Hardwood Floors October/November 2024

CONTENTS

PUBLICATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE Robert McNamara | Chair, Sheoga Hardwood Flooring Jason Elquest | Blackhawk Floors Inc. Steve Brattin | Chair Michael Martin | CEO Anita Howard | COO Brett Miller | VP, Technical Standards & Training Stephanie Owen | Executive Director, NERF NWFA LEADERSHIP

Industry Insights

20 Government Affairs Election year politics.

By Dana Lee Cole

24 Sustainability Inaugural Flooring

By Anita Howard

Sustainability Summit.

Business Best Practices

Lenny Hall | Endurance Floor Company Inc. Kevin Mullany | Benchmark Wood Floors Inc. Jim Schumacher

28 Finance Midyear Outlook 2024: Still waiting for the turn. 34 Sales Savvy The path to sales

By LPL Financial

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

professionalism. 38 Technology How to avoid

By Chad Ogden

bogus credit card fees.

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

At the Site 72 Upcycling Wood floor manufacturing residuals.

By Libby White Johnston

76 Tech Talk At what point do squeaks need to be repaired? 78 Hardwood Hints Repairing a loose board. 80 WFOY Winner Spotlight Best Staircase:

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Burt Bollinger Steve Brattin Dana Lee Cole Shannon Gayton Anita Howard

Paul Reilly Todd Schutte Steve Seabaugh

Libby White Johnston Caitlyn Kampe Michael Martin

By Steve Seabaugh

Brett Miller Chad Ogden

By Burt Bollinger

Walk On Wood Inc.

ADVERTISING SALES

Product Focus

82 Engineered Wood Flooring 86 Floor Manufacturing Equipment

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

Also in this Issue

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. Hardwood Floors' subscription base is AAM audited. An AAM audit provides advertisers and agencies with assurance that what they choose to invest in does, in fact, reach target audiences for specific ads. The AAM audit also helps media companies by documenting the quality of their audiences.

6 Chair’s Cut

By Steve Brattin

8 Business Briefs 12 Wood Stock

By Burt Bollinger and Libby White Johnston

90 New Products 92 Overheard on NWFA Podcasts 94 Wood Talk: Sean James 95 Ad Index

96 Final Coat: CEO’s Message

By Michael Martin