The winners of The International Surface Event (TISE) National Installer of the Year Competition were announced on Friday, January 26, 2024 on the Surfaces Stage. Eight competitors spent two days working on complex work orders in the carpet and LVP categories.

James Ghanim with JRZ Carpet & Flooring in Flemington, New Jersey walked away with the win for the carpet category. He competed in and won the East Coast Regional Competition in Baltimore, Maryland. 

Hasan Basic with D.S. Baxley in Livermore, California took home the win in the LVP category. Basic won the West Coast Regional Competition that took place in Hayward, California. 

Roland Thompson, CFI Chapter Board Chair, provided some insight into how the competitors approached the work orders, "It's really unique to watch because they all have the exact same work order—the four carpet and the four LVPs, but they're going at it different ways. At the end of the day, they'll all be pulling in and looking the same or very close to the same. That's just like in real life. Not every jobsite is the same." 

This year, Informa Markets, the TISE event organizers, awarded winners with gold weight belts. Mohawk Industries gave each winner $2,500. QEP/Roberts provided all competitors with a crate of tools for use during the competition and afterward, each participant received a new Roberts 24-inch Steel Toolbox. 

The International Certified Flooring Installers (CFI) association worked in conjunction with Informa to ensure all four regionals as well as the National Competition had all materials necessary, judges, volunteers for setup and teardown, and coordinated with the event sponsors for another successful TISE National Installer of the Year Competition. 

For more TISE Installation Competition news, click here.