Tuesday, September 19, 2023
8:00 - 5:00 PM
ICRI Optional Course: ICRI Concrete Slab Moisture Testing Certification*
* Separate Registration through ICRI.org
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
8:00 - 5:00 PM
ICRI Optional Course: ICRI Concrete Slab Moisture Testing Certification
2:00 - 4:00 PM - Wekiwa 3/4
Optional Education Session: Hand Sewing Seminar, Session produced by CFI
Presented by Tom Budetti, President, Tom Budetti Consulting, LLC
The Hand Sewing session will take the mystery out of hand sewing and demonstrate basic hand sewing skills. We will review different methods and approaches to hand sewing, tools, needles, and 5 stitches. Each attendee will receive hands on instruction to make a hand sewn seam.
Tom Budetti has been a floor covering professional for over 40 years with experience in installation, inspection, product, sales and warehousing. He has extensive product knowledge in woven wilton, velvet, axminster, hand-tufted, hand-loomed, hand-knotted, flat woven, natural fiber and machine-tufted carpet. He is the former President and founder of Carpet Fabrications International. Tom launched The Meticulous Fit Hand Sewing and Woven Carpet Two-Day Comprehensive Course and went on to train hundreds of installers in the masterful art of hand sewing. He is a CFI Certified Master Installer.
Thursday, September 21, 2023
7:30 – 8:30 AM
Welcome and Opening Keynote Session
Presented by Thomas Trissl, Principal, Schönox HPS North America, LLC
Thomas Trissl began his flooring career as a young man cutting tile in his father’s installation business in Germany. Upon immigrating to the US, he put his background in the flooring industry to work. He purchased a manufacturing facility in Florence, AL, where he founded Centiva. Thomas then began designing and manufacturing LVT flooring. After 17 years of building a successful company and brand, he sold Centiva to Tarkett. Thereafter, Thomas founded TMT America, a business development and consulting firm. Its first venture was Schönox HPS North America, a subfloor solutions provider, distinguished by its positive impacts on all flooring projects regardless of the subfloor challenges. More recently, Thomas founded Küberit USA, bringing a much needed and broader array of flooring profiles to market. TMT America is active each day, continuing development of new ventures and encouraging entrepreneurial spirit in the US.
10:00 - 11:00 AM - Wekiwa 1/2
Education Session: LVP Herringbone and Trims by Mohawk
Presented by Sandon Carson, Technical Field Service Manager II, Performance Accessories/Mohawk - Session produced by CFI
This session will cover Mohawk’s patented Uni-Zip locking system which allows for the installation of their LVT in a Herringbone pattern. Learn how these LVT trims work with all of Mohawk's LVT systems.
Presenter, Sandon Carson, is a certified CFI trainer, certified in claims, and has over 25 years in the flooring industry. He travels over 30 weeks a year working with vendors and installers helping to educate those in the flooring industry. As the world's largest flooring company, Mohawk is proud to offer high-quality flooring options in 30+ categories. The Mohawk family of brands provides an extensive selection of world-class products from some of the most trusted names in flooring - Mohawk Pergo and Karastan.
10:00 - 11:00 AM - Wekiwa 3/4
Education Session: Floor Maintenance at Installation and Beyond, Session produced by FCICA
Presented by Eric Boender, Vice President, Business Development, Starnet Worldwide
A true flooring pro is knowledgeable in product, installation and maintenance. Expand your value to your clients and organization through floor maintenance knowledge. Learn the do’s and don’ts of initial maintenance to reduce your risk. Also, gain an understanding of the simple maintenance strategies for each flooring type so your clients will experience long-term value and satisfaction.
Eric Boender has over 30 years in the commercial flooring industry - 20 years on the contractor side and 10 years with Starnet Worldwide. Having started in 1993, he has cleaned and maintained millions of square feet of commercial flooring. In his current role as Vice President of Business Development, he leads the Starnet Floor Care network and is IICRC CCMT (Commercial Carpet) and RFMT (Resilient Flooring) maintenance certified. Starnet Worldwide is a commercial flooring cooperative made up of commercial flooring contractors and manufacturers sharing best practices and growth initiatives. Established in 1992, the Starnet network has 396 locations across North America with over 4 billion in annual sales.
10:00 - 11:00 AM - Wekiwa 8
How to Take Care of Yourself & Your Tribe
Hosted by Women in the Floorcovering Industry
Join WIFI (Women in the Floorcovering Industry) for this interactive session. We will network and participate in tabletop discussions designed to help you elevate your self-care game, explore leadership situations unique to women and be purposeful about growing your tribe. Separate free registration required, click here to register. Visit https://www.womeninflooring.org/ to learn more about WIFI.
1:00 - 2:00 PM - Wekiwa 1/2
Education Session: Carpet Pattern Matching, Session produced by CFI
Presented by Paul Carrell, Shaw Industries, Jerry Miller, Miller Flooring Consultants, Doyle Slaughter, Tarkett/Lexmark Carpet, Bruce Gentry, Mohawk Commercial and Scott Faulknor, Southern Home Flooring Specialties
In this session, the presenters - some of the industry's most recognized professionals - will share their combined knowledge, demonstrate and discuss pattern recognition and correction.
Paul Carrell has been in the flooring industry for 39 years, installing carpet since 1976. His current position is Field Technical Representative with Shaw Industries where he has worked for 27 years.
Scott Faulknor is the President of Southern Home Flooring Specialties, Inc. which has been in business for 35 years. He is experienced in all types of floor covering having worked as a contractor. Scott is a certified master installer with CFI and holds inspection certifications with IICRC and FCITS; he also presides as Technician Director of MBS (Magnetic Building Solutions). Scott is working with CFI on the advance installation certification that will be used to elevate installers across the USA.
Bruce Gentry comes from a family of flooring installers and has been in the industry for 39 years. He is the Field Service Manager for The Mohawk Group, where he has worked for 28 years.
Jerry Miller, CEO, Miller’s Flooring Consultants, Inc. has been in the flooring industry since 1969 working in installation, inspection, problem solving and training. He has extensive knowledge in woven and natural fiber flooring from his years in installation and as the Technical Director for Myers Flooring. He is a CFI Master II, Senior Certifier, Trainer, Past Certification Committee Chairman has served on the CFI Board of Directors. For the last 20 years he has been the trouble shooter for the major mills specializing in job stops, job starts, training, certification and inspecting.
Doyle Slaughter, the Quality and Field Service Manager for Tarkett, is a flooring industry veteran, with over 50 years in the industry. Doyle has worked in all capacities: quality control, material repair, customer service, retail operations management, manufacturer sales representative and commercial installation. Prior to his current position, he was with Mohawk for 20 years in Claims to Field Services. He has been actively involved with CFI for over 30 years assisting with training and certifications.
1:00 - 2:00 PM - Wekiwa 3/4
Education Session: Modular Vinyl Flooring, A Different Perspective, Session produced by FCICA
Presented by Kevin Philips, Director of Technical Services, Novalis Innovative Flooring
This session will cover the many technical aspects of vinyl flooring and explain why having attic stock available and proper documentation will help protect flooring contractors from the finger pointing blame game. Learn how the ASTM flooring specifications are designed to confirm the compliance or failure of flooring products. And most importantly, what happens when the flooring has failed expectations, meets specification, and the flooring contractor has proper documentation showing instructions were followed – do not miss this one!
Kevin Phillips is the Director of Technical Services for Novalis Innovative Flooring, one of the largest manufactures of vinyl floor coverings in the world. Kevin represents Novalis at many industry associations including ASTM, RFCI, MFA, NAFCT and FCICA. Kevin is a “Master-Fitter” of four flooring categories and was the only person to win every installation category at the UK “Floor Covering Fitter of the Year” competition in 2000. An international specialist in luxury vinyl flooring for more than 30 years, Novalis Innovative Flooring designs flooring with style, quality and innovation in mind. Our team of talented designers take cues from nature, architectural trends, high-fashion textiles and runways around the world to bring customers the most beautiful, versatile flooring in the industry
Friday, September 22, 2023
8:00 - 8:45 AM
Closing Keynote - 'Elevate Yourself to Elevate Performance'- Presented by Pete Larmore, President and CEO, Bonitz, Inc.
Closing Keynote Sponsored by Schönox HPS North America, LLC
It was at VA Tech University, from which Pete Larmore graduated with a business degree, where he accidentally found his passion for the flooring industry. Today, Pete has over 38 years of experience in the commercial flooring industry - two of which were spent with Milliken & Company in their commercial carpet tile division as an assistant to Roger Milliken’s assistant and later a sales rep in Charlotte NC. In 1986, Pete joined Bonitz Flooring Group, a division of Bonitz Inc. He has worked his way up from salesperson to Managing Partner, then in 2017, to his current position as President/CEO of the Bonitz, Inc. where he is responsible for Bonitz Inc. and its entities.
8:45 - 9:30 AM
Industry Panel Discussion: Building on Common Ground
Moderated by Beth Miller, BNP Media; Panelists: Pete Larmore, President and CEO, Bonitz, Inc., Alicia Ariza, Director Commercial CX & Dealer Channel, Shaw Industries; D Clark, VP-Corporate Ambassador/Technical Contact, Fishman Flooring Solutions; Daniel Gonzalez, Partner, Preferred Flooring MI LLC,; Don Jewell, Head of Technical, Loba-Wakol; Wilmer Pressel, Labor Services Manager, Inside Edge Commercial Interior Services; Scott Terryberry, Owner, Terryberry Floor Service
This moderated panel of industry professionals will discuss how each of the different industry representatives - the contractor, distributor/retailer, installer and manufacturer - work together, communicate, build trust and share their best practices to resolve challenges amongst the different parties within the flooring community.
10:45 - 11:45 AM - Wekiwa 1/2
Educational Session: Contract Clauses That Can Bite You, Session produced by CFI
Presented by Jeffrey King, General Counsel, WFCA, Jones Walker LLP
Whether contracting directly with the customer, working as a subcontractor, or contracting with a retailer, it is important to understand the terms in your contracts and what terms you may need to add. There are many forms a contract can take. Some companies use a standardized form, such as the American Institute of Architects (AIA) or ConsensuDOC forms, while others have their own custom versions. Whatever form is used, there are contract clauses that can limit your rights and others that protect you. In this session you'll learn what clauses are needed and those that need to be modified to protect yourself.
Jeffrey King has over 45 years of experience advising on and litigating complex lawsuits with a focus on construction, contracts, employment, antitrust and intellectual property. He regularly advises clients on employment, contract, construction, corporate, and antitrust issues. He serves as general counsel for the WFCA and other trade associations where his duties include overseeing the legislative and regulatory programs.
10:45 - 11:45 AM - Wekiwa 9/10
Education Session: Planning the Flooring Job for Success, Module 1 of the CIM Program, Session produced by FCICA
Presented by Mike Kelly, CIM, Account Manager, Synergy Flooring
In this session, attendees will learn key factors and best practices for planning a flooring installation project. Topics will include construction plans and scope of work, job estimates, project scheduling, jobsite communication and project closeout.
Mike Kelly, CIM with Synergy Flooring has over 20 years of experience in the construction industry, holding senior management positions in finance, operations, project management, and sales. Synergy Flooring is a commercial flooring installation company with national coverage that provides a complete line of services to project manage and install every type of commercial flooring. As a FCICA Certified Installation Manager (CIM) for over 7 years, Mike enjoys working across all disciplines of the flooring installation process.
2:00 - 3:00 PM - Wekiwa 1/2
Educational Session: Rollout Moisture Barriers, Session produced by CFI
Presented by Michael Lassetter, Vice President of Sales, Eastern Region and Curtis Colegrove, Technical Representative, TRAXX Corporation
A properly installed moisture barrier keeps excessive moisture from damaging the floor covering but this is often an afterthought. Without one, the floor covering is susceptible to alkaline staining, curling, cracking, and discoloration. The TRAXX team will demonstrate how to save time and money installing a quick and inexpensive roll-out moisture product that protects the flooring and adhesive up to 100% RH using KOVARA® / VAPORSHIELD™ AB 300.
Michael Lassetter has worked in the flooring industry for 42 years having worked in both installation and for two major flooring manufacturers. His current position is Vice President of Sales, Eastern Region with Traxx Corporation. Michael is CFI certified #3411. Curtis Colegrove spent 20 years on the installation side, primarily with soft goods and another nine years in sales, project management and performing take-offs. He has worked in technical support for seven years, first with GCP and now TRAXX Corporation. In this role as TRAXX Technical Representative, he educates the flooring professional in subfloor substrate inspection, resilient flooring inspection and ICRI Moisture Testing Technician Grade 1.
2:00 - 3:00 PM - Wekiwa 9/10
Education Session: HR Onboarding, Policies and Procedures in Flooring, Session produced by FCICA
Presented by Nicole Mendes, HRBP – Learning and Development, Bonitz, Inc.
In this session, attendees will learn the value of and how important a Human Resource (HR) department is in the flooring industry. Nicole will review the different phases of onboarding, the importance of a successful onboarding program for new hires to increase retention rate and decrease turn over, the relationship between HR and the contracting world, and policies and procedures put into place to acclimate new hires to the business.
Nicole Mendes has over 20 years’ experience in office management, creating policies, implementing new systems, and managing the employee lifecycle. The last 10 years of her career has been specifically in the construction industry. As the Human Resource Business Partner in Learning and Development at Bonitz, Inc, Nicole has created, established and executed strategies to establish a standardized onboarding program. She champions the company’s initiatives to ensure the successful, effective, and efficient delivery of internal training programs.
3:15 - 5:15 PM - Wekiwa 2
Educational Session: Commercial Resilient Seaming, Session produced by CFI
Presented by Richard Schmidt, Technical Services Advisor, Tarkett
This workshop will be a demonstration of the seaming techniques used in commercial resilient sheet products. Along with proper techniques, there will be a discussion of the most common mistakes made when constructing and sealing a seam and how to avoid them.
Richard Schmidt began his installation career in 1976 and has worked as an installer, residential retailer and commercial contractor. He previously held the Technical Manager position with Armstrong and Johnsonite/Tarkett. Richard is CFI certified (1994) and has been a proud member for the last 29 years. He is a certified Master II and one of the original Senior Certifiers.
Golf Tournament - 7:00 AM Wednesday, September 20
