The NWFA held an Expert Sand & Finish school Oct. 15-17 in St. Louis, continuing the learning started the previous week during the association's Expert Installation school. The association's Director of Technical Training Frank Kroupa led the instruction, along with these instructors:
- Blair Davies (Magna Hardwood Floors International Inc.)
- Michael Dittmer (Michael Dittmer Wood Floors)
- Mike Farrell (Clarke American Sanders)
- Wayne Lee (Cardinal Hardwood & Tile)
- Chris Livingston (3M)
- Mark Mukosiej (Arboritec USA Inc.).
These students completed the school, earning credits toward an NWFA degree:
- Dinu Luca (ADL Floors Inc.)
- Doug McGrew (Colonial Hardwood & Tile)
- Caleb Conner (Conner Brothers Wood Flooring)
- Rob Duncan (Edge Projects Inc.)
- Rick Wilson (Floor Man Company Inc.)
- Octavio Baca (Hardwoods of Wisconsin)
- Shelby Smith and George Vickery (Heartwood Construction Inc.)
- Terry Olin (Jeffco Flooring & Supply Inc.)
- Nathan Kobley (Jims Hardwood)
- Paul Brotherton and Eric Brotherton (PGB Flooring LLC)
- Eric Desbiens (PIQ Woodworking)
- Keith Long (Thunderheart Flooring LLC).
Last, these companies served as Partners in Education for the school:
- 3M (St. Paul)
- Arboritec USA Inc. (Greenwood Village, Colo.)
- Allegheny Mountain Hardwood Flooring (Emlenton, Pa.)
- Basic Coatings (Toledo, Ohio)
- Bona US (Aurora, Colo.)
- Cardinal Hardwood & Tile (Springville, Tenn.)
- CP Wood Floors (Gales Ferry, Conn.)
- Clarke American Sanders (Plymouth, Minn.)
- Dan's Custom Hardwood Floor Inc. (Braintree, Mass.)
- Michael Dittmer Wood Floors (Putnam, Ill.)
- Delmhorst Instrument Co. (Towaco, N.J.)
- Easy Groove Tooling LLC (Edmonds, Wash.)
- Goodwin Company (Micanopy, Fla.)
- Lebanon Oak Flooring Co. LLC (Lebanon, Ky.)
- Lignomat USA Ltd. (Portland, Ore.)
- Magna Hardwood Floors International Inc. (Calgary, Alberta)
- Metropolitan Hardwood Floors Inc. (Kent, Wash.)
- Middle Tennessee Lumber (Burns, Tenn.)
- Mohler's Custom Wood Floors (Sautee, Ga.)
- Powernail Company Inc. (Lake Zurich, Ill.)
- Quarter-Sawn Flooring LLC (Martinsville, Ind.)
- Scheller Hardwood (Lemoyne, Pa)
- Somerset Wood Products Inc. (Somerset, Ky.)
- Starcke Abrasives USA Inc. (Rock Hill, S.C.)
- Wagner Meters (Rogue River, Ore.).
The association's lone remaining 2012 school, for subfloor preparation/solid and prefinished wood flooring installation, will be held Nov. 7-9 in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, the NWFA's full 2013 education schedule can be viewed here; discounts, NWFA certification testing, degrees and scholarships are available. For more information or to register, visit www.nwfa.org or call (800) 422-4556.
Photos: Richard Newton
