Category: Brand News

December 20, 2023

For the fourth year in a row, CCA Global Partners’ in-house training team—CCA Global University—has been honored as an Apex Award winner by Training magazine. The Apex Award is more than just another accolade that CCA Global University can add to their long line of successes; it’s a symbol of their dedication to pushing boundaries and setting new standards in the ever-evolving landscape of professional development.

Held annually, these awards rank companies’ excellence in employer-sponsored training and development programs.

“It’s very validating for the team to see that we are on the cutting edge of the latest trends and training programs,” said Nicole Harding, Vice President of CCA Global University. “This honor means so much to us, especially with this year’s rollout of Retail 2.0 where we created and introduced a brand new training protocol for a cutting-edge retail system. So far, it’s been well-received and executed by our members. We love impacting their businesses in a meaningful way and to be honored among some of the top corporations is so rewarding.”

Training magazine, a leading publication for Learning and Development (L&D) professionals, compiled the rankings based on several benchmarking statistics and a range of qualitative and quantitative factors like budget, scope of programs, formal and informal training programs as well as training’s link to business goals and outcomes.

CCA Global University will be honored with its Apex Award during the 2024 Training Conference & Expo hosted by Training Magazine in Orlando, FL in February.

“The 2024 Training APEX Awards winners are the shining stars in the learning and development industry,” noted Training Editor/Publisher Lorri Freifeld. “They light the way for engaging, innovative, and continuous learning. We are thrilled to recognize their stellar accomplishments and dedication to helping their employees and organizations grow and succeed.

November 6, 2023

MANCHESTER, NH (November 6, 2023) – Flooring America recently announced the appointment of two new members to its Advisory Council. Chris Green of Great Southeast Flooring America in Melbourne, FL and Bill Huss, of D & M Interiors in Appleton, WI were selected to join the group, which represents the perspective of Flooring America’s retail members to the leadership team.

Advisory Council members are chosen for their dedication to the cooperative and history of business success. They meet throughout the year to provide feedback and council to senior management that helps the flooring retailer cooperative develop programs and initiatives.

“The role of our Advisory Council has never been more critical than it is at this point in our co-op’s growth. The feedback and input we receive from the Advisory Council helps to shape decisions and directives as we tackle the challenges that face our members and the industry,” said Keith Spano, President of Flooring America, Flooring Canada, International Design Guild and NISI. “Chris and Bill bring so much knowledge, experience, and unique expertise to the Advisory Council, and we are grateful for their time and dedication to helping all members succeed.”

Chris and Bill fill the Advisory Council spots vacated by outgoing members Gary Titiner of Family Flooring America in St. Charles, IL and Joey Zengel of Top Notch Flooring America in Bel Air, MD. “Gary and Joey provided valuable guidance during their tenure on the Advisory Council. We are very thankful to them for their service,” said Spano.
The new Advisory Council members are:

Chris Green, Vice President, Great Southeast Flooring America in Melbourne, FL
Chris has 32 years of experience in the flooring industry, and like many of his fellow members, he joined his family’s business. Passionate about marketing and branding, Chris wants to help support future Flooring America programs and initiatives to ensure they work for all members.
“Being part of the council allows me to impact the decisions that affect every member directly. It also gives me the opportunity to connect with other members and Flooring America staff,” said Chris.

Bill Huss, D & M Interiors in Appleton, WI
A pickup basketball game with his now business partner Craig Verkuilen 27 years ago led to Bill Huss starting his flooring career with D & M Interiors. He started in sales, then worked up the ladder to management and eventually, ownership. In his new role on the Advisory Council, he wants to help members understand all programs in detail to ensure every initiative is taken advantage of to help other dealers.

“My sole goal is to make sure all things put in place are relevant and financially rewarding for every member of the group by being a voice and advocate for all the Flooring America members,” Bill said. “I’m in the trenches like every dealer. Things like quality control, claims, margins, and merchandising are my daily concerns. I also think helping to create the next generation of well-trained installers is something we strive to do daily.”

October 5, 2023

CCA Global Partners Retail Group announced today that they raised more than $180,000 this past weekend for the Tunnels to Towers Foundation following the Tunnels to Towers 5K Race in New York City. A team of staff, vendors, and retailer members from Carpet One Floor & Home, Flooring America, Flooring Canada, The Floor Trader, and the International Design Guild came together to participate by walking and running in the 5K.

The event symbolizes Stephen Siller’s final footsteps from the foot of the Battery Tunnel to the Twin Towers and pays homage to the 343 FDNY firefighters, law enforcement officers, and thousands of civilians who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.

The weekend began with a scenic harbor cruise aboard the Manhattan II yacht, followed by a beautiful sponsorship dinner with the Tunnel to Towers veteran families on Saturday night. Despite the rainy weather Sunday, supporters still had a great time enjoying food, vendor booths, and live music by country artist Lady A at the block party following the annual 5K race.

CCA Global Partners Retail Group is a longtime supporter of the Tunnel to Towers organization, whose mission is to help veterans, first responders and their families through assistive initiatives like the Smart Home Program and Gold Star Families.

“Our team of staff and retail members continue to impress me year after year with their unwavering support of the Tunnels to Towers Foundation,” said Keith Spano, President of Flooring America, Flooring Canada, International Design Guild, The Floor Trader, and NISI. “It’s one of my favorite weekends of the year when you see all our divisions, vendors and staff team up with a common goal of supporting the selfless families of the Tunnels to Towers Foundation.”

This year’s event was one of the largest to date, attracting more than 30,000 participants.

“It is baked into CCA Global’s culture to help our community whenever we can, and our team showed up yet again for this tremendous cause,” said Frank Santaniello, Vice President of Member Services at Carpet One Floor & Home. “We’re proud to be part of the Tunnels to Towers 5K, and for the dedication to helping these heroes.”

 In addition to the annual Tunnel to Towers 5K Run and Walk in New York City, members will participate in other in-store fundraisers throughout the year to help fund the Smart Home and Gold Star programs.

September 14, 2023

The 21st annual Alan Greenberg Charity Golf fundraiser raised more than $140,000 for the Floor Covering Industry Foundation (FCIF). Flooring industry professionals gathered for the event on September 13 at the historic Barnsley Gardens.

All funds from the tournament support the foundation’s ongoing efforts to assist those who are currently (or have been) affiliated with the floor covering industry and are experiencing unanticipated hardships due to illness, disability, or other life-altering circumstances.

The organization helps families dealing with issues ranging from organ transplants to cancer treatments to receive financial assistance at a time in their life when they need it most. 

“It’s important to us to come together for a cause like this one. It was an incredible day of coming together with a common goal of raising money to help our industry colleagues with unexpected costs due to medical emergencies, accidents, or other life-changing situations,” said Charlie Dilks, Chief Product Officer at CCA Global Partners and Chairman of the FCIF Board. “Thank you to all the business owners, vendors, manufacturers, distributors, and supporters who were part of the tournament for helping us raise funds during a crucial time.

For more information, please visit the Alan Greenberg Charity Golf Tournament website (alangreenbergfcif.com).

To learn more about the Floor Covering Industry Foundation please visit www.fcif.org.

August 16, 2023

MANCHESTER, NH (August 14, 2023) – CCA Global Partners announced today that longtime flooring executive Steve Sieracki has been named Senior Vice President for Flooring America, Flooring Canada, International Design Guild, and The Floor Trader divisions. Steve steps into the new role next month, and will be based at the cooperative’s Manchester, NH office.

Most recently, Steve was Vice President of Residential Sales for Shaw Industries. He brings more than 33 years of expertise to his new role, including strong sales and team-building skills.

“Steve has a strong skill set with a stellar reputation in our industry as a high performer with powerful leadership skills. We are very excited that he is bringing his many talents to our team,” said Keith Spano, President of Flooring America, Flooring Canada, International Design Guild, and The Floor Trader. “Steve’s experience perfectly complements our existing team and sets our membership up for long term success.”

As Senior Vice President, he will help craft future strategy and execution of initiatives for Flooring America, Flooring Canada, the International Design Guild, and The Floor Trader.
“My family and I are honored to be joining the CCA team. I have tremendous respect for the CCA members and associates,” said Sieracki. “The CCA culture is first class and I look forward to learning and working to create success for the membership.”

For more information on CCA Global Partners, please visit www.ccaglobalpartners.com.

About CCA Global Partners

CCA Global Partners, Inc. is a privately held cooperative based in the United States with member businesses throughout the U.S. and Canada, and in Australia and New Zealand. Since 1984, CCA Global has partnered with entrepreneurial businesspeople to create a cooperative powerhouse unmatched in the marketplace organized around 14 different businesses – Carpet One Floor & Home®, ProSource®, Flooring America® and Flooring Canada®, The Floor Trader®, International Design Guild®, Lighting One®, savings4members™, The Bike Cooperative®, CCA Sports Retail Services™, CCA for Social Good™, Innovia Co-op™, Lionsbridge Contractor Group™, and Drive™.

July 31, 2023

CCA Global Partners Retail Group Launches Innovative Installer Recruitment Program for Members

CCA Global Partners Retail Group – Carpet One Floor & Home, Flooring America, Flooring Canada, International Design Guild and The Floor Trader – recently introduced a new member-exclusive program to vet and recruit flooring installers. The initiative is designed to help co-op members find qualified installers to meet the continued demand for flooring installation services.

The updated and enhanced program provides members with access to a dedicated recruitment team that’s focused on non-traditional search methods to find qualified local flooring installers.

“We’ve expanded The Installation Excellence program to assist our members with every step of the hiring process, from sourcing strong contenders to screening potential installers to interviews and expediting the necessary reference checks. It’s revolutionary for the flooring industry, and a benefit to being part of a co-op like ours,” said Keith Spano, President of Flooring America, Flooring Canada, International Design Guild and The Floor Trader. “Our updated installation recruitment is robust to ensure our members not only have the ability to take on new projects but gives them the resources they need to level up in their markets.”

In addition to searching for installers, the program entails qualifying applicants, conducting a thorough phone screening, working with members to schedule face-to-face interviews, facilitating reference checks and state certifications and providing ongoing training and support.

“We exist to help our co-op members succeed, and ultimately that involves developing solutions for obstacles that face them. We are so excited to help our members with the ongoing challenge of finding flooring installers in their communities,” said Nicole Harding, Vice President of CCA Global University. “In addition to the help we give members with their training, we’re assisting our members in the hiring process of installers and taking this off their plates so they can keep their focus on their clients and growing their business.”  

The installer recruitment program is available across all members and markets.

July 31, 2023

CCA Global Partners in-house training arm — CCA Global University – is bringing its Vantage Point Academy six-month intensive business training and development course to the prestigious Alnoba Center in Kensington, NH from May 15-19.

Inspired by executive MBA programs, the academy is part of a suite of continuing education benefits offered to members of CCA Global Retail Group divisions.  The group will focus on key business points during the weeklong program, with ongoing communication for six months following, and then the CCA University team meeting on-site with members at their businesses for two days to check on progress.

“Vantage Point provides current and future business owners with core business and visioning skills. It really is a premiere level experience dedicated to the development of our future strong and knowledgeable leaders in the flooring industry,” said Nicole Harding, Vice President of CCA Global University. “We’re bringing Vantage Point to the next level by being at  Alnoba, a best-in-class facility set in an inspiration and natural environment.”

She continued: “Attendees will walk away motivated to reach new heights in both their professional and personal development.”

To date, more than 50 members have completed the program, with the majority of participants becoming owners of their businesses and/expanded the business.

“We very much enjoyed Vantage Point and it made a significant impact on our business. 

We made several changes within our store to include staffing changes (some promotions/some layoffs), technology improvements (Measure Mobile), and most importantly we’ve increased our margins substantially,” said past participant Julie M. Bastas of Contract Flooring/Carpet One.

Vantage Point is part of CCA University’s commitment to provide the highest level of education and training to members and the team, including an overarching strategy of succeesion planning within many family-owned and local independently-owned businesses.

Topics covered during the intensive training include marketing strategies, customer acquisition, process flow, value creation, financial and operational analysis and leadership behavior.

July 26, 2023

CCA Global University, a leader in training and education, has developed an innovative and comprehensive training program exclusively designed to accelerate the onboarding process of the groundbreaking Retail 2.0 initiative. This new program, tailored for more than 1,000 stores across Flooring America, Flooring Canada, and Carpet One Floor & Home retailers, marks one of the largest rollouts in the history of the home improvement retail industry.

Retail 2.0 represents a monumental transformation in the floor-purchasing journey for consumers, encompassing a complete overhaul of the proprietary selling system, the introduction of a wide range of digital assets, and a massive redesign of showroom floor plans. The team at CCA Global University faced the unique challenge of developing a succinct and effective training process for the expansive new system.

The solution? A three-pronged outreach approach, combining digital, virtual, and hands-on training techniques, which has garnered early praise and acclaim from retailers across the co-op.

“Retail 2.0 represents a monumental update in the retail industry. This project revolutionizes product assortment,” said Nicole Harding, Vice President of CCA Global University. “It was crucial that the training for Retail 2.0 be innovative and memorable. Additionally, we needed an efficient way to deliver this training to thousands of stores within a short period of time. To address this challenge, Tim James, Manager of Learning Projects created a series of video content for a ‘train the trainer’ program, meticulously guiding retailers through every aspect of the training process, including timelines, suggested training locations, and more.”

The training program consists of three key components:

Training Kit: Six weeks prior to their Retail 2.0 installation, stores receive a comprehensive training kit to equip store managers with all the necessary tools to conduct interactive training meetings with their sales teams.

“The intention behind the first component is not only to inform and educate the sales team about the upcoming changes but also to generate enthusiasm and buy-in. These elements are crucial to a retailer’s success,” added Harding.

Online Training: The program includes a robust online training course hosted on the Online University platform aligning with the physical setup of Retail 2.0 within the store. This approach ensures that employees are refreshed on the material just before they put it into practice.

Ongoing Digital Support: The program offers a suite of ongoing training tools, which sales team members are encouraged to utilize post-installation. To access the most up-to-date online training materials, most of these tools feature scannable QR codes.

Early feedback on the training program has been overwhelmingly positive. “We continue to find ways to improve and build upon what we have. Ensuring that sales professionals in our stores seamlessly adapt to this major transition and leverage the excitement of the new shopping experience is of utmost importance to us,” emphasized Harding.

May 30, 2023

The CCA Global Retail Group leadership team is set to spend Summer 2023 on a massive road trip across the U.S. and Canada as the co-op shifts from a traditional summer convention to its new regional meeting format.

The regional meetings kicked off last month in Illinois and so far, members are responding positively to the reposition.

“As a co-op, we historically listen to the feedback we get from members and adjust course as needed based on their input. One thing we kept hearing was a desire for more regionalized, smaller meetings, so this shift is designed to provide those while still having everyone together at our winter convention.,” said John Gilbert, President of Carpet One Floor & Home. “Everything we do is to ensure that they have what they need to succeed in today’s flooring market, and these more intimate regional meetings are already proving to be extremely beneficial for members.”

Select members in each region act as coordinators and assist in planning the meeting’s focus to ensure that their unique member interests and regional opportunities are covered.

Regional meetings are set for this week in Elon, NC and Toronto; with others scheduled for:

June 2023

• Denver, CO
• Colorado Springs, CO
• Portsmouth, NH

July 2023

• Sandusky, OH
• Chicago, IL
• Atlanta, GA
• Greensburg, PA

August 2023

• Spokane, WA
• Baltimore, MD
• Napa/Sonoma, CA

September 2023

• Toronto, ON
• Calgary, AB
• Halifax, NS
• Cowichan Bay, BC

“This summer we are focused on being hands-on and in the field with our members. We’re in our member’s stores for their new Retail 2.0 merchandising setups and we’re doubling down on that intimacy with our regional summer meetings,” said Keith Spano, President of Flooring America, Flooring Canada, International Design Guild, and The Floor Trader. ” These small venue meetings allow us a personal experience with each member in a more relaxed and casual setting. We’re greatly appreciative of our RNG and Neighborhood Network coordinators who have done a terrific job helping us manage these summer meetings.  We’re excited to roll up our sleeves, exchange ideas and implement the tactics necessary to keep our members ahead of a changing economy and evolving consumer demands.”