The inaugural meeting of the new Floor Covering Leadership Council, a new incarnation of the Floor Covering Industry Issues Council, took place on July 29,
Comprised of 15 trade associations, including the National Wood Flooring Association, the FCLC's goal is to "address and improve some of the most pressing issues and problems faced by members of the flooring industry," according to a statement from the FCLC.
The issues identified by the seven of 15 associations present at the July 29 meeting in Orlando, Fla., are: access to training, the looming shortage of flooring installers and the need for improved coordination between the several trade organizations that exist within the industry.
The associations deemed access to efficient and affordable training to be the most important topic for industry members. While the training schools current offering education to flooring professionals offer a vast number of programs, FCLC organizers decided that the industry could use a centrally organized online portal to bring all the programs together that provided users with information about courses in their areas of interest and geographic locations.
Second among the concerns was flooring installation and its future. The upturn in the United States' economy has not brought back the professionals who left the installation industry during the recession. Members of the FCLC voted to start work on a campaign to showcase and promote the benefits of being an installer.
The third consideration was establishing cooperation between associations in the industry. Participants in "associations dedicated to this industry recognize that they represent more power and influence together than each on its own."
The fifteen organizations that have expressed a Council membership commitment include Wood Floor Covering Association, NWFA, National Institute of Certified Floorcovering Inspectors (NICFI), Marble Institute of America (MIA), Ceramic Tile Distributor Association (CTDA), Carpet Cushion Council (CCC), Resilient Floor Covering Institute (RFCI), Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI), National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA), Flooring Covering Installation Contractors Association (FCICA), Certified Flooring Installer (CFI), Floor Installation Association of North America (FIANA), National Association of Floor Covering Distributors (NAFCD), North American Laminate Floor Association (NALFA) and American Flooring Association (AFA.)
The three areas of concern identified by the FCLC will be spearheaded by Jim Heib, CEO of MIA; Robert Varden, CFI chairman; and Kim Oderkick, executive vice president of the FCICA; respectively.
The group plans to meet two times per year. The next meeting will take place in Miami, Fla., during the International Surfaces Event on Oct. 19. Flooring associations are welcome to join. For more information, call or email Scott Humphrey, (800) 624-6880 or [email protected].
