Page 8 - Flooring Contractor Historical

FLOOR COVERING INSTALLATION BOARD (FCIB)

he Floor Covering Installation Board (FCIB) was the
organization that led the industry in the certification
of qualified, accountable and insured installation
Tcontractors. It was established as a trust under FCICA
in 1986 under Dave Merkling’s Chairman term and then in 1992
became its own entity.
The main premise of Contractor Certification was that
maximum accountability lies with the business entity that is
responsible for the performance of the installer and the ultimate
quality of the installation. This held true for the self-employed
independent contractor and the largest installation contracting
firm alike. The FCIB Certification program capitalized on this
concept by providing a means by which bona fide independent
contractors and installation firms could be identified and
rewarded for their commitment to their profession and our
industry.
The six trustees were made up of three representatives from personnel with at least five years’ experience in the
FCICA, two from Carpet Manufacturers and one from the design/ supervision of floor covering installations
specifier side. 6. Coordinate all on-site activities with the owner, end-
user, design professional and general contractor
Trustees of FCIB over the years included: 7. Guarantee the workmanship of the installation of floor
• Bill Becker covering products they install for a minimum of two (2)
• Harold Chapman years
• Sim Crisler – Chairman 1994-1999) 8. Participate in continuing education for the
• Pat Davidson improvement of skills through installer training
• Jim Keener (Chairman 1991-1993) or apprenticeship programs in compliance with
• Mike Little industry standards; and provide documentation thereof.
• Leif Narvesen – (Chairman 1986-1990) 9. Remain fiduciarily responsible for the quality
• Dave Stafford – (Chairman 1999-2005) of work performed and the fulfillment of
• Dave Sutton contractual obligations.
• Dewey Taylor 10. Participate in the Performance Assessment Review
(PAR) program.
Administrative staff included: (From the records of 1997)
• Ron Van Gelderen (1986-1994) The FCICA endorsed the FCIB Contractor Certification
• Gary Kenworthy (1994-2000) program and its staff administered the program. It was also
• Kimberly Oderkirk (2000-2005) endorsed by the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI). It was the goal
of all organizations to promote the interests and welfare of the
The Ten Point Plan for Installation Excellence (developed floor covering industry by providing a national network of bona
in 1997 and updated the original characteristics of an FCIB fide installation contractors of all sizes and capabilities that could
contractor) be identified, certified and accountable for the performance of
1. Perform installations in accordance with quality floor covering installation.
manufacturer’s instructions. Install carpet in Specification of the FCIB Program was implemented by the
compliance with the industry standards, CRI-104 General Services Administration, the DuPont Approved Flooring
and CRI-105 Contractor Program, the LDS Church and as time went on, a
2. Comply with federal, state and local regulations and growing number of manufacturers. This specification required
ordinances and possess the required business insurance FCIB certification to bid projects. Regrettably, despite numerous
3. Bid only on contracts that fall membership drives and industry support, the total number
within the parameters of of FCIB Certified firms remained small – less than 75 total
their ability to underwrite members concentrated on the east and west coasts. This made it
and perform. challenging to enforce the requirement for FCIB certification and
4. Provide accurate estimates complete was the ultimate reason that FCIB certification never gained any
with all inclusions and exclusions. real traction in the industry.
5. Provide experienced and skilled While the FCIB was not able to survive and was dissolved in
installers under the direction 2005, the ten points listed above should still be the goal of what
of on-site management or operations every flooring contracting company strives for. 

8 The Flooring Contractor Magazine Special Edition 2020