Hardwood Floors February/March 2024

“It’s called hardwood.

Owen Bailey of Bailey Hardwoods in Chapmanville, West Virginia, attended his first NWFA installation class in the 1990s, where Daniel Boone was the instructor. Bailey says he learned so much from that experience and later became an NWFA Certified Professional. He co owns the company with his wife, Cindy, and it is a family affair. Their daughter, Laura, worked in the office while attending school to become a nurse anesthetist. Both of their sons are thriving on the job, as Chris is an NWFA Certified Sand and Finish Professional, and Levi is an NWFA Certified Installation Professional. “It gives the guys so much confidence. They come back from the class excited about what they’ve learned,” shares Owen Bailey. “Watching them learn and improve the quality of work by attending NWFA classes has been amazing.” Cindy Bailey adds that investing in your team leads to greater customer satisfaction. “It increases your ability to speak with your customers, and it increases your profit in the long term. We let the customer know they have been trained by the best and know what they’re doing.” Hardwood Floors magazine’s 2024 NWFA Industry Outlook survey found that filling critical positions remains challenging for more than 60 percent of respondents. Heather Barbour, owner of Hultman Flooring in Porter, Indiana, believes that focusing on retaining your existing workforce is essential. “Invest in continued training so you are working on upskilling current

H-A-R-D. It’s hard for a reason and that applies to every facet of the business – sales, marketing, the labor, and finding people to do the work. It's persistence. You can't give up. Push through those hard times.” — Luis Perez, Hero Flooring LLC

employees to take on more responsibilities,” she recommends. “Recruitment needs to be a part of the plan. The learning curve in our industry is not easy and requires time and hands-on learning. Implement an apprenticeship program to help attract young talent to the industry.” Chris Zizza, president of C&R Flooring Inc. in Westwood, Massachusetts, has been in business for 35 years and has employees who have been there for more than 25 years. He says the bottom line is to create a success story with your employees. “Build a company that has an environment people want to be a part of long-term,” shares Zizza. “Sifting through employees and discarding them at-will over the years is no way to run a company. Your employees need to be able to have a career and raise a family while working for you. Employee retention is paramount to a successful company.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF VIVIAN SHORT PHOTOGRAPHY

the magazine of the national wood flooring association

43