Introducing the New Floor Covering Institute. From Floored: Innovative Flooring News for Modern Business - Issue #1

INTRODUCING THE NEW FLOOR COVERING INSTITUTE

Steve Ulrich, Freelance Writer - Floor Covering Institute

Community.

Merriam-Webster defines community as “a unified body of individuals” or “a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society.”

Dr. Brian Beakler and Mark Boldizar use another definition of the word in explaining their new venture - “a body of persons of common and especially professional interests scattered through a larger society.”

The duo is setting out to bring that community of common and professional interests together within the Floor Covering Institute (FCI).

The FCI has been around in different iterations for the better part of a decade as a place where consultants could come together - all with different backgrounds - to share knowledge.

Beakler has taken it over as a brand and, along with Boldizar, has a plan to take the FCI to new heights.

“We’re providing a unique service to the industry,” Beakler said. “We’re different from trade associations. They’re focused on lobbying and advocacy. We don’t do that. We’re making it easier for members to get in front of customers quickly.”

“We have an idea to take it beyond just a collection of consultants,” says Boldizar. “We want to make it an interactive networking hub, almost like a virtual trade show, that’s really focused on innovative ideas and connecting companies. We want to move beyond the technical. It’s the story. As members come in, we help them tell their stories. We make it easy for people to connect.”

The FCI began as that consultant collective with a goal to provide service to the industry. A call was made to one consultant who made the introduction to another who could assist with the issue.

Boldizar and Beakler want to retain the service ethos of the original concept, while making it easier for those FCI members to get in front of potential customers quickly.

Mark Boldizar and Dr. Brian Beakler

The Consumer Reports of the Flooring Industry

“We’re a lot like Consumer Reports,” said Boldizar. “We just won’t bring in any member. We’re hands-on.

We vet your technology and your experience. We spend a lot of time, money and energy trying to figure out who’s telling us the true story.

We want to accelerate the journey for someone looking for solutions.”

Their mission with the FCI?

Three words.

Discover. Discern. Decide.

The first part is relatively self-explanatory.

The pair is providing on-demand videos that are free to watch at your convenience.

The only requirement … you must register before being able to see the content.

The videos are unscripted. Boldizar says that is by design.

“I wanted it to be more like a dialogue or a conversation. What would we be asking if we were watching? It’s more authentic. We’ve been there.”

Discerning, or sifting through the information, is next.

“Too many companies go to the first thing that shows up, and immediately decide,” stated Boldizar. “We’ve seen it. We’ve experienced it. Too many companies, especially small companies, found out the hard way.”

So, the goal is to be a trusted location for information.

“These guys have filtered a lot of things for me,” Boldizar said he’s heard from others. “So, it really helps in the ‘discern and decide.’ My risk level as a company in making the decision has gone way down. My value to what I pick is much greater.”

“That foundation of service that FCI was built on, we do that now to a higher level,” added Beakler. “It’s not just the information. It’s information that has already been vetted. This isn’t just sales jargon.”

Certainly, the world has changed over the past 30 years. But what was once made in America has been shipped out to China and other locations and the knowledge base has gone overseas as well.

“There are huge liabilities when a product does not work,” added Boldizar.

“No one spends dollars on research and development in corporate like was done in the past,” said Beakler. “People can’t keep up with the knowledge base to produce their own products in house. That’s where we are in this industry. We want the domestic industry to be strong.”

Utilizing their knowledge base, combined with the expertise of their membership, the Floor Covering Institute helps manufacturers, suppliers, designers, architects, contractors, installers, retailers and others decide.

“We give companies resources,” said Beakler. “We provide virtual networking events, we provide training and education.

We hope to develop our community to increase contacts. To provide opportunities to innovate and collaborate.”

The team also filled a need.

“We didn’t try to compete with others,” said Boldizar. “We wanted to facilitate relationships. We’re trying to be complementary.”

And the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

Carrying on the work of the FCI visionaries.

“You guys are doing something that doesn’t exist … and we like it,” shared Boldizar. “It’s helpful to us. It’s gratifying that what we thought and envisioned is coming together.”

The original group of consultants are still with the FCI.

“They’re lifetime platinum members,” said Beakler. “They’ll always be part of our group.”

“They’re part of the solution,” added Boldizar. “This guy knows tile. That guy knows installation. This person knows marketing and design. They’re the hub.”

The early success of the FCI has come through the oldest advertising in the world - word of mouth.

“We just had two companies join today that we did not reach out to,” said Beakler. “They clearly see the value.”

Those thinking of becoming members of the Floor Covering Institute have three membership options that offer varying benefits for different needs.

Each level offers access to the live webinars and networking events

“Membership levels are quite affordable,” said Boldizar. “Many companies would spend more money on advertising than they would by joining FCI.”

For more information, visit the website atFloorCoveringInstitute.com

BECOME A MEMBER!

Inside the membership we connect needs with vetted solutions, services & products.

Join us as we explore new products, learn best practices from industry leading experts, and build thriving flooring business.

Membership Includes:

Access to live and recorded webinars; Virtual and in-person networking events; Institute Academy Education Courses; and Listing in the FCI membership directory.

Join Us Today! FloorCoveringInstitute.com