On March 19 and 20, a group of eight representatives from the Carpet & Rug Institute and its leading member manufacturers traveled to our nation’s capital to advocate on behalf of the carpet industry and U.S. manufacturers.
The CRI delegation carried a message to congressional leadership on the need for a comprehensive U.S. energy plan, as well as on the leadership the industry has taken in recovering and recycling post-consumer (used) carpet.
The group included CRI President Werner Braun and Vice-President Jenn Mendez, Joe Yarbrough and Joe Foye of Mohawk, Kathi Dutihl with Milliken, Rick Hooper with Shaw Industries, Russ Delozier of J&J, and Bob Peoples, Executive Director of CARE.
The CRI group met with a number of congressional representatives, including: Georgia Senators Saxby Chambliss (R) and Johnny Isakson (R); along with Representatives John Barrow (D-GA), Phil Gingrey (R-GA), Tom Graves (R-GA), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Paul Broun (R-GA), Jack Kingston (R-GA), Tom Price (R-GA), Martha Roby (R-AL), Austin Scott (R-GA), David Scott (D-GA), Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Rob Woodall (R-GA), as well as the newest member of Georgia’s Congressional Delegation, Doug Collins (R). The group also met with senior staff from several other Senate and House offices representing Alabama, Tennessee, and Florida.
In conjunction with the visit, CRI and Dalton’s Congressman Tom Graves co-hosted the annual Salute to Congress and the Georgia Delegation reception. Once again this event was held in the U.S. Capitol and was attended by members of the Georgia Congressional delegation and staffs from Congressional offices representing all parts of the country.