Memphis, TN, July 26, 2006-- June shipments of hardwood flooring decreased from last year, according to data released by the Wood Flooring Manufacturers Association, according to the Memphis Business Journal.
NOFMA's data indicates that June 2006 shipments were 42.9 million square feet, a decrease of 5 percent from the 45.1 million square feet reported in June 2005.
June 2006 shipments were slightly below May 2006 shipments of 43 million square feet.
NOFMA says the slight decrease from May to June may mark the end of a shipment levels correction that began in April, when shipment levels were off by more than 21 percent from strong activity in March.
"Because March shipments appeared so strong and there was little other data to indicate an unusually strong flooring market this spring, I think the last three months' figures may be indicative of flooring distributors working through inventories that were built up earlier in the year," said Timm Locke, vice president of NOFMA.
To date, hardwood flooring shipments for the first six months of 2006 are 260.3 million square feet, marking a 2 percent increase from the same period in 2005.
Over the past year, flooring shipments total 535.3 million square feet -- an increase of 20 million square feet from the same 12-month period in the previous year.
The Wood Flooring Manufacturers Association represents the manufacturers, distributors and allied product suppliers of wood flooring. NOFMA provides mill inspection, certification and grading and milling standards for flooring made from U.S. hardwoods.
