“February 2021 — Challenging times require exceptional leadership, and 2020 showed just how critical that can be. Across the country, young men and women in the flooring industry were rising to the challenge, from establishing safety protocols for staff amid a pandemic to helping their communities’ most vulnerable populations, and their creative and thoughtful solutions drew the attention of colleagues and peers.

Each year, the Emerging Leaders Awards recognizes the outstanding talent of people under 40 like these within the dealer/retailer/contractor sector. And this year saw the largest pool of submissions in the award’s history, which was judged by field veterans Ralph Boe and Paul Friederichsen. Among the winners are a president, vice presidents, managers and directors, all of whom are bringing new perspectives and fresh ideas to the flooring world and shaping the future of the industry.

This year’s winners are as follows:

Jessica Hansen, 34 – Workplace Services, sales and finance manager;

Tyson Merchand, 36 – Great Floors, Spokane commercial division manager;

Matt Bode, 31 – CB Flooring, vice president;

Christian Braid, 39 – Prairie Flooring, co-founder;

Mechelle DeScroches, 37 – Pavillion Floors, director of operations;

Jake Peterson, 36 – Albany Carpet One, store manager;

Palmer Johnson, 35 – Johnson Floor and Home Carpet One, vice president

Andrew Marden, 35 – CFS Interiors and Flooring, account manager;

Victoria Turkich, 26 – Universal Metro, Estimation Lead

• Earned a bachelor’s degree in construction management from California Baptist University
• Has worked at Universal Metro for nearly 12 years, having started when she was in high school as an executive assistant
• Has supported tens of millions of dollars in successful bid-ding efforts
• Developed new standard operating procedures for her team, including a communal bid calendar, a project backlog data entry system and the standardization of estimation resources
• Supports business development and specification efforts and researching customized solutions with vendor partners

Erin Wyatt, 38 – Paradise Carpet One Floor and Home, director of sales ”

To read the article, honoring Victoria and other winners, see more here: https://www.floordaily.net/floorfocus/2021-emerging-leaders-young-professionals-are-making-a-big-difference-in-the-flooring-commun

It’s worth noting that in 2017, Universal Metro’s President, Grant Petruzzelli, also won this notable award.  Victoria’s win marks the second time that a Universal Metro staff member under 40 years of age has been recognized for their leadership in the flooring industry by Floor Focus Magazine.

“From an intricate design of lizards and leaves in the elevator lobby to warm and residential-feeling luxury vinyl tile in the patient rooms, the Children’s Hospital of Orange County project was a real standout,” said Design Award Judge, Paul Lewandowski. “We’re glad to see it recognized by its peers.”

The 20th Annual Starnet® Design Awards were recently held in sunny Orlando, Florida. One of the most respected and influential commercial flooring design competitions in America, the awards ceremony is a major part of our organization’s spring meeting.

“This year’s winning projects are a testament to the power of collaboration and partnership in the floorcovering industry,” said Jeanne Matson, president and CEO of Starnet Worldwide Commercial Flooring Partnership. “The true value of Starnet is not only the finished work, but new and strengthened relationships that are driving our industry forward from a design and installation perspective.”

This is the second Gold Award that Universal Metro has received in the People’s Choice category (previously winning the same award in 2014), and the only category voted on by the flooring industry’s best floor covering dealers from the Starnet Commercial Flooring Partnership. “While it’s humbling to win a design award in any category,” said Grant Petruzzelli, President of Universal Metro, “it takes on a special meaning when your team’s commitment to excellence is validated by the vote of your peers.”

The project was also recognized as the Silver Award winner in the Healthcare market segment.

Excerpts taken from: http://www.starnetflooring.com/commercial-flooring-news/2018-design-awards/

“Chattanooga, TN, January 24, 2017 — Floor Focus is pleased to announce the winners of its 2017 Young Professional Award, which, this year, focused on the retailer/contractor segment.

The award honors professionals, under the age of 40, who have proven themselves to be true leaders and help drive the industry forward.

Candidates must be nominated, and this year’s winners were announced at a cocktail event at Surfaces.

Judges for the 2017 competition were Ralph Boe, president of ArrowStar and past president of Beaulieu Group, and Paul Friederichsen, flooring industry marketing consultant, creative director and marketing strategist.

This year’s winners are as follows:

Justin Atcheson, president of Builders Floor Covering and Tile;

Steavie Cain, managing principal of Quality Service Floor Covering;

David DeGol Jr., division manager of DeGol Carpet;

Michelle Gibson, store manager of Lima Carpet Corporation;

Katie Krause, senior interior designer at H.J. Martin and Son;

Garrett Ulfig of Mastercraft Flooring;

Sage Parrish of Quality Floor Coverings;

Grant Petruzzelli, Director of Sales and Marketing at Universal Metro;

Jared Satler, owner of Dick’s Carpet One & Auburn Carpet One; and

David Webb, store manager at Dalton Carpet One. ”

http://www.floordaily.net/floorfocus/winners-of-2017-young-professional-award-announced

FKP Architects of Houston, TX embraced CHOC’s message, “The Future is Bright,” translating the hospital’s commitment to leadership in children’s health and well-being into a creative and capturing design. Floors throughout the renovated space included a series of colorful floor murals and several different flooring products from Starnet Preferred Vendor partners Armstrong Commercial Flooring, American Olean, ARDEX Americas, Daltile, Henry Adhesives, Mannington Resilient Floors, and Tandus Flooring. The precision water jet pieces in 35 different colors were part of a project that included installing over 50,000 sq.ft. with class III infection control processes to insure the safety of the patients in an active hospital setting.”