All Things Wood Floor

When Adam Bissey was a wood flooring contractor, he saw how so many retailers were missing opportunities, and so he made the leap to open a retail location of his own—one that is now a thriving staple on the Jersey Shore. In this wide-ranging conversation, host Stephen Diggins and Adam discuss the challenges of starting as a retailer; how Floors by the Shore succeeds by focusing on excellence in e...

Lifelong wood flooring pro David Ford of Stauf USA is back to talk with Stephen about some important issues in the wood flooring industry, including reverence for the previous generations of pros and the importance of training and work ethic. They also discuss ideas for other value-added things wood flooring pros can do to increase margins on every job, the incredible potential there is in the woo...

When Kent Rogerson and Jamie Lambert of South Carolina’s Low Country Flooring got their first wood flooring job, they had never even seen the tools required to do the trade. But they learned quickly and grew the business—and then realized they had to down-size the company as they pursued their obsession with quality. In this episode, they detail the hilarious details of their first install, sandin...

Steve James transitioned from a career at General Motors to the lumber industry when he became CEO of Frank Miller Lumber in Indiana, transforming the company culture there to create a motivated long-term workforce. James and host Stephen Diggins discuss the challenges of a lumber business focused on quartersawn lumber, as well as James’ insights as a member of the Maxwell Leadership Certified Tea...

Matt Garcia was a typical wood flooring pro with a small company of craftsmen when he moved to Texas and realized he had a huge opportunity to grow his business—but after trial and error, he also realized that in order to grow his business AND be profitable, he had to work on his business, not just in his business. Hear his advice about what he learned and the key changes he made that have transfo...

When the U.S. government needed the massive chevron floor replaced in the Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C., Universal Floors tackled the job with the help of some friends, including Kent Rogerson and Jamie Lambert from Low Country Flooring. Hear Universal Floor’s Sprigg Lynn, along with Kent and Jamie, discuss the intricacies and complications of handling this job. In Part 2 they reveal more...

When the U.S. government needed the massive chevron floor replaced in the Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C., Universal Floors tackled the job with the help of some friends, including Kent Rogerson and Jamie Lambert from Low Country Flooring. Hear Universal Floor’s Sprigg Lynn, along with Kent and Jamie, discuss the intricacies and complications of handling this job. In Part 1 they discuss demo...

Angelo DeSanto is one of Wood Floor Business’s most popular authors and bloggers—in addition to running his own wood flooring business in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. He and Stephen talk about how he stands up to contractors to get paid on time, the seemingly simple details that make a skilled wood flooring pro, and the accident that almost took his life—and how he managed to recover his health and hi...

Loba-Wakol’s Tyler Myatt and Cash Pyle both grew up in the wood flooring industry before they began their careers working for wood floor industry leader Loba-Wakol. Now they use their knowledge to not only help contractors learn how to use the latest cutting-edge products in the industry but also improve everything from their sanding techniques to their pricing for jobs. Hear what they see out in...

Although still in his early thirties, Chicago wood floor pro Matthew Szyszka of Floor Master Company has made a name for himself and won awards for his intricate custom wood floors. In this episode, he discusses the details on some of his award-winning jobs, how he promotes custom work to his clients, thoughts about getting more young people into the trades and more.   Find all the industry news,...

John Stern’s experience in the industry goes back to before Brazilian species were imported into the U.S. and when the Oval Office still had a wood-look vinyl floor. As the founder of industry stalwart Kentucky Wood Floors, he worked for multiple presidents, traveled to foreign wood flooring mills, sold his flooring to be used in prestigious locales around the world and partnered with famous peopl...

Tom Ourada combines wood flooring craftsmanship with sheer artistry to do wood floors like no one else does wood floors. His months-long projects can result in intricate hand-cut wildlife scenes or out-of-the-box modern designs, but they all stem from a passion for looking at a tree and imagining the possibilities. Hear Tom explain his inspiration and his process.  Find all the industry news, a ma...

Wood floor Matt Garcia is a third-generation pro who started from scratch after moving from his native California to Texas. Matt talks with host Stephen Diggins about how, even though he’s far from a major population center, he’s built a high-end business and also opened a thriving showroom. They also discuss how Matt has focused on creating the right company culture that attracts employees and on...

Courtney Lee carved out a unique business in Georgia when he branched out from carpet cleaning to doing wood floor cleaning and recoats many pros wouldn’t tackle. Lee talks with host Stephen Diggins about how his business developed, what life is like as a Black man in an industry where Black people are typically under-represented, how YouTube has had a huge impact on his business, the philosophies...

Married couple Beth and Steve Stalker have been in the sports flooring business together since high school. In this episode, they discuss topics including how they keep their loyal employees, unique sports floor subfloor systems, health hazards particular to the sports flooring business (and why they can shut down a school), why they prefer to install 1 ½-inch flooring, and how they keep GCs hones...

Bob Goldstein grew up in the wood flooring industry in Florida, from hand-nailing a floor with his dad to working at all levels of the industry, including his own contracting business. Along the way he saw his sons enter the industry and, more recently, had to come with grips with the physical toll his career has taken on his body. Hear some fascinating wood flooring history, as well as Bob’s thou...

When David Williams and Steve Garner took over struggling fledgling distributor Horizon Forest Products, they had a formidable challenge, but they persevered and expanded the company to cover a large swath of the U.S. Hear the business philosophies that guided them, how they remained profitable even through the Great Recession and the COVID pandemic, and what makes them most proud in their thrivin...

Clinton Duff—the Wood Floor Business 2022 Ultimate Wood Floor Guy—is someone who brings positive energy to every job site and every customer. Hear his conversation with host Stephen Diggins about how he got into the business (and why he wanted to leave on his first day), everyday life as a wood flooring pro, favorite jobs and not-favorite jobs (including the cat lady), and much more. Find all the...

Like many, Elizabeth Imlach didn’t mean to end up in the wood flooring industry—but after getting laid off during the Great Recession, she did, and now she runs her own one-woman wood flooring business in Northern California. Hear about how she got into the industry, her favorite parts of her business, the weirdest floor she’s ever done, and more.   Find all the industry news, a massive archive of...

When Genia Smith started in the wood flooring business, she wasn’t just the only woman working in wood flooring, she was the only woman in her area in construction. Along the way, she left her father’s business, moved to a different state, started her own company and a family, and found a way to balance them both before selling her business and retiring early.  Find all the industry news, a massiv...

At Fame Hardwood in Los Angeles, Page Nazarian set out to work with the nation's top architects and designers, and he did that—but he treats every client like a celebrity. Hear how Fame finds the right product for every project, from the homes of Hollywood A-listers to huge commercial installations. Find all the industry news, a massive archive of wood flooring articles, the latest blogs and more...

From simple beginnings in Terre Haute, Ind., Legendary Hardwood Floor’s Chuck Crispin launched a wood flooring career that’s taken him across the country into some of the nation’s most beautiful homes, and along the way he’s earned a reputation as a pro with impeccable taste. Hear from Chuck about what he learned working with wood flooring legends like Allan Pyne and Birger Juell, what he consider...

Family business Woodchuck Flooring has evolved over the years, going through changes in generations and business models, most recently as it transformed its business to adapt because of the pandemic. Hear from Woodchuck’s Tim Nassis about how they’ve found success and continue to adapt for today’s business environment. Find all the industry news, a massive archive of wood flooring articles, the la...

When Paul Nelson transitioned his business from residential to sports flooring, he found it was a completely different way of doing business, from handling bids to getting paid to needing different equipment to do jobs on a large scale. Hear his insights about all of these aspects and more from his headquarters in Montana. Find all the industry news, a massive archive of wood flooring articles, th...

Sprigg Lynn of Universal Floors in Washington, D.C., has worked in the wood flooring business since as long as he can remember, and along the way he’s become a specialist in historic restorations, working everywhere from the White House to the U.S. Supreme Court, with some good humor and wacky situations along the way. Find all the industry news, a massive archive of wood flooring articles, the la...