It seems like it was just 2022! However, we are almost into our ninth month of 2023, and you know what that means, the end of the year is just around the corner. It still feels like we have plenty of time before the end of the year, right? 

Do you have to start now to be finished by the end of the year? No, of course not, but the longer you wait the more limited your options, budgets, and scheduling dates become. Don't wait until the last minute! Start now if you have a project, even beyond flooring, that you want completed before the end of the year!

September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and Construction Suicide Prevention Week has dedicated September 4-8, 2023 to providing online resources and job site talks to focus on suicide prevention specifically the construction industry. Construction workers face unique challenges every day, which lead to a higher-than-average rate of suicides. Construction Suicide Prevention Week is working to provide resources, so we can work together to prevent it. ​

​Dana Hetrick, President of Lucas Commercial Flooring, has been named a winner of the 2023 Enterprising Women of the Year Awards, an annual tribute to the world’s top women entrepreneurs. Dana was recognized at the 21st Annual Enterprising Women of the Year Awards Celebration and Conference, for her leadership in the category of $2M- $3M Revenue. The Celebration and Conference brought together dynamic women from around the world to share business insights, expand their networks and deepen mentoring commitments, at the Wyndham Grand in Clearwater Beach, Florida.

Dana Hetrick, President of Lucas Commercial Flooring, joins the new Board of Directors in the role of Sponsorship to assist the organization in creating and implementing a new sponsorship program. Here is the official press release from the organization:   https://www.nawbokc.org/blog/nawbo-kc-welcomes-2022-2023-board-of-directors

(KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, August 23, 2022)

The Kansas City chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners welcomes its new board of directors. The 2022-2023 board, led by Ashley Mahoney, founder of Hello Big Idea, includes seven returning members and three new members. It added a new position for Sponsorship this year.

“It is an exciting time for the NAWBO KC chapter. We have members leading at the national level, outlined a solid strategic plan for growth last year, and are in decent shape financially. I am looking forward to what we all accomplish together this year!” Ms. Mahoney said of the new board and the chapter’s 70 members.

The full NAWBO KC board includes women from a variety of organizations. They are the following:
⚫ Ashley Mahoney, Hello Big Idea, Board President
⚫ Kelly Byrnes, Voyage Consulting Group, President-Elect and Marketing
⚫ Robyn Stevens, Robyn Stevens Feng Shui, Secretary
⚫ Stephanie Willis, SBDC Kansas at JCCC, Programming
⚫ Stella Crewse, Fortiviti, Membership
⚫ Karen Reimer, Ad Astra Financial Group, Advocacy
⚫ Kim Specker, Rare Transformation, Treasurer
⚫ Shea Stevens, Burke McClasky Stevens, Governance
⚫ Dana Hetrick, Lucas Commercial Flooring, Sponsorship
⚫ Mandy Shoemaker, Prairie Elder Care, Immediate Past President

NAWBO KC holds events monthly to help business owners build their companies through learning and networking. There are opportunities for service throughout the year as well.
Many events are open to non-members, so if you are a women business owner or supporter of businesses owned by women, visit the Events page.
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About NAWBO KC
NAWBO KC brings together local women in business to learn, connect, and grow. The chapter is diverse, yet the vision is shared: supporting the success of women entrepreneurs in Kansas City. NAWBO KC provides opportunities for women business owners to hone their business management and leadership skills, network, and contribute to the community.
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About NAWBO
Celebrating women in business for four decades, NAWBO’s local chapter is part of a bigger vision – one started and led by the National Association of Women in Business. Founded in 1975, NAWBO is the unified voice of more than 10 million women-owned businesses in the United States.

​My building was built in the 1990’s, is there any way that my flooring can contain asbestos? Many think that asbestos use in flooring was stopped in the 1970’s; however, the EPA didn’t issue the Asbestos Ban and Phase Out Rule (ABPR) until 1989. This ruling was a phased process: the manufacture and processing of vinyl/ asbestos flooring and flooring felt had to cease by August 1990; however, any stock-on-hand that contained asbestos as of August 1992 could still be used as long as the stock was labeled to indicate the asbestos ingredient. This means that use of asbestos containing materials was still going on in the early 1990’s. ​

My floors were replaced in 2008, that means that there can’t be any asbestos, right? Unfortunately, abatement is a costly process, so many companies decided to cover instead of abating their asbestos flooring products. If the existing VAT (Vinyl Asbestos Tile), sheet vinyl, and/or asbestos containing adhesives were soundly connected to the subfloor, flooring materials were installed directly over the existing materials delaying the need and cost for abatement. 

The downside of this method is that the material on top is now adhered to the asbestos containing products. When you start removing the top floorcovering, the materials underneath also start coming up. If the asbestos containing materials start to break or release at all, the job must stop, and abatement must be completed. If the material on top is adhered directly to asbestos containing adhesive, there is no safe way to remove the material without disturbing the original adhesives and/or voiding your new material's warranty without abatement. 

References: 40 CFR 763. Asbestos: Manufacture, Importation, Processing, and Distribution in Commerce Prohiibitions; Final Rule (epa.gov)
Federal Register, Volume 59 Issue 123 (Tuesday, June 28, 1994) (govinfo.gov)
Asbestos Regulations- Federal & State Laws about Exposure (mesotheliomahub.com)
How long does asbestos stay airborne once disturbed? (oracleasbestos.com)
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Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) and Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) continue to be the trend in commercial spaces, from corporate offices to healthcare environments. Many organizations see the advantages of the durable, low-maintenance wear layers and the flexibility of designs. Many decision makers take the plunge from soft surfaces to hard surfaces , but not all take the time to consider all of the aspects of the change until it is too late. 

1) Acoustics
One of the first noticeable changes in the environment of a space are the acoustics: how loud are the background noises of a space? Are there a lot of people in open spaces having phone conversations? Is there traffic noise? How many interruptions are there from people coming and going with doors opening and closing? Sound travels several ways: directly to your ears or it can bounce off surfaces until it dissipates. Soft surfaces help to minimize the sounds bouncing around, so as sounds travel to the carpet, they are dissipated by that soft surface. Removing that soft surface and replacing with a hard surface can create a louder environment than what occupants are used to hearing. 

If acoustics are not considered before making the change from carpet to LVT, the noise and disruption level in a workspace may have a negative effect. If there are other soft surfaces in the space- ceiling tiles, fabric furniture, drapery, etc., the change to a hard surface may not be much of a change at all.

3) Moisture
Whether moisture is spilled from the top or hiding in the subfloor, moisture can be a problem for LVT/ LVP. Traditional roll carpet is a breathable surface, allowing moisture to move through the material to evaporate; however, LVT/ LVP can trap moisture between the subfloor and the product, which can mean big problems. Care should be used in selecting an LVT/ LVP for kitchens, water filling stations, or other locations that have a lot of moisture and/or spill potential. Moisture that sits too long on the surface of the flooring can seep between seams and get trapped under the flooring. This can lead to adhesive and/or flooring failure. Subfloors, both wood and concrete, should also be tested prior to replacement for moisture levels  to determine if moisture is present. Natural springs, poor drainage, missing vapor barriers, and other factors can cause moisture to reside in subfloors. Checking the moisture levels in the subfloor can prevent future issues with the LVT/ LVP floors. ​