Armstrong held a five-day national installation conference at company headquarters in Lancaster, Pa. in November. The conference featured meetings and hands-on workshops covering product information, installation tips, maintenance methods, and technical data. Nearly 50 distributor-trainers and certified installers from the independent retailer market attended the event. The conference was part of the Armstrong Certified Installation Program (A.C.I.P.) that was introduced in May 2001. Through the program, certified Armstrong installers can receive up to $1,000 in material cost for Armstrong-branded residential flooring, laminates and installation products to correct workmanship error. The company will also pay its certified installers $125 not to install defective material. Currently, Armstrong is working with the Floor Covering Installation Contractors Association (FCICA) to create a new resilient training program in 2002.