CARE's 2014 Person of the Year, Fred Williamson, is a member of CARE's board, and currently serves as vice president of operations for Starnet Worldwide Commercial Flooring Partnership.

Williamson boasts more than 40 years of experience in the commercial flooring business, including 13 years in sales management representing carpet manufacturers, 17 years as a commercial flooring contractor, seven years with DuPont and eight years with Starnet.

"Fred brings the discipline and dedication of a great Marine to everything he does," said Brendan McSheehy, CARE's chairman. "He serves quietly and efficiently those organizations in which he chooses to invest his time and talent, and CARE is a better organization today as a result."

Tandus Centiva, a division of Tarkett, has been named CARE's 2014 Recycler of the Year. A CARE partner, Tandus Centiva employs the industry's first closed-loop recycling program through its Dalton-based environmental center.

The program, called ReStart, is designed to reclaim and recycle postconsumer flooring, installation waste, product samples and portfolios. To date, Tandus Centiva has reclaimed and recycled more than 268 million pounds of carpet, luxury vinyl tile (LVT) and waste, according to the company.

"As an organization, CARE has been able to propel carpet recycling initiatives forward because of the work of individuals and companies like Fred Williamson and Tandus Centiva," said Bob Peoples, executive director of CARE. "This year's winners have helped us approach historical challenges with tangible solutions for our industry." 

For more information, visit carpetrecovery.org.