8/20/2008
6:55:12 PM 

Welcome Dan. Perhaps you can tell us a little about yourself.

8/20/2008
10:41:31 PM 

It's obvious David doesn't know me...and my definition of a "little"....

Let's see....where to start?

My first experience with floors was in high school where I worked for our school during the summer break. Our janitor schooled six of us in sand and reinish of our gymnasium and classrooms. I ran an edger, mostly.

Then, a few years later I worked at Baxter Health Care doing detail cleaning..... cleaning "clean rooms" where blood bags, tubing, needles and the like are made. We even had to dust the I beams that held the roof up. Of course, maintaining and refinishing floors was routine. We were not allowed to sweep any dirt through a doorway. It had to be placed in a ziplock bag, labeled with the room number and the date. The bag was sent to the lab where the contents were anylized to learn what the contents were and where it came from.

After a few years of that I couldn't handle it anymore (being cooped up inside) and went to work at a sawmill. For about six months I thought I was going to die from the back breaking hard work, extreme heat, and cold. But, I was young and got through it. Spent five years there.

I then (1991) went to work at a new hardwood lumber concentration yard, where we bought lumber from area sawmills and seperated the lumber by species and grade into full truck loads of one item for sale to other mills that would further process the material.

While on that job I was trained as a lumber inspector, using the NHLA (National Hardwood Lumber Association) rules for the inspection and sales of hardwood lumber. By the way, the NHLA (founded 1898) just graduated thier 156th class.

In 1993 we built our first dry kilns and I was trained to load and operate the kilns. I remember during the first kiln charge we didn't even have a moisture meter and relied on oven bake testing for moisture content.

In 1997 we went on to set up a flooring mill. I only thought I had learned a lot prior to this venture. Talk about brain overload.

In 2003 I attended my first hardwood flooring inspector's class. Yes, brain overload once again. I never intended to begin inspecting floors, just attended the class for the knowledge. It was about eighteen months ago I started getting calls to inspect floors, so I thought why not, and got started.

Within the last year (flooring has not been very profitable as a manufacturer these last few years) we started milling mouldings and also started making high end (raised panel ends, mitered doors and the like) factory cabinets.

My latest adventure included a trip to Memphis to take the NWFA inspector's exam. I was allowed the opportunity to sit in on the NOFMA class for a few hours. What a great experience! Brain overload doesn't even begin to describe.

So, there's a "little" about me and my experiences with wood and the flooring biz........sorry to be so long winded.

8/20/2008
11:29:01 PM 

Hi Dan, Your background in the wood industry is astounding. I have always been interested in how logs and lumber is graded. Perhaps some day you can post us some info on how your select lumber for milling flooring.

8/21/2008
7:34:57 AM 

Dan,
some of these guys act like they have never talked to you before or
emailed with you,,,,,ummm, never mind

8/27/2008
11:42:29 PM 

Welcome Dan, It was good to have the chance to talk to you at the summit. Roger what are you trying to say,I hardly even said anything just set there and listen.Oh mybe I did say a few things.

FD