Glen Duke, Owner of RipTide Unlimited, Inc., started working as a chemical manufacturer sales representative in the industry more than 40 years ago. He began specializing in floor care and coatings, and then transitioned into concrete and wood flooring. In September 1997, Duke opened RipTide Unlimited, Inc., a complete gym floor restoration, refinishing, and installation company with customers across Florida and into Georgia. Jason Duke, President and Co-Owner, also joined RipTide over 10 years ago. They work with multiple colleges, municipalities, YMCAs, school districts, fitness centers, and health clubs. Three years ago, they were introduced to Buckeye Reflections wood floor coatings. After testing Arena™ 300 and Larry’s Super 40, they have become two of their favorite products to use.

The Duke’s were interested in water-based wood floor coatings, and testing was completed at several college gymnasiums using Arena 300. They noticed that Arena 300 covered significantly more square footage than the competitive products they used. Arena 300 has proven to be a great fit for the 24-hour fitness centers as a result of its low VOCs and low odor. They are able to apply Arena 300 without disturbing gym members. The staff also commented on how much easier Arena 300 is to apply.

More recently, they tested Larry’s Super 40 oil-based wood floor coating. After trying numerous oil-based coatings, the Duke’s found Larry’s Super 40 to have all the attributes they were looking for: ease of application, gloss and durability. They were impressed with the results of the testing, and made the switch.

In addition to their success with Reflections wood floor coatings, the Duke’s also appreciate their partnership with Buckeye. Glen says, “I like partnering with a company that can provide hands-on assistance and help bring new business opportunities as well. We have not received that level of support from other companies we have worked with.”

Introducing the Buckeye Reflections Wood Floor Program Training DVD (also available for viewing on the Buckeye Reflections website - see Buckeye representative for details)! The steps and information included in this DVD cover everything you need to achieve shiny wood floors:

• Assessment and Planning
• Preparation Procedures
• Wet Cleaning and Abrading
• Oil and Water-Based Wood Floor Coating Application
• Wood Floor Precautions
• Maintenance Procedures
• English and Spanish versions on one DVD

The Buckeye Reflections Wood Floor Program Training DVD is easy to follow and will extend the life of your floors! Find out how easy it is to coat your own wood floors! Contact your Buckeye sales representative for more information about Buckeye Reflections at 800-323-2825.

St. Isidore's Church and Shadd Janitorial are both located in Yuba City, CA. In February 2009, St. Isidore's Church allowed Shadd Janitorial and Buckeye to host a gym floor seminar on April 6, 2009. St. Isidore's Church was excited to host a seminar because their five year old gym floor was looking older than it should be (even though it had been recoated the previous year). The gym floor is host to many events including weddings, school basketball games, dinner parties, etc...

Once the date was set for the seminar, the gym floor had to wait another two months to be screened and recoated. The coach of the basketball team wanted something done to the floor sooner because the current condition of the floor was causing slipping, and at times, injuries. To hold the church and the coach over until the seminar, they were given Buckeye's Floortonic™ Burnishing Liquid. The coach gave great reviews about Floortonic because it was able to restore the gym floor's traction all while cleaning the gym floor.

St. Isidore's Church was able to get the shine, durability, and traction it was looking for with Arena 300. After seeing and hearing about the Reflection's products and program, three local school districts jumped onboard with Arena 300. One of the local school districts that came onboard with Reflections has been using a competitor's product for many years and was never completely satisfied. After seeing Arena 300 in action and hearing about Reflection's nationwide success stories, the school district is excited to finally get that gym floor looking they way they've always wanted it to look. (Before and After pics below)

Aiea High School, located in Aiea, HI, has a gym floor that is approximately 5,500 square feet. Mike Chung of Triple F met with Blake Moritsugu, Aiea High School’s Athletic Director, and set up a Buckeye Reflections^® wood floor seminar. The seminar was held in March 2009 and, since its completion, several additional contractors and customers have become interested in the Reflections line and more sales have been made.

Aiea High Schools’ gym floor had become dull, so Moritsugu purchased Arena^™ 300 and Screen Clean^™ for the seminar. He immediately noticed that Arena 300 did not have a harsh odor while it was being applied with school still in session. Moritsugu was very pleased with Arena 300’s high gloss, and was pleasantly surprised when he was able to start using the gym floor again sooner than he expected.

One of Hawaii’s largest contractors was also present at the Reflections wood floor seminar, and they were equally impressed with the results. Now they are also using products from the Reflections line at many of their own accounts.

The Mid-Del School District has 3 high schools: Midwest City High School, Del City High School and Carl Albert High School. All 3 gyms have been refinished in-house for several years, using an oil base product that left the floors yellow and dirty looking. John Chastain, sales representative from Classic Paper Supply in Oklahoma City, scheduled a gym floor demo to show Buckeye's Arena 300. Ron Stearns, Director of Facility Services, was especially interested in a water base gym finish that would stay clear and not give off such high VOC levels. After applying 3 coats of Arena 300 at Carl Albert Middle School, Stearns was sold. The gym had a brighter, cleaner, glossier appearance than they had seen in previous years. The pride that Carl Albert Middle School principal, Joyce Honey, and her staff have in their gym could not be more obvious. According to Honey, this is the best her gym floor has ever looked.

The Altoona/ Johnstown, Pennsylvania diocese schools consist of three Catholic high schools:  Bishop McCort, Bishop Guilfoyle and Bishop Carroll.  Prior to this year, all three schools outsourced their wood floor coating, paying for both product and labor.  Using Coliseum 350 and Buckeye Reflection's simple, cost effective preparation program the schools took their wood floor coating back in-house.  This not only saved them significantly in labor, but it saved them over $1,000 strictly in product.  The three schools used 55 gallons less of Coliseum 350 than they did their previous product.