Todd McDonald, owner, Maple Ridge Handscraped and regional instructor for the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA), comes from a long line of hardwood flooring installers who served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Entering the Army Reserves at age 18, he signed on with a friend and both went in expecting to be trained as infantry but instead got an unexpected placement. He has worked in several positions within the flooring industry that forced him to pivot in his career. Listen to McDonald talk about his military career, what led to his return to flooring installation and the importance of education.

We are celebrating Women in Construction week. It is a week set aside each year to celebrate and promote the role of women in the construction industry. Paula Resa, assistant director, Southwest Mountain States Carpenters, and Sandra Rodriguez, director, Sisters in the Brotherhood (SIB), have very different points of entry to the skilled trades, but their stories align in that they are women who have overcome hardships to find a career path within the trade unions they represent. Here, they talk more in depth on the many ways the Sisters in the Brotherhood program offers support to current and future tradeswomen.

From TISE 2025, join Nate Bowen (Michigan Statewide Carpenters & Millwrights Training Programs) and Pat Noonan (Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council) as they explore professional flooring installation. Learn how INSTALL's union programs combine advanced training with comprehensive benefits to create sustainable, rewarding careers in floor installation.

In a strategic move to address the flooring industry's installation crisis, the World Floor Covering Association announces a groundbreaking partnership with CTEF for entry-level ceramic training, while revealing plans to expand trade school programs to 100 locations. Leaders also propose an innovative penny-per-square-foot program that could revolutionize industry funding.

Get ready for an eye-opening look at what's really driving tile and stone purchases today. Join BNP Media co-CEO Mitch Henderson as he reveals exclusive research on consumer behavior, contractor selection, and market trends that are reshaping the industry. Fresh insights from The International Surfaces Event you won't want to miss.

From the Shaw Flooring Network Convention in Orlando, Florida, Shaw Industries EVP of Residential Business Benjamin Liebert shares candid insights on transforming the flooring purchase journey, building stronger brands, and why the industry's future looks bright despite current challenges.

With existing home sales at a 30-year low, Jeff Meadows, president of residential sales at Mohawk, shares how the company is expanding domestic production, growing its luxury portfolio, and why builder partnerships are becoming increasingly crucial.