The first time DH and me had hardwood installed in a house we learned of a local guy that was an independent hardwood floor installer. It was actually a friend of my DH's brother. Anyway, we got his phone # and he came over; we showed him the area we wanted to put hardwood in and he made some suggestions. He installed a beautiful hickory floor and maybe 6 or 7 years later he sanded it and refinished the floor for us. He was very reasonable and did a beautiful job. I think if you can find out about a local contractor it's worth it. Just make sure he comes recommended by friends or other contractors.
Good Luck!

I agree with twotogo- if you can find a reputable contractor with good references, use him/her. I have experience with home depot, who contracts out their work and of three floors I had installed (Pergo, tile and carpet), only the tile installer did a good job. I very recently had hardwood installed in my living room by an excellent contractor (he only installs hardwood floor). I found him on the internet (although he is local to my area) through one of the sites that evaluates contractors.