Congrats to your son on a recession-free vocation. People always need floors.
I wish more of our young people were going into the trades. They are very honorable, and you can do just fine financially. My son is going to school to be an automobile and diesel mechanic, and is also training to be a firefighter/ EMT.
Although I do agree with you that trades are great for young people, the flooring industry has suffered during this recession/depression. My husband and I have been in it our whole lives and he has now lost his job and I left mine after 15 years to join a more stable flooring supply company. People are not spending money on floors if they can put it off. I will say, that during the Bush years, we made a lot of money. Thank God we are savers because we would be devistated during these “Obama” years. My son is a Fireman/Emt and it has been a fantastic career choice for him. He loves it. Congrats to your son, sounds like a great young man.
As for tools to stay away from: Roberts Tools, and QEP, all made in China and they break very easy.