Hardwood Floors August/September 2017

Maxwell Hardwood Flooring Celebrates 25th Anniversary

Maxwell Hardwood Flooring was established in 1992 when Maxwell purchased the facility from the P.E. Barnes Lumber Company. The company started with 33 employees and one production line. Since that time, the company has been committed to a continuous program of improvements in safety, quality, production, and service. Presently, the company and its sister companies, Ouachita Hardwood Flooring and Townsend Flooring, employ close to 200 people and operate three production lines. Maxwell Hardwood Flooring is family-owned and operated, and all products are made in the USA. A celebratory event was held during the NWFAWood Flooring Expo at the Sheraton Grand Phoenix Hotel. Around 250 guests, customers, and friends from throughout the industry, gathered for an outdoor event under a warm and starlit Arizona sky with hors d’oeuvres, drinks, and a special signature cocktail. The Apollo Trio band performed throughout the evening with a New Orleans jazz vibe. The company also held a community-wide celebration in March in Monticello, Arkansas and is planning two more celebrations this fall and winter with its employees.

Maxwell Hardwood Flooring, Inc. is celebrating its 25th year in business during 2017. “We are very proud to be able to celebrate 25 years in business. All of the credit goes to our hardworking employees, our great customers, and our loyal suppliers,” said Tommy Maxwell, President and CEO. “Without all of them, none of this would be possible. I look forward to many more years of growth with our team.” The Maxwell family hosted a celebratory event during the 2017 NWFA Wood Flooring Expo in Phoenix.

Alexey Steshak is not your typical wood flooring guy – although he has worked a lot with wood, he hadn’t actually installed a wood floor until now. As an artist living and working in Altai Republic, Russia, there’s much to find inspiration from – that’s how this project got started. “I live and work in one of the most beautiful places on earth,” says Steshak. “I am inspired by natural materials, and I like a complex and challenging project.” This floor was nothing short of complex and challenging. “The idea for the floor came to me one day while I was sitting on top of a cliff,” says Steshak. “I looked down and saw many trees and a flock of birds swept over them. And then ‘Bingo!’ That was it.” Wood Stock The Art of Wood By Megan Lhamon

FLOOR FOCUS “I’ve been combining the materials in my projects for many years, but never before on such a large scale,” adds Steshak. “For this project, I used a wide variety of species. Some came fromwind-fallen trees, some from cut trees left after thinning of the fruit orchards.” “In the end, I had 40 bags of small wood pieces. Some of the species included oak, Manchurian walnut, apricot, pear, karagach, ash, birch, maple ash, American walnut, cherry, larch, rowan, and a little mahogany.” “My hands are my art studio,” says Steshak. “I work directly on each job site and can easily travel where I need to do work, renting or buying needed materials wherever I am. Having this freedom allows me to travel and do cool projects anywhere in the world and this makes me very happy.”

Photo courtesy of Alexey Steshak

the magazine of the national wood flooring association

13