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Nearly 15 years ago a number of industry players—manufacturers, distributors, retailers, contractors, software providers and others—got together and decided to start the process of bringing the industry’s technology into the 21st century.

OK, so 2014 wasn’t as fantastic a year as most hoped. That doesn’t mean it was a bad year.

Almost every residential installer has heard the phrase uttered from a surprised customer at five minutes after five o’clock, something like “That is not what I picked,” or “My floor doesn’t look anything like the sample board.”

When it comes to behind the scenes we believe the part of the project you don’t see is what really makes a difference.

It seems like not so long ago, I remember being a much younger sales advisor at a retail floor covering store in Southern California.

The consumer of today is a totally different animal than the customer of five to 10 years ago.

Before anyone goes crazy, first let me say, yes, I understand this has been a tough year, much tougher than just about anyone thought it would be after the way 2013 finished.

Recently, I had an elderly lady who I had worked with for about 40 minutes say something to me I had never been told before in all my years selling retail.

When looking at any type of unfinished wood at a lumberyard or flooring supplier, the majority has been kiln-dried to bring the wood’s moisture content (MC) into a workable range to prevent problems in the life of the final product.

Flooring adhesives have evolved quite significantly over the years.