L.A. Train of Swiff-Train Has Died

Houston, TX, June 4, 2026—Lee Allan “L.A.” Train, 86, longtime president of Swiff-Train Company, died June 3.

L.A. joined the family business in June 1962, the same year he graduated from Tulane University. The company had been founded in 1937 by his father, Herbert Train, and his grandfather, Joseph Swiff. L.A. worked alongside his father and his brothers, Kenny and Jeff. As the years progressed, more family members joined the business: L.A.’s wife Rona in 1983 and several from the next generation including Richard, Jonathan and Jason.

Under the three brothers’ leadership, Swiff-Train grew from a regional South Texas distributor into a national and international company that was, at various points, a distributor, importer, and brand owner. The company was an early pioneer in luxury vinyl tile, launching its LVT program with Winton Tile in 1982. The company later established the EarthWerks brand, which carried its name into 54 countries, and was doing private-label business years before others in the industry made it standard practice. At its height, Swiff-Train employed more than 200 people before the family sold the company in 2014.

L.A. served on the board of the North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors, part of a three-generation family tradition of NAFCD board service that began with his father, Herbert, and continued with his son Jonathan. Together with his brothers, Kenny and Jeff, L.A. received the NAFCD Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 2023, at the age of 82, L.A. and his grandson Jake Train founded Train Industries, bringing a fifth generation of the family into the business.