InterfaceFlor's Gerald Bogue, left, & Ron Lee, RCFN’s executive director.

Newport Beach, Calif.—The ReSource Commercial Flooring Network (RCFN) held its annual dealer conference, Network Exchange, here at The Island Hotel, the first conference for RCFN since reorganizing as a member-owned group of commercial flooring contractors last spring ( FCNews, May 1/8, 2006).

“This meeting was a great opportunity to engage our members and suppliers moving forward as the ReSource Commercial Flooring Network, and I believe we accomplished that,” said Ron Lee, RCFN’s executive director.

“All of us at Bentley Prince Street recognized something special was taking place here and that there was a sense of renewal and recommitment present within the RCFN membership,” said George Maibach, Bentley’s vice president, business development.

The event brought together members and suppliers from across the country to network, share business practices and promote products and services. The meeting included industry speakers, strategists, a trade show and awards program.

Steve Bassil, QDI Strategies, presented an overview of distribution and identifying customers stating the importance of setting your own rules rather than playing by those of others. A total of 90 members made their way to the event, while 60 supplier reps were on hand as well.

According to Kris Keller, RCFN’s director of marketing and communications, “The goal of this meeting was to share with our members the transition process from the Interface-owned organization (ReSource Connect) to the new member-owned group and present what we have accomplished as well as our initiatives moving forward.

“There was a great energy during the entire meeting,” she explained. “Members were energized by the opportunities presented and the things they can share and learn from each other. Suppliers were impressed by the caliber of the companies represented by our members and the interest in their products and services.”

Jeff Raabe, senior vice president of sales, Tandus, said of the high-energy meeting, “This group of contractors contains some of the absolute elite in the industry. Tandus looks forward to continued growth and association.”

RCFN member Bob Pollock, president of Continental Interiors in Troy, Mich., said, “From my perspective, the presentations made by Steve Bassill and Dr. Robert Peoples from the CRI on reclamation were high points. Both were dynamic speakers and had a nice command of their material. It was a treat to be exposed to such quality speakers.

“I think that initially most attendees came to the meeting not quite knowing what to expect,” he explained. “It didn’t take long, however, for the quality of the presentations and breakout sessions to win the group over. By the end of the event most of the members felt very good about their association with RCFN. Ron Lee and his staff should be commended for the tremendous job they have done.”

“Our meeting objective was for each attendee to leave with a feeling of ownership, involvement and excitement,” said Lee. “When we purchased ReSource Connect from Interface in early 2006, we knew that our greatest asset was the collective knowledge and individual market presence of the members. For the last 15 months we have visited, conferenced, surveyed and met with members and suppliers to listen to their challenges and opportunities to determine how we could best serve them. This led us to focusing on four initiatives: establishing member value to their customers and suppliers; reclamation; a viable national accounts program, and human resources/safety.

“I left feeling the attendees understood the value of member ownership, involvement and sharing and have given us further insight on how we can improve their businesses,” he added.

The meeting concluded with an awards presentation recognizing members and suppliers for their contributions to RCFN. “The highlight of the meeting was the meeting itself,” concluded Keller. “This was the first time for us to come together as The ReSource Commercial Flooring Network and everyone—members and suppliers—were glad they came.”

For more information on RCFN, call 407.574.6600.