The North American Laminate Flooring Association (NALFA) hosted its 2026 Spring Meeting in Phoenix, March 10–12, bringing together industry leaders looking to advance technical standards and align the category around real-world performance.
The meeting included participation from companies including AGT, Arauco North America, CALI Floors, Floor & Decor, Kronospan USA, Mannington Mills, Mohawk Industries, MP Global Products, NC State University, Pak-Lite, Selit North America, Shaw Industries Group and Torlys. Attendees engaged in discussions on standards development, industry advancements and long-term growth strategies.
Opening the meeting, NALFA president Tom Wright, Mohawk’s vp product management and innovation, emphasized the importance of collaboration in advancing both standards and the broader category.
“The strength of this association comes from the expertise around the table and the willingness to work together to move the industry forward,” said Wright. “When we align around standards, messaging and shared priorities, we’re strengthening the entire category.”
A keynote presentation by Jared Mathusek, vp installation services at Empire Today, brought a field-driven perspective to the discussion, highlighting ongoing challenges including labor shortages, inconsistent training and gaps between manufacturer documentation and on-site realities. Beth Ziesenis, self-described as “Your Nerdy Best Friend,” shared strategies for leveraging technology and AI to improve productivity and communication.
NALFA’s board of directors reviewed progress on key initiatives, including updates to LF-03 (NALFA’s Underlayment Certification Standard), and LF-04 (its Moulding and Transition Performance Standard), as well as continued investment in standards development and efforts to improve communication around certification and performance. Tyler Snyder of Kronospan was appointed to the executive committee as secretary, and Katherine Baxter of Mohawk was named chair of the mouldings committee.
NALFA’s technical, underlayment, mouldings and marketing committees all met during the event, led respectively by Anthony Drevet of Shaw, Deanna Summers of MP Global Products, Mickey Davis of Pak-Lite, Baxter, Heather Knutson of CALI Floors and Danielle Lancianese of Shaw. Discussions focused on a more integrated, system-based approach to performance aligning with ongoing work within LF-03 and LF-04.
The meeting also marked a milestone in NALFA’s growing industry engagement, with Selit North America serving as the association’s first off-site sponsor, hosting a networking and member connection event.
NALFA will continue these discussions at its Fall Meeting, scheduled for Oct. 13–15 in Savannah, Ga. For more information on NALFA membership, certification programs, industry standards and upcoming events, visit https://www.nalfa.com.
