Savannah, Ga.—The North American Laminate Flooring Association (NALFA) brought together industry leaders for its 2026 fall meeting here Oct. 13-15. The meeting focused on advancing laminate flooring standards, installation guidance and market intelligence.
Representatives from AGT, CALI Floors, Empire Today, Floor & Decor, Framerica Corp., the Institute for Floor Covering Inspectors International, Interprint, Kronospan USA, Mannington Mills, Mohawk Industries, MP Global Products, NC State University, NSP Panels, Pak-Lite, SELIT North America, Shaw Industries Group, TORLYS and Versatrim attended.
NALFA president Tom Wright, vice president of product management and innovation at Mohawk Industries, emphasized the role members play in advancing the association’s work.
“The dedication of our members is what moves NALFA’s work from discussion to action,” Wright said. “They bring the expertise, time and willingness to look beyond their own companies and focus on what will strengthen the industry for the long term. By channeling that commitment into stronger performance standards, better industry intelligence and greater confidence in laminate flooring, we can create lasting value for the entire category.”
NALFA’s technical, underlayment, moulding and marketing committees met throughout the week to advance work in their respective areas.
Anthony Drevet of Shaw Industries Group chairs the technical committee. Deanna Summers of MP Global Products and Mickey Davis of Pak-Lite lead the underlayment committee. Katherine Baxter of Mohawk Industries chairs the moulding committee while Heather Knutson of CALI Floors chairs the marketing committee.
Focus on standards and installation guidance
The Technical Committee voted to reaffirm LF-02, NALFA’s Sustainability Certification Standard and advance LF-03, its Underlayment Certification Standard. The board also reviewed LF-04, NALFA’s Moulding Standard, as the association continued work on its standards and certification programs.
Jared Mathusek, vice president of installation services at Empire Today, returned following his presentation at the spring meeting to continue discussions on installation guidance.
Members explored ways to create a more consistent structure for installation instructions across brands. The goal is to help professional installers locate critical information more efficiently while improving navigation for do-it-yourself consumers. The proposed approach would not replace manufacturer-specific requirements.
NALFA also presented initial findings from its Industry Intelligence Program. The initiative gathers feedback from executives, retailers, installers, inspectors and other flooring industry professionals.
The findings aim to provide members with a broader understanding of market conditions and field experiences. NALFA plans to use that information to guide future technical, educational and market development initiatives.
Guest speakers addressed economic and operational challenges facing the industry.
Chris Kuehl, managing director of Armada Corporate Intelligence, discussed economic conditions affecting business planning and the flooring market heading into 2027.
Ray Setlock, segment vice president of corrugated packaging at Smurfit Westrock, joined colleagues to discuss packaging and product protection. The presentation also examined how flooring products move from manufacturing facilities to jobsites.
NALFA announced two committee leadership appointments during the meeting. Justin Hicks of Mohawk Industries was named co-chair of the Marketing Committee. Carl Sonego of TORLYS was named chair of the Inspector Committee.
Attendees also participated in a Ghosts & Gravestones Trolley Tour sponsored by SELIT North America. Following Wednesday’s committee meetings and presentations, members gathered aboard the Georgia Queen for dinner on the Savannah River.
NALFA will continue work on these initiatives at its 2027 spring meeting, scheduled for March 8-10 in San Antonio.