The US wood flooring manufacturing industry includes about 100 companies with combined annual revenue of about $2 billion. Major companies include Armstrong World Industries (AWI), Boise Cascade, Shaw Industries, and Wood Flooring International (WFI).
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Demand for wood flooring is closely tied to residential real estate construction, both new and remodeling. The industry is highly competitive because the product is largely a commodity. Small manufacturers typically sell their product within a local region. Competition comes from other manufacturers and competing flooring products like carpeting, linoleum, tiles, etc.
PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Wood flooring is milled from hardwoods, principally oak (which accounts for about 70 percent of the market) but also maple, ash, beech, birch, pecan, walnut, hickory, and others. Most flooring is used in residential and commercial buildings, but about 10 percent of production (mainly glued, laminated material) is used in truck trailers and railroad cars. Wood flooring comes in three main shapes: strips, planks, and parquet. Strips in thickness from 3/8 inch to 3/4 inch; in width from 1 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches; and are 2 to 3 feet long. Planks are 3/4 inches thick and 3 to 8 inches wide. Strips, planks, and parquet are milled so that one side has a tongue, the other a groove, allowing a tight fit when installed.
The production process involves drying boards of wood in kilns until the wood's moisture content (MC) .....
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