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NOFMA: The Wood Flooring Manufacturers Association, NWFA and MFMA sponsored the Wood Flooring Basics School held September 20-23 at the NWFA Training Center in St. Louis. Daniel Boone, Everwood Floors Inc. ; Glenn Miller, NOFMA; and Frank Kroupa, NWFA; led the instruction for the 75 attending students with Rusty Swindoll, NWFA, and David Vinson and John Rider, NOFMA. Volunteer instructors for the school included Galen Fitzel and Jim Schumacher, 3M; Ron Fenhaus, Action Floor Systems LLC; Leonard Chapman, Basic Coatings; Matthew Thrane, BonaKemi USA Inc.; Wayne Lee, Clarke American Sanders; Rick Jones, Columbia Flooring; Daron Thrower, Cumberland Lumber & Mfg. Co. Inc.; Richard Cassinger, Custom Hardwood Floors; William Costello, Dura Seal; Gregory Fuller, Harvester Inc.; Brent Stoller, Interstate Supply Company; Mathias Klein, Klein Hardwood Flooring; Nick Motto, Motto’s Carpet Inc.; Don Conner, Mullican Flooring; Randy Brown and Richard Wheeler, Porta-Nails Inc.; Curtis Richard, Primatech Inc.; and Dave Posey, Wood Pro Floors.

Robinson Lumber and Flooring (New Orleans) has established the Robinson Lumber Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund. The fund will provide financial aid to the estimated 20 to 25 employees of Robinson Lumber who have lost their homes and possessions due to Hurricane Katrina. One hundred percent of the funds will go directly to the employees and their immediate families -- no administrative costs will reduce the total contributions collected, the company says. Accounting records kept on the receipts and disbursements of contributions will be available to all contributors of the fund. To contribute, make checks payable to: Robinson Lumber Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund, and mail to: Robinson Lumber Co., 429 West Airline Hwy., Suite R, LaPlace, LA 70068. Send wire transfers to Hibernia National Bank, New Orleans, LA; ABA Routing Number 065-000-090; SWIFT HIBKUS44; Account name: Robinson Lumber Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund; Account number 2080757142; Address 4000 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, LA 70115.

Mullican Flooring (Johnson City, Tenn.) provided 16,800 liter bottles of water to evacuees of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina’s devastation in the Gulf Coast region. Salyers Trucking of Nickelsville, Va., transported the water to Walker, La., on September 3. The water went to Revival Temple, a distribution center 80 miles north of New Orleans.

Powernail Co. Inc. (Lincolnshire, Ill.) celebrated the grand opening of its 120,000-square-foot corporate office and manufacturing facility in Lake Zurich, Ill., September 30. Tom Anstett, president; David Anstett, vice president; and their father Carl Anstett, co-founder of Powernail Company; were joined by friends and family for the grand opening celebration.

Absolute Coatings Inc. (New Rochelle, N.Y.) has received an exemption from the 350-VOC laws in New York and New Jersey and will not have to change the formulas of its oil-based stains and finishes until December 31, 2007. Flooring contractors will still be able to purchase 450-VOC and 550-VOC products in 1 and 5 gallons from Absolute under its Last-n-Last, Absolute and Absco labels until these products manufactured before the deadline are gone.

Mohawk Industries (Dalton, Ga.) consumers who donate to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation will receive a custom music CD. The CD is part of Mohawk’s ongoing "Decorate for the Cure" campaign to raise money for the cancer foundation. The all-original score features songs by Kim Bracken about love, hope and inspiration. Shoppers can find the display at Mohawk Floorscapes, Mohawk ColorCenter and Mohawk Floorz stores. In other company news, Mohawk has earned two awards at the 2005 Aurora Awards, an international competition designed to recognize excellence in the film and video industries. Mohawk’s "Selling with Credit" and "Basic Selling, Vol. I and II" interactive CD-ROM training programs each earned the company Platinum Best of Show in Training, the highest award granted.

Southeast Hardwood Flooring Distributors (Mandeville, La.) would like to thank those who gave generously to employees and their families affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Contributing vendors included: Maxwell Hardwood Flooring, Palo Duro Hardwoods Inc. (Boen Hardwood Floors and Hummel), Linden Flooring Ltd. ( Medallion ), Columbia Flooring ( Century ), Top Grade Floors/Top Grade Inc., Absolute Coatings Inc., Mondo, DriTac Adhesive Group and BonaKemi USA Inc. Southeast customers who helped with the effort were: Troendle Hardwood Floor Company Inc., H & W Flooring, Birdwood Floors, Mike and Sally Mayo, Virgil and Fran Mayo, Danny Phelps , Leon and Perianne Bloodworth and David Cobb . Friends who donated to Southeast were: One Source Commercial Flooring , Custom Sports Surfacing and Ice Builders . A special thanks goes to Maxwell Hardwood Flooring for being the first to respond, and to Jeremy Rousseau and the entire Coast to Coast Flooring Distributors family ( Aldrich Rug Interiors, Bast Hardwood Floors, Ray Barrows Wood Floors, Joe Volpe Custom Floors, Pioneer Hardwood Flooring, International Wood Floors, Bradenton Hardwood Flooring, Bostik Inc., Garrison, Lauzon Distinctive Hardwood Flooring, PoloPlaz, Timber Creek Ltd., Virginia Abrasives Corp., National Floor Systems and Enduracolor Hardwood Floors ). "So many have given so much, we hope we have not forgotten anyone. If we did, it is accidental and we sincerely thank you also," said Frank Macaluso, sales and marketing manager of Southeast.

Armstrong (Lancaster, Pa.) has announced that J.J. Haines & Company Inc. (Glen Burnie, Md.) will distribute Armstrong Hardwood Flooring by Hartco in the central New Jersey, northern Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Washington, D.C., territories. Apollo Distributing Company (Fairfield, N.J.) will distribute the same product line to metropolitan New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. For more information, visit http://www.armstrong.com.

Lon Musolf Distributing Inc. (Vadnais Heights, Minn.) celebrated the grand opening of its 18,000-square-foot distribution center and 1,500-square-foot showroom in Waukesha, Wisc., with a pig roast on September 29. Tours of the facilities were given to visiting representatives from BonaKemi USA Inc., Timbermate USA Inc., Duratool Inc., 3M, Green River Lumber Inc., Boen Hardwood Floors, Grill Works Inc., Dura Seal, Boral Timber Inc., North Wood, Barefoot Flooring Inc., Kentucky Wood Floors, Ua Wood Floors Inc., Lagler Australia, Artistic Finishes Inc., Oshkosh Designs Inc. and Stanley-Bostitch.

Teragren Bamboo Flooring, Panels and Veneer (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) has moved its inventory distributions center operations from SeaTac, Wash., to UPS Supply Chain Solutions in Auburn, Wash. Teragren will continue to stock supplemental inventory at its Indianapolis distribution center. For more information, call 800/929-6333 or visit http://www.teragren.com.

TRB Flooring (Holly Ridge, N.C.) has announced the addition of six distributors for its Nature’s Charm prefinished exotic flooring line: Geysir Hardwood Flooring (Mamaroneck, N.Y.), Horizon Forest Products (Raleigh, N.C.), operating in both North and South Carolina, Stix Hardwood Floors (Collinsville, Ill.), Golden Age Hardwood (Chicago), Heartland Enterprises (Memphis, Ind.) and National Flooring Distributors (Louisville, Ky.). For more information, call 910/329-1642.

Goodfellow Inc. (Delson, Quebec) has obtained the SmartWood certification from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). This certification recognizes Goodfellow’s supply chain as environmentally responsible, the company says. SmartWood products come from forests that are managed in an "eco-responsible" manner and that adhere to environmental and socio-economic standards, in compliance with the principles and criteria of the FSC.

A Los Angeles-based hardwood flooring company that has been in business since 2002 is for sale. Offers are welcome. For details, e-mail Anna at specialflooring@yahoo.com.

Weston Hardwood Design Centre Inc. (Woodbridge, Ontario) and Silkroad Bamboo (Markham, Ontario) recently donated 160 square feet of bamboo flooring and installation for each of the 10 Habitat for Humanity homes built in Toronto.

Columbia Flooring (Danville, Va.) has appointed Michael O’Toole business unit manager, Columbia brand; and Mark Machnicki as Midwestern regional manager. O’Toole will manage all sales activities surrounding the Columbia brand’s nationwide distribution network, and regional sales managers will report to him. Machnicki will assume O’Toole’s former position and manage distribution sales in the Midwest. He formerly held a sales management position at Eterna Wood Floors.

Mullican Flooring (Johnson City, Tenn.) has named Bobby Gibbs Southwest regional sales manager. His office will be located in Taos, N.M., and he will conduct sales for New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado and Louisiana. Gibbs has more than 20 years of sales experience in the hardwood flooring industry.

Elegance Exotic Hardwood Flooring (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) has added three people to its sales staff. Sona Ploozian was named account manager for the San Fernando Valley and Ventura County region of Southern California. Marco Aguirre has been named key account manager, serving retailers in Southern California. Jay Santos has joined the in-house customer service department.

Privately owned housing starts in August were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2,009,000, according to the U.S. Commerce Department . This is 1.3 percent below the revised July estimate of 2,035,999 and is 0.8 percent below the August 2004 rate of 2,025,000. Single-family housing starts in August 2005 were at a rate of 1,709,000, which is 0.1 percent above the July figure of 1,707,000.

According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), homebuilder optimism has further declined in September. The overall HMI dropped two points to a score of 65, which is the lowest it has been since July 2003, when it also hit 65. This was the third consecutive month of HMI decline since June’s 72 reading.

Sales of new single-family homes dropped to a seasonally adjusted rate of 1,237,000 units in August, according to a release by the U.S. Commerce Department . Despite a 9.9 percent decline from July’s record pace, the August sales rate was 6.2 percent above rates the same month a year ago and actual sales to date were 7.4 percent higher than at this point last year.

Online registration is now open for Surfaces 2006, sponsored by the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA), which will be held January 31-February 3 at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas. Close to 40,000 floor covering professionals will be at Surfaces 2006 to see more than 1,000 exhibiting companies in 500,000 net square feet of exhibit space. Pre-show workshops will take place Tuesday, January 31, and seminars will take place Wednesday, February 1, and Thursday, February 2, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. For course descriptions, speaker bios and conference program pricing, or to register online, visit http://www.surfaces.com. Attendees who register by December 30, 2005, get free exhibit admission and discounted pricing on the conference program.

TRB Flooring (Holly Ridge, N.C.) is seeking a qualified and experienced outside sales representative to join its growing company to handle sales for the West Coast and Midwest territories. The ideal candidate will have a background in wood flooring sales and a knowledge of both prefinished and unfinished exotic hardwood flooring. For more information, call 910/329-1642 or fax a résumé to 910/329-1230.

Wine Country Flooring Inc. (Livermore, Calif.) has an opening for an experienced lead person in wood flooring installation. The candidate must be able to install a floor from start to finish and have a valid driver’s license. For more information, call Tawnya at 925/294-9259.

Clarke American Sanders (Springdale, Ark.) is looking for a sander specialist for its North Central territory (North Dakota, South Dakota, New England, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio). Candidates must have direct sales experience calling on professional sanding contractors and craftsman dealers, excellent presentation skills to lead sanding schools and product training, knowledge to assist and support customers with floor care, demonstrated ability to build and grow business through the addition of new and existing accounts, and the ability to travel, on average, 65 percent of the time. Résumés should be sent to hr@clarkeus.com and reference job SS-NC in the subject line or send by fax to 479/750-8236.

Aspen Hardwood Flooring Inc. (West Chester, Pa.) is looking for experienced mechanics in refinishing and installation. The company offers benefits and is willing to help potential employees with relocation efforts and costs. For more information, e-mail aspenhardwood@aol.com or call 610/429-9230.

Pictures of the Brazilian cherry flooring donated by Brazilian Direct Ltd. (Quakertown, Pa.) to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia St. Isidore's Church in Quakertown, mentioned in the last issue of E-News, can be seen at http://www.brazilianhardwood.com/photogallery/braziliancherry/stisidores.php.

The last issue of Hardwood Floors' E-News had an incomplete list of the 2006 NWFA technical schools. The complete list follows (bilingual schools are listed in parentheses after the school):

• Wood Flooring Basics Schools
  March 21-24 (St. Louis)
  September 19-22 (St. Louis)
• Introduction to Wood Flooring
  February 28-March 3 (Anaheim, Calif.)
  September 26-29 (Anaheim, Calif.)
• Subfloor Solutions
  May 9-11 NWFA (St. Louis)
• Engineered Installation
  May 12 NWFA (St. Louis)
  June 26 (Las Vegas)
  September 8 (Miami)
• Custom Factory Finished
  November 2-3 (St. Louis)
• Advanced Installation
  February 22-24 (St. Louis) (Spanish)
• Expert Installation
  October 3-7 (St. Louis)
• Expert Sand & Finish
  October 9-11 (St. Louis)
• Intermediate Installation, Sand & Finish
  April 11-14 (Anaheim, Calif.)
  May 24-26 (Hartford, Conn.) (Spanish)
  June 7-9 (Cincinnati)
  June 28-30 (Las Vegas) (Spanish)
  August 9-11 (Toronto)
  August 23-25 (St. Louis)
  October 25-27 (San Jose, Calif.) (Spanish)
  November 8-10 (Atlanta) (Spanish)

For more information, contact the NWFA by phone at 800/422-4556 (U.S.), 800/848-8824 (Canada) or 636/519-9663 (international), by e-mail at installationschools@nwfa.org, or visit the Web site at http://www.nwfa.org.

Improve your sales team’s performance with the NWFA’s new Sales Training Workshop. This one-day session will be offered September 12-13 at the NWFA’s International Training Center in St. Louis. The workshop, intended for both new and experienced sales professionals, is designed to provide lasting performance improvement. The cost is $595 for NWFA members. For more information, visit http://www.nwfa.org and click on the "Education and Schools" link, or contact the NWFA by phone at 800/422-4556 (U.S.), 800/848-8824 (Canada) or 636/519-9663 (international).