NWFA 40th Anniversary Special Edition

40 NWFA MEMBERS REFLECT ON THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY From those who were there as NWFA was founded to today’s emerging leaders, 40 members shared thoughts on the impact the organization has had on their careers and the wood flooring industry. Read their reflections on the pages that follow.

“I was involved very early with the NWFA because my father (Jack Coates) was one of the men who founded the association. They said, ‘Let’s get an association together that represents everybody – manufacturers, distributors, dealers, retailers, and flooring contractors.’ At the time, the emphasis was on what they could do to help grow the industry. The thought very quickly was that any education we can provide to all of us, sharing our knowledge, providing training programs, and certification programs later on, all were based on the idea that everybody would be on an equal playing field. The manufacturers were no more important to the association than a distributor or a flooring contractor; they were all equally important, and by working together, we would all grow, and that is exactly what has happened.”

“It’s important because if you are going into this industry, you need the right guidance. Through the NWFA, I was able to meet manufacturers who showed me how to use their products correctly. Do you know how many people in this industry are doing it wrong? The NWFA teaches you how to do it correctly, so I highly recommend that you tap into the NWFA. It will change your life and guide you on the right path.” CARLOS MONGALO, NATIONAL FLOORING CONTRACTORS APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM “It is the only organization of its type that is committed to growing the most sustainable flooring type that there is. Whether it’s product standards, whether it’s training, and so on, you look around the industry, and you see all kinds of fake products that try to imitate the real thing. This is the only organization that really, truly focuses on the best flooring type that you could have – wood flooring.” DAN NATKIN, ESSEX COATINGS

CHRISTINE COATES, COATES AND ASSOCIATES

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