As Welspun Flooring launched its North American flooring product line at the International Surface Event (TISE) in Las Vegas this week, the company also threw its support behind the Floor Covering Education Foundation (FCEF). Welspun announced that one cent from every square foot of its private label overbill of SPC, broadloom carpet and carpet tile sold in North America will be donated to the foundation.
“It is extremely important to us as we enter the North American market that we do our part to support the industry and ensure that we have the craftsman needed to install our products professionally,” stated Amol Naravane, vice president, Welspun Flooring Ltd.
The FCEF was founded in 2019 to address the shortage of installation craftspeople and the ongoing decline of qualified installers available to keep up with the demand for professionally installed flooring. “The flooring industry has a big awareness issue when it comes to recruiting young people into the trades,” shared Jim Aaron, FCEF executive director. “Even individuals who want a trade career are probably going to go to other trades that have better awareness, such as HVAC, plumbing and construction.”
Welspun’s decision to support the FCEF by including a one cent per square foot overbill donation shows how simple it can be for organizations to support the FCEF; Welspun urges other suppliers within the flooring industry to create similar programs.
“This is a program that we want our competitors, our colleagues and even our customers to copy,” noted Samuel Thomas, U.S. head of flooring, Welspun USA. “We hope this commitment from Welspun brings attention to the FCEF and encourages others to step up and support an organization that is helping the entire industry.”
Together, FCEF and Welspun announced their penny-per-foot partnership at a presentation at FCEF’s TISE booth last Tuesday.
“We are so thankful for the support of organizations like Welspun who have really stepped up to help us get our programs off the ground,” shared Aaron. “Whether you’re a supplier, distributor, retailer or any organization that benefits from the flooring industry, we need your help. When the industry steps up, we at the FCEF can make sure that our industry is able to recruit talent and elevate the flooring installation trade by supporting quality installation training and job placement.”
Welspun expects its new products to be in the market this spring and is looking forward to making regular donations to the FCEF in addition to providing flooring materials for instructional classes. To learn more about Welspun’s new product lines that support the FCEF, visit https://www.welspunflooring.com.
