There is growing recognition that the floor covering industry is at a critical point. It’s true that we have fantastic potential, but there’s a problem. The problem is that we have a shortage of well-schooled people in every area — from retailing, distributing and manufacturing to contracting and installation. This shortage is occurring at a time characterized by a booming economy and a tight labor supply.
The people shortage lies in all areas: sales, marketing, installation, administrative, office — and the beat goes on. We cannot afford to permit this industry to fall short of its capabilities due to a lack of recruiting, training and certification/accreditation for entry-level personnel, industry veterans and everyone in between. We must aggressively address these challenges.