Daniel Boone has been in the wood flooring business since 1969, growing up in his father's contracting business. "I started on the edger at 10 years old and the big machine at 12 years old on a 12-inch drum sander," he recalls. "My dad had it machined so it was short enough to reach my waist. I still have that machine."
In March of 1980 Boone attended his first wood flooring school, the NOFMA school held in Memphis, Tenn., and the instructors there, including personalities such as Harold Reid, Roland Holder and Mac McLaughlin, had a lasting impact on Boone's life, he says.
"The impression they made on me is that they loved what they did but they were real serious about what they did. I soon realized during that school that my mom and dad were saying the same things … My mom always said, 'You can better your best' and 'If you find a job you love you'll never work again,' " Boone recalls. "Those guys passed this positive energy onto you … that was really a big drive in my life to be as they were, to be that true professional at the job in your everyday work."
In this 1998 photo, some of the teaching greats of the early NOFMA schools were gathered. Shown are, left to right, Mickey Moore, Steve Halloran, Patsy Davenport, Daniel Boone, Harold Reid, Lon Musolf, Gray Moulthrop, Warner Tweed, Roland Holder, Farris Kennon and Hank Williams.
McLaughlin and Holder invited Boone to become an instructor at the NOFMA School in 1994, and has been involved in wood flooring education ever since, including a tenure as NWFA technical director from 1996-2000. His experience in the industry has taken him from high-end job sites to manufacturing facilities to wood flooring schools all over the world, including Australia, China, Thailand, Mexico, New Zealand and Indonesia. He is currently owner at contracting and consulting business Daniel Boone WFT Inc. based in Jacksonville, Fla.
Boone has served on many NWFA committees; holds many NWFA degrees, including Honorary Vanguard; and has written many articles for Hardwood Floors.
He says he couldn't be happier to be teaching with NWFA. "I think it's great to have the opportunity to share what you love with folks you never met and be able to pass that along, because if we don't do it, nobody will, and it will be a lost art," he says. "I take it as an honor to be able to share the gift that you have." Boone will be the lead instructor at the following 2014 NWFA schools:
- March 11-14: Job Site Preparation | Moisture Mitigation | Problems, Causes & Cures | CP Installation Testing - Crescent Hardwood (New Orleans)
- March 31-April 4: Job Site Preparation | Problems, Causes & Cures | Wood Floor Repair | Finish Application/Color | Certification Testing - Trinity Hardwood (Houston) (Spanish interpreter available)
- May 6-9: Job Site Preparation | Estimating/Job Costing | Problems, Causes & Cures | Wood Floor Repairs - Denver Hardwood (Denver)
- May 12-16: Job Site Preparation | Problems, Causes & Cures | Wood Floor Repair | Finish Application/Color | Certification Testing - BPI (Nashville, Tenn.)
- Aug. 12-15: Intermediate Sand & Finish - E. J. Welch Company (Chicago)
- Oct. 6- 10: Job Site Preparation | Problems, Causes & Cures | Wood Floor Repair | Finish Application/Color | Mill Tour at Heppner Hardwoods - Virginia Hardwood (Los Angeles)
- Oct. 28-31: Intermediate Installation - Chattahoochee Technical College (Marietta, Ga.)
To read more about the revamped NWFA technical schools and see the schedule for this year, click here. To register, click here.
The NWFA Regional Instructors for 2014 are:
(back row, L-R): Jay Daniel Moore, Daniel Boone, Scott Taylor, Jason Elquest, Roy Reichow and NWFA Director of Certification and Education Brett Miller; (front row, L-R): Jon Namba, Mike Dittmer, Kjell Nymark and Joe Rocco.
