The National Wood Flooring Association has brought the management of Hardwood Floors Magazine, the magazine of the NWFA, in-house for the first time in the publication’s nearly 30-year history. Starting with the February/March 2017 issue, the magazine will feature an entirely new look and focus, designed to bring more industry news, technical information, and value to NWFA members and the wood flooring industry.
“For our audience, this change expedites our ability to address technical and business issues we see happening in the marketplace every day through our work educating installers,” says NWFA President and CEO, Michael Martin. “From a business standpoint, the change will allow our advertisers to have a seamless approach to marketing planning, establishing NWFA as a one-stop resource to reach the wood flooring professional marketplace in a variety of ways. First, we can accomplish this in print, with a targeted audience of wood flooring professionals through Hardwood Floors Magazine. Second, we can accomplish this in person, with NWFA’s Wood Flooring Expo and more than 50 hands-on training and industry events. And third, we can accomplish this online with our magazine website, hardwoodfloorsmag.com, our consumer website, woodfloors.org, and NWFA University. Best of all, we can now bundle services for our members to achieve the most value for their marketing efforts.”
Prior to joining NWFA in 2011, Martin served for more than 13 years as Editor, then Publisher, of TED Magazine at the National Association of Electrical Distributors. In this role, he managed the association’s print and online publishing, communications, marketing, and social media. Under his direction, TED received numerous awards, including multiple national and regional awards for editorial and design from the American Society of Business Publication Editors and the Missouri Association of Publications, the Magnus Opus award for publishing, and the Trade Association Business Publications International awards for publishing excellence.
To formally transition Hardwood Floors Magazine in-house, NWFA has hired three publishing professionals with a proven history of success in marketing, public relations, and association management:
· Stacy Brown, Vice President of Publishing
· Jodi O’Toole, Director of IT & Web Development
· Libby White Johnston, Director of Media & Advertising
Several existing staff members will be an integral part of this team as well. Laura Boyle has been promoted to Marketing & Creative Director to oversee a consistent brand for all NWFA publications and websites, and Katie Schenk has been promoted to Media & Advertising Coordinator to manage advertising logistics for Hardwood Floors Magazine. Future staff enhancements will include a video production manager.
“One of the most beneficial reasons for this transition,” says Martin, “is to allow advertising proceeds to be invested directly back into our industry through NWFA services and advocacy efforts for the wood flooring industry at large.”
For more information about Hardwood Floors Magazine, visit the new publication website at www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com.