Dalton, GA (January 28, 2021) —The World Floor Covering Association and CCA Global Partners® jointly announce Jim Aaron as the Executive Director of the Floor Covering Education Foundation. Scott Humphrey, Chief Executive Officer of the WFCA, said, “We are pleased and excited to be able to fill this new position with Jim Aaron. Jim has worked in the industry all of his career, has deep knowledge, and is widely respected. He’ll be a tremendous asset as we continue our commitment to solve the installation crisis.”
Humphrey added, “For years, the floor covering industry has been challenged by a lack of qualified, skilled individuals who can install floor covering in homes and commercial settings. As the industry has moved to hard-surface floor covering, the need for highly qualified installers has accelerated. Today, we need true craftsmen and artisans as installers. To address this need, the WFCA, along with organizations throughout the industry, is leading an effort to recruit, scholarship, and place new installers in the industry. The Floor Covering Education Foundation will be the center of that effort, led by Jim Aaron.”
Howard Brodsky, Co-Founder, Chair, and Co-CEO of CCA, said, “Jim has worked for CCA since 2004, most recently as Vice President-Merchandising, and he has been a contributor to the success of CCA and its members. We’re sorry to see Jim leave, but pleased he’ll continue to support the industry through his new position at the Foundation. We support the effort and Jim in his new role.”
Aaron said, “I’ve had a tremendous career with CCA and its members, and I’ve enjoyed working to help independent floor covering stores succeed and thrive. I look forward to helping to solve one of the biggest challenges in the industry—a lack of qualified installers—and doing it with the support of the WFCA and its 10,000+ members and vendors.”
“Being involved with CCA for over 20 years and now serving on the boards of the WFCA and the FCEF, I am very excited to have the support of both of these great organizations to help solve the installation crisis,” said Don Roberts, the current Vice Chair of the FCEF. “We will need everyone on board. Manufacturers, Distributors, associations and dealers to provide a united industry solution!”
CCA and the WFCA have a long, supportive relationship. A number of CCA employees have served on the WFCA’s Board of Directors. Many of CCA’s members and franchisees are also members of the WFCA, as is CCA itself. Since 2003, CCA has sponsored the annual Alan Greenberg Charity Golf Tournament, an industry-wide golf outing named after CCA’s Co-Founder. The Tournament raises funds for the Floor Covering Industry Foundation, which helps individuals in the industry affected by catastrophic health and financial issues.
Aaron will start in his new position in mid-February 2021. For information go to wfca.org.
About WFCA—The World Floor Covering Association (WFCA), the official sponsor of the annual The International Surface Event (TISE), is the floor covering industry’s largest advocacy organization, representing floor covering retailers, contractors, and allied service providers throughout North America. The WFCA is a recognized leader in marketing research and industry programs for flooring professionals. In addition, it publishes the only retailer-oriented trade periodical, Premier Flooring Retailer. As part of its mission to enhance the business environment for the independent flooring retailer the WFCA acquired the Certified Floorcovering Installers Association (CFI) to resolve the industry’s largest issue – the shortage of qualified installers. The WFCA runs fcB2B, a program committed to helping businesses in the industry transition to an e-commerce platform for all business transactions. The WFCA also influences public policy affecting the floor covering industry and consumers. For more information about the WFCA, visit WFCA.org.
CCA Global Partners is a privately held cooperative based in the United States with member businesses throughout the U.S. and Canada and in Australia and New Zealand. Since 1984, CCA Global has partnered with entrepreneurial business people to create a cooperative powerhouse unmatched in the marketplace. Across North America, more than 2,800 retail locations, 20,000 childcare centers, and 1 million small businesses benefit from CCA Global’s leadership through its 14 different businesses – Carpet One Floor & Home®, ProSource®, Flooring America® and Flooring Canada®, FEI Group®, The Floor Trader®, International Design Guild®, Lighting One®, savings4membersTM, The Bike Cooperative®, CCA Sports Retail ServicesTM, CCA for Social GoodTM, Innovia Co-opTM, Lionsbridge Contractor GroupTM, and DriveTM.