WARREN, MICH.—A large portion of Michigan’s construction specifier community devoted the better part of their day recently to discussing the latest in floor covering products, installation techniques and specification best practices at the International Standards and Training Alliance (INSTALL) Michigan Floor Symposium at the Mabry Center here.

The event featured product demos, continuing education classes, an exhibition area and an installation showcase. It was the first of a series of regional symposiums to be held by INSTALL. The goal is to underscore the importance of good floor covering practices and specification to the local construction community, INSTALL officials said.

“This was a very informative event, and I hope to see this sort of thing happening more often,” said William Langford, zone building supervisor for the Detroit Public Schools. “I was able to learn about a lot of new products and installation specifications and guidelines that can help me immediately.”

All 38 exhibitors at the symposium were members of the INSTALL alliance. In fact, nine of them became partners because of the event.

Mapei, a long-time partner of INSTALL, also spent the day in Michigan and Mike Micalizzi, the company’s technical service manager, said he wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. “Mapei believes INSTALL contractors are committed to do the job right, and their training is topnotch. We support them because we have the same focus and because we both want to further the industry’s installation standards.”

Dan Ulfig, president of Master Craft Carpet, a flooring contractor in Redford, Mich., said the event was a success before the doors opened. “We were able to create a buzz in the construction community, and when these specifiers arrived, they confirmed it—local INSTALL contractors and manufacturing partners are united in the effort to give project owners a superior installation that they can count on.”

Tom Lutz, coordinator of the INSTALL Michigan program and a member of its National Labor-Management committee, said, “Our goal is to create a networking opportunity among the three critical components of a project—the contractor, the supplier or manufacturer, and the customer. We believe the regional symposium format will allow local professionals to meet and discuss the importance of including installation specifications for a project. Doing so will promote the use of competent, skilled flooring professionals.”

Donna Pardonnet is executive director of the Michigan-based Architectural Contractors Trade Association, an integral part of the INSTALL Michigan program, noted officials. She added to Lutz’s comments by saying, “A good flooring installation is the result of teamwork. Our goal at this event was to display to our specifiers—our customers— that we have a good management group, committed contractors, talented floor layers and active industry partners all ready to make sure the job is done right—but specifiers have to take that step to ensure INSTALL quality by writing the specification that requires an INSTALL contractor.”

For more information on INSTALL and its programs, please call 215.582.4108.