Every two weeks, FCNews seeks out flooring retailers across the country to offer their advice on hot topics of the day. This week, we asked: What are your expectations for the fall?
Here are their responses:
We are working with CFI to host classes here in Somerset for installers to get training and certification. We also support FCEF and use their pamphlets at various tabling events that we are at and getting them into the hands of people who are interested.
—Typhannie Harker, Carpeting by Mike, Somerset, Wis.
We recruit and train installers in several different ways. We have a few social outings where we have food, fun and prizes to celebrate our team victories. We also have our vendor partners join us for an evening of dinner and training on their products to teach us the method to install their products. We will also open select seats to others who have expressed an interest in flooring installation.
—Carlton Billingsley, Floors and More, Benton, Ark.
We have an experienced in-house installer teaching an energetic young man how to install. It is hard to find the teachers and even harder to find the young people to come into our trade. The opportunities are in convincing our youth that the floor covering trade is more financially rewarding than going to college for four years and getting a degree they may not use.
—John Taylor, Taylor Carpet One Floor & Home, Fort Myers, Fla.
We establish relationships with the best installers by paying top installation labor rates. The best/better installers tend to gravitate to where the pay rates are the highest.
—Bob Gaither, Quality Carpet & Flooring, Akron, Ohio
We advertise on Indeed and do a lot of word of mouth, and networking with the local schools. For training we pair the new hire up with an experienced in-house installer as an apprentice. We pay the apprentice by the hour and deduct half of the wage from the installer.
-Don Cantor, Lake Interiors, Chelan, Wash.
