• The World Floor Covering Association (Dalton, Ga.) named Melissa Murphy its recipient of the 2025 Tom Jennings Champion Award, recognizing her exceptional dedication to customer service, independent retail excellence and long-standing leadership within the flooring industry. Murphy is a partner and design center leader at Johnston Paint & Decorating in Columbia, Mo.
• Milwaukee Tool (Brookfield, Wis.) has launched a new monthly podcast, “Powered by the Trades,” which will feature “tool and industry professionals discussing topics, trends and technologies that are pushing the industry forward.” Find more details at Milwaukee Tool’s channels on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Music.
• Associated Builders and Contractors reports that its Construction Backlog Indicator rose to 8.2 months in December, according to an ABC member survey conducted Dec. 22 to Jan. 7. The reading is up 0.1 months since November but down 0.1 months from December 2024. View ABC’s Construction Backlog Indicator and Construction Confidence Index tables for December.
• The Hardwood Federation (Washington, D.C.) is seeking industry input regarding which federal policy issues the organization should prioritize in 2026. Click here to fill out the short survey.
