Phoenix—Nearly 200 people came out to honor Dan Bienenfeld, the “founding father” of the Arizona Floor Covering Association (AFCA), as the organization’s 2008 Person of the Year. They also paid tribute to AFCA’s 2007 Person of the Year, Morris Lippert, for “outstanding contribution to the floor covering industry in Arizona.”

Bienenfeld, who “retired” to San Diego 20 years ago, is credited as the driving force behind the Floor Covering Association of Arizona (FCAA) in 1968 where he served on the board and as president. This happened shortly after taking over the family business, Acme Floor Covering, following his father’s death.

The FCAA played an active role in helping to shape Arizona’s growing economy when it came to flooring by doing such things as confronting the Registrar of Contractors, establishing an installation school for hard surface mechanics and hosting numerous trade shows with the wholesalers and manufacturers that included being open to the public for one day.

In addition to the association, Bienenfeld started as editor and publisher of The Flooring Gazette, which went on to become a 20-page newspaper about the floor covering industry in Arizona.

Since retiring to San Diego, Bienenfeld has remained active in the industry he grew up in, including re-entering the retail workforce for a while, helping to promote the San Diego County Floor Covering Association and as a contributing editor to Floor Covering News.

Lippert became the 11th person AFCA honored for outstanding contribution. Peggy McCarthy, AFCA’s executive director, said he was voted to receive this award because of his “constant support of AFCA over many, many years and his efforts as a key player on the board. He is one person who always tries very hard to help the organization grow in membership. As a rep he always invites new clients who he knows don’t already belong to the association to come to a dinner/meeting and get to know the organization. In drumming up his own business, he never forgets to get in a plug for AFCA. The membership roles have grown immensely due to his efforts. He has also played an important role in obtaining some key speakers to attend the group’s recent events.”

Lippert began his flooring career in 1968 working for Metropolitan Floor Covering in Los Angeles. In 1971 he went on to RHS Carpet Mills for eight years before joining Shaw Industries, where he continues to work as a territory manager.