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Fort Lauderdale, Fla., hosted wood flooring professionals at the NWFA Convention, the largest convention in the world dedicated exclusively to hardwood flooring, held March 25-28. As of press time, the official numbers weren't in, but estimates show attendance was down compared with last year's show in Denver, which featured 3,502 attendees and 321 exhibiting companies.

Because numbers of the overall hardwood flooring industry is down between 15 to 20 percent, Ed Korczak, executive director/CEO of the NWFA, said the decline in attendance was anticipated; in fact, the theme of the 2008 show was how to survive in a down market. "We have put an end to ’the sky is falling' mentality and are ready to move on," Korczak said.

"We had a good show and were very strong," said Richard Guynn, sales manager of The Woods Company (Chambersburg, Pa.). "Friday did shake out to be a good day."

Johannes Boonstra, technical director of Synteko Floor Finishes (Troy, Mich.) said, "The quantity of attendees was lower, but the quality of contacts was good." Other exhibitors agreed, noting that many of the attendees had the intent to buy.

The keynote speaker of the convention was former Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula, who kicked off the convention with his presentation, "How to Get Maximum Performance From Your Team." The show also featured a full slate of educational seminars and technical demonstrations.

Next year's host city for the NWFA Convention is Long Beach, Calif., April 29-May 2, 2009. At the NWFA Convention, the NWFA officers were re-elected to a second term. They include Ken Schumacher of Schumacher & Company Inc. (Newport, Ky.) as chairman; Rick Holden of Derr Flooring Co. (Willow Grove, Pa.) as vice chairman; Neil Poland of Mullican Flooring (Johnson City, Tenn.) as treasurer; Don Finkell of Anderson Hardwood Floors (Clinton, S.C.) as secretary; and Joe Audino of Rode Bros. Floors (Los Angeles) as immediate past chairman. New to the Board of Directors are David Graf, Graf Brothers Flooring (South Shore, Ky.); Dewevai Buchanan, Mohawk Industries (Dalton, Ga.); and Sam Smith, Koetter Woodworking (Borden, Ind.). Returning directors include Tom Anstett, Powernail Company (Lake Zurich, Ill.); Jeff Fairbanks, Palo Duro Hardwoods (Denver); Jim Gray, Floor Style Products (Hastings, Mich.); Leonard Hall, Endurance Floor Company (Miami); John Lessick, Apex Wood Floors (Downers Grove, Ill.); Sprigg Lynn, Universal Floors (Washington, D.C.); Glen Miller, VBA-B America Canada (Etobicoke, Ontario); and Kevin Mullany, Benchmark Wood Floors (Albuquerque, N.M.). The ex-officio directors are John Castaldo, Clarke American Sanders (Springdale, Ark.); Jerry Coleman, Porta-Nails Inc. (Wilmington, N.C.); Kim Holm, Mannington Wood Floors (Salem, N.J.); Mark Elwell, Bamboo Flooring Hawaii LLC (Honolulu, Hawaii); and John Wooten, CMH Flooring Products (Wadesboro, N.C.). Members who have finished their terms on the Board of Directors include Bill Costello, Dura Seal; and Terry O'Neill, TRC Distributing. Winners of this year's Wood Floor of the Year Awards were announced at the Awards Dinner on March 27. There were 232 entries in this year's competition, which featured 23 categories. NWFA members selected the winners for each award by voting online prior to the show in Fort Lauderdale; voting for the Members' Choice Award also occurred in Fort Lauderdale. Winners included:

Members' Choice: Universal Floors Inc. (Washington, D.C.)

CNC Design/Cut
• Best Kitchen/Dining Room: The Floor Man Co. Inc. (Toledo, Ohio)
• Best Living Room/Family Room: Czar Floors Inc. (Newton, Pa.)
• Best Library/Office: Ralph's Hardwood Floor Co. Inc. (Black Creek, Wis.)
• Best Bedroom: Johnson Yarema Hardwood Floors (Troy, Mich.)
• Best Entry/Foyer: Universal Floors Inc.
• Best Commercial/Showroom: Maximum Hardwood Floors (Coral Springs, Fla.)
• Best Restoration: Pasadena Wood Floors Inc. (Pasadena, Calif.)
• Best Reclaimed: Enmar Hardwood Flooring Inc. (Mesa, Ariz.)
• Best Limited Species: Johnson Yarema Hardwood Floors
• Best Engineered: Johnson Yarema Hardwood Floors

Non-CNC Design/Cut
• Best Kitchen/Dining Room: Seabaugh's Custom Hardwood Floors Inc. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.)
• Best Living Room/Family Room: Seabaugh's Custom Hardwood Floors Inc.
• Best Library/Office: Rode Bros. Floors (Los Angeles)
• Best Bedroom: The Floor Man Co. Inc.
• Best Entry/Foyer: DM Hardwood Designs (Mission Viejo, Calif.)
• Best Commercial/Showroom: Birger Juell Ltd. (Chicago)
• Best Restoration: Universal Floors Inc.
• Best Reclaimed: Goodwin Heart Pine Co. (Micanopy, Fla.)
• Best Factory Finished: DM Hardwood Designs
• Best Limited Species: Palembas Hardwood Floors Inc. (Escondido, Calif.)
• Best Engineered: Universal Floors Inc. Industry experts had a chance to showcase their skills by making over a customer's floor for the NWFA's Xtreme Makeover competition. Up to 50 percent of the floor had to remain intact. Prior to the show, contractors sent in before-and-after shots of the projects, which were voted on by the attendees at the show. In the category for floors totaling less than $1,000, first place went to Universal Floors Inc.; second place to Washington Wood Floors (Manassas, Va.) and third place to Universal Floors Inc. In the category for floors totaling more than $1,000, first place went to Universal Floors Inc.; second place went to Modern Tech Floors LLC (Portland, Ore.); and third place went to Washington Wood Floors. At the convention, Eugen Lägler was posthumously inducted into the NWFA Hall of Fame. This induction requires a unanimous vote from the Board of Directors. Lägler developed his own drum sander in 1964, the ELF, followed closely by the Hummel, which integrated belt sanding technology into a floor sanding machine. In 1993, he introduced the Trio, a three-disc sanding machine. He passed away on December 1, 2007, at the age of 82. His son Karl Lägler accepted the award on his behalf.

An Honorary Vanguard Degree was awarded to Daniel Boone of Powernail Company (Lake Zurich, Ill.). This award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the NWFA and the wood flooring industry. The individual has to be nominated by an NWFA member, reviewed by the NWFA Executive Committee and approved by a two-thirds vote of the NWFA Board of Directors. Boone was formerly NWFA technical director and owned his own contracting company, Everwood Floors Inc. (DeLand, Fla.), and he continues to contribute a significant amount of time to the NWFA technical schools and various other educational programs.

An Industry Leadership Award was presented to Neil Moss of Armstrong Hardwood Floors (Lancaster, Pa.). Moss was heavily involved in teaching at the NWFA technical schools, writing the NWFA's Installation Guidelines and Technical Manuals and volunteering on various committees. Don Conner of Mullican Flooring (Johnson City, Tenn.) accepted the award on Moss' behalf.

Golden Mallet Awards, given to those companies that recruited at least four new members in a year and two or more members in subsequent years, were given to Dan Blake of All Flooring Inspections/The Claims Advisor Inc. (Hoschton, Ga.), and John Dailey of Midwest Restoration and Inspection Service (Wheaton, Ill.).

In 2007, 41 NWFA members earned degrees. At the show in Fort Lauderdale, those receiving Craftsman Degrees (for professional wood flooring education) included Jason Black, Richard Cummins, Kathleen Freeman, Chuck Garvey, Chris Hess, Michael Hoy, Jonathan Hurley, Ismael Ibarra, Nathaniel Prior, Matt Russell, Larry Subervi and Jerry Wing.

Those receiving the Master Craftsman Degrees at the show (for advanced knowledge and demonstrated wood flooring skills) included Alan Blake, Stephen Harris, Robert Humphreys, Drew Kern, Reed Maddray, Mark Mukosiej and Matt White.

Wood flooring professionals at the show who earned the Advanced Master Degree (for further advanced knowledge and demonstrated wood flooring skills) included Shawn Gorman, Sprigg Lynn and Tony Robison.

Honored with the Vanguard Degree at the convention (for leadership and service to the industry) were Roger Barker, Tony Miraldi, Steven Tolli and Lon Vaughn.

And, wood flooring professionals who received the Ambassador Degree at the show (for those who have earned the Vanguard Degree and continue to serve the industry) included James Gray, Rick Jones and Bob Vanderlinden. As of the time of convention, the NWFA membership exceeded 4,206 member companies. These companies can be found in all 50 United States, as well as 55 countries. Anderson Hardwood Floors (Clinton, S.C.) has signed a licensing and partnership agreement with one of its former suppliers, Power Dekor (Shanghai, China), which has nearly 2,000 floor covering stores across China. Together the companies will offer a "good, better, best" program. The "good" will be the traditional Chinese-styled flooring—smooth, exotic and shiny—that Power Dekor currently produces. The "better" will include products that Anderson will help Power Dekor design and manufacture, and the "best" products will cover 20 styles Anderson is importing into China and selling through the Power Dekor stores. "We had an interest in the Chinese market because there's quite a growing market over there. We actually came close to building a plant, and decided we would not do that," said Don Finkell, president and CEO of Anderson Floors. "We have a quality control program that we installed in the plants and we have people that are there to monitor the quality the products [Power Dekor] makes," he said. "We also have personnel monitoring their raw material supply to make sure they don't have any illegally logged products or anything that's suspicious in nature." Anderson has started placing products in Power Dekor stores, and Finkell said the 500 stores that will carry the brands should be fully stocked by the middle of the summer. The 10^th annual Domotex Asia, held March 11-13 in Shanghai, China, broke attendance records with a 9.3 percent increase to 1,014 floor covering professionals. Several NWFA-member companies exhibited at the show. "It's a really interesting show," Ed Korczak said, "in that the middle class of China is growing, and therefore, the number of consumers are growing. It's a good opportunity, especially for manufacturers, because species not available in China, such as red oak, are of very high demand." Exhibit space for the show increased 3.4 percent to just below 1 million square feet. Domotex Asia 2009 will be held March 24-26. A new company, From the Forest LLC (Weston, Wis.), has opened. It produces private-label prefinished and unfinished engineered wood flooring. Founder of Award Flooring, Tryggvi Magnusson, serves as president of the company. For more information, contact susan.lang@fromtheforest.net or call 715/359-2627.

Arte Flooring (Ville de Bécancour, Quebec) has acquired the flooring assets of Robert Ribeyron Lte. (Ripon, Quebec). Production of Robert Ribeyron flooring will resume April 7 at its former facility in Quebec.

DuChateau Floors (Stratham, N.H.) has launched operations in North America. The company manufactures distressed, aged and treated engineered wide plank flooring designed to replicate historical European floors. For more information, contact Erica Cottrill at 770/528-6097 or ericafpc@gmail.com.

Virginia Abrasives (Petersburg, Va.) has acquired the marble and diamond-cutting product lines from Smithton Diamond Products (Hemet, Calif.), a private-label manufacturer and distributor, for an undisclosed price. Smithton's management team has been replaced by Virginia personnel, and its Hemet facility has been shut down, with all product shipped to Virginia Abrasive's Simi Valley distributor. Reg Burgess, marketing manager of Virginia Abrasives, said he hopes this acquisition will give hardwood flooring professionals better access to materials used for working with mixed media.

Lauzon Distinctive Hardwood Flooring (Papineauville, Quebec) has chosen CB Flooring (Columbia, Md.) as its 2007 U.S. Retailer of the Year. The company designated NRF Distributors Inc. (Augusta, Maine) as its 2007 U.S. Distributor of the Year.

To celebrate 20 years in business, BonaKemi USA Inc. (Aurora, Colo.) held an industry-wide sweepstakes and awarded Tyler Hill Woodcrafters (Tyler Hill, Pa.) a trip for two to the NWFA Convention in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The company also gave away 20 first-place prizes consisting of one case of Bona Naturale and one case of Bona DTS, as well as 200 second-place prizes of Bona H2O water bottles. Old Master Products Inc. (Van Nuys, Calif.) has been selected as a distributor for Wearmax and Pacific Floor Products (Eugene, Ore.).

Lon Musolf Distributing Inc. (Vadnais Heights, Minn.) has started a scholarship program for the NWFA Technical Schools. One contractor will be chosen to attend one of the schools. Applications and more information will be available at the company's final 2008 workshop to be held April 23 at its Vadnais Heights location. Also at this workshop, Daniel Boone will demonstrate nailing and installation, and prizes such as a Lund fishing boat will be raffled off. To register, call 651/484-3020.

FlorStar (Romeoville, Ill.) was named 2007 Flooring Distributor of the Year by Floor to Ceiling (Burnsville, Minn.), a marketing company of retail stores, at is convention in Las Vegas February 17-21. Nydree Group (Forest, Va.), the parent company of Gammapar and PermaGrain, has named Sean McConnell vice president, national accounts. McConnell most recently served as president of Dynamic Floor Solutions.

Mohawk Industries (Dalton, Ga.) has appointed Dave Slough general manager for the Northeast and Paul Armstrong wood specialist for the Northeast and mid-central regions. Slough has more than 20 years' experience in the industry, most recently with Superior Products. Armstrong also has more than 20 years of floor covering experience, previously working for J.J. Haines and Company Inc. and Superior Products.

Golden State Flooring (South San Francisco, Calif.) has named Allen Smith general manager of its Santa Fe Springs facility. Smith previously worked for The Roane Company. He can be contacted at 562/903-2917; by cell at 562/640-0655; or by e-mail at allensmith@goldenstateflooring.com.

Installers Warehouse (Rochester, N.Y.) has added Jerry Rindell as territory manager for Rochester and Buffalo, N.Y. He can be reached at 585/224-1402, 585/329-1046 or at jrindell@aol.com. Rindell previously worked for Hoboken Floors. The company has also added James Patton as warehouse manager. Patton also was formerly with Hoboken Floors.

Synteko Floor Finishes (Troy, Mich.) has added five manufacturer representatives: Joe Valenza of JOVA Sales (Mattawan, N.J.) covers New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut and can be contacted at valenza@jovasales.com or 201/725-8758; Kyle Terral of Terral Marketing Inc. (Texarkana, Texas) covers eastern Texas, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and western Tennessee and can be contacted at skylter71@yahoo.com or 501/258-2687; Scott Taylor (Milwaukee) covers Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois and can be reached at sjtaykor12@yahoo.com or 414/405-2489. Dayle Moore of Moore Sales Co. covers Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma and can be contacted at mooresales@everestkc.net or 913/239-8558; and Cort Dunlap of Hardwood Specialties (Seattle) covers Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana and can be reached at cortdunlap@madkins.com or 206/331-8360. Housing starts for February 2008 were at a seasonally adjusted 1,065,000 units, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. This is 0.6 percent below the January 2007 figure of 1,071,000 units and is 28.4 percent below the February 2007 rate of 1,487,000 units.

New residential sales of single-family houses in February 2008 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 590,000 units, the slowest pace since February 1995, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. This is 1.8 percent below the revised January rate of 601,000 units and is 29.8 percent below the February 2007 estimate of 840,000 units.

The overall National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) held firm at 20 in March. The index gauging current sales conditions remained unchanged at 20, while the index gauging sales expectations for the next six months dropped one point to 26. The index gauging traffic of prospective buyers rose to 19.

FMI, management consultants and investment bankers to the building and construction industry, has released its Construction Outlook: First Quarter 2008. This report states the construction outlook has been revised down since the fourth quarter of 2007. Particularly, nonresidential construction will see declines in 2008 and 2009, except some publicly funded segments, and residential housing isn't expected to recover until 2009. For more information, contact Candace Robertson at 919/785-9359 or crobertson@fminet.com. Washington Wood Floors Inc. (Kingston, Wash.) has opened its shop and showroom at 22273 A Stottlemeyer Road, Poulsbo, WA 98370. This branch is owned and operated by David Pregartner and Ken Spencer. The phone number is 360/649-2911 and the fax number is 360/394-0097. Armstrong Commercial Flooring (Lancaster, Pa.) has relaunched its Web site at www.armstrong.com/flooring.

Washington Wood Floors has launched its Web site at www.wawoodfloors.org.

Canterbury Flooring (Mocksville, N.C.) has launched a custom millwork e-catalog at www.canterburyflooring.com. The NWFA will hold an Advanced Intermediate Installation, Sand & Finish School September 9-12 at its training facility in St. Louis. For more information, e-mail installationschools@nwfa.org or visit www.nwfa.org.

Lon Musolf Distributing Inc. (Vadnais Heights, Minn.) will hold a workshop April 23 at its Vadnais Heights location. The NWFA is offering a Technical Call Center program for its manufacturer members. This service will direct technical calls for specific manufacturer's products to NWFA staff members who are trained and knowledgeable about the products. This program will save manufacturers both time and money as their sales staff will be able to focus their attention on growing sales rather than fielding calls about technical performance issues. The program has been in place on a trial basis with one NWFA manufacturer member for several months. To date, the service has handled about 100 calls per month. As additional manufacturers join the service, additional staff will be added to handle increased call volume. The service is available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Central), Monday through Friday. After hours, calls go into a voice mailbox system and are answered on the next business day. The cost of the program is $2,000 per month, plus $10 per call. For more information about the program, contact the NWFA at 800/422-4556 (U.S.), 800/848-8824 (Canada) or 636/519-9663 (local and international), by e-mail at info@nwfa.org or visit www.nwfa.org.