It was an honor for me to serve as chairman of FCICA. I saw our association continue to establish itself, and cherished the opportunity to work with many of our industry’s most prominent, talented leaders. I know Phil Ashley of Bonitz Flooring Group, Inc., our new chairman, is more than qualified to continue the trends of growth that have been established.

The FCICA is the place to be for those who take ownership of the installation process. I have said on many occasions that even the best installers can have a bad day, but it is up to the business owner who hires the installer to stand behind his or her work, and make sure the customer is left satisfied. That is why our industry needs to recognize the “ownership” of the installation process. The FCICA trains those who take ownership to be better and more successful business people.

The FCICA does that through the educational programs offered at its conferences. It does it through its FIT Program, which facilitates in-house training. It does it through services such as TechNet, offering technical solutions simply by placing a phone call or sending an e-mail. It does it by sponsoring the most comprehensive business certification program in the industry today, the FCIB Certification.

These are just a sampling of the benefits offered by the FCICA. Perhaps, however, the single most important benefit is not included in a program. Perhaps it is the opportunity to network with, and be part of an organization containing, the most successful professional installation contractors in the country today.

As I always like to say, “There may be installation problems in the industry, but there are no installation problems in the FCICA.”