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Issue Date:2/17/2003

Hardwood Floors E-News
Tuesday, February 17, 2003
Issue 205
Next issue published March 3, 2003
Deadline for items: February 27, 2003
Send news to editors@hardwoodfloorsmag.com

Graf Brothers Start Flooring Business
Graf Brothers Flooring (Portsmouth, Ohio) has announced the opening of its flooring plant. The proprietors are David Graf and Greg Graf, both formerly with Taylor Lumber. Sales staff for Graf Brothers includes Damon Graf and John Nichols, also formerly with Taylor Lumber. The company plans to break ground for 800,000 board feet of dry kiln space this April, with a state-of-the-art rift and quartersawn mill to follow. The operation specializes in solid plank hardwood flooring in red oak, white oak, hard maple, cherry and walnut. Graf Brothers Flooring also specializes in rift- and quarter-cut flooring. The company offers long lengths, herringbones and pattern floors.

NWFA's Advanced Installation School Meets in St. Louis
NWFA held its most recent Advanced Installation school in St. Louis, Feb. 6-8. Led by NWFA's Steve Seabaugh, the following volunteer instructors guided students through information on borders, inlays, custom parquets and more: Todd McDonald, Basic Coatings; Brett Ker, BonaKemi USA; Wayne Lee, Clarke American Sanders; Jamie Lupresto, Diamond Flooring LLC; Leonard Hall, Endurance Floor Co. Inc.; Joe Weinmann, Floor One; Don Conner, Mullican Flooring; Mark Scheller, Scheller Hardwood Floors; and Todd Theisen, TMT Integrity Flooring. The sponsoring distributor was Lockwood Flooring.

Lauzon Partners with Swiss-based ATAG Asset Management
Lauzon Industries Inc. (Papineauville, Quebec) has entered into a private partnership agreement with ATAG Asset Management, an independent European investment and asset management company. Though details of this transaction are undisclosed, the partnership agreement involves participation by ATAG in Lauzon Distinctive Hardwood Flooring Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lauzon, which the company says is acknowledged as one of the three leading hardwood manufacturers in North America. Lauzon Distinctive Hardwood Flooring Inc. will continue to operate independently with its current management staff. No changes to customer, supplier or other business agreements are necessary, and David Lauzon, president and CEO of Lauzon, maintains control of the company.

People News
Mullican Flooring (Johnson City, Tenn.) has appointed Bruce Cantor northeast regional sales manager. Cantor comes to Mullican with 14 years' experience in the flooring industry and most recently served as the national sales manager for PermaGrain Products Inc. Cantor will work out of his office in Short Hills, N.J. In a related move, Pat Oakley will assume the roll of export manager.

Erickson's Flooring and Supply (Ferndale, Mich.) has promoted David Powell to the position of marketing/IT director. Effective immediately, Powell will be overseeing and directing all facets of marketing, merchandising, information technologies and product management.

Manufacturer News
Pinnacle Interior Elements Inc. (Carrollton, Texas) has added the following distributors to sell its new Country Classics product group: Derr Flooring Co. (Willow Grove, Pa.) will cover eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland and Virginia; Ohio Valley Flooring (Cincinnati, Ohio) will cover Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and western Pennsylvania; W.C. Tingle (Lee's Summit, Mo.) will cover Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska and southern Illinois; Cain and Bultman (Jacksonville, Fla.) will cover Florida and Georgia; Adleta Co. (Carrollton) will serve north Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and western Tennessee; Readers Wholesale Distributors (Houston) will serve south Texas and southern Louisiana; and Longust Distributing (Mesa, Ariz.) will cover Arizona, New Mexico, west Texas, Nevada and southern California.

Mannington (Salem, N.J.) has announced an exclusive, multi-year agreement with DuPont (Wilmington, Del.) in which Mannington will market newly developed coatings for resilient, laminate and wood flooring using the DuPont Teflon brand.

Ancestral (St. Georges, Quebec) has announced the construction of a new, state-of-the art, 32,000-square-foot production center. This $3.2 million investment will allow the creation of 60 new jobs over the next 18 months. The facility, scheduled to open next March, is the initial phase of an expansion plan that will be completed in 2005, the company says. Ancestral will add kiln-drying units, additional milling capabilities and storage during the second phase of expansion in 2004.

Patina Old World Floors (Ventura, Calif.) has invested in a new division and brand to better service its distributors' needs. The new distributor brand will be known as Patina Floors. The Patina Floor Brand will be a stocking program fueled by moderately priced fashion-forward floors. To assist its distributors in assimilating the company's new marketing approach, Patina Old World Floors has enlisted the help of Richard Miller as brand manager. Miller has led Anderson, Bruce, Mannington and Kährs in similar endeavors, the company says.

Mullican Flooring (Johnson City, Tenn.) has introduced its Mullican Builder Alliance. This program was created specifically for the builder market and provides builders with exclusive pricing offers, marketing support and educational tech support. Builders will receive guaranteed pricing on current residential building developments; a 50 percent discount on model homes up to 1,000 square feet for models that remain open at least 120 days; one of two items from MBA promotional materials-trademark builder's bags or the Mullican Selector display for the builder's design center; and selector sample kits. •

Bruce Hardwood Floors (Dallas) has earned three awards for excellence in design and innovation in hardwood flooring and retail display. Bruce's Natural Reflections solid hardwood flooring was the first place and only winner in the flooring category in the annual award program sponsored by "Kitchen & Bath Business." The company's Birchall solid hardwood flooring took top honors in the flooring category of "Home" magazine's annual American Building Product Awards, while its Vista Selling System, on display in the "P-O-P Times" Design of the Times Gallery at the P-O-P Show in New York last September, was given a gold award for successful and innovative retail marketing.

Distributor News
Shelman USA (Red Bank, N.J.) has added three distributors for its African wood flooring: southern Virginia–Rawles-Aden Building Products; southern Ohio–Welling Inc.; and northern Ohio–Jesko Associates Inc. The company also has added architectural representatives for the following areas: southern Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana–Welling Inc.; northern Ohio, West Virginia, western New York state–Jesko Associates Inc.; Illinois–-R&S Group Inc.; and Missouri–Dalton Associates Inc.

Tembec (Huntsville, ON) has announced the appointment of FSC Flooring Distributors Inc. (Sheboygan, Wis.) as the exclusive distributor of its Muskoka product line in Wisconsin. Contact FSC Flooring by phone at 920/453-9529 or by mail at 3513 S. 32nd St., Sheboygan, WI 53081.

TimberGrass Fine Bamboo Flooring & Panels (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) announces the expansion of National Interiors Inc.'s territory to include not only Ohio, but also central Indiana south to the border and 100 out of 200 counties in Kentucky. Natural Interiors can be reached at 800/330-4874 for more information.

In Memoriam
Industry elder Fagan Cox, age 72, died Feb. 10 at his home. Cox was a successful businessman, having served as president of John Cox Lumber Co. and as president of the North American Wholesale Lumbermen's Association. During his time in the industry, Cox made a lasting impression on those whose lives he touched, including those of his employees. "He always had time for everyone, even if he was busy. And, he was a devoted family man," says David Mauney, sales manager at John Cox Lumber. This interest in people, along with his consistency of character and his vision for his business, made him a success. "He was very consistent. You always knew who he was, how he functioned and what he expected of you," Mauney says, adding that people in the industry, as well as those he worked with, respected, admired and enjoyed him. Cox is survived by his wife, Ann; his daughter Shari Cox Parks and her husband, Ron; his sons, Keith Cox and his wife, Melanie, David Cox and his wife, Joan, and Thomas Cox and his wife, Nan; 10 grandchildren; and three nieces. Remembrances may be made to The Arbor School, 1635 Blalock, Houston, TX 77080, Sam Houston Area Council Boy Scouts of America, 1911 Bagby, Houston, TX 77002, or the Acid Maltase Deficiency Association, P.O. Box 700248, San Antonio, TX 78270. On the Web

Junckers Hardwood Inc. (Anaheim, Calif.) has unveiled its enhanced Web site, junkershardwood.com, for 2003. The addition of "Junckers News" is the key to the expanded site, which offers six more navigational options. Some of the site's new areas include an upcoming events section, a product section and an installation section.

Waterlox Coatings Corp. (Cleveland) has introduced its new Web site at www.waterlox.com.

Mark Your Calendar
BonaKemi USA (Aurora, Colo.) will present a three-day sanding and finishing school for professional hardwood flooring contractors, floor covering dealers and trades people at the Bona Training Center in Aurora, April 22-24, June 17-19 (sold out), July 29-31 (sold out), Sept. 9-11, Nov. 11-13 and Dec. 9-11. The school will include hands-on demonstrations of Bona's line of abrasives, sanding equipment, stains, waterborne and solvent-based sealers and finishes, maintenance products, tools and techniques. Classes are limited to 32. For more information, call 800/872-5515.

Wanke Cascade (Portland, Ore.) will host two day-long flooring installation fairs next month in Portland and Seattle. The Portland event will be held March 4 in the Rose Quarters Coliseum Exhibit Hall. The Seattle-area seminar will take place March 6 at Renton Tech College. Some manufacturers and products to be featured include: Columbia Flooring (engineered and solid hardwood flooring); Parador (cork flooring); and Ulay (underlayment).

NWFA has announced several changes to its school schedule: The October 21-24 Installation and Sand & Finish school has been cancelled, and the June 5-7 Advanced Installation school is changing location from Las Vegas to NWFA headquarters in St. Louis. In addition, NWFA is changing the pricing for some of its schools: Factory-Finished Installation schools now will be $350 for NWFA members and $450 for non-members; Installation and Sand & Finish schools will be $540 for all sessions for members (or $180 for individual sessions) and $640 for all sessions for non-members (individual session prices for non-members to be announced); and Advanced Installation schools now will be $525 for members and $625 for non-members.

Job Watch
Junckers Hardwood Inc. is in search of three commercial sales specialists who will call on the A&D community to develop specifications and sales in the commercial marketplace in their specific territory of New England, New Jersey or Illinois. Candidates must have strong sales experience in the hardwood flooring industry, and must be organized, self-motivated and professional. Only local candidates should apply. Skilled, sales-oriented individuals have an unlimited income potential. Compensation includes salary, commissions and bonuses. The benefit package includes 401(k), medical and dental insurance, company paid vacation, sick time and holidays. E-mail résumés to js@junckershardwood.com or fax to 760/942-6760.

For Sale
A flooring business in the mid-South is for sale. The company installs specialty commercial and residential floors, as well as upscale plantation shutters. It also carries a product line for home interiors. The company says it has great cash flow, repeat customers and loyal, hardworking employees, and shows increasing sales and tremendous growth potential in an economically booming region. The seller will train the buyer. For more information, call Matt at Sunbelt Business Brokers at 479/582-5200 or e-mail mattl@sunbeltnetwork.com.

NWFA Member Services
NWFA offers a convenient time-saver for contractors-The Tools Checklist. This checklist ensures you have everything you need for a job before ringing your customer's doorbell. Keep a supply on hand in your vehicles or customer folders. The Tool Checklist is available in packages of 10, with 50 sheets (5 by 7 inches) per pad. To order, or for a sample, contact NWFA at supplies@nwfa.org.