FCICA, the flooring contractors association, held Mid Year 2008, which included 3 great educational sessions on Thursday, October 2, 2008 along with a reception and dinner.

The first educational session was “Business in China” presented by Dave Spreen of David Spreen Enterprises. China’s rapid effect on the US flooring industry caught many in the trade by surprise. From sourcing and installing products made in China to opportunities and pitfalls in dealing directly in the import/export market, this seminar covers what you should know to be successful. Dave Spreen’s photos from exhibitions, mill tours and business trips punctuate insightful knowledge about the Chinese trade.

The next session was “Understanding, Avoiding and Correcting Moisture and Related Floor Problems” presented by Howard Kanare of Construction Technology Laboratories.  Floor moisture continues to be a major cause of installation schedule disruption and callbacks.  Most manufacturers of floor coverings and adhesives have embraced relative humidity using in-situ probes to evaluate the true moisture condition of concrete floors.  Attendees learned about the state-of-the-art instrumentation, test methods, relationship to other moisture tests, and best methods for corrective actions.

The final session of Thursday was presented by Tim Cole of Forbo and was entitled, “The Case for Sustainability – Turning ‘Green’ into Green.”  Making the case for sustainability is evident all around, but how can you implement sustainability efforts in your business environment and assist your customers during their shopping experience for floor covering?  This session elaborated on how embracing sustainable efforts can in fact help you develop a new revenue stream by identifying profitability drivers for your business.  Evaluate how you can increase productivity and the value of your company by increased knowledge for you and your customers.

“All three sessions covered topics that were important to our members,” says Kimberly Oderkirk, FCICA’s Executive Vice President.  On Friday, the members and friends of FCICA gathered for committee meetings and the Board of Directors meeting.  “We had the educational sessions and our business meetings at the new downtown St. Louis Hotel and Casino, HoteLumière,” Ms Oderkirk continued, “a beautiful new venue in a beautiful city!  This just made it a win-win for all.” 

FCICA, headquartered in West Bloomfield, MI, is an international association organized to promote and protect the best interests of floor covering installation contractors. Its mission is to provide its members with continuing education, access to cutting edge technology, and networking opportunities so as to assist them in achieving their business goals.  FCICA currently has members in 36 states, Guam and Bermuda.  For more information about FCICA, please contact the office at (248) 661-5015.