Dalton, Ga. -- The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) hosted industry and community leaders at the 2019 CRI Annual Membership Meeting to present the Joseph J. Smrekar Memorial Award to Russ Delozier along with new board members for 2020 for the carpet industry’s trade association.

“From everyone at CRI, we are grateful for Russ’s dedication and the expertise he brings as a volunteer,” said Joe Yarbrough, CRI president. “His participation is vital to many key committees and has been invaluable to CRI in support of the carpet industry.”

The Joseph J. Smrekar Memorial Award was established by Milliken & Company in 1998 to honor the late Dr. Joe Smrekar who volunteered on many CRI committees. Dr. Smrekar set the standard for service to The Carpet and Rug Institute and the carpet industry. CRI staff members choose the recipient of the annual award. Philip Ivey of Milliken & Company made the presentation of this year’s award.

The annual event also allows the trade association to inform the public on CRI and industry activities. Joe Yarbrough spoke on a number of updates in his report to the crowd, including the recently refreshed NSF/ANSI 140, CRI’s new carpet maintenance guidelines, and ongoing work in California.

“CRI had a productive 2019 on a number of fronts and we are looking forward to continuing that trend into the new decade,” Yarbrough said.

For more information, visit carpet-rug.org.