The Floor Covering Contractors Association (FCICA) 2017 Mid-Year meeting brought together some of the brightest and most dedicated individuals in the commercial flooring industry, including contractors, manufacturers, technical representatives, distributors, and consultants to learn, network, and discuss future initiatives for the association.

“We had record attendance at Mid-Year, with passionate leaders encouraging member engagement and the advancement of our association,” said Kim Oderkirk, FCICA executive vice president.

Committee meetings were held on Oct. 6, providing members the opportunity to discuss the state of the association and share ideas to move the association forward. In addition to the committee meetings, the Certified Installation Managers (CIM) and the Successors task force met to further discuss recruitment and engagement methods for those initiatives. Following the day of meetings, many attendees participated in the Taste of Columbus progressive dinner around German Village.

On Wednesday, Oct. 7, attendees were given exclusive tours of the Nox and Roppe manufacturing plants in Fostoria, Ohio. Amy Johnston, CIM with Flooring Services, was grateful for the opportunity to visit the plants. “I learned more about how products are made in those few hours than I had ever known and was amazed by how many processes are done by hand and are not automated.”

The Opening Session preceded four educational sessions on Oct. 8. CIMs that recently completed the program were recognized along with diamond and sapphire club members and the Q3 Bruce Newbrough CIM Scholarship winner, Payam Riazati of Universal Metro.

The Nasty Things on the Surface panel, moderated by Don Styka of Tarkett, featured contractors working with manufacturers to resolve flooring issues. Panelists included Branden Hagen, HPS Schonox; Charlie Nielsen, MAPEI; Patrick Rooney, DCO Commercial Floors; Ric Pleis, Floor Connection; Tony Dominguez, CIM, GCP Applied Technologies; and Wilmer Pressel, CIM, Inside Edge Commercial Interior Services.

Problem Solving with the associates allowed platinum associate members three minutes each to present a product or service solution, followed by some time to network or talk to the presenters. Represented in the session were ARDEX Americas, Artistic Finishes, Capri Cork, Federated Insurance, FlashCove, FLEXCO, Gondola Train, HPS Schonox, KOSTER American, Loba-Wakol, MAPEI, Metroflor, Protect-All Flooring, Roppe, Royal Adhesives and Sealants, Tarkett, and TRAXX.

Rahul Dhavalikar with Roppe Holding discussed becoming sustainable and how it applied to manufacturers as well as contractors, and Wilmer Pressel, CIM, of Inside Edge Commercial Interior Services defined scope of work and explained how to appropriately communicate a scope to the field. The day also included a lunch, outdoor reception, and closing dinner, for additional time for attendees to network and catch up with industry contacts. The Successors enjoyed a private lunch with Pat Kelly of Synergy Flooring guest speaking.

Those who attended the sessions and plant tours received continuing education credits which can be applied to the Certified Installation Manager Program, IICRC, and other organizations that require continuing education.

For more information, visit www.fcica.com.