Industry Veteran Named to International Committee
5/10/2005
Local floorcovering industry veteran John T. McGrath, Jr., is one of 14 people throughout the United States and Canada requested to help reverse the trend of poorly qualified floor covering installers.
McGrath serves on the International Labor-Management Committee for the Floor Covering Industry. The Committee steers a major initiative to increase the quality and professionalism of floor covering installers through a program called INSTALL (International Standards and Training Alliance).
For years, a shortage of qualified labor in the floor covering industry helped contribute to a rise in installation failures and unprecedented levels of customer callbacks. These problems translate into use of more materials, more claims for manufacturers and more repair work for contractors.
McGrath is director of INSTALL Philadelphia & Vicinity and President of INSTALL Local 1823. A veteran floor layer, McGrath now oversees a staff of floor covering professionals responsible for providing the professional labor for millions of yards of floor covering projects every year.
Part of McGrath's committee work includes creating alliances with major mills and manufacturers, so that industry experts constantly review the INSTALL curriculum, ensuring that installers learn what is needed in the market.
INSTALL has 25 training centers throughout North America, with more than 100 instructors teaching thousands of apprentices. The curriculum is certified by the Labor Departments of the United States and Canadian governments.