Ralph Boe and Vance Bell

Dalton, Georgia –At the Carpet and Rug Institute’s annual meeting held November 20th at Dalton’s Northwest Georgia Convention and Trade Center, CRI members elected Beaulieu president Ralph Boe as 2009 chairman of the association’s board of directors. Accepting the role from outgoing CRI board chairman and Shaw CEO Vance Bell, Boe said, in 2009, the carpet industry faces a tough scenario of excess housing inventory, unstable energy prices, and lagging consumer confidence. The toughest challenge, he said, is for the carpet industry to remain poised to respond to consumer demand when the economy improves. “When this industry turns around, it does it with a fever,” Boe said.

Vance Bell highlighted the past year’s accomplishments, noting an impressive 25% increase in traffic to CRI’s newly redesigned website, and the passage of the long-awaited ANSI/NSF 140 third-party certification for sustainability in carpet, which establishes one standard for environmental responsibility throughout the industry. Bell also praised CRI’s Seal of Approval testing program, which has grown to include 432 approved cleaning solutions, extractors, cleaning systems and vacuum cleaners. He praised the initiative and foresight of CRI staff and committees for their work establishing third-party certification for CRI’s Green Label and Green Label Plus Indoor Air Quality certification programs under the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). As the first-ever environmental product certification body recognized by ANSI, CRI’s Green Label programs are now gaining recognition around the globe, Bell said.

In his remarks, CRI president Werner Braun emphasized CRI’s role in debunking persistent “myths” about carpet – that it is difficult to clean and maintain, and exacerbates asthma and allergy symptoms. “We have the ammunition to mow down these urban legends,” Braun said, and encouraged members to “multiply the message” using information from the CRI website, carpet-rug.org. Braun praised the carpet industry’s environmental leadership, which is outlined in information recently released in CRI’s 2008 Sustainability Report, as well as ongoing work on establishing a third-party standard for installation.

Braun recognized Shaw Industries’ Steve Bradfield for his work as chairman of CRI’s Operating Committee, and Rick Hooper for his service as chairman of the Government Relations Committee.

Jim Bethel, CRI Board member and CEO of J&J Industries, received CRI’s Joseph J. Smrekar award in recognition of Bethel’s contributions to the floor covering industry. The award was established for CRI by Milliken & Co., as a memorial to Smrekar, who served on numerous CRI boards before his death in 1998. The award recognizes individuals who have shown “unusual and exemplary service to the carpet and rug industry.”

The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) is the national trade association representing the carpet and rug industry. Headquartered in Dalton, Georgia, the Institute's membership consists of manufacturers representing over 90% of all carpet produced in the United States, and suppliers of raw materials and services to the industry. CRI is the source for science-based information and insight into how carpet and rugs can create a better environment for living, working, learning and healing. For more information, contact CRI at 706.278.3176, or carpet-rug.org.