Damian Bush is the technical sales manager for Berger-Seidle America. He handles sales and training for the company in the United States and Canada today, but he was installing, sanding, and finishing hardwood floors for more than 20 years prior to taking that role. Bush was one of the 10 charter members to help develop the Bona Certified Craftsman program, he has been involved in NWFA training, and he was on Hardwood Floors magazineās 40 Under 40 list in 2018.
Bush recently was featured on the NWFA Wood Talk podcast, so Hardwood Floors magazine caught up with him to ask a few more questions.
Tell us something interesting about yourself. I am an identical twin. My brother, Devin, is a sheriffās deputy in New Mexico.
How did you get started in the industry? My father has owned a hardwood flooring company since I was very young. After graduating high school, my choice was to either make great money doing floors for my dadās company or go to college and get into debt with student loans. I chose to go to work.
Who has influenced your career the most and why? My father, without a doubt. When I was little, he set an example of working long days, sometimes weekends when necessary, always taking care to do a good job that would make customers happy. As I got older, he always gave us the tools we asked for, no matter the cost. He paid for my brother and me to have the finest industry training available (NWFA and manufacturer-hosted schools) so that we learned how to do custom hardwood floors the āright way.ā To this day, he still does some floor work even though he is in his 70s. He has never stopped showing me the way of hard work and helping others whenever possible.
What is your favorite wood floor project that youāve participated in? The net fit (all scribed) installs we do in northern New Mexico are unmatched in terms of difficulty and precision as far as cuts go. The cuts to plaster (without any baseboard) are all feel, and hand-eye coordination with a jig saw. To have mastered the skill of scribing wood flooring as well as stair treads/risers to plaster walls is one that I will always be proud of.
What energizes you to stay in the wood flooring industry? The relationships I enjoy with great people within the industry and the opportunity to teach the next generation how to use this trade to better themselves and their lives.
What are you listening to right now? I love music of all types. Post Malone is one of my favorites, but at the moment, I am listening to Warren Zeidersā 717 Tapes. Iāve always said that running a Hummel in an empty house while listening to music is one of my favorite things to do. I could always get so much more work done when I could listen to my music while working. You can really zone in on work undistracted and be alone with your thoughts at the same time.
Do you have a morning routine that sets you up for success? Wake up, get ready, and donāt make excuses. Nobody is interested in them, and they wonāt pay the bills.
What keeps you busy outside of work? I love to be on the lake with my family and friends whenever possible. Lucky for me, I can get in nine holes of golf in the morning and
be on the boat right afterward, as there is a golf course at the lake where we keep our boat.
You can listen to a technical-focused discussion between Damian Bush and NWFAās Brett Miller, as well as other hardwood flooring experts by visiting hardwoodfloorsmag.com/nwfa-wood-talk-podcast.