NewslineVolume VII, Issue 9 - April 21, 2006The Carpet and Rug Institute news for industry executives
Special Edition - CRI Issues Conference In This Issue: The Third Annual CRI Issues Conference was held at the Northwest Georgia Trade and Convention Center on April 12-13 following the annual Ally Associations meeting which was held at Dalton Golf and Country Club on April 11. The conference was well- attended, although the numbers were slightly less than they have been at past conferences which were held off-site. A total of 78 attendees were on hand for the two-day event whereas 102 attended last years event at Lake Lanier. We would like to use this Special Edition of Newsline to highlight some of the happenings from the event. Ally Associations MeetingCRI President Werner Braun hosted representatives from the American Fiber Manufacturers Association (AFMA), The SB Latex Council, The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), Dalton- Whitfield County Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Textile Manufacturers Association, Floor Radio and Floor Focus Magazine. Braun gave the group an overview of the key issues CRI was working on and each of allied associations offered perspective and brought the group up to speed on their current activities. The purpose of the annual meeting is to see what common issues there are across the board and how each association can work with one another to better serve their members. The issue of immigration was one of the more highly- dissected issues during the session as was cleaning and maintenance. Government Issues CommitteeWater was the main topic of this session and CRI was pleased to welcome special guests Linda MacGregor and Shawn Clouse. MacGregor, Chief, Watershed Protection Branch, Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GEPD), gave the group an overview of the GEPD including the group’s goal to meet future water needs while protecting the water sources today. She went over several rules that specifically affected the carpet industry, including the new Pretreatment Streamlining Rule that was passed last October, and the resolution of the Industrial Permits Appeal. New permits are expected be issued this summer. Clouse, NGA, Conservation Director, The Nature Conservancy, gave the group an overview of the work his group is doing and its mission to preserve biodiversity. He reviewed the work being done to protect the lands and water that natural communities need to survive, while at the same time allowing people communities to address their water needs. Each speaker engaged in a question and answer forum following their presentations and addressed industry specific questions. Technical Issues Committee SessionTIC Chairman Howard Elder of J&J Industries gave an overview of CRI issues and the role the TIC was playing in addressing them. He delved into the specifics of several TIC projects, including: a study that had been completed at St. Louis University on Vacuum Cleaners and mold; an on-going study at the University of Georgia on dermal transfer; and an asthma/allergy study getting underway at Emory University. He also gave updates on the International E-Journal of Flooring Sciences as well as the technical work being done to support various Issue Management Teams. Karen Leonas, Professor of Textile Sciences at the University of Georgia, was on hand to provide an update on the work being done at UGA on behalf of the carpet industry to study dermal transfer. Dr. Leonas said the study is expected to be completed within the next 4-5 months. She gave a detailed analysis of the results that had been recorded thus far and very preliminary results demonstrate that carpet has less dermal transfer of particulates than other flooring. Issue Management TeamsEach Issue Management Team had a representative there to provide the group with updates on their respective strategies.
Market Issues CommitteeBlogging was the topic of discussion for the Market Issues Committee (MIC) portion of the program. CRI welcomed special guest Erick-Woods Erickson, Blogmaster for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (see blog at AmpedUp.org), who also covers politics on PeachPundit.com and RedState.com. Mr. Erickson provided an overview of blogs (short for weblogs), which are journals (or newsletters) on the Internet that are frequently updated and intended for general public consumption. Many trade associations have begun working with blogs and have found them to be useful for advocacy purposes. As a self-described “blog skeptic,” Mr. Erickson reviewed the pros and cons of blogs, and entertained discussion about the value of CRI’s possibly adopting a blog as an approach to getting industry messages into the marketplace. Post-Conference Survey ResultsFollowing the conclusion of the conference, attendees were asked to fill out surveys to give feedback so CRI could evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the event. The response on the surveys was around 35 percent of the total attendees and the majority of the comments were positive. Attendees were asked to rate each session from 1-to-5 with 5 representing excellent and 1 representing no value to them. Overall, the TIC session received a 4.0 rating, and the IMT breakout sessions received a 3.85 overall rating. Of the individual speakers, Dr. Leonas received a 4.09 rating, Erick-Woods Erickson received a 3.88, Linda MacGregor had a 3.05 and Shawn Clouse had a 3.0. The individual IMT sessions were rated as follows: Cleaning & Maintenance (4.0), International (4.0), VOCs (3.85), Sustainability (3.82), Asthma/Allergy (3.80), Installation (3.73), and Standards/Specifications (3.62). In addition, opinions of the CRI Issues Conference showed that 73% liked the location of the event, 67% felt the overall length of the event was just right, and 90% recommend that CRI hold an Issues Conference in 2007. A list of conference attendees and copies of the presentations are available by contacting Pat Jennings at 706.428-2126. CRI Meetings
* Policy Committee, April 25, 9:00 - 11:00 am CRI Participation in Upcoming Events* Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) Annual Meeting, May 2 - 4, Pine Mountain,
GA If you are aware of other events that present significant opportunities to deliver our messages to our critical audiences, please contact Joan Seelaus at 706.428.2123. Check our website calendar for other industry related events |
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