Evolution of hardwood flooring

tfHE president of Bruce Hard-

I wood Floors. James Magness. spoke about the evolution of the hardwood flooring indust ry at a conference held this fall in St. Louis.

Sponsored by Floor Layers Local 1310, the seminar focused on the dramatic comeback of hardwood flooring, and was attended by floor covering manufacturers and dealers, archi tects, home builders and contractors, as well as union representatives.

In his speech, Magness outlined the various reasons for hardwood's decline in the 1950s and early '60s. "It was the advent of affordable carpeting," he said, "that finally pulled the rug out from under the hardwood flooring business."

While the industry tried to maintain the status quo against worsening odds in the early 1970s, Bruce began to re-evaluate its product line.

"Our challenge," said Magness, "was to develop a product which could be applied directly to the new concrete slab foundations, and had all the permanence, stability'and aesthetic value of hardwood flooring. At the same time, it needed to incorporate the attributes of resili-

Story at a Glance

After carpeting's d ramatic gains over hardwood flooring in the '50s and '60s, product and marketing changes were made by firms to rejuvenate the industry and spur new consumer interest in hardwood flooring.

ent flooring - namely ease of installation and upkeep."

Their solution, prefinished gluedown oak flooring in a variety of patterns and shades, is an important part in the rejuvenation of the industry and new interest alnong consumers. But partial credit is due the firm's shift in marketing emphasis fiom lumber-oriented outlets to full-line flooring and building materials distributors.

"The way we feel," Magness said, "is, sure, use vinyl or tile in a bathroom, carpeting in a bedroont, and hardwood flooring in the rest of the house. We think the smart retailer will offer all three. Wood is a design elentent," he continued, "and archi- tects and designers are already using our product to complement other floor coverings, and even on accent walls."

Yet the industry still faces some problems, he pointed out. Many qualified hardwood floor installers left the business during the last decade. So Bruce offers extensive training programs of its own.

Perhaps most challenging is the reeducation of consumers. Many people still believe that hardwood floors are difficult to care for and prohibitive in cost. With their pre-finished flooring, neither of these beliefs holds true. the company feels.

Magness sees great untapped potential for the industry, from offices, retail stores and hotels, to the sizeable do-it-yourself m arket.

"If, as an industry, we continue to be attentive to home fashion and building trends, and we address consumer needs with fresh, innovative solutions, we can maintain, even accelerate, our present momentum," he concluded.

Bruce Hardwood Floors is a division of Dallas-based Trianasle Pacific Coro.