Hardwood Flooring February March 2018

CONTENTS

Chris Zizza | Chairman Michael Martin | CEO Anita Howard | COO Bree Urech-Boyle | CFO Brett Miller | VP, Education & Certification NWFA LEADERSHIP

Industry Insights:

16 Government Affairs The new Forest Service leadership brings optimism, vision, and energy.

By Dana Cole

20 Designer Insights Herringbone is hot…here’s why.

By Emily Morrow Finkell

Stacy Brown | Publisher/Editor | stacy.brown@nwfa.org Brett Miller | Technical Editor | brett.miller@nwfa.org Laura Boyle | Creative Director | laura.boyle@nwfa.org Megan Lhamon | Industry News Editor | megan.lhamon@nwfa.org Katie Schenk | Media Production | katie.schenk@nwfa.org Jodi O’Toole | Web Development | jodi.otoole@nwfa.org PUBLICATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE Julie Russell, Chair & Board Liaison | Glitsa, a division of Rudd Company Len Daubler | Shaw Industries Inc. Avi Hadad | Avi’s Hardwood Floors Inc. Lenny Hall | Endurance Floor Company Inc. Jessica Hickman | Allegheny Mountain Hardwood Flooring Kevin Mullany | Benchmark Wood Floors Inc. Mike Sundell Jeremy Waldorf | Legacy Floors LLC PUBLICATION TEAM

22 Market Matters How will Amazon influence wood flooring?

By Lindsay Konzak

Business Best Practices:

26 Finance Digital financial tips and tools to help efficiency. 30 Business Basics Three key sales roadblocks for flooring companies – and how to overcome them. 32 Sales Savvy Is your sales approach built on principles or techniques?

By Bree Urech-Boyle

By Kevin McGirl

By Paul Reilly

34 Legal How the legalization of marijuana could impact By Barbara Dunn O’Neal your employees. & John F. Kuenstler 36 Technology How the Internet of Things may affect our industry. By Jodi O’Toole 38 Marketing A-Max’s Jerman maximizes SEO...and opportunities. By Katrina Olson

111 Chesterfield Industrial Blvd. Chesterfield, Missouri 63005 P : 800.422.4556 Local : 636.519.9663 F: 636.519.9664 E: news@hardwoodfloorsmag.com W: hardwoodfloorsmag.com

At the Site: 48 Health & Safety Focus Electrical safety on the job site. 52 Tech Troubleshooting Best practices for installing wood subfloors over concrete.

By Kjell Nymark

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Bree Urech-Boyle Dana Cole Michael Dittmer Jason Elquest Emily Morrow Finkell Lenny Hall Mark Halverson Anita Howard Lindsay Konzak John F. Kuenstler Megan Lhamon Michael Martin Kevin McGirl Brett Miller

Kjell Nymark Katrina Olson Barbara Dunn O’Neal Jodi O’Toole Paul Reilly

By Brett Miller

59 Tech Talk Common subfloor-related causes for By NWFA wood floor failures by region.

Regional Instructors

Scott Taylor Chris Zizza

61 Subfloors Better floor performance starts with a solid subfloor system.

By Mark Halverson

ADVERTISING SALES

64 WFOY Spotlight Saving the best for last.

By Stacy Brown

Libby White Johnston Media & Advertising Sales libby.johnston@nwfa.org | 337.794.9232

Product Focus: 76 Subfloors, Subfloor Prep, & Adhesives

Hardwood Floors (Print: ISSN 0897-022X and Online: ISSN 2475-5125) is published on a bi-monthly basis, plus the Annual Industry Guide, by the National Wood Flooring Association and distributed as a membership benefit to its member companies and without charge upon request to qualified individuals throughout the wood flooring industry. Single copy price is $8, annual Industry Guide is $50. Subscriptions: $40/ year (includes 6 issues and Industry Guide) in the U.S. and Canada. Publication office: 111 Chesterfield Industrial Blvd, Chesterfield, MO 63005. Phone: 800.422.4556. Printing office: Walsworth, 306 N. Kansas Ave., Marceline, MO 64658. Printed in the U.S.A. Application to mail at periodicals postage prices is pending at Chesterfield, MO, and additional offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Hardwood Floors, P.O. Box 9147, Lowell, MA 01853. Copyright © 2018 by the National Wood Flooring Association. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited.

Also in this Issue:

6 Chairman’s Cut 8 Wood Stock 66 NWFA Resources 82 New Products 83 Ad Index

By Chris Zizza

84 Final Coat CEO’s Message

By Michael Martin

hardwood floors

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