August 2014 Virginia Tech Housing Report

August data can be viewed as representative of the 2014 housing market to date. Certain subsectors performed okay, and many sectors were disappointing. There has been a lot of volatility in the data, this is expected in multifamily reporting - but not for other sectors. For instance, housing starts and new house sales data has been volatile - and this is not typical.

What does this volatility represent? We have to be patient and pay keen attention to the next few months of reporting.

As written in previous months, the near-term outlook on the U.S. housing market remains unchanged. There are potentially several negative macro-factors or headwinds at this point in time for a robust housing recovery (based on historical long-term averages). Once the economy improves, we should expect to see housing increase as well. Why?
1. Lack-luster household information
2. A lack of well-paying jobs being created
3. A sluggish economy

Learn more about these factors in the August 2014 Housing Report here.

Each month you can access specific data on new housing starts, existing home sales and construction spending, and feature analysis on overall impact to the economy and your business. These monthly housing reports are provided courtesy of Virginia Tech. Remember to take advantage of all the exclusive industry reports and research available to you as an NAFCD member. Visit the Members Only section of the website to access more reports, username and password required.

2014 NAFCD Annual Convention Highlights 
 
Meet Sal Giunta, the first living Medal of Honor Recipient since the Vietnam War. 

Staff Sergeant Salvatore, "Sal," Giunta is the first living person to receive the Medal of Honor, the highest honor presented by the U.S. military, since the conclusion of the Vietnam War. A valiant leader, former U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Sal Giunta was introduced by President Barack Obama as being "as humble as he is courageous" when he was presented with The Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during combat in the Korengal Valley of Afghanistan. Saving his squad from the Taliban during a deadly ambush in Afghanistan, Sal shares his courageous story and the importance of teamwork, selflessness and leadership. Join us for this true American hero's story of unwavering courage, dedicated teamwork and decisive leadership at the 2014 NAFCD Annual Convention.

Learn more by visiting the 2014 NAFCD Annual Convention Website.  

Save the Date: 2015 University of Innovative Distribution

Learn how to improve your company's bottom line and personnel performance at the 2015 University of Innovative Distribution (UID). 

The University of Industrial Distribution, a renowned educational program focused on serving the unique needs of the wholesale distribution industry, has officially changed its name to the University of Innovative Distribution. 

UID is designed for all staff working in the wholesale distribution channel, including distributors, from manager-level personnel to CEOs, and manufacturer personnel working with national distribution channels. Courses fill up quickly, so mark your calendars and plan to join NAFCD at the 2015 UID!

Registration opens soon! Sign-up on the UID website to be notified as soon as registration opens. Watch the site for more information and course details.

2014 NWFA Wood Flooring Expo Highlights

At the 2014 Expo, NAFCD was a featured exhibitor on the show floor allowing NAFCD staff and volunteer leaders the opportunity to connect with many current and potential members. For the first time, NAFCD and NWFA co-sponsored the First Annual Distributor & Manufacturer Reception on Thursday, April 17th which served to unite the flooring industry's leading wood flooring distributors and manufacturer partners. Over two hundred, distributors and manufacturers took advantage of this opportunity to connect within a casual environment immediately following the close of the NWFA Wood Flooring Expo.

Prior to the start of the 2014 NWFA Wood Flooring Expo, NAFCD staff and volunteer leaders participated in a meeting of the leading trade associations serving the flooring industry designed to identify areas of synergy and opportunities for collaboration to address pressing industry issues. Tentatively called the Floor Covering Leadership Council, the organization held a productive first meeting where a mission statement was developed and some initial areas for possible collaboration where identified.

NAFCD will once again partner with NWFA in 2015 when the Wood Flooring Expo moves to St. Louis on April 28-May 1st. NAFCD and the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) will continue to deepen their strategic alliance by collaborating on activities focused on wholesale distributors within the flooring supply chain.

New Monthly Report Now Available for NAFCD Members

Virginia Tech Housing Reports. Each month you can access specific data on new housing starts, existing home sales and construction spending, and feature analysis on overall impact to the economy and your business. These monthly housing reports are provided courtesy of Virginia Tech. View the February report here and learn more about increasing housing permits and positive housing completions data.

Remember to take advantage of all the exclusive industry reports and research available to you as an NAFCD member. Visit the Members Only section of the website to access more reports, username and password required.

Latest NAFCD Members Announcements

Fishman Flooring Solutions has announced flooring distribution industry veteran, Bill Morgan, will be joining the Fishman Flooring Solutions team as an architecture and design representative. "Bill Morgan is a significant addition to the Fishman team because of his experience and the respect he holds in the industry," said Bob Wagner, president of Fishman Flooring Solutions. "He has an impeccable reputation among architects, designers and specifies in Virginia and Tennessee and a deep understanding of how Fishman's products and services can meet their flooring needs and add value to their projects." Read the full release here.

Add NAFCD to Your Press Release Distribution List
Have a big announcement? Add NAFCD to your media distribution list and we will post your press release on our Member Press Release webpage. For additional press information please contact Elizabeth Hyden.