Floor guy, Rob McNealy interviews Dean Bennett, president of Dean Bennett Design and Construction, Inc., a Colorado based design and build firm.  They discuss eco-friendly design and green building.

Dean Bennett’s Bio

Dean Bennett is president of Dean Bennett Design and Construction, Inc., a design/build firm based in Castle Rock, Colo. Specializing in custom residential design and construction, projects include remodeling, interior and exterior additions, conversions, basement finishes, landscaping and fencing, and custom finish carpentry.

Bennett has worked with a national client base, many who span multiple years, since 1996. He holds Master of Architecture and Bachelor of Environmental Design degrees from the University of Colorado.

Floor guy, Rob McNealy interviews Neil Staples of Black Bear Inspections a company which specializes in indoor air quality including radon, lead and asbestos. They discuss issues and hazards that homeowners should be aware of when remodeling their home, including keeping their children safe from lead based paint.

Neil Staples’ Bio

Co-founder of Black Bear Inspections, a home inspection and environmental services company, Mr. Staples is a state certified Lead Based Paint (LBP) Inspector/Risk Assessor. He has conducted over 175 Lead Hazard Screens (primarily for the City of Aurora, Colorado) and over 500 Lead Based Paint inspections using an RMD LPA-1 XRF for HUD’s (Housing and Urban Development) Small Buy program.

Mr. Staples has a background of 20 plus years in construction, building maintenance, and inspection industries.

Black Bear Inspections, Inc. is an environmental inspection company specializing in Indoor Air Quality issues, with it’s primary focus on Lead Based Paint (LBP), Asbestos, Mold, Radon, and Clandestine Meth Lab inspections on residential, commercial and government properties in Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico.

Floor guy, Rob McNealy, interviews Tim Carter, a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist and owner of the popular Ask The Builder website. Rob and Tim discuss how Tim made the transition from actually doing construction to writing and educating consumers about it.

Tim Carter’s Bio

Tim Carter is an expert remodeler, and he spreads his knowledge to consumers through his AsktheBuilder syndicated newspaper column. At AsktheBuilder.com he answers homeowner questions about do-it-yourself repairs and provides videos, e books and other how-to resources. In 1993, he was selected as one of the top 50 remodelers in the United States by Remodeling magazine.

While Tim Carter now has a prominent media career, he got his start in construction after fixing up and flipping his own first home shortly after graduating from college. He spent nearly 20 years working full time in construction, and uses this first hand knowledge to provide consumers with accurate information about home remodeling and repair projects.

Floor guy, Rob McNealy, interviews Wyatt Kilmartin who is RIDGID’s branding director. They discuss the breadth of power tools RIDGID offers for both flooring and other applications, and they specifically discuss the advantages of using RIDGID’s tile saw to help you get your flooring project done right!

More About Wyatt Kilmartin and RIDGID

Wyatt Kilmartin is the director of RIDGID branding at Emerson. Prior to holding this position he was a strategic planner at Emerson Tools & Storage.

Since 1923, RIDGID has been a symbol of certainty to people in the construction trades. The Ridge Tool Company takes this heritage seriously. Because of this, every tool that bears the RIDGID brand is engineered to the same high standards of quality, strength, and endurance as the first heavy-duty pipe wrench introduced more than 80 years ago.

Floor guy, Rob McNealy, interviews Brad van Unen, who is the Marketing Director of EcoTimber. Ecotimber is a company which specializes in supplying wood flooring products from environmentally sound sources. They discuss trends in eco-friendly flooring, as well as specific issues related to bamboo flooring. They also talk about FSC certification.

More on About Brad van Unen and EcoTimber

Brad van Unen has been with EcoTimber since 2000, when he was brought on as the Sales Coordinator. Over the years, he has served, oftentimes concurrently, as a sales representative, IT manager, purchasing manager, database developer, graphic designer, and forklift driver.

A native of Ripon, California, Brad received a Bachelor of Arts degree from San Francisco State University in 1997, where his major was Broadcast Arts & Electronic Communications. His former career experience includes various positions at Wells Fargo Bank, Working Assets Funding Service, and more temporary assignments than he cares to count.

As Marketing Director, Brad is now focused on managing EcoTimber’s brand development, public relations, our web site, and marketing collateral. He lives in Oakland, where he enjoys kayaking, hiking, his piano, and Sudoku puzzles. His enthusiasm for travel often takes him to Mississippi, where he hopes to bicycle the entire Natchez Trace soon.

Floor guy, Rob McNealy, interviews Howard Brickman of Brickman Consulting, a company that provides custom wood flooring installations as well as consulting and inspection services related to wood flooring problems. They discuss some of the science behind wood flooring problems, as well as certified wood flooring inspection.

More on About Howard Brickman and Brickman Consulting

Brickman Consulting was founded by Howard Brickman in 1984 with goal of providing expert level advice concerning wood flooring manufacture, storage, installation, finishing and proper job site conditions that is firmly based in scientific fact. Brickman has over twenty-five years of experience in wood flooring contracting and a comprehensive graduate level academic background in wood science and building materials technology.

Brickman is a charter member of the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) and member of the NWFA Technical Committee. He has been awarded NWFA Craftsman, Master Craftsman, and Vanguard degrees, and was the winner of the “Floor of the Year” contest in 2000. He is also a certified NWFA Wood Floor Inspector, and has made several appearances on Bob Vila’s “Home Again” as a technical consultant. .

After serving in the United States Air Force from 1971 to 1977, he got his start in the flooring industry with a job working for the National Oak Flooring Manufacturers Association (NOFMA) as the Manager of Inspection and School Services. From 1981 until 1983, Brickman was employed as a sales representative for R.J. Stalker, inc., a Boston area flooring distributor. He subsequently served as general manager for Glitsa American in Seattle, WA until 1984, when he establish Brickman Wood Floors (later Brickman Consulting), a full service hardwood flooring contracting and consulting firm.

Floor guy, Rob McNealy, interviews Chris David, President and CEO of the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) about the mission of the WFCA. They discuss WFCA involvement in legislative efforts and in developing regulations involving green flooring products that benefit both consumers and retailers.

More About Chris Davis and the WFCA

D. Christopher Davis is currently President and Chief Executive Officer of the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA), responsible for the entire scope of operations for the organization including overseeing legislative, educational and membership programs and developing strategic initiatives to represent the industry. Davis became CEO of Western Floor Covering Association in August 1994. He implemented the merger of that organization with the American Floorcovering Association (AFA) in January 1995 that led to the creation of the World Floor Covering Association.

Between 1995 to 2000, Davis oversaw all aspects of Surfaces®, the premier tradeshow marketplace for floor covering and other surfaces materials and supplies, held annually in Las Vegas , NV . During that period, Surfaces® grew to be ranked one of the top 50 largest tradeshows in the world, according to Tradeshow Week. Davis negotiated the sale of Surfaces® to Hanley-Wood Exhibitions in January 2000 for $40+ million while retaining WFCA sponsorship rights to the trade show for a minimum of 25 years.

Davis has over thirty years executive level experience in association management, community promotion and destination marketing, including management of convention/trade show sales promotion agencies,
facilities and programs. He served as president and chief executive officer of convention and visitors bureaus in multiple cities, and prior to that, he was communications director for the Oakland Chamber of Commerce (1973-78), was an independent commercial photographer (1970-78) and worked for ABC News (1970).

Davis is also President and CEO of WFCA Services, Inc., the for-profit, independent subsidiary of the World Floor Covering Association. WFCA Services, Inc. operates an insurance company which offers workers’ compensation insurance in California. Davis is President and is the former Chairman of the Board of the Floor Covering Industry Foundation (FCIF), a charitable organization dedicated to assisting members of the floor covering field who experience catastrophic illnesses or severe disabilities with which they cannot financially cope.

The World Floor Covering Association, official sponsor of Surfaces^TM, is the floor covering industry’s largest advocacy organization representing flooring retailers, contractors and allied service providers throughout North America. The WFCA is a leader in marketing research and industry certification programs. The WFCA also influences public policy affecting the floor covering industry and consumers.

Floor guy, Rob McNealy, interviews Erik Listou, an expert in sustainable building and host of the radio talk show Build Responsible with Erik which airs on 630 KHOW in the Denver market. Rob and Erik discuss energy, environmental and safety considerations in home construction and remodeling.

More About Erik Listou and Build Responsible

Erik Listou, host of Build Responsible, is conscious of both the environment and his community. He has been actively involved with Habitat for Humanity, as well as local chambers of commerce and schools, and he is also involved in many professional organizations, including the Home Builders Association of Metro Denver, and the Remodelers Council of Metro Denver. In addition, he is a certified Aging-in-Place Specialist as well as a certified Graduate Remodeler.

Erik shares his knowledge about responsible and sustainable building practices in his radio show, Build Responsible with Erik. The show’s mission is to help consumers and industry make responsible building decisions focusing on green, energy sustainability and accessibility.

Floor guy, Rob McNealy, interviews Tile Outlet Always in Stock® Founder and President Doug Disney, along with Vice President Chris Nezbeth about their unique business model. Tile Outlet Always in Stock® stores have at least 50 products in stock and ready to go, to help homeowners get projects done quickly, and products that need to be ordered come from local distributors in an average of three days.

More About Doug Disney and Tile Outlet Always in Stock®

As a 19-year-old, Doug Disney started his own business called Yachtin’ America, in which boat owners across the country agree to swap boats while on vacation, similar to popular home exchange programs. Then, he got started in the tile industry, and there was no doubt he had the drive and desire to succeed on his own. He just needed some direction.

That’s when Disney came across the book, “Start Small, Finish Big” by Subway co-founder Fred DeLuca. The book contained DeLuca’s 15 key lessons to start and run a small business.

“I read the book in two days,” Disney said. “It made me realize that I already had a great concept, but that franchising was a much better alternative for growing than opening my own stores. As soon as I
finished the book I called an attorney to get started.”

Disney put the lessons he learned to good use when he began franchising in 2002. Today, Tile Outlet Always in Stock is not only one of the fastest-growing consumer goods franchises in the western United States,
but it is positioned for national growth, as well. Tile Outlet is the only franchised retail tile concept of its kind with 65 locations in eight western states. Thirty-three more locations are in development and expected to open within 12 to 18 months. Disney’s goal is to have 200 stores sold by the end of 2008.

Nothing derails the excitement surrounding a home improvement project faster than the seemingly inevitable delay in finding everything you need to get started. Tile Outlet Always in Stock® founder Doug Disney could literally feelthe pain of do-it-yourselfers during the dozen years he worked in the tile industry before taking matters into his own hands when he opened his first store in 2001.

“The biggest complaint from customers was that they would walk into a tile store, find a sample they like, order it and wait one to two weeks for it to come in,” Disney said. “And because each batch has a different
shade lot, the tile you picked out in the showroom could be slightly different than what you got a couple of weeks later.”

Tile Outlet makes matters immeasurably easier. Of the approximately 300 ceramic and porcelain tile and stone products on display at each store, more than 50 products are ready to go and the lead-time for ordered products from nearby distribution centers averages about three days.

Many other small discount tile stores are “special-order only” with lead times that typically stretch two or three weeks. The same can oftentimes be said for big-box home improvement retailers that also carry a limited amount of in-stock products.

“Each of our locations has a good selection of the basics,” Disney said. “If you walked into one of our stores today and needed tile for a project this weekend, they would have enough in stock for you to tile your floor.”

Besides an incredible array of ceramic and porcelain tile, stores carry a wide selection of slate, travertine, limestone, medallions and marble at savings of typically 20 percent compared to competitors because of Tile Outlet’s low-overhead, low-price concept. Top-selling prefabricated granite countertops offer savings of as much as 70 percent when compared to the cost of traditional installation. Tile Outlet also sells all the
necessary products, equipment and materials necessary for installation.

“We’re a one-stop shop,” Disney said. “We’re a very well-rounded tile retailer. We have inexpensive tile from 99 cents a square foot to glass tile that sells for $15 a square foot, as well as high-end granite products. You can find what you’re looking for whether you’re looking to inexpensively tile a laundry-room floor or choosing tile for a $5 million custom home.”

Tile Outlet also offers consumers more choices since many big-box retailers oftentimes carry products from only one supplier. “We have our own line of products, but we also have products from 20 other suppliers. From a consumer standpoint, it’s like being able to look at the products of 20 other companies at one time.” Disney also pointed out that product samples come from current stock, not a product lot that might have been produced last year, helping to ensure that customers’ purchases match their samples.

Prefabricated granite countertops are a top-seller simply because of the incredible savings they offer. Prefabricated granite is produced in smaller slabs and cut to a standard two-foot counter depth with a
finished edge already on it. Conversely, the fabrication costs alone to add a bullnose (finished edge) to customized granite countertops can cost about $50 per linear foot or $450 for a nine-foot counter.

Floor guy, Rob McNealy, interviews Chad Nordhagen, Director of Marketing & Product Management at BonaKemi about the company and their innovative products. They discuss how BonaKemi pioneered waterborne hardwood floor finishes, and a new hardwood floor mop which sprays a BonaKemi floor cleaner.

More About Chad Nordhagen and BonaKemi

Chad Nordhagen joined BonaKemi in early 2006 as a marketing project developer and quickly moved into the position of finish product manager, where he was responsible for all wood floor finishing products, as well as activities for all market channels, including: new product introductions, promotions, line extensions and meeting the demands of the marketplace for these products.

In his current role as director of marketing and product management, Nordhagen leads marketing and Bona’s Strategic Business Units (SBU) in Finishes, Floor Care and Machines/Abrasives. He is responsible for creating and implementing marketing strategies, developing sales and public relations efforts and overseeing product development for BonaKemi, while seeking out global solutions.

Most recently, Nordhagen comes from Echostar Communications Corporation as promotions and communications manager, where he focused on sales lead generation, sales collateral support materials, trade shows, event marketing and retail sales.

Chad acquired his MBA from the University of Denver with a focus on E-Commerce Marketing and earned his BA in Business from Washington State University.

Since 1919, BonaKemi has provided professionals with premium quality finishing and cleaning products and systems developed to maintain the natural beauty of wood floors. With global headquarters in Malmö, Sweden and subsidiaries and distributors in over 50 countries, BonaKemi has led the industry worldwide with innovative, environmentally responsible solutions to a formerly hazardous and toxic process. The pioneer of waterborne finishes and dust containment in the industry, Bona provides the cleanest, most convenient and healthiest hardwood floor finishing process available.

The BonaKemi product line includes a trailer-mounted dust containment system, waterborne hardwood floor finishes, and floor care products, including the hardwood floor mop pictured here, which sprays a specially designed hardwood floor cleaner.