WEST BLOOMFIELD, MICH.—The Flooring Contractors Association (FCICA) has formed a new sub-committee with goals to provide a mechanism wherein new products and applications developed by associate manufacturers can be field evaluated by its contractor members.
“To facilitate this goal, FCICA has recommended the formation of the New Product Evaluation sub-committee, within which it will provide the mechanisms to evaluate new product ideas and installation methods that will keep our members on the leading edge of the flooring industry,” said Kimberly Oderkirk, executive director. “For example, since the market is demanding more sustainable products with lower VOCs or ones that have rapidly renewable content, manufacturers need to develop products that meet these industry requirements.”
But just meeting the requirements is not enough, she explained. “We need to ensure these new products really work. And the only way to confirm that we have solved a problem without generating a new one is by actual jobsite installations.”
The committee is made up of associates and contractors who will jointly develop all the parameters necessary to ensure a new product or system performs as intended. Committee participants will sign a confidentiality agreement and establish rules of operation.
Ultimately, Oderkirk concluded this committee “will give all of us a formal approach to making improvements in our industry further ensuring that selecting a member contractor is the best choice for our customers.”
For more about FCICA, call 877.863.2422.