History Timeline

1st Basketball Game

The first basketball game was played
in Springfield, MA.

1st U.S. Squash Match

The first U.S. squash match was played in
Concord, NH, at St. Paul's School.

First Maple Lumbered

The first stumpage stand of northern
hard maple was lumbered into flooring.

Maple & Birch Sell for $4

Surface clear maple and birch logs of 12 inches in diameter were sold for $4.00 per thousand feet.

William Horner First
in Hardwood Flooring

William Horner became the first manufacturer of northern hardwood flooring.

Maple End Matching

Maple end matching was introduced
into the flooring industry.

1st Volleyball Game

William G. Morgan, a 25 year old gym teacher,
invented the game of volleyball at the YMCA
in Holyoke, MA.

MFMA Founded

MFMA was established to enforce uniform
grades and standards of products for the
flooring industry.

Dr. Earle 1st MFMA President

Dr. George Washington Earle was elected
the first President of the Board of Directors
for MFMA (term 1897 - 1911).

Single Pass Flooring Machine

The first single-pass flooring machine was 
designed.

MFMA Grading Inspections

MFMA began mill grading inspections.

NCAA Established

The NCAA was founded in 1906 to protect young
people from the dangerous and exploitive athletic practices of the time.

MFMA Architect Literature

MFMA began publishing descriptive literature for architects.

Standard Grading Marking

MFMA establishes supervision of grades and
millwork at flooring mills.

Yawkey-Bissell Incorporated

The Yawkey-Bissell Lumber Company was
incorporated by W.H. Bissell (President),
W.W. Gamble, Sr. (Vice President/GM),
A.P. Woodsen (Secretary) and C.C. Yawkey
(Treasurer) and purchased 25,000 acres of
hardwood and hemlock timber land in
Langlade County, Wisconsin.

Horner Flooring Co.

Horner Flooring Co. joined the MFMA.

Print Advertising

MFMA began printed space advertising and
called on architects and contractors.

Mills Convert to All-Electric Production

Hardwood flooring mills converted from steam
powered belt driven machinery to all-electric
production.

Headquarters Moved to Chicago

MFMA Headquarters offices moved to the
McCormick Building in Chicago, IL.

Landmark Anti-trust Lawsuit

MFMA won a landmark federal anti-trust
lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice.
The lawsuit addressed the sharing of historical
industry data.

James Thomas

James Thomas was elected MFMA President (term 1926 - 1931).

Selected Brown Grade

Selected Brown Grade was introduced into
the flooring market.

Stains Not Practical for Maple

MFMA promoted staining maple in print ads.
However, due to changes in the chemical formula
of staining products, wood stains do not take well
to solid maple and proper techniques were not
developed, until recently.  Today, stains are often
used to outline details or highlight specific areas
within maple sport floors and are commonly used
for decorative and design purposes in commercial
and residential applications.

Arthur Wells

MFMA elected Arthur Wells as President
(term 1932 - 1947).

MFMA Grading Standards

MFMA Grading Standards were established
and adopted by members.

Tongue & Groove Face Machine

The one stop tongue and groove/face machine
was invented.

Walter Abendroth MFMA President

Walter Abendroth was elected MFMA President
(term 1947 - 1952).

MFMA 50th Anniversary

MFMA celebrated its 50th anniversary and
members hit production of 4 billion feet of
maple beech and birch since 1897.

MFMA Headquarters Moves to Oshkosh, WI

MFMA Headquarters offices moved to Oshkosh, WI.

First Racquetball Game

The first racquetball game was played in
Bridgeport, CT.

NBA Established

In the summer of 1949 the six surviving
NBL teams were absorbed into the BAA
and the league was renamed to the National
Basketball Association (NBA).

Linoleum & Carpet
Introduced to Market

Linoleum and carpet were introduced as
flooring alternatives.

The Baby Boom

The end of WWII brought a need for more
schools and gym floors due to the Baby Boom
and suburban sprawl.

MFMA Headquarters Move to Chicago

MFMA Headquarters offices moved to Chicago, IL.

Sport Floor Systems Developed

Sport floor "systems" were developed including cushioned systems and rubber pads.

Sport Floor Systems
Techniques Developed

End-to-end systems, cushioned underfloors,
channel-and-clip techniques were developed
into the sports floor market.

Donald DeWitt MFMA
President

Donald DeWitt was elected MFMA President
(term 1952 - 1957).

Nailing Groove Added

A nailing groove was added to strip flooring and became an industry standard.

Powernail Patented

The first patents were issued to Powernail,
reducing time and costs for hardwood flooring
installations.

Rubber-Cushioned
Subfloor

Rubber-cushioned plywood subfloor were
developed.

William W. Gamble
President

William W. Gamble was elected President
of MFMA (term 1957 - 1961).

Connor Sports Flooring

Connor Sports Flooring joined the MFMA

Rider Sander Patented

Richard Baseman, Sr., received a patent for
the first functional "rider sander."

Samuel Wells

Samuel Wells was elected President of MFMA
(term 1961 - 1965).

Synthetic Gym Floors

In the 1960s synthetic gym floors were
introduced as sports floors.

Mechanically Fastened
Systems

Sleeper and padded plywood systems were
refined into mechanically fastened systems.

MFMA Summer
Meeting

MFMA held the 1964 Summer Board
of Directors Meeting on Mackinac Island, MI.

Carl Abendroth

Carl Abendroth was elected MFMA President
(term 1965 - 1970).

MFMA Offices
Move to Oshkosh, WI

MFMA Headquarters offices moved to Oshkosh, WI.

Wood & Synthetic
Flooring Institute

The Wood and Synthetic Flooring Institute (WSFI)
was founded from a group of contractors previously
regarded as the Wood Flooring Guild, then the
Wood Flooring Institute.

Cost of Floor Maintenance

The cost of floor maintenance of a MFMA
maple floor was $0.07 per square foot per year.

Portable Sports Floors

In the 1970s portable sports floors became
common in many arenas.

Products Introduced
to Market

In the 1970s many products such as sheet goods,
poured urethane, synthetic grass and carpet were
introduced as sports flooring products. MFMA
countered this trend with an advertising campaign
addressing safety.

John Hamar President

John Hamar was elected MFMA President
(term 1971 - 1975).

Finish and Sealers Included
on Finish List

MFMA develops finish and sealer test
procedures for inclusion on the MFMA Finish List.

William W. Gamble III

William W. Gamble III was elected President
of MFMA (term 1976 - 1980).

Robbins Inc.

Robbins Inc. joined the MFMA.

Finish Specifications

MFMA revised finish specifications for
floor products.

MFMA Offices Move

In 1977 the MFMA Headquarters offices
moved to Glenview, IL.

1st Installation School

MFMA and NOFMA sponsored the first
Wood Flooring Installation School.

MFMA Offices Move

The MFMA Headquarters offices move to
Chicago, IL, and stay downtown until 1985.

Dept of Agriculture
Forestry Div

In the 1980s the Department of Agriculture
Forestry Division sponsors trade missions
abroad and MFMA begins to establish
global recognition.

Allen Harris

Allen Harris was elected MFMA President
(term 1981 - 1989).

Dance Athlete

MFMA began to address the specific needs
of the "dance athlete" and develops unique
flooring systems.

MFMA Finish List

85 floor finishes were included on the MFMA
approved finish list.

MFMA Offices Move

MFMA Headquarters offices moved to Northbrook, IL.

Sport Floor Injury Study

A sport floor injury study was commissioned
by the MFMA.

Action Floor Systems LLC

Action Floor Systems LLC joined the MFMA.

MFMA Marketing Dues

MFMA began to direct funds toward marketing
based on dues paid on the square footage of
flooring sold by Mill Manufacturer Members.

James H. Stoehr, Jr.

James H. Stoehr, Jr., was elected MFMA
President (term 1990 - 1999).

DIN Testing

DIN testing criteria was recognized by MFMA.

MFMA "The Sports
Flooring Authority"

MFMA was accepted as "the sports flooring
authority" by the architectural community.

Life Cycle Study

MFMA commissioned a study to determine
the life cycle costs for sports flooring.

1st Annual MFMA
Conference

MFMA hosted the 1st Annual MFMA Conference
for members in Phoenix, AZ.

MFMA Absorbs WSFI

The MFMA absorbed the Wood & Synthetic
Flooring Institute association and its members.

AIA Expo

MFMA exhibited for the first time at the
American Institute of Architects (AIA) Exposition.

MFMA 3rd Annual
Conference

MFMA holds 3rd Annual Conference in
Palm Springs, CA.

MFMA 100 Years Old

MFMA celebrated 100 year anniversary.

MFMA 5th Annual Convention

MFMA held 5th Annual Convention in Orlando, FL.

Aacer Flooring

Aacer Flooring joined the MFMA.

MFMA 6th Annual Conference

MFMA held 6th Annual Conference in Palm Springs, CA.

Douglas Hamar

Douglas Hamar was elected MFMA President (term 1999 - 2003).

MFMA 7th Annual
Conference

MFMA held 7th Annual Conference
in St. Petersburg, FL.

MFMA 8th Annual
Conference

MFMA held 8th Annual Conference
in Huntington Beach, CA.

Finger Jointed and Parquet
Become Official

Finger jointed and parquet became official
MFMA products and MFMA Grading Rules 
were developed for each.

MFMA Hall of Fame

MFMA inducts the Inaugural Class for the
Hall of Fame and inductee plaques are
presented to mill representatives. Class
inductees include; Albert H. Abendroth,
Walter C. Abendroth, Charles H. Anderson,
Otto Berk, Morley Foster, Sam Horner and
William Horner.

MFMA 9th Annual
Conference

MFMA held 9th Annual Conference in
Miami Beach, FL.

MFMA 10th Annual
Meeting

MFMA held 10th Annual Meeting in
San Antonio, TX.

Floyd Shelton

Floyd Shelton was elected MFMA President
(term 2003 - 2006).

MFMA 11th Annual
Conference

MFMA held 11th Annual Conference in
Scottsdale, AZ.

Heather Gagnon Currier
Joins MFMA Staff

Heather Gagnon Currier joined the MFMA
staff as Marketing Communications Director.

MFMA Board of
Directors

MFMA Board of Directors photo taken at
the Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa in Fort Myers, FL.

MFMA 2006
Conference

MFMA held conference in Fort Myers, FL,
and moves conference from annual to 
biennial format.

Thomas Abendroth

Thomas Abendroth was elected MFMA
President (term 2006 - 2009).

WD Flooring

WD Flooring joined the MFMA.

MFMA 2008
Conference

MFMA 2008 Conference held in San Diego, CA.

MFMA Contributes to
the Hardwood Federation

The Hardwood Federation is an industry trade
association, representing U.S. hardwood
businesses and acting as the industry's
advocacy voice on Capitol Hill.

Daniel Heney Becomes
Executive Director

Daniel F. Heney was promoted to MFMA
Executive Director.

MFMA Wins Green
Decade Honor

MFMA was awarded the Building of America
Green Decade Plaque of Honor 2000 - 2009.

James Stoehr, III

James Stoehr, III was elected MFMA President
(term 2009 - 2011).

PUR Standards

MFMA PUR Standards were introduced to
the market and architectural community.

MFMA 2010 Conference

MFMA held 2010 Conference in Destin, FL.

Jon Isaacs

MFMA elected Jon Isaacs as President (term 2012 - 2014).

MFMA 2012 Conference

MFMA held 2012 conference in Rancho Mirage, CA

MFMA 2014 Conference

MFMA held 2014 Conference in San Antonio, TX

Douglas Hamar

MFMA elected Douglas Hamar as President (term 2015 - 2017)

MFMA 2016 Conference

MFMA held 2016 Conference in Orlando, FL.

MFMA 2018 Conference

MFMA held 2018 Conference in La Jolla, CA.

MFMA Office Moves to
Gurnee, IL

MFMA moves Headquarters offices
to Gurnee, IL

Dan Corullo

Dan Corullo of Action Floor Systems becomes President of the MFMA.

MFMA 2020 Conference was held in San Juan, Puerto Rico. 

Todd Braun

Todd Braun of Robbins becomes President of the MFMA.

MFMA 2022 Conference was held in Austin, TX. 

MFMA 2024 Conference

MFMA 2024 Conference was held in Litchfield Park, AZ.