Last week, the 2025 National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA)’s Wood Flooring Expo took place in Charlotte, North Carolina. The theme was “Go the Distance,” and attendees experienced hands-on demonstrations, valuable education sessions, the latest products and trends, and numerous networking opportunities.
The NWFA’s 40th anniversary is in 2025, and the opening session celebrated the craftsmanship, innovation, and community that make the wood flooring industry so special. With that in mind, Steve Brattin, NWFA Board Chair and owner of SVB Wood Floors, welcomed the crowd by saying this year’s Expo would honor the past while setting sights on the future.
“For four decades, NWFA has been leading the way, shaping the hardwood flooring industry, and building a network of professionals dedicated to excellence,” said Brattin. “Through changing trends, evolving technology, and shifting markets, one thing has remained constant—our commitment to education, quality, and community.”
During the opening session, attendees were treated to an appearance from Gary Sinise, actor and founder of the Gary Sinise Foundation. For 10 years, the NWFA has partnered with the Gary Sinise Foundation to provide wood flooring for specially adapted smart homes for severely wounded veterans and first responders through the foundation’s R.I.S.E. program. Sinise thanked the NWFA and its members for their generosity, which has supplied real wood flooring, logistics, and installation services for 86 R.I.S.E. homes throughout the United States.
On the trade show floor, manufacturers showcased the latest products and trends. Milton Goodwin, vice president of product management for AHF Products, noted that they were featuring Bruce unfinished wood flooring in both solid and engineered–something the company just launched about five months ago.
“It’s going fantastic, and we are far exceeding our expectations. We have a lot of customers because we entered a category that we haven’t been in for 30 years, which is why we are here at the NWFA Expo. Almost all of the customers for unfinished are members of the NWFA, so we love to partner with this group,” said Goodwin. “By far and away we have more preplanned meetings at this NWFA show than we’ve ever had before. We are getting to meet a lot of new people and expect the show to deliver a lot of new customers for us.”
Both the 2025 NWFA Service Award honorees and Wood Floor of the Year Award winners were announced during the Expo. Recipients of the Hall of Fame Award included Neil Moss and Sprigg Lynn.
“I have more years behind me than ahead of me, but I plan on sticking around for a long time. I want to give back a lot with my wisdom and my knowledge to the other people in the industry,” said Lynn. “NWFA is unbelievable and it has opened many doors. Before NWFA I knew the old school ways of doing things. Now I know new school. I combine new school and old school together and it’s unstoppable.”
A complete list of those recognized is included below, and more about these recipients will be featured in the upcoming June/July 2025 issue of Hardwood Floors magazine.
2025 NWFA Service Awards
- Ambassador Award: Jorge Perez, Epic Hardwood Floors
- Community Service Award: Ashley & Jeff Do Carmo, Brown Oaks Flooring
- Hall of Fame Award: Sprigg Lynn, Universal Floors Inc.
- Hall of Fame Award: Neil Moss
- Vanguard Award: Steven Skutelsky, PID Floors
2025 NWFA Wood Floor of the Year Awards
- Best in Circles/Curves/Bent Wood: J.L. Vivash Custom Wood Floors Ltd. – Paris, Ontario, Canada
- Best in Color/Finish and Textured Wood: Custom Floors Unlimited – Houston, Texas
- Best Historic Restoration: Universal Floors Inc. – Washington, D.C.
- Best in Marquetry/Inlays: Custom Floors Unlimited – Houston, Texas
- Best Parquetry: All American Floor Sanding and Installation – Summerfield, Florida
- Best Use of Technology: MP Caroll Hardwood – Buffalo, New York
- Best Staircase: Henschen Hardwood LLC – New Knoxville, Ohio
- Manufacturer Spotlight: Woodwright Hardwood Floors – Dallas, Texas
- Member’s Choice: Grain Design Flooring – Florence, Kentucky
Be sure to save the date for next year’s Expo, which will take place April 21-23, 2026, in Orlando, Florida.