Hardwood Floors April/May 2024

CONTENTS

Industry Insights

PUBLICATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE Robert McNamara | Sheoga Hardwood Flooring Jason Elquest | Blackhawk Floors Inc. Lenny Hall | Endurance Floor Company Inc. Kevin Mullany | Benchmark Wood Floors Inc. Jim Schumacher Julie Russell | Chair Michael Martin | CEO Anita Howard | COO Brett Miller | VP, Technical Standards & Training Stephanie Owen | Executive Director, NERF NWFA LEADERSHIP

24 Government Affairs Campaign 2024 is in full swing.

By Dana Lee Cole

28 Design Trends How to make the most

By Brittany Stout

of your trade show experience.

Business Best Practices

32 Legal Tricks and traps of contracts.

By Iqra Mushtaq

36 Finance Budgeting basics.

By Dana Rogers

40 Sales Savvy Is value-added selling right for your company? 44 Marketing Mastering Facebook ads.

Libby White Johnston | Publisher | libby.johnston@nwfa.org Burt Bollinger | Editor | burt.bollinger@nwfa.org Brett Miller | Technical Editor | brett.miller@nwfa.org Rhonda M. May | Creative Manager | rhonda.may@nwfa.org Amy Burris | Digital Manager | amy.burris@nwfa.org Bridget Norlie | Engagement Manager | bridget.norlie@nwfa.org PUBLICATION TEAM

By Paul Reilly

By Matt Thibeau

At the Site 106 Innovation Sanding equipment modifications.

By Kyle Neuroh

14 Research Park Drive St. Charles, Missouri 63304 P : 800.422.4556 Local : 636.519.9663 F: 636.519.9664 E: news@hardwoodfloorsmag.com W: hardwoodfloorsmag.com

By Aaron Sheaves

114 Throwback Century-old sanding machine.

By Libby White Johnston

116 Tech Talk Effective approaches to resanding an old floor. 118 WFOY Winner Spotlight Best in Historic Restoration: RippnFinish.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Brian Beakler Burt Bollinger Dana Lee Cole Carol Crittendon Lenny Hall Libby White Johnston

Dana Rogers Julie Russell Aaron Sheaves Brittany Stout Matt Thibeau Russ Watts

Michael Martin Brett Miller Iqra Mushtaq Kyle Neuroh Paul Reilly

By Burt Bollinger

120 Hardwood Hints How to know if your miter

By Lenny Hall

saw is cutting true. 128 Sponsored Content A new paradigm in finish technology.

By Odie's Oil

ADVERTISING SALES

Product Focus

Katie Schenk Advertising & Media Manager katie.schenk@nwfa.org | 636.736.5230

126 Sanding Equipment/Abrasives

Also in this Issue

8 Chair’s Cut

By Julie Russell

Hardwood Floors' subscription base is AAM audited. An AAM audit provides advertisers and agencies with assurance that what they choose

10 Business Briefs 12 Special Content NWFA honors Beth Maxwell and Mickey Moore. 16 Wood Stock 90 Expo Symposium Session Preview An introduction to atypical wood flooring. 122 Special Content NWFA welcomes new Certified Professionals. 130 New Products 132 Overheard on NWFA Podcasts

to invest in does, in fact, reach target audiences for specific ads. The AAM Worldwide audit also helps media companies by documenting the quality of their audiences.

By Burt Bollinger

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: 14 Research Park Drive, St. Charles, MO 63304. Phone: 800.422.4556. Printing office: Walsworth, 306 N. Kansas Ave., Marceline, MO 64658. Printed in the U.S. 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 © 2024 by the National Wood Flooring Association. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited.

By Brian Beakler, Ph.D.

134 Wood Talk: Billy Simmons 135 Ad Index 136 Final Coat: CEO’s Message

By Michael Martin