The Partnership for Executive Development and Business Growth, a customized program designed to provide participants with an opportunity to study the essentials of business management and develop new skills and strategies to grow their businesses, has been formed in partnership between the University of Pennsylvania and four leading trade associations in the floor care industry.

Participating in the Partnership are the Association of Rug Care Specialists, National Wood Flooring Association, North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors and the World Floor Covering Association. The partnership will tap into the full resources of the University, including the Center for Organizational Dynamics and the Department of Economics, as well as professors from the Wharton School, widely recognized as one of the world’s leading business schools, and the Wharton Small Business Development Center. It’s expected to begin in January 2013.