Jared Fitzgerald is the owner of Southern Oaks Flooring in Nashville, Tennessee, which he and his wife, Kristin, founded in 2010. The company’s work has been featured on HGTV’s “Property Brothers” and in Southern Living magazine, to name a few. He is an NWFA Certified Installation Professional, Certified Sand & Finish Professional, an NWFA regional instructor, was on Hardwood Floors magazine’s 40 Under 40 list in 2018, and he has degrees in history and Spanish from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Fitzgerald recently was featured on the NWFA Wood Talk podcast alongside the other NWFA Regional Instructors, so Hardwood Floors magazine caught up with him to ask a few more questions.
Tell us something interesting about yourself. I have lived in Mexico and Spain and speak Spanish fluently.
How did you get started in the industry? I got my start in the industry by working in the flooring department at a big box store during college.
Who has influenced your career the most and why? Wayne Lee of Middle TN Lumber and Lenny Hall of Endurance Floor Co.
What is your favorite wood floor project that you’ve participated in? We salvaged some wood from an old barn on a client’s property and used it to create an inlay of a horse in our client’s guesthouse, which was attached to her stable.
What energizes you to stay in the wood flooring industry? I thoroughly enjoy being in the industry. Wood is such a great medium to work with because of the creativity it allows. Also, the wood flooring industry is a great fraternity.
What are you listening to right now? The audiobook of “Island of the Blue Foxes: Disaster and Triumph on the World’s Greatest Scientific Expedition” by Stephen R. Brown.
Do you have a morning routine that sets you up for success? My wife is a high school teacher and leaves the house around 6:30 a.m. My routine consists of getting my boys up and ready for school. I try to plan ahead at night and ensure I get enough sleep.
What keeps you busy outside of work? My wife and three boys. My boys are in sports pretty much year-round, and somehow, I got roped into coaching little league baseball. Also, I love backcountry backpacking.
You can listen to a technical-focused discussion between Jared Fitzgerald and the NWFA regional instructors with NWFA’s Brett Miller, as well as other hardwood flooring experts by visiting hardwoodfloorsmag.com/nwfa-wood-talk-podcast.