MID-YEAR SESSIONS
Welcome + Opening Keynote Session, Tuesday, October 11, 8:30 - 9:30 Sponsored by Diverzify and Synergy Flooring, Ltd.
'Is the Past an Accurate Predictor of the Future?' presented by Randy Weis, Executive Vice President, Diverzify
For many years, commercial flooring contractors could be successful doing just one or two things. Today, the market is different, with different products taking traditional flooring market share. Flooring contractors now must be able to expand what they offer. Customers want to bundle their spend. Learning how to adapt is crucial to your success. What made you great at one time, may no longer be the key to your future.
Randy Weis' career began in logistics for Bristol Myers Squib, then later heading up operations where a successful warehouse automation project prompted a move to corporate staff in the Real Estate, Facilities and Purchasing division. It was in this role where he was introduced to commercial flooring through a flooring improvement project. After this introduction and many years at Bristol Myers Squib, Randy started a floor care company with Milliken Carpet, called MilliCare. Starting in 1990, Randy expanded his commercial carpet care business adding multiple Northeast locations. In 2019 he partnered with Diverzify, becoming its President of Sales and Marketing. Today Randy is the Executive Vice President within the labor self-performing operations division.
Randy will speak from years of experience within the changing commercial flooring landscape – small independent commercial contractors vs. larger flooring companies. He’ll share both his personal professional experience and Diverzify’s successful industry brand expansion through its innovative vision and quality customer service.
Formed largely through the combined assets, operations, and resources of commercial flooring industry leaders, Diverzify is an advanced-model vertically integrated commercial flooring resource to commercial construction and facility management professionals worldwide. The Diverzify enterprise blends traditional craftsmen service quality with advanced proprietary technologies to establish a new standard of service for the commercial flooring industry.
Tuesday, October 11, 9:30 - 10:15 AM
Session 1: Navigating the New Jobsite - Contractor Panel participating panelists Randy Weis, Executive Vice President, Diverzify , James Lockwood, Quality and Productivity Manager, Consolidated Flooring, Elaine Kidd, President and CEO and Cynthia Schofield, Vice President, MEK Interiors and Floors, Inc.; moderated by Amy Johnston, CIM, Flooring Services, Inc.
Navigating the New Jobsite - Moderator lead open discussion forum with contractors who will share first-hand how recent economic, business and current events have effected their businesses, workforce and future.
James Lockwood, Quality and Productivity Manager, Consolidated Flooring - James is a flooring veteran, having been in the flooring industry and with Consolidated Flooring for 36 years. He is a member of the NYC District Council of Carpenters, going on 32 years. James has experience in all aspects of flooring: as an installer, foreman and for the last 8 years, the Quality and Productivity Manger.
Elaine Kidd, President and CEO, M.E.K. Interiors and Floors, Inc. Prior to starting M.E.K. Interiors and Floors, Elaine's career touched on several industries, traveling extensively for the OTC Company, Mattel Toys, PF Publishing and Warner-Lambert. Eager to remain in one place, Elaine started her own business, M.E.K. Interiors and Floors, where she serves as the company president and CEO.
Cynthia Schofield, Vice President, M.E.K. Interiors and Floors, Inc. - Cynthia has had a varied work background in the food industry, restaurant and lawncare businesses. But eventually returned home to the family flooring business where she has been for 25 years and serves as the company Vice President, overseeing administration and field operations. Started in 1974, M.E.K. Interiors and Floors is a family-owned commercial flooring installation company serving the Houston, TX area.
Amy Johnston, CIM, Project Manager, Flooring Services, Inc. Amy has over 30 years of operations experience in the commercial flooring industry. She began as an inventory manager and operations assistant and then as a software analyst and support representative specializing in inventory, purchasing, and work order job packets. Flooring Services, Inc. is a union dealer based in Livonia, MI. Amy is a member of the American Society of Professional Estimators. Amy is proud to be a Certified Installation Manager (CIM) and she currently sits on the CIM, Membership, and Education Committees for FCICA.
Tuesday, October 11, 2:45 - 3:30 PM
Session 2: Modern Installer Tools presented by Corey Dickerson, CIM, Midwest Technical Sales Representative for Wolff Tools, a brand of Uzin Utz
Modern Installer Tools - Tools of the trade are key to a successful installation job. Yet tools for removal, prep and installation are constantly evolving - staying in front of all the new options can be a challenge. This education session will help bridge the knowledge gap. Corey Dickerson will present the new industry tools that check all three boxes of a game changing modern tool: safety first, increases productivity and offers a superior finish product.
Corey Dickerson, CIM, has more than 20 years of experience in the flooring industry and has extensive knowledge of flooring and home building tools. As the Midwest Technical Sales Representative, Corey is responsible for managing sales within the Midwest region.
Based in Aurora, CO, Uzin Utz North America, Inc. is the North American subsidiary of the UZIN UTZ Group. The UZIN UTZ Group, founded in 1911 in Vienna, has grown from a regional adhesive manufacturer to a global provider of flooring systems. Uzin Utz is a vertically integrated manufacturer of product systems designed for the preparation, installation, finishing and care of all types of floorcoverings.
Wednesday, October 12, 8:30 - 9:30 AM
Session 3: Avoiding the Risks of Concrete Moisture presented by Greg Mercurio, President, IFTI - Independent Floor Testing and Inspection, Inc.
Avoiding the Risks of Concrete Moisture - In this presentation, attendees will be given a brief history lesson on concrete, concrete moisture and how it can wreak havoc on your flooring installation. We will discuss various test methods, best practices, common errors and industry requirements around moisture testing. Tips and tools will also be provided which will allow you to avoid the risks associated with concrete moisture testing altogether.
Greg Mercurio entered in the flooring industry, unknowingly, during college when he majored in Concrete Industry Management. Greg started working at IFTI as a technical writer right after college. Since then, Greg has worn numerous hats over the past 12 years including Director of Operations, Principle Consultant, Chief Operating Officer and now President of IFTI.
Independent Floor Testing and Inspection (IFTI), Inc., was founded in 1997. At the time, there was little awareness around moisture related flooring failures. Over the past 25 years, IFTI has become the largest independent moisture testing company in the world. IFTI's goal is to educate the flooring community on the importance of independent concrete slab moisture testing so installers never have to deal with the consequences of moisture-related floor failures again.
Wednesday, October 12, 10:45 - 11:30 PM
Session 4: Commercial Flooring Software presented by Kathy Case, Takeoff Co LLC; Jerry Freeman, Spec-Intel; Bob Noe, Pacific Solutions and James Wisdom, Measure Square
Commercial Flooring Software - Outsourcing and the use of technology have become a solution to staff shortages and the fast-pace, high demand of clients. Join us to learn how third party services and software integrate to create cost and time saving options for your business.
Kathy Case, Co-Founder, Takeoff Co, LLC.
Kathy Case started working at her families construction business in 1979, contracting in tile, terrazzo and stone, ultimately taking over the management of the company and its 50 employees. Kathy’s focus shifted to estimating after the company’s closing. Having worked for several prominent flooring contractors, Kathy started Takeoff Co, LLC in 2019 with the intention to be a resource and solution for commercial flooring contractors struggling with the estimator shortage.
Started in 2019, Takeoff Co, LLC originated as a response to commercial flooring contractors struggling with deadlines and a shortage of estimators. The company analyzes commercial construction documents and quantifies material required for all flooring types.
Jerry Freeman, President, Spec-Intel
Jerry Freeman started his career in architectural design, including a position with Gensler. Later, moving into 17 successful years in flooring sales and ultimately in the creation of the Attune line, a sustainable hard-surface floor product. After an initial start with PaletteApp, a product resource finder for architects and designers, Jerry later automated the platform for commercial sub-contractors renaming it Pro Material Solutions. In 2018, it became Specification Intelligence, or Spec-Intel.
Spec-Intel is a product data management system to search, find, automate, and integrate product information into the workflow. Spec-Intel streamlines the construction process by integrating into industry-leading estimating and ERP software to reduce risk, costs and rework.
Bob Noe, Jr., President, Pacific Solutions
Bob Noe’s flooring experience began at the age of 11 as a seasonal helper for his grandfather, a hard surface mechanic. After a stint outside of the flooring industry, the Noe family started a retail flooring business that expanded to 3 locations. To improve the business, Bob wrote software to track orders – a forerunner of today’s Pacific Solutions, where Bob serves as President.
Pacific Solutions, founded in 1998, is a software development, training and consulting service specializing in solutions for commercial flooring contractors and residential flooring dealers. Pacific Solutions offers a project management, accounting, estimation, and field measuring software system.
James Wisdom, Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, Measure Square
James Wisdom, VP of Strategic Partnerships, has been with Measure Square for 8 years where he focuses on takeoff/estimating software deployment and implementation and product development. With years of CAD draftsperson experience and a retail flooring family background, James advocates for the end user to convey their business needs to software development teams.
Measure Square Corp, founded in 2001, is a commercial flooring software for measure estimating. Generations of its products have shaped the industry, with efficiency, accuracy and professional results.
Wednesday, October 12, 12:45 - 5:00 PM
MAPEI Corporation Plant Tour (open to Contractors, Consultants and Honorary Members)
The MAPEI Corporation plant tour will take you through two sites - the state-of-the-art cement product production facility in Fort Lauderdale and its flagship R&D facility located at its corporate headquarters in Deerfield Beach, FL.
During the tour you’ll see first-hand the level of investment MAPEI has placed on highly efficient and accurate production and packaging of the numerous powder products available in the MAPEI portfolio. The Fort Lauderdale production facility is one of 15 manufacturing locations in North America and not the largest. Yet you will see the scale on which MAPEI operates – its fast-paced level of production and volume of inventory produced and shipped from the facility. The second part of the tour is the high-tech R&D facility. There, you will see evidence of MAPEI’s focus on R&D – in excess of 5% of sales revenue. You’ll observe chemists at work on formulations for cement based mortars, grouts and other wet chemistry products. The tour includes the lab, an inorganic analytical lab where participants can examine everything from x-ray crystallography to complete chemical analysis of various chemical compounds. The lab’s equipment deciphers many of the chemical mysteries MAPEI works on. What this means to a flooring contractor is - one may try to explain away why something has gone wrong with one of MAPEI’s products but the R&D analytical lab always gets to the truth. MAPEI looks forward to welcoming all contractors, consultants and honorary members to tour its facilities – and promises an educational and entertaining afternoon.
Floorcloud
MAPEI Corporation
