Tracing all the way back to the 1890s, women have played an integral role in the formation, perpetuation and elevation of all aspects of the flooring industry. Catherine Evans, a pioneer in the tufting and carpet industries, innovated a technique behind her tufted bedspreads that lead to the eventual production of tufted rugs and broadloom carpet. Shirley Lorberbaum, a leader in the Dalton, Georgia, community, was an activist, philanthropist and co-founder of Aladdin Mills—which after merging with Mohawk and Karastan in 1994 became the second largest carpet mill in the U.S. Women in front and behind the scenes have contributed to the floorcovering industry as we know it today.
It is with that deep-rooted sense of history and purpose that the Women in the Floorcovering Industry (WIFI) organization has been inspired and formed, in hopes of providing resources and relationships that will support and combine the talents of the industry’s women, and beyond.