling activity indicate the market is improving, according to the latest Remodeling Market Index (RMI) from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The latest overall RMI figure edged upward to 41.5 during the fourth quarter from 40.8 in the third quarter; an RMI below 50 indicates that more remodelers say market activity is lower compared to the prior quarter than report it is higher. The RMI has been running below 50 since the final quarter of 2005.
The overall RMI combines ratings of current remodeling activity with indicators of future activity like calls for bids. In the fourth quarter, the RMI component measuring current market conditions stayed flat at 43.3, while the RMI component measuring future indicators of remodeling business increased to 39.7 from 38.1.
"Remodeling activity has been rising slowly since the first quarter of 2010. Expected improvements in the job market and the overall economy are beginning to increase homeowners' confidence and remodelers are seeing indications that business will pick up," said NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe.
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NWFA Member Services
Have you registered yet for the NWFA's 2011 Convention? The event will be held April 26-29 in San Diego, Calif. In addition to the Wood Flooring Expo and educational sessions, this year's show will feature numerous networking events, including a welcome party, an awards dinner and a closing party. New to this year's show will be forums for manufacturers, distributors and dealer/contractors that will address issues specific to their business needs. To register, visit www.nwfa.org and click on the 2011 Convention & Expo link.
