NAFCD announces 2017 award winners

[Chicago] Celebrating leaders in the floor covering industry, the North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors (NAFCD) announced its NAFCD Lifetime Achievement Award, NAFCD Leadership in Action Award and NAFCD Growth Award recipients at the 2017 NAFCD Annual Convention.

The NAFCD Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes individuals who have shown exceptional leadership and made outstanding contributions that have led to expanding the vision of the floor covering distribution channel. Bob Wagner of Fishman Flooring Solutions in Baltimore, Md. was the 2017 recipient of the award. Wagner currently serves as president and CEO of Fishman Flooring Solutions. His experience in the flooring installation business dates back to the mid-1970s, when he was trained as a floor covering installer while in high school and worked in his family’s flooring installation supply business. Wagner has been a distributor member of NAFCD since the association’s inception in 1971. He has served on NAFCD’s board of directors in multiple capacities and continues to be heavily involved in the association. He is also a past president of NAFCD. 

“Bob Wagner has given a significant amount of time and energy to not only NAFCD over the years but other industry organizations all in an effort to enhance the industry for all,” said NAFCD executive vice president Kevin Gammonley. “He is an effective and passionate voice in the promotion of the value of the wholesale distributor in the channel. He has been a committed volunteer leader who always has the industry’s best interest at heart.”

The NAFCD Leadership in Action Award recognizes individuals for the positive impact and meaningful contributions that they have made to their company’s success. The recipient of the 2017 NAFCD Leadership in Action Reward was Kyle Gorny of Blakely Products in Warren, Mich. Gorny has been involved in the construction and building industries for over 25 years, and began his career with Blakely Products in 2011. 

Introduced in 2015, NAFCD recognizes a member who has made outstanding contributions in furthering NAFCD membership. From increasing engagement with current members and growing support from industry partners to exceptional efforts in member recruitment, the NAFCD Growth Award is presented to a member who has had a positive impact on the association over the past year. Zack Zehner of Mannington in Salem, N.J. was presented with this year’s NAFCD Growth Award. Since joining the NAFCD board of directors, Zehner has been proactive in promoting NAFCD’s value to his company’s distributors and also encourages participation in key NAFCD offerings, such as the Annual Convention and the recently updated NAFCD Financial Benchmarking Report.