Every two weeks, FCNews seeks out flooring retailers across the country to offer their advice on hot topics of the day. This week, we asked: How are you training/recruiting new installers?
Here are their responses:
“We are training new installers by finding younger guys who are energetic to work. We are pairing them up with more experienced people so they can gain the necessary experience. I have always believed that the best way to learn anything is through experience.”
—Eric Buehler, CarpetsPlus Color Tile of Wyoming Thayne, Wyo.
“Most of our new installers are trained through the local INSTALL training center. Each installer undergoes a comprehensive, four-year apprenticeship program. This program not only offers them the potential for a lucrative career but also provides valuable benefits.”
—Ben Boss, Boss Carpet One Floor & Home Dixon, Ill.
“We are trying to set our business apart from other flooring stores in how we support our installation team to entice more installers to come work with us. We partner with our suppliers and host internal training sessions with our installers to ensure they have the latest best practices and information/support available to them.”
—Rebecca Tonowski, BFC Flooring & Design Centre Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
“We are getting a lot of good quality crews from north Atlanta. I think the range the crews will travel has widened in the last three years. You treat them right and they will drive.”
—Chris Kemp, Kemp’s Dalton West Flooring Newnan, Ga.
“We are constantly on the lookout for installation talent. With business being a little slow for some dealers we have had installers contacting us looking for work and picked up a few crews that way. We have been mentoring the installers with the more experienced installers to allow them to develop the skills needed to install in the upper-end arena.”
—Gary Touchton, Venetian Blind Carpet One Floor & Home Houston
