Don't Miss Your Chance to Submit a Nomination for the 2014 NAFCD Awards! 

The deadline to submit nominations for the 2014 NAFCD Leadership in Action and Lifetime Achievement Awards is quickly approaching.

Has one of your colleagues made significant contributions to the floor covering industry? If so, be sure to take advantage of the opportunity to recognize them with one of the two NAFCD awards. All nominations must be submitted for consideration by September 1, 2014.

              NAFCD Leadership in Action Award

The Leadership in Action Award recognizes individuals for the positive impact and meaningful contributions that they have made to their company's success. This is an opportunity to highlight a future leader within your company.

              Submit qualified candidates for the 2014 NAFCD Leadership in Action Award.

NAFCD Lifetime Achievement Award

For exceptional leadership or outstanding contributions that have led to expanding the vision of the floor covering distribution industry, this award is presented to any individual that meets the criteria, regardless of membership in NAFCD.

              Submit qualified candidates for the 2014 NAFCD Lifetime Achievement Award.

Award winners will be announced at the 2014 NAFCD Annual Convention, taking place November 18-20, in Dallas, Texas.

Additional details for each are available on our website.

NAFCD's 2014 Profit Analysis Report (PAR) Deadline Extended

To ensure all NAFCD members have the opportunity to participate in the PAR survey, we have extended the survey submission deadline to August 29, 2014.

Participants will receive the following at no cost ($995 value):

-Industry Chart Book Report - A financial and operating profile of the entire industry.
-Personalized Profit Improvement Profile - A confidential report sent directly to you comparing your firm with similar participating firms. Many firms take this report to the bank to discuss loans, lines of credit and plan for the future.
-Profit Toolkit Online - A Microsoft® Excel spreadsheet to assist your financial planning. Instructions are included with your profit improvement profile.

Note: Non-participants must purchase the report to receive the results. 

Visit the NAFCD website and download a PDF of the survey. Submit your survey by August 29, 2014 and receive your free report!

NAFCD Member Press Release

Haines Announces Grand Opening of Wheeler Supplies Center

NAFCD member Haines & Company, Inc. announced the grand opening of the Wheeler Supplies Center in Orlando, Florida on August 22, 2014. 

This is Haines' first Supplies Center opening and the beginning of Haines - Flooring Supplies Division expansion into the Florida market. Haines began the new supplies division when it ac quired Allied Products in early 2013 and then grew the division when it acquired CMH Space and Ellis Flooring in early 2014. Haines now operates twenty six Supplies Centers throughout the Mid Atlantic and Southeast. 

The Wheeler Supplies business has employed a very knowledgeable team of four, led by Jed Collins, Sales Manager Flooring Supplies, to start the Florida expansion. Jed has been a sales leader at Wheeler since the acquisition of Wheeler by Haines in 2007. The Wheeler Supplies Center is stocked with a broad array of flooring installation tools and supplies to meet the expectations of flooring contractors and flooring dealers. In addition, the current flooring supplies available to Wheeler floor covering dealers will be expanded and sold by the existing team of Wheeler Account Executives. 

For more information on Haines & Company, Inc. and to view the full press release, visit the NAFCD Member Press Release page. 

Less-Than Truckload Shipping: Weight and Classification Tips

Many NAFCD members rely heavily on less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping to get their product where it needs to go. Unfortunately, shipping LTL can be a little bit complicated - but luckily, we're here to help you navigate through all the confusing terminology and hopefully avoid the extra fines that "guessing" can land you with!

In one of our most popular blogs of all time, we provided some pitfalls to avoid when listing the weight & classification of your shipments. Check out the blog here.

P.S. It was great meeting so many of you at the annual NAFCD conference this month! Many thanks to those of you who attended our presentation. Feel free to reconnect with Kathie Kingery or Pat Wallace if you have any further questions.

Introducing NAFCD Member Survey

Early next year, NAFCD is continuing outreach to members to learn more about your greatest needs. We are dedicated to understanding where you need help the most to grow your business. Using an independent market research firm with experience in the floor covering industry, we will be reaching out to members and asking you to participate in a comprehensive member survey.

What we learn from you will give NAFCD a chance to bridge the gaps and provide services and insight into areas where

you need assistance. Your feedback will play a vital role in establishing all components of the organization's new strategic plan. As a result of your feedback and the updated strategic plan, you can expect to see new ideas and new offerings from NAFCD later in 2014.

What can you expect?

The member survey will launch in February 2014. NAFCD Executive Vice President Michelle Miller will reach out via email with an invitation to participate. Participants will then have the opportunity to set an appointment with the market research firm - working around your schedule and providing flexibility for when you are available. The research firm will then set up a one-on-one telephone call to gather your input. We encourage you to be as candid as possible and to speak from the perspective of your business. All responses you provide will be anonymous. Watch for your email invitation this February.

NAFCD Membership Renewals Have Begun

As a reminder, all NAFCD memberships expire on December 31, 2013. Your renewal notice are being mailed to your company's primary contact this week. Renew your membership to continue to take advantage of all the benefits of being an NAFCD member.

Membership with NAFCD allows you to have access to:

Speaker presentations from the 2013 Annual Convention
The highly rated educational presentations offered at this year's Convention featured an impressive roster of though leaders. Topics covered included leadership improvement, economic trends, and developing a culture of accountability.

Economic Outlook Reports
Produced by ITR Senior Economists, the NBMDA & NAFCD Economic Outlook Report correlates macroeconomic data to specific product categories directly related to the building material industry. The report allows you to forecast what effect the economy has on your business and what you can reasonably expect for up to six quarters in the future.

Quarterly Executive Trends and Industry Research
NAFCD has partnered with Cleveland Research to provide you with the NAFCD Quarterly Executive Trends Index. The report is based on member data submission and provides valuable benchmarking and forecasting data. You can compare the results of your company with key trends identified by your fellow NAFCD members.

NAFCD Membership Directory
The online NAFCD Member Directory is the most up-to-date listing of more than 1,000 industry professionals from hundreds of floor covering manufacturers, distributors, and allied members. Updated daily, this directory has a quick, easy-to-use search engine that allows you to locate other members' areas of expertise, companies, and contact information (and makes it easy for other members to find you!).