Hardwood Floors June/July 2026

By Anita Howard

KNOWLEDGE

GROWTH

Providing the services your business needs to grow is a major focus of trade associations. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, and with a diverse membership like the NWFA’s, each member type has a different growth need. For manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, it may be economic data, member directories, or industry trends. For contractors and inspectors, it might be skills training, business education, or job leads. Whatever the need, trade associations provide timely, relevant services to help open doors for you that might otherwise stay closed.

Every industry must evolve to survive, and the wood flooring industry is no exception. New tools, products, technologies, standards, regulations, and trends can impact your business in ways you might not anticipate. Trade associations like the NWFA provide access to timely information via skills training, professional certifications, technical resources, industry data, and more, so that you stay informed to avoid costly errors. The collective knowledge of the entire industry, working together, provides more peace of mind than can be accomplished alone. Belonging to a trade association provides professional credibility with both B2B and B2C audiences. NWFA members have access to the only standards recognized worldwide for wood flooring manufacturing, sales, installation, and repair. Membership with the NWFA establishes your commitment to your profession, while engagement through hands-on skills training, certification programs, and manufacturing standards differentiates you from your competition and strengthens your brand. In an industry where trust matters, professional credibility is a powerful asset. CREDIBILITY NETWORKING Trade associations bring together a diverse group of individuals from different areas, backgrounds, and experiences. For NWFA members, this includes contractors, inspectors, distributors, retailers, manufacturers, and others from around the world to share information and learn from each other. Through the Wood Flooring Expo, committees, task forces, training events, workshops, social media, and more, NWFA members build relationships that lead to new business, referrals, mentoring, and problem-solving. These connections build your professional network.