WFCA to Add CFI

The World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) will add the International Certified Floorcovering Installers Association (CFI) under the WFCA umbrella and provide the infusion of capital necessary to continue and expand CFI’s installation training and certification programs, according to Scott Humphrey, WFCA's CEO.

“At the WFCA, our main purpose is to ensure the success and profitability of the specialty flooring dealer,” said Humphrey. “We recognize that it is our duty to identify and improve areas of our industry that touch the retailer and one vital way to do this is to ensure the future of professional installation."

WFCA and CFI are longtime partners with a relationship extending back more than two decades. According to Humphrey, WFCA has helped spread awareness of CFI's training programs and has funded hundreds of installation classes and workshops across the country.

“Where would we be without CFI and all of the blood, sweat and tears that the CFI leadership team and its members put into this vital field?" Humphrey asked. "For decades, we as an industry have stood on the sidelines and watched all of the professionals at CFI work their magic. I can’t begin to articulate my excitement about what we have in store with our new venture together with Robert Varden and his CFI team.”

Humphrey said that the CFI name will be retained and used for the expanded programs. Varden, who recently agreed to act as the CEO of CFI, will take on the role of vice president of the CFI division, which will oversee the existing and expanded certification training programs.

“CFI was built on a solid foundation and through our new association with WFCA, we are now equipped to maximize our background and expertise and truly reach our potential while we work towards a solution to the installation issue faced by everyone in our industry,” said Varden.

To accommodate its growing divisions, WFCA opened an office and training facility in Lenexa, Kan., that will house staff from both organizations. In addition to the Lenexa facility, CFI will be opening a brand new 10,000 square-foot installation training facility in Dallas, that will be able to accommodate workshops and classes for all types and levels of installation training and certification.

In addition to expanding breadth and reach of training courses, which will also include classes for sales professionals, CFI will enhance focus on recruitment efforts from a number of sources, according to Varden.

"We are tapping into targeted demographic groups such as veterans and high school vocational groups who we feel would be great candidates for this field," he said.

For more information, visit wfca.org and cfiinstallers.com.

KEYWORDS: flooring industry news