St. Louis, MO, October 18, 2005--An industry leader, instrumental in the drive to establish a new standard of quality and training for the floor covering industry, has died. Alfred I. Halpern passed on Wednesday evening, October 12, according to family members.
Halpern was a founding member of the steering committee for the International Standards and Training Alliance (INSTALL).
Halpern was asked to sit on the International Labor-Management Committee for the Floor Covering Industry when it was formed in 1990 to assimilate hard tile installation services into existing United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America training centers throughout North America. He played a key role in creating INSTALL as this committee’s solution to raising the quality of floor covering installation professionals in North America.
Al was also executive director and clerk to the Northeast Flooring Contractors Association, Inc. (NFCA) since 1988. He also was a trustee and secretary for the Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee with the Floor Coverers Local 2168, and trustee for the New England Carpenters Training Center.
In 1993, he was listed in Who’s Who in the East and received the President’s Award from the Vocational Adjustment Center Advisory Board. Throughout his career, he has served as New England sales manager for the Amtico flooring division of American Biltrite Rubber Company, and as sales manager and vice president of contract sales for Joseph Silverman & Co., a wholesale floorcovering distributor.
After serving in the military, Halpern graduated from Harvard College, where he earned an A.B. degree in government and international relations. He has been a member of American Mensa since 1990.
Last year, Halpern celebrated 50 years in the floorcovering industry.
“Al was always the consummate gentleman and an inspiration to all of us at INSTALL,” said Jim Schmid, INSTALL Director. “His sound advice helped propel the INSTALL program to international recognition and his quick wit kept us smiling. We will dearly miss him.”
