RIA Transfers CRS Certification to ARCS
January 4, 2012
RIA Transfers CRS Certification to ARCS
ROCKVILLE, MD. January 4, 2012 – The Board of Directors of the
Restoration Industry Association (RIA) has voted to transfer ownership and
administration of its Certified Rug Specialist certification program to the
Association of Rug Care Specialists (ARCS) effective January 5, 2012.
“Given the RIA’s focus on the restoration sector, our board
unanimously agreed that it is in the best interests of the rug care industry to
transition this program without cost from our organization to the Association
of Rug Care Specialists,” said Timothy Shaw, RIA’s executive director. “We know
the CRS will be in good hands with ARCS and we eagerly anticipate seeing the
certification program grow under ARCS’ leadership.”
The CRS is the nation’s only certification program that
focuses on the advanced technical study of Oriental and specialty rugs with an
emphasis on the history of handmade rugs, rug identification, cleaning and
repair techniques, and potential cleaning problems based on a rug’s origin and
construction. Successful candidates for the certification must
participate in five days of intensive instruction, pass a two-part written
examination, and write a paper on a topic relevant to the cleaning and repair
of Oriental and specialty rugs. An elite group of 65 rug care specialists
in the United States currently hold the CRS certification.
Under the terms of the agreement, RIA will transfer to ARCS
the rights to CRS trademarks, logos and pins, as well as the Industry Guide
and Recommended Practice for Rug Cleaning Guide that is the basis for the
certification program. All CRS records and intellectual property related to the
certification will also be transferred to ARCS.
“We are grateful for the support of the RIA Board in making
this transition a reality. Their decision is indicative of the cooperative
spirit that exists between our two organizations,” said Bill Foulds, president
of ARCS. “The bottom line is that this agreement will strengthen the rug care
industry and further our association’s mission of educating rug care
specialists and advancing the art and science of rug care.”
According to Foulds, the transition of the upper-level CRS
certification program to ARCS enables the newly formed ARCS association to
provide educational opportunities to all levels of rug care
professionals. The ARCS Education Committee recently completed instructor
guides for both entry- level and intermediate-level courses.
