By Jon Namba
A new building (Photo 1) with absolutely stunning floors throughout (Photos 2-6) greeted attendees of the National Wood Flooring Association’s (NWFA) first annual Leadership Development Summit and open house event. The new headquarters, located at 14 Research Park Dr. in St. Charles, Mo., also doubles as the association’s training facility.
The Summit, held at Live! By Lowes – Ballpark Village in St. Louis, featured two workshops: “Wood Flooring Manufacturers Assembly” and “Real Answers Small Business Workshop.” Doug Howard from Growth Team Strategies was the host of the small business event. Speakers included representatives from NWFA and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and a Q&A session with a panel of several successful wood flooring contractors.
This being the first annual event of its kind, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I must say I’m glad I attended. The small business workshop was packed with information and geared toward small-to-large businesses looking to improve their bottom-line profits (Photo 7).
After the workshops, attendees were invited to tour the new facility. The training area and classroom are set up to handle from basic to advanced level courses, for professionals looking to elevate their skills (Photos 8-10).
Following the leadership summit the NWFA Education & Research Foundation (NERF) held a golf tournament at Missouri Bluffs Golf Club, located within a block of the NWFA headquarters—for those of you that drop by and can make time for 18 holes.
Money raised from the golf tournament will be used for the “Flooring Futures Initiative,” providing educational opportunities to the next generation of wood flooring professionals. To find out what training events are available at the new facility as well as other training seminars throughout the country, visit nwfa.org.
