The World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) is breaking down long-standing industry silos through strategic partnerships and acquisitions, marking a significant shift in how floor covering installation training is delivered across the United States.

At The International Surface Event (TISE), Scott Humphrey, president and CEO of the World Floorcovering Association and Sam O'Krent, current board chairman of  WFCA and CEO of O'Krent Floors in San Antonio, Texas, sat down with Tanja Kern, associate publisher and editorial director of Floor Trends & Installation and the FloorTalk podcast, to discuss the organization's priorities for 2025. 

Below are highlights of the conversation. Listen to the conversation here.  

In a landmark development, WFCA has signed an agreement with the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF) that allows WFCA's CFI division to provide entry-level ceramic tile training.

"CFI will now be allowed to do their entry-level training for ceramic," Humphrey said. "It will be CTEF's program and curriculum. We will do the training and we'll give them a royalty for every person that's trained."

This partnership represents a significant break from the industry's traditionally territorial approach to training among industry associations. "NWFA doesn't want us doing any wood training. CTEF doesn't want us doing any ceramic training. Those silos were pretty solid until yesterday," Humphrey noted, suggesting this agreement could serve as a model for future collaborations.

The need for expanded training is critical, with Humphrey revealing a startling statistic: "Only 2% of all inspectors go through formal training." This shortage of properly trained professionals has led WFCA to pursue strategic acquisitions, including NFIC and Floor Covering Installation Training Services (FCITS).

The Floor Covering Education Foundation (FCEF) was established to assist the floor covering industry in several ways depending on the current needs of the industry. Its three primary areas of focus are recruitment, scholarships and placement. Under new FCEF Executive Director Kay Whitener's leadership, the organization is aggressively expanding its trade school presence. "We have it in 26 different locations now, in 11 states," Humphrey said, adding that plans are in place to reach "a hundred different locations in five years."

Founding FCEF partners have stepped up to support the FCEF's initiatives with large ongoing donations, including Engineered Floors, Mohawk, Shaw and the World Floor Covering Association. Companies such as Cali, International Flooring Company, and Midwest, a wholesale building products distributor, are committed to giving through an innovative funding mechanism: a penny-per-square-foot program that simplifies giving. 

WFCA Board Chairman Sam O'Krent emphasizes the urgency of industry support, particularly from retailers, and the penny-per-square-foot program is a painless way for retailers to give. 

"If you asked them to write a $2,000 check, they're not going to do it," O'Krent explained. "This way, it's part of my cost, and I build in my selling price based off of my cost. Eventually, the consumer ends up paying for it, but it's a no-brainer."

The organization is also actively addressing workforce challenges through legislative advocacy. With an estimated 50% of new installers in the past five years working without legal status, WFCA is promoting innovative solutions, including a dual citizenship approach that would allow workers to "pay their social security... pay their taxes and then train them in a skillset so that if they do choose to go back, they benefit their country."

The initiatives reflect WFCA's comprehensive approach to industry challenges. "We're not trying to replace anyone in their expertise. What we're trying to do is get more people into the trade," Humphrey emphasized, highlighting the organization's focus on long-term industry sustainability.

As the industry faces ongoing installation and workforce challenges, WFCA's multi-pronged strategy—combining training partnerships, education expansion, innovative funding mechanisms, and legislative advocacy—represents a significant step toward ensuring the flooring industry's future workforce needs.

Listen to the entire conversation on the FloorTalk Podcast here.