INSTALL Minnesota E-Newsletter March 2008

Flooring manufacturers keep INSTALL pros on cutting edge

The floor covering installation professionals of the local INSTALL program participated in three important skill-upgrade sessions during the months of February and March.

First, more than 20 INSTALL apprentices and journeymen in the Duluth area participated in an interactive training session taught by Chris Dooley from Crain Floor Covering Tools. Sponsoring the training session was Hank’s Specialties of Minnesota, one of the largest floor covering supply distributors in the state.

At the training, participants learned about new carpet tools on the market. Their diligence paid off. Not only did they capture an enhanced understanding of the latest floor covering tools, but many were lucky enough to win drawings for plenty of tool giveaways, donated by Hank’s and Crain.

“Partnering with companies such as Crain and Hank’s is an efficient and effective way to provide new learning opportunities for our professionals,” said Ruben Stewart, training coordinator of the INSTALL Minnesota program. “We appreciate their time in presenting this information to us.”

Over a two-day span in mid-March, 16 INSTALL journeymen took part in the Forbo associate mechanic certification course, held at the INSTALL Minnesota training center in St. Paul. INSTALL professionals from Minnesota and Wisconsin participated, some coming from as far away as Green Bay. Stewart, a Forbo certified master mechanic, is one of the few flooring instructors in the country whom Forbo authorizes to teach and then test for the associate mechanic certification on the company’s behalf. Typically, flooring installers must go to the Forbo company facility for this course.

“We offer this course at least twice a year because we believe it’s important for our professionals to understand the installation process for Forbo products,” Stewart said.

Finally, in late March, Taylor Tools visited INSTALL professionals in the Rochester and Twin Cities area, to give another update on new tools that are available for flooring installations.

Why does INSTALL invest so much time in training? “The hallmark of the INSTALL program is the mandate for our professionals to keep up-to-date with the latest in tools and techniques relevant to their trade,” Stewart explained, “and partnering with quality companies such as Hank’s, Crain, Forbo and Taylor Tools keeps us on at the forefront of learning.”

INSTALL is the International Standards and Training Alliance, which is the flooring industry’s only career-long training and certification program that is sponsored by more than 50 major flooring mills and manufacturers. INSTALL Minnesota is the local affiliate of this international program. The Minnesota program supplies the local construction industry with flooring contractors who use INSTALL-trained professional exclusively.

For more information, contact Terry Nali, INSTALL Minnesota coordinator, at 651-636-0091 or tnali@mncarpenter.org.