PurParket is welcoming Allan Sieben as the new territory manager for Western Canada. The company says with his wealth of industry experience and unwavering dedication, Sieben is poised to lead PurParket to new heights in the Western Canadian market. Additionally, Steve Grimes has joined the PurParket team as the new territory manager for Eastern Canada. The company says Grimes’ extensive experience and passion for excellence is set to elevate PurParket’s presence in the Eastern Canadian market. Located in Toronto, Canada, PurParket Inc. is a family owned and operated flooring manufacturer pr ..read more

According to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)’s monthly jobs report, 40 percent (seasonally adjusted) of all owners reported jobs openings they could not fill in the current period, up three points from March, which was the lowest reading since January 2021. The percent of small business owners reporting labor cost as their top small business operating problem increased one point from March to 11 percent, only two points below the highest reading of 13 percent reached in December 2021. “Hiring plans among small businesses increased once again in April, but open positions ..read more

Women in the Flooring Industry (WIFI) is a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit that attracts, educates, and empowers women in the flooring industry and beyond. To learn more about WIFI, or sign-up for an event or program visit womeninflooring.org. WIFI Event Calendar May 15, 2024 from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST Power Hour: Unraveling Her Story: Somatic Healing for Women’s Wellness Lead by: Dr. Kelly Olson, PhD in Pharmacology and Therapeutics Register here for the one-hour virtual session or visit womeninflooring.org/power-hour This Power Hour offers a transformative exploration into decoding the lang ..read more

Floor & Decor located at 850 Third Avenue in Brooklyn, New York. Image Credit: Anders Krusberg. Floor & Decor has announced its first-ever New York City store, opening to the public on May 6, 2024. Located on the second floor at 850 3rd Avenue at Liberty Bklyn in Sunset Park, the 129,000 square foot warehouse-format store marks the company’s first official entry into the five boroughs. “Bringing our full-sized warehouse store to New York City’s most populous borough is incredibly exciting given the limited opportunities in Brooklyn to accommodate a home improvement store of our immense ..read more

AFS Group (American’s Floor Source), an independent flooring retailer, has acquired the assets and intellectual property of Lewis Floor & Home (Lewis). Lewis is a flooring, countertop, cabinet, and window treatment dealer for the North Shore of Chicago with sales of more than 20 million annually. As part of the acquisition, AFS will retain key senior leaders, including Steve Lewis, and all the sales associates and operations teams servicing the Lewis customer base. The business will continue to operate from its current Northbrook, Illinois location. “We are excited to welcome such an accom ..read more

POSITION PURPOSE This individual is responsible for managing an assigned territory and developing incremental profitable sales growth through effective selling and building relationships with professional hardwood floor contractors and distributors.  This individual is responsible for creating and communicating promotions, procedures, and policies with distributors.  This individual is expected to exhibit both ownership and control over assigned territory.  Territory managers are responsible for training, educating, demonstrating, and troubleshooting Bona’s complete line of mach ..read more

Photos courtesy of Kevin Evans and Caleb Schneekloth | Rock Solid Hardwoods Inc. Kevin Evans and Caleb Schneekloth of Rock Solid Hardwoods Inc. in Denver, Colorado, recently undertook a remarkable project exemplifying their dedication to craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail. Tasked with bringing a homeowner’s vision to life, they embarked on a journey to craft a hardwood floor that would serve as the focal point of her home. “A designer approached us in our showroom, seeking a distinctive flooring solution for her new residence,” explains Evans. “After careful consideration, she se ..read more

“Specific to old wax or shellac, what is the most effective approach you have to resanding an old floor?” John Alford – Alford’s Custom Hardwood Floors There are several factors to consider when resanding a shellac and wax floor and not going back with the same finish process. First, the abrasive you go through easily will double, if not triple, on the first cut as the shellac with heat up and re-emulsify, filling up your paper. You may need to drop down to as low of paper as 16 grit to effectively remove the wax and shellac. After that, you can sand as normal. Be careful of which finish you a ..read more

To test whether your miter saw is cutting true, you will need various pieces of parallel and straightcut material, blue tape, and a razor knife to help indicate a mark. If the tool doesn’t have its own adjustment wrench, you need a way to adjust the tool itself. Take a white piece of S4S or pre-primed baseboard material to look at how the saw is cutting square relative to the fence. Set your saw to 0° on the miter scale and place the piece of straight and parallel edged wood against the fence and cut it. Once the pieces are cut, there’s a cut seam. If you flip one over, you can tell if it’s no ..read more

Billy Simmons Billy Simmons owns ITAC International, an independent firm specializing in the science of flooring behaviors and failures. Based in Bay Minette, Alabama, Simmons is an NWFA Certified Wood Flooring Inspector, Certified Installation Professional, Certified Sand and Finish Professional, Certified Sales Advisor, and Certified Commercial Inspector. He also serves on the board of directors for NWFA Certified Professionals, is a Regional Instructor, and received the NWFA Vanguard and Ambassador Degrees. Simmons recently was featured on the NWFA Wood Talk podcast, so Hardwood Floors maga ..read more