FCICA, the Flooring Contractors Association, recently celebrated 35 years of promoting and representing the commercial floor covering industry during its annual convention, The Age of Flooring, in San Antonio, Texas.
The 2017 Convention 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.
Committee meetings were held on Sunday, March 5, 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, a contractors-only breakfast, a successors-only breakfast (for attendees 40 and under) and associate member luncheon were held to further discussions and offer time to network with peers during Convention.
“FCICA’s members are very passionate about the direction they want to see the association take and many actionable ideas were shared. The FCICA staff looks forward to collaborating with members to bring these ideas to realization,” said Kim Oderkirk, Executive Vice President.
On Monday, March 6, Fred Acton, President of Acton Flooring, Inc., spoke about the history of the Flooring Contractors Assocation and shared memories during the photo slideshow at opening session. The Business Meeting followed this presention. Certified Installation Managers that recently completed the program were recognized along with several board members with terms ending at the end of the 2016-2017 membership year.
New this year, FCICA hosted product demonstrations during and after the popular Commercial Flooring Trade Show. Product demonstators included ARDEX Americas, HPS Schönox, KOSTER American Corporation, and Protect-All Flooring, who also donated the material to protect the demonstration area. The Commercial Flooring Trade Show hosted 46 exhibitors, and attendees had ample time to connect with technical representatives and learn about new solutions.
During the four day event, FCICA offered five (5) engaging educational sessions. Topics included: LEED v4 – How It Affects the Commercial Flooring Professional, presented by Cris Bierschank of MAPEI Americas; The Independent Contractor, presented by Sloan Bailey of Flynn Riley Bailey & Pasek LLP; Sound Control Systems, presented by Larry Lyons of Amorim Cork Composites; Floor Prep – Why It’s That Important, presented by Seth Pevarnik of ARDEX Americas; and Ask the Lawyer, conducted by Sloan Bailey. Attendees to the sessions received continued educational credits which can be applied to the Certified Installation Manager Program.
The Flooring Contractors Association’s next event is the Mid-Year Meeting in Columbus, Ohio, October 9 – 12, 2017. Attendees will have the opportunity to tour the Nox and ROPPE manufacturing plants. FCICA will also host a lineup of great educational sessions. For more information, visit https://www.fcica.com/mid-year-meeting.