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   Sheoga Hardwood Flooring and Paneling Inc

E-News is an electronic newsletter distributed by Hardwood Floors every other week. Current and previous issues are archived and can be requested electronically. You also can subscribe to E-News, and submit a news item for publication.

Issue Date:2/21/2005

Hardwood Floors E-News: Monday, April 29, 2002

Hardwood Floors E-News
Monday, February 21, 2005
Issue 257
Next issue published March 7, 2005
Deadline for items: March 2, 2005
Send news to editors@hardwoodfloorsmag.com

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NWFA Takes Small-Business Issues to Washington
NWFA Executive Director Ed Korczak led a delegation of NWFA members to Capitol Hill last week to help lobby for legislative changes that many believe would benefit small business. NWFA, partnering with the Wood Machinery Manufacturers Association, targeted liability reform, estate-tax repeal and health-care costs as issues on which to focus this year. "The objective of Legislative Day is to position the NWFA as the expert source on issues dealing with wood flooring and small businesses," says Korczak. "By building these personal relationships we encourage senators and representatives to contact NWFA for unbiased facts on issues affecting our members and our industry." NWFA representatives participating in Legislative Day included NWFA President Wayne Cotton of Design Flooring Distributors (Pompano Beach, Fla.), Rick Holden of Derr Flooring (Willow Grove, Pa.) and Rick Berg of Hardwood Floors (Madison, Wis.).

Students Pack St. Louis Advanced School February 9-11
Thirty-six students gathered at the NWFA headquarters in St. Louis February 9-11 for this year's Advanced School. Students practiced high-end skills from creating custom parquet to inlaying medallions and brass. Volunteer instructors led by NWFA's Steve Seabaugh and Rusty Swindoll included: Mike Boyer and John J. Lessick, Apex Wood Floors Inc. ; Leonard Chapman and Brent Sorbet, Basic Coatings; Chuck Crispin, Birger Juell Ltd.; Mike Rocher and Pat Cooney, BonaKemi USA; Charles Peterson; Wayne Lee, Clarke American Sanders; Richard Cassinger, Custom Hardwood Floors; Jamie Lupresto, Diamond Flooring; Thomas R. Maddray, Maddray Flooring LLC; Evandro Carvalho, Maximum Hardwood Floors Corp.; Tom Peotter, Oshkosh Floor Designs Inc.; and Tony Robison,T & L Designs.

Surfaces Delivers Another Show for the Record Books
Final attendance figures for Surfaces 2005, held Jan. 26-28 in Las Vegas, reveal that a total of 28,209 retailers, manufacturers, distributors, architects, designers, builders and installers attended the show. This represents a 6 percent increase over 2004's attendance number. A record-breaking 1,054 exhibiting companies participated in the show, which is a 14 percent increase over last years' exhibitor numbers. Surfaces 2006 will take place Feb. 1-3 at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas.

Manufacturer News
Mannington Mills Inc. (Salem, N.J.) is the exclusive flooring sponsor of the 25th anniversary project for "This Old House." The Carlisle House is situated in a suburb northwest of Boston and features more than 5,000 square feet of Mannington hardwood in two species- Andino Cherry and hand-scraped Heritage Hickory. The contractors for the home asked John Himes, Mannington's director of hardwood, to appear on the show. The show (Episode 2420) featuring Mannington premiered Thursday, Feb. 17, and a feature article will appear in the April 2005 issue of This Old House magazine.

In other company news, Mannington has announced its "Stand on a Better World" awards program. The award program, in its inaugural year, is designed to honor women who are making outstanding contributions to their communities in social, economic and environmental areas. To nominate someone for the award, visit www.standonabetterworld.com. The winner of the award will receive up to $25,000 for the charity of her choice, be featured on the Web site and in the media and go to Philadelphia for a luxury weekend and awards ceremony. Nominations will be accepted on the site until Aug. 31, 2005.

DriEaz Products Inc. (Burlington, Wash.) has been awarded ISO 9001:2000 certification for its Burlington headquarters and manufacturing facility. To be certified to the standard, companies must implement a comprehensive quality management system that addresses all areas of operation from internal staff training to product design, manufacturing, delivery and service. The ISO certification process ensures ongoing compliance because, once certified, companies are externally audited every six months.

Professional Coatings Inc. (Cabot, Ark.) has moved into a new production facility in downtown Cabot. The 37,000-square-foot facility rests on five acres and gives the company more production area for its growing coating and additive business. The plant also provides state-of-the-art mixing and packaging equipment to produce high-performance additives and coatings. It also gives Professional Coatings the capacity to supply its expanding market nationwide, the company says.

Smith Flooring (Mountain View, Mo.) last month completed its first run of FSC-certified oak flooring since achieving chain-of-custody certification from the Forest Stewardship Council late last year. The recent flooring run, approximately 200,000 board feet, was made from lumber produced from trees grown in the Pioneer Forest, a privately held, 154,000-acre hardwood forest in the Ozark Mountains of south central Missouri that gained FSC certification in 2003. The company expects annual production of the FSC-certified flooring to be approximately 1.2 million board feet. "We'd make more than that, but we already buy all of the suitable certified lumber being produced within a reasonable distance of our facility," says Jon Smith, Smith Flooring's CEO, who notes that the certified flooring is likely to represent approximately 10 percent of the company's annual production. For more information, call 417/934-2291 or visit www.smithflooring.com.

National Hardwood Flooring & Moulding (Van Nuys, Calif.) recently sponsored a professional gathering in its new showroom located at 14937 Calvert St. in Van Nuys. Many designers, AIA and ASID members were in attendance. With the addition of the showroom and warehouse at this location, the company's warehouse and showroom located at 14959 Delano St. in Van Nuys, has been made into the company's offices. To reach the new showroom and warehouse, call 818/947-1900.

Distributor News
Merle B. Smith Co. Inc. (Burr Ridge, Ill.) has been appointed the distributor for The Floor Muffler pad. The pad, which is a moisture vapor barrier and can be used over radiant heat, has the highest STC rating in the industry, the company notes.

In other company news, as of Feb. 1, 2005, Merle B. Smith started awarding its customers with raffle tickets for their purchases. Customers have until May 12, 2005, to accumulate their points for a chance to win many raffle prizes. For more information, call 630/325-0770.

Capella Wood Floors (Vicksburg, Miss.) has named Elias Wilf Corporation (Owings Mills, Md.) its 2004 Distributor of the Year. The award, which is the first distributor award given by the company, was announced during the Surfaces trade show in Las Vegas. A custom-made sculpture has been created in honor of Elias Wilf's achievement.

PoloPlaz (Jacksonville, Ark.) has announced the appointment of the following distributors: Coast to Coast Flooring Distributors (Tampa, Fla.), Bailey Hardwoods (Pecks Mill, W. Va.), Palo Duro Hardwoods Inc. (Denver), Select Flooring Distributors Inc. (Kansas City, Kan.), Hardwood Heaven (Omaha, Neb.) and Parvenu Distributing (Rowlett, Texas). For distribution opportunities, including 350-VOC oil-based polyurethane finishes, contact Bill Jauernig at 800/421-7319.

DriTac Adhesive Group (Brooklyn, N.Y.) has begun partnerships with two distributors-T&L Distributing (Houston, Texas) and William M. Bird & Co. Inc. (Charleston, S.C.). DriTac adhesives and installation products are now available at all T&L Distributing and William M. Bird Company locations.

Lauzon Distinctive Hardwood Flooring (Papineauville, Quebec) has named Elias Wilf and Armak Resilient Floor Corporation (Mississauga, Ontario) its selections for its U.S. and Canadian 2004 Distributors of the Year, respectively. The announcement was made last month at Surfaces. The prize is awarded based on several criteria, including budget achievement, growth and value-added strategy.

Cherokee Wholesalers Inc. (Alexandria, Va.) has opened two new locations-one in Charlotte, N.C., and one in Raleigh, N.C. Fred Lee is the branch manager in Charlotte. He has more than five years' experience as a branch manager for hardwood flooring companies on the East Coast and joins the company from Horizon Forest Products. Lee can be reached a 4141 Barringer Drive, Suite A, Charlotte, NC 27217, 704/525-2170 or lee.fred@cherokeewholesalers.com. Jeff Auton is the branch manager for the Raleigh location. He has five years' experience in sales and as a branch manager and joins the company from Long Floor Supply. Auton can be reached at 1210 Corporation Parkway, Suite 116, Raleigh, NC 27610, 919/255-3376 or jeff@cherokeewholesalers.com.

People News
Penn Wood Products Company (East Berlin, Pa.) has named Michael R. Richner COO. Richner was most recently plant manager of a western Pennsylvania furniture manufacturing company. He is certified in a variety of manufacturing methods, including lean manufacturing techniques and theories, APICS CPIM Inventory Control Management and ISO 9000.

John Patterson would like people to know that - to paraphrase Mark Twain - reports of his retirement are greatly exaggerated. While Patterson has left Columbia Flooring (Danville, Va.) as we reported in the Jan. 24 issue of E-News, he has not retired and is available to report for duty. Patterson, who has spent the past 30 years in the flooring business, including nearly 20 years at Mannington Wood Floors (High Point, N.C.), can be reached at 336/887-7409 or 336/255-1220, or by e-mail at jpatterson@northstate.net.

Merle B. Smith Co. Inc. has promoted Tom DelRegno to general manager and Robert Ringelsten to assistant manager.

Artistic Finishes Inc. (St. Paul, Minn.) has appointed Matthew "Matt" Smith as its Western U.S. regional sales manager. With more than five years' experience in the floor covering industry, Smith most recently served as builder strategic account representative and retail territory sales manager with Armstrong World Industries.

DriTac Adhesive Group has appointed Frank Lazzara and Randy Moore as regional sales managers. Lazzara is responsible for sales and service to all DriTac distributors in the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada region. He has extensive experience in the hardwood flooring industry and has worked with several manufacturers selling to flooring distributors. He currently owns his own wood flooring sales agency, Wood Floors Naturally. Moore is responsible for the West Coast region. He has 25 years' experience in the wood flooring industry and works with his daughter, Jill Secrest, at his agency RC Moore and Associates.

National Hardwood Flooring & Moulding has named D.J. Jewell as administrative and personal assistant to company President Omer Katzir. Lupe Ramirez has been added as receptionist.

By the Numbers
Privately owned housing starts in January were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2,159,000, according to the Commerce Department. This is 4.7 percent above the revised December estimate of 2,063,000 and is 11.6 percent above the January 2004 rate of 1,934,000. Single-family housing starts in January 2005 were at a rate of 1,760,000-2.7 percent above the December figure of 1,713,000. Meanwhile, privately owned housing completions in January were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,915,000. This is 0.8 percent below the revised December estimate of 1,930,000, but is 11.7 percent above the January 2004 rate of 1,714,000. Single-family housing completions in January 2005 were at a rate of 1,599,000-3.7 percent below the December figure of 1,660,000.

Due entirely to a three-point dip in the index component gauging current sales activity, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index declined two points to 68 in February, according to NAHB. That dip was most likely related to above-average precipitation that was not wholly accounted for by the index's seasonal adjustment factors. Even so, the current-sales component posted a reading of 74 points, while components gauging expected sales in the next six months and traffic of prospective buyers held at 78 and 50, respectively.

Job Watch
A dealer/distributor in Toronto, Canada, is seeking an experienced flooring salesperson. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of five years' experience in sales and dealer distributor markets, as well as experience in dealing with architects, designers, general contractors and the general public. Salary and/or commission are commensurate with experience. Résumés with at least three professional references should be faxed to 905/851-5956.

The Wood Floor Store (Sarasota, Fla.) seeks a full-time, experienced salesperson knowledgeable in solid and engineered wood flooring. The company is looking for a personable, self-motivated individual to join its team. Résumés should be faxed to 941/366-9664.

Mark Your Calendar
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) will hold the 2005 National Green Building Conference March 13-15 in downtown Atlanta. A special learning track will provide comprehensive information on NAHB's voluntary Model Green Home Building Guidelines, recently developed to help builders incorporate affordable environmental practices into every phase of the home building process. The conference also will focus on meeting rising consumer demand for green-built homes through a variety of educational sessions. On March 13, attendees can take a bus tour of green-built residential and commercial properties in the Atlanta area. For more information, visit www.nahb.org or call 800/368-5242 or 202/266-8200.

NWFA Member Services
The NWFA offers its members a professional marketing package to help sell their services. These materials identify wood flooring types, styles, finishes and customizations possible, as well as species and maintenance. Materials also explain what to expect before, during and after the purchase, and why consumers should choose an NWFA member for their wood flooring needs. Members can view the brochures online at www.nwfa.org by clicking on "Services and Supplies," entering their Member ID number, and selecting "Promotional Materials" from the "Forms and Supplies" menu option.