Coronavirus Hands Wood Flooring Industry a Double Whammy

One sector of the construction-related economy that is feeling particularly squeezed by the coronavirus is the wood flooring industry. Wood Flooring Business reports that the shutdown of manufacturing in China, where the coronavirus originated, has had a tsunami effect at all levels of the industry, from contractors with customers suddenly nervous about the economy to manufacturers, importers, and distributors. Many wood flooring distributors depend on imports from China; for example, Lumber Liquidators, which sources nearly half its products from Asia, warned that the coronavirus could disrupt its supply chain and is predicting a material impact beginning in the second quarter of 2020 should the virus continue causing shutdowns of factories and borders. And in a WFB poll asking whether wood flooring pros had clients postpone projects due to the coronavirus pandemic, 45% of pros responded yes, while 55% said that they hadn’t had cancellations.