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New Executive Committee, Board Members Elected at
Anaheim, CA, June 16--Aaron J. Pirner, CFE, will become chairman of the board of directors of the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) effective July 1. Pirner, CEO of CAP Carpet, Inc., Wichita, KS, takes over from David C. Alton, CFE, president of DCA Enterprises, Inc., Portola, CA who automatically becomes Immediate Past-Chairman of the Board replacing Wendell Prescott, CFE, president, Bell Carpet Galleries, Atlanta, GA. At the Spring Board Meeting in St. Augustine, FL, the directors of the 3,000 plus member organization also elected Robert A. (Bob) Hill, CEO, Floor Covering Associates, Chicago, IL as Chairman-Elect; Donny F. Phillips, CFE, president, Atlanta Flooring Design Center, Duluth, GA as Chief Financial Officer; and Mike Duck, CFE, president, Duck’s Carpet and Flooring, Jackson, TN as Corporate Secretary. Keith Rhodes, CFE, president, GCO Flooring Outlet, Ocean Springs, MS was re-elected to serve as Vice Chairman and Jeri Pischke, CFE, president, Home Valu Interiors, Fridley, MN was elected for the first time as Vice Chairman. These individuals will comprise the Association’s Executive Committee. Chris Davis continues as Chief Executive Officer of the association, a post he has held since 1994. During the meeting the Board ratified a bylaw change re-designating Davis as president and CEO of the Association. This change results in the highest ranking volunteer position becoming Chairman. Aaron Pirner has been an active member in the WFCA since 1999 and has served in numerous Board level capacities including: Secretary, Treasurer/Chief Financial Officer, Vice President and President-Elect on the Executive Committee. He has also been a member of the Long Range Planning Committee, the Nominating Committee, the Strategic Committee on Information, and the Strategic Committee on Quality/Standards. Pirner is a charter member Certified Flooring Executive (CFE) by virtue of being in the first group of retailers to qualify for and pass the certification exam created and administered by the WFCA. As Pirner begins his tenure as the new Chairman of the WFCA, he is firmly committed to making the Association’s vision to become the honest broker of information to the industry and the consumer a reality. "The Internet is creating a new paradigm for how retailers conduct business in the floor covering industry. Smart retailers are quickly recognizing the efficiencies to be gained by adopting a B2B platform in their business model. And more and more consumers are using the web to learn about their floor covering purchases before they visit our stores," said Pirner. "My goal for the next year is to encourage retailers to jump on board the B2B train and to create a strong consumer web presence for the WFCA." He added, "I intend to further implement and nurture the B2B initiative. We’ll do this by forming a non-profit organization with our industry partners to build an effective and industry-wide B2B standard, supporting distributors adoption of the B2B platform and encouraging manufacturers and suppliers to offer incentives for retailers. "During my tenure, we will launch our first internet consumer outreach effort that will link consumers in the market for floor covering with WFCA member retailers. Our research tells us the consumer’s number one fear is lack of confidence in the shopping experience. Our new website will instill that confidence by addressing the consumers concerns, answering their questions and becoming their go-to resource for unbiased, honest information. Given almost half of all floor covering customers currently surf the web for information prior to visiting a retailer, we believe this new website holds great promise for the WFCA," said Pirner. Pirner comes to his new position as Chairman of the WFCA with over two decades of experience in the floor covering industry.


Related Topics:RD Weis, Atlanta Flooring Design Center