Bostik, Inc., a world leader in specialty adhesives and installation systems for building construction, recognized the growing potential throughout Mexico regarding installation of hardwood flooring. Bostik also recognized that a major, ongoing educational program was needed South of the Border to help wood flooring professionals… become even more professional.

Scott Banda, Bostik’s Director of Marketing and Business Development stated, “We had a very successful event last year in Mexico in tandem with the National Wood Flooring Association. Right after that, we knew if we were to commit to an ongoing program, it would be win-win for all involved.”

Recently, Bostik organized a state-of-the-art training three-day event in Guadalajara. Daniel Sanchez, National Sales Manager of Bostik Mexicana said, “Together with NWFA instructors Lenny Hall and Jon Namba, we had a successful, intensive training session, the first of its kind ever in Guadalajara. A great many of the attendees were from Grupo Tenerife, a major source for hardwood flooring with warehouses and showrooms in 25 cities across Mexico.

“Our Modus Operandi was very simple. Along with our partners from NWFA, we wanted to teach everyone in the room the most up-to-date techniques to install hardwood flooring. And, we encouraged not just installation pros to attend, but sales representatives, as well. After all, the more everyone knows about this category of flooring, the better they can educate their consumers,” commented Eric Kurtz – Market Manager for Bostik’s Hardwood, Resilient & Surface Preparation product categories.

Sanchez mentioned that a good portion of the initial training focused on the importance of measuring moisture within the hardwood material… and, in concrete subfloors. “From there, we got really specific about total floor prep techniques… and after that, ultimately focused on the benefits offered by Ultra Step Single Set2, Bostik’s highest-performing wood flooring adhesive containing the company’s proprietary Axios technology.”

Ultra-Set SingleStep2 is a high-performance adhesive, moisture control, and sound reduction membrane all-in-one. It also maintains the superior long-term durability, moisture control and sound abatement properties of high-end urethane adhesives. Additionally, USSS2 contains recycled rubber material for additional self-leveling… and, it has zero VOC’s.

“I’m proud to state that most of the attendee-participants were women, many of whom being salespeople. Our belief, and theirs, was that in order to best sell the material, one most know it inside and out. 70% of the training was hands-on. We were delighted on how involved everyone was!” continued Sanchez. “Everyone got their hands dirty! The remaining 30% of the sessions consisted of classroom training, with strong engagement taking place between instructors and students.”

Sanchez mentioned that a similar event, but with mostly installation contractors, took place earlier this spring in Mexico City. “During the last 12 months,” concluded Sanchez, “we organized three of these events in Mexico, allowing us to educate nearly 400 installers, sales reps and managers from all over the country about the latest installation techniques and benefits of using Bostik's high-performance, life-lasting solutions for hardwood flooring. Our commitment to education and improvement continues, as next month we will host another new training event in Guadalajara. We know how important this is!”

About Bostik, Inc.
Bostik is a leading global adhesive specialist in industrial, construction and consumer markets. For more than a century, it has been developing innovative adhesive solutions that are smarter and more adaptive to the forces that shape daily lives. From cradle to grave, from home to office, Bostik’s smart adhesives can be found everywhere. With annual sales of €1.6 billion, the company employs 4,900 people and has a presence in more than 50 countries. For the latest information, visit www.bostik.com/us

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