“Hurry, hurry, step right up! There is a world of wonders waiting just inside the big top.” 

Circus criers are a nostalgic call from our past. It was a time when circuses traveled from city to city creating excitement wherever they appeared. Everyone, young and old, looked forward to the circus coming to town. Few events captured the hearts and imaginations the way a circus could.

Today, traveling road shows are very much a thing of the past. But wouldn’t it be fun to rekindle some of the excitement and spirit of those days? For some people, annual tradeshows and conventions are an opportunity to do just that.

In January in Las Vegas, Surfaces is the place to be. There is so much to see and experience, and the Certified Flooring Installers (CFI) association is a big part of the action. While at Surfaces, stop by the TISE National Installer of the Year Competition. The very best floorcovering installers in the country are putting their skills to the test as they compete for the title of National Champion. 

Take time at the CFI booth to talk to the CFI team about all the programs the industry’s most widely recognized training and certification organization has to offer. Among them are two new Advanced Commercial Carpet and Advanced Commercial Resilient training programs that were just introduced in 2023. 

2023 was a banner year for CFI. The organization more than doubled the number of installation memberships from just over 430 to more than 900. CFI conducted double the number of training and certification events from the previous year and recently teamed with the Floor Covering Installation Contractors Association (FCICA) to host the incredibly successful joint convention in Orlando, Florida on September 20-22. 

The list of CFI’s accomplishments is a lengthy one. But as the circus crier would shout, “You haven’t seen nothing yet!” 

As 2024 unfolds expect to see some very exciting news coming from this group. Discussions are under way to form new relationships with several organizations that will allow CFI to provide installation trainings to a much larger group of installation professionals in the near future. 

Goals for the upcoming year include a reinvestment in CFI’s local chapter organizations, upgrades of both installer membership and associate membership benefit programs, and more joint ventures are in the planning stages with FCICA.

“We are looking very hard at ways to provide more value to all of our members,” said Jen Zurn, CFI project manager. “Soon, we plan to provide discounts on products and services that we think are very meaningful. We have many talented and passionate members in our group, including our associate group, that are ready and eager to participate in elevating our membership benefits.”

Zurn is a recent addition to the CFI staff and will be taking the lead on membership benefits and project management. 

CFI advisory board member, Roland Thompson, in Frederick, Maryland, is chairing the chapter committee. Roland is also long-time president of the CFI Delmarva Chapter. 

“We are very excited to be able to put some renewed effort into revitalizing our chapters,” Roland said. “Our chapters have always provided a local avenue for installers to get involved with the organization and for associate members to talk directly with the men or women installing their products. Offering continuing education has always been the foundation of what chapters do, but just as important is the opportunity to build relationships with other installers in the area. Sharing the installation experience is huge part of what CFI stands for.” 

As in 2023, CFI again expects to dramatically increase the number of new members and to explore even more partnering opportunities.