CFI President Matt Sanders reports that more than 40 CFI members and non-members met at Royalty Carpet Mills on Jan. 26 for a free tour of the plant’s operations. During the tour, guides Jim Hernandez, Brad Bottle and Volley Williams explained the various steps involved in making high-quality carpet.

The tour started at the tufting plant and proceeded to the solution dying and processing plant. The operations at Royalty are very complex and very impressive. Unfortunately – and for obvious reasons – cameras are not allowed in the mill.

At the end of the tour, Royalty Carpet Mills and Jim Hernandez were presented a certificate of appreciation by the CFI for their continued support of our members and our organization. The most impressive part of the tour was the hospitality and professionalism shown by Royalty and their highly skilled employees.

A very special thanks to everyone who made it to the tour, including CFI past president Ralph Denning of Spotless Industries. CFI Directors Vince Attardo and Jason Hensley were also in attendance. The event qualified for .5 IICRC CEC. CFI is also proud to announce that Royalty Carpet Mills is a new CFI associate member.

In other news, the first-ever Carl Williams Mentorship Award from the Carpet and Fabricare Institute was presented to Bobbie Williams during The Floor Covering Inspectors Symposium in Las Vegas, Feb. 1.

For more on the CFI, go to www.carpet9.org.