Daniel Moore is the owner of Antique Floors, based near Richmond, Virginia. His family’s business, ET Moore Manufacturing Inc., was founded in 1969 and produces vintage heart pine products. They recover reclaimed wood and have worked on restoration projects for landmarks, including Colonial Williamsburg, Mount Vernon, and Mystic Seaport. Moore describes the businesses as working collaboratively on projects and blending the lines between manufacturing, installation, and finishing. He is an NWFA Certified Installation Professional and Certified Sand and Finish Professional and received the Master Craftsman designation.
Moore 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 about yourself. At 45, I am honestly in the same shape I was when I was 18. I barefoot waterski, turn back rolls on a wakeboard, have jumped 40 feet plus on snow skis, and recently scaled the northernmost mountaintops on snow skis (with an alpine trek setup). It was four miles, 3,500 feet of elevation climb, and 10 feet of snow at the top.
How did you get started in the industry? When my dad would come into my room and tell me we had to go to the shop. I have been working at our family’s mill since I was 14.
Who has influenced your career the most and why? After earning my Bachelor’s degree in science, organizational leadership, I attended an NWFA training course in Charlotte, North Carolina, where I met Steve Seabaugh. Steve was smart, a big mountain skier, and had a similar work ethic, so I related to his approach and thought highly of him.
What energizes you to stay in the wood flooring industry? The industry is shifting in the construction world, but I would say that the multiple opportunities around the flooring industry has opened doors for me over the years. I can now build a staircase, I can swing front doors, and I understand concrete and building envelopes better.
What are you reading right now? I am Episcopalian and read the liturgical scriptures about every six weeks in church. I attend a church built in 1702 where George Washington married Martha Custis, so I have been reading about the Custis estate and settlers of the farm where I grew up.
Do you have a morning routine that sets you up for success? I eat a 1/8 pound of raw beef liver with berries, probiotic yogurt, and honey most mornings and get in the sauna for 15 minutes at 90 degrees Celsius or 194 Fahrenheit. I built the sauna in my bathroom and find it crucial for cardiovascular health.
What keeps you busy outside of work? My kids, Sloane, Dylan, and Jack. They are artists, funny, talented, smart, and healthy. Kids are the future generation, and they need to prepare. As the song goes, “Teach your children well.”
You can listen to a technical-focused discussion between Daniel Moore and NWFA’s Brett Miller, and other hardwood flooring experts by visiting hardwoodfloorsmag.com/nwfa-wood-talk-podcast.