Photos by Terry Miller
Orlando, FL–The National Wood Flooring Association’s (NWFA) 2021 Wood Flooring Expo, was held recently here at the Orange County Convention Center. Organizers deemed it a tremendous success, with more than 2,500 attendees, numerous in-person networking opportunities, and a wide variety of education sessions.
This year, NWFA and the Coverings international tile and stone exhibition organizers co-located to simultaneously bring attendees to the NWFA’s 2021 Wood Flooring Expo and Coverings 2021.
“We were very pleased with the results of co-locating with Coverings for our Expo this year, and the feedback from attendees and our exhibitors has been fantastic,” said Michael Martin, President and CEO of the National Wood Flooring Association. “While COVID-19 had its impacts and restrictions, the level of engagement and the quality of interactions at this year’s NWFA Expo was unparalleled.”
This year’s NWFA Expo featured:
- More than 20 speakers
- Education sessions designed to help attendees hone technical skills, and grow their business
- Live demonstrations
- New product demonstrations and exhibitions on the tradeshow floor
- NWFA Certified Professionals Pre-Expo Symposium
- Announcement of Hardwood Floors Magazine’s “Wood Floor of the Year” winners
This year’s NWFA Expo was made possible by Premier Sponsor, ProDriveHD.
“Our expectations were exceeded beyond imagination at this event with the number of new customers and the traction of contractors seeing our product,” said Hollis Henderson of ProDriveHD. “This was a trendsetting event, and I think the people who did not attend this time missed an opportunity to learn from the in-person instruction and to experience the benefits like we did.”
“While the footprint of the Expo was smaller than 2019, we enjoyed better than anticipated engagement from attendees and partners,” explained Stephen Crawford, Sales Director of Canlank Coatings. “The event served as an ideal platform to introduce our new Organization, Canlak Coatings, and we’re looking forward to next year’s Expo in Tampa, FL.”
A video recap of the 2021 NWFA Expo is now viewable on the NWFA’s YouTube page, and the NWFA currently is making plans for its next Expo in Tampa, FL, on April 12-14, 2022.
Additionally, Tommy Maxwell, Chairman and CEO of Maxwell Hardwood Flooring, Inc., Monticello, AR, was inducted into the NWFA Hall of Fame during the 2021 NWFA Convention and Expo.
The award recognizes individuals who make significant contributions to the wood flooring industry. Maxwell has been in the industry for 45 years and has worked for flooring companies such as Sykes, Bruce, Anderson and Robbins. He has served on the Board of Directors for the NWFA and was also Chairman. Maxwell has served on boards for the Hardwood Federation and NOFMA (National Wood Flooring Manufacturer’s Association) as well as the Arkansas Forestry Association. He was instrumental in helping NOFMA merge with the NWFA and has worked diligently to raise funds for the Hardwood Federation, which is dedicated to promoting and supporting the Hardwood industry and is the voice of the industry in Washington, D.C.
Maxwell also established the Legacy Scholarship program, which provides training for future generations of Hardwood flooring professionals. He is one of only 17 individuals to be recognized for the NWFA Hall of Fame award in the 35-year history of the association.
During his acceptance of the award, Maxwell recollected the things that he learned from his mentor, Sykes Harris, Sr. of Sykes Flooring in Warren, AR. He then concluded with, “He told me the industry was full of wonderful people… and he was so right.”
The National Wood Flooring Association is a not-for-profit trade organization, with more than 3,200 member companies world-wide, dedicated to educating consumers, architects, designers, specifiers and builders in the uses and benefits of wood flooring.
The NWFA is in Chesterfield, MO, and can be contacted at 800-422-4556 (USA and Canada), 636-519-9663 (local and international), or at www.nwfa.org.
