Randy Prewitt

Recently, I was reminiscing on trips our family took by automobile-imagine that-for vacation. Airlines were available but cost prohibitive for the average family. Two lane highways stretched from coast to coast. There were no by-passes to avoid slowing down or to avoid a four-way “stop sign.” Small towns had their Welcome signs displayed similar to the billboards along today’s interstate highways. These small towns offered their very own ambiance. “Filling Stations” offered “two pumps” and were usually on the corner for easy access. There were hardware and department stores and always an IGA for groceries... Dads stopped into the hardware store while moms shopped with the kids at P.N. Hirsch. Huge automobiles were parked “free” down Main Street at 45 degree angles.

As always, manufacturers will use this month’s National Wood Flooring Association’s annual convention to highlight new products, including the latest tools. Many of the new entries will no doubt be impressive, but rest assured it’s the tried and true products that remain the foundation of the hardwood flooring business. If you are among those set to attend the show in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., March 25-28, you can expect to see them maintain their “respected” position at the showcase.

Well, just as the gunslinger of the Old West would add a “notch” on his gun belt after a shootout with an adversary, you too, we hope, have made it through another year by carving out your own special “niche” in the hardwood flooring industry. Some of us may have been wounded by slumping sales. Others unfortunately have gone to flooring’s “Boot Hill” due to financial woes. Those who honored commitments by making some form of restitution to their vendors, you too will be missed, but never forgotten. When you “start” a business with pride, it is only fitting to “end” your journey the same way. 

The last installment of Wood or Wood Knot was devoted to the growing need for installers who know how to properly sand a hardwood floor. As we noted, prefinished product has come to dominate the hardwood category and that means there will be plenty of demand for future care. Inevitably all these prefinished floors will at the very least require a recoat of finish. Retailers and contractors have a responsibility to ensure that consumers have someone they can count on to help maintain the beauty of their hardwood floor for years to come. 

Hardwood flooring continues to flourish, even in uncertain times. For those of us who have devoted our professional lives to this industry, there is a sense of pride and accomplishment when we see today’s consumer opt for wood over other types of flooring. We are proud of the technical accomplishments that continue to advance hardwood and we are impressed with the marketing efforts that promote the creativity and value of this highly desirable flooring.   

If you are involved in the hardwood flooring business, there is a good chance you are reading this at the National Wood Flooring Association’s annual convention in Denver, Colo. If so, you are in the right place. This is a hugely important meeting presented by a highly influential trade organization (NWFA’s membership now exceeds 4,000). It promises to be an upbeat meeting. Why? Let’s just say the age-old expression “Wood is Good” is something of an understatement today. Wood flooring has seen a revolution over the past two decades and it may be flooring’s hottest category right now. We are well past describing our beautiful wood flooring products as a great value for the consumer. Consumers have shown that they have a strong craving for wood flooring for reasons that go well beyond value. To this I say Bon appetit.

The manufacturer specifications that accompany wood flooring products requiring adhesive for the installation are pretty fundamental. But they are also very precise, leaving little room for error.

Our industry continues to prosper in technology, particularly as it relates to both prefinished and job site finished hardwood flooring. Today’s consumers are not only more discerning about their flooring purchases, but are also better educated as well. Hardwood flooring has emerged as a mainline frontrunner in advertisements. The presence of hardwood can be found on radio, television and obviously the Internet with the manufacturers’ own personalized website.

The majority of hardwood sales and installations are generated by "natural stained" wood flooring products. Prefinished hardwood flooring sales have historically been dominated with the "neutral color choice."

Not long ago, NFT published an extensive study on consumer complaints related to the floor covering industry. For retailers and installers, the bottom line was the emphasis on responding promptly and scheduling the recommended repairs.