Hardwood Floors February/March 2024

FLOORING FOUNDATIONS

PHOTO COURTESY OF VIVIAN SHORT PHOTOGRAPHY

INVESTING IN YOURSELF AND YOUR TEAM To build a career in the wood flooring industry, the first step is education. It’s not a one-time thing, though. Whether someone is a rookie or has decades of experience, there are always new products and skills to learn. “Never stop learning,” says Holden. “Continue attending schools, seminars, and conventions throughout your career. Not only educate yourself about products you manufacture, buy, or use, but also learn about your competitors’ offerings.”

“The vast majority of what we sold was unfinished solid red oak wood flooring,” explains Holden. “There were very few choices in prefinished and what was produced were offered in two stain colors with a wax topcoat. You could only buy oil-modified polyurethane (gloss or satin) to apply over the unfinished floors, and those solid wood floors had to be installed using a Powernail L-45 manual nailer.” Since then, he cites staggering growth in product options combined with incredible technological advances in manufacturing as dynamically changing the industry. Looking to the future, Holden, Maxwell, and Moss all see educating the consumer about the many advantages of real wood as a critical way to drive buying habits and take back market share from other flooring categories.

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