Hardwood Floors April May 2018

CONTENTS

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

Industry Insights:

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

24 Government Affairs The current state of U.S. national infrastructure.

By Dana Cole

28 Market Matters What is thermally modified lumber? By Hal Mitchell 34 Designer Insights Amazing trends that will reinspire your love for authentic wood.

By Emily Morrow Finkell

Business Best Practices:

42 Sales Savvy Seven signals the customer is ready to buy. 46 Management Think it’s impossible to recruit talent during a labor shortage? Think again.

By Paul Reilly

By Stacy Brown

56 Technology Why a mobile website is crucial for your business.

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

By Jodi O’Toole

60 Finance Securing a loan in today’s lending environment.

By Bree Urech-Boyle

62 Marketing Build your brand with blogging.

By Katrina Olson

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

70 Entrepreneurship

By Sabin Lomac & Jim Tselikis

Paul Reilly Scott Taylor Ben Totta Ron Treister Jim Tselikis Chris Zizza

Sabin Lomac Michael Martin Greg Mihaich Brett Miller Hal Mitchell Kjell Nymark Katrina Olson Jodi O’Toole

Bree Urech-Boyle Dana Cole Michael Dittmer Jason Elquest Emily Morrow Finkell

There’s no secret to being an entrepreneur.

At the Site:

Lenny Hall Mike Ledda Megan Lhamon

78 Sponsored Content What it takes to tackle dirt and dust. 82 Abrasives Picking the right abrasive for the job. 92 Equipment Maintenance Nine key focus areas for sanding equipment maintenance.

By Swiffer

ADVERTISING SALES

By Greg Mihaich

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

By Brett Miller

94 Tech Talk Challenges in the field due to equipment By NWFA that hadn’t been properly maintained.

Regional Instructors

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. Periodicals Postage is paid at Chesterfield, MO and at additional mailing 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.

96 Sponsored Content Why more hardwood producers are using sliced wear layers.

By Tracy Rowlett

98 Dust Containment Four simple rules for containing sanding dust.

By Mike Ledda

102 Sponsored Content Protecting your hearing.

By Jason Lunn & Becky Schumann

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