In our latest guest blog, Richard Catt, CEO of the Contract Flooring Association, discusses his journey in flooring and the biggest issues facing the industry today
I joined the industry in 1987, when I started working for Amtico. I stayed with them for almost 20 years, developing my career through various roles including design, sales, head of customer service, and ultimately a senior technical role. This was a very enjoyable time in which I made many contacts within the industry, and then in 2007 I was approached to join the Contract Flooring Association (CFA) as CEO.
It’s been an amazing journey at the CFA. When I think about what I enjoy most about the role, it’s the variety. I’m lucky that I enjoy so many aspects of my job and get to deal with so many great people, from my wonderful team to valued members like Bostik.
The common theme of everything we do is providing practical help to people in the sector. Whether through our involvement in technical standards, training, legislation, lobbying, or social events, the CFA links the supply chain like nothing else can. The beauty of our organisation is that we provide a forum where issues that affect everyone in the industry can be discussed, worked on, and improved.
Tackling the big issues
One of the biggest issues facing the industry today is the need to recruit and train more floorlayers. The lack of young people coming through has long been a concern, so it’s encouraging to see the excellent work that goes on at the Bostik Academy to equip the next generation with the skills they’ll need.
At the CFA, we lead the sector through Future Fitters, our initiative that provides an overview of the opportunities for individuals within our sector and identifies the support and training needed to become skilled, competent and qualified installers. Future Fitters identifies four key pillars that our sector needs to work on; improving the pipeline for new workers, expanding localised training provision, increasing overall employer recruitment and identifying new industry and financial support. As our training arm, we naturally also work closely with the Flooring Industry Training Association (FITA), the gold standard for training and apprenticeships in our industry. See also CFA Future Fitters – RECRUITING MORE FLOORLAYERS.
Another challenge is the increasing burden of administration on contractors. Joining the CFA lessens this, as many admin tasks become a one-stop shop. A contractor can often find the answer to their day-to-day problem within a benefit we offer, whether legal advice, health and safety tips, or access to documents and templates that help them run their business. Join the CFA here.
Site conditions are also a constant concern. Every winter, we run our Winter Warning campaign, pushing main contractors and builders to provide adequate heat on site so flooring products work as they should. Another problem is that, too often, contractors are required to fit floors while a ceiling is being finished or walls plastered, putting the subfloor at risk of contamination. In response, our new Clear Our Workspace campaign is calling for clearer conditions that will enable floorlayers to work unimpeded.
The sustainability factor
The rise of sustainability continues to move at an incredible pace. It used to be a relatively niche and theoretical subject area – nice to do if you could. Now it’s an everyday consideration and part of general working practice for companies like Bostik, which is great to see.
At the CFA, we engage with recycling schemes such as Recofloor and CRUK, and regularly update our members on sustainability developments through our website, newsletter and annual publication of the CFA Guide to Sustainability. We also include a sustainability section in our quarterly update to our manufacturers committee, through which we engage with the Construction Products Association, who give us a link to government for lobbying.
There’s no doubt that sustainability will continue to be a big driver for our sector. We now have the Future Homes and Buildings Standards 2023, which as a consultation document limits the use of textile and wood in new-build properties because of under-floor heating and tog values. I believe more legislation that challenges our sector is likely to come, particularly in terms of products, recycling, and waste. It’s vital that manufacturers and contractors are prepared.
The future of the industry
I don’t have a crystal ball, unfortunately, and I’m always conscious that things may change very quickly. What seems set in stone today can be overturned by government in a moment – I give you HS2 and diesel cars!
However, I do think the issue of competency, resulting from Grenfell and Dame Judith Hackitt’s review, will have a big impact going forward. While we are not a high-risk sector, I still suspect it will become mandatory for flooring contractors to be able to provide proof of competence in their field, and for fitters to show experience in order to work on larger, main contractor-led projects. If that gains traction, the same could even roll out to direct client and domestic work.
As for the CFA, we will continue to work tirelessly for the benefit of our members. The challenge for us is to adapt to the fast pace of change in construction. For instance, as we enter a new political era, new government legislation may require us to adapt some of the things we do and the ways we interact with the industry – which we’ve already started doing through our new news platform, Floorscape.
One thing that hasn’t changed since I started out is that flooring still offers a great career path. To anyone entering the industry today, I would advise them as follows: align yourself with a good CFA member company like Bostik and make contacts and friends that will help you develop your career while making a difference. Underpin that with good training and gain as much well-researched knowledge as you can – and the sky is the limit in terms of how far you can go.
The CFA is a leading trade association representing the flooring industry. To find out more, visit www.cfa.org.uk.
