Starnet Members & CARE Aligned Dealer Program

Starnet Members Embrace CARE Aligned Dealer Program

The Carpet America Recovery Effort, or CARE, has something exciting going on – an expanded membership program that offers carpet dealers a cost-effective opportunity to join CARE and support carpet recycling. So far, the first few months of CARE’s new Aligned Dealer Program has attracted some impressive support, including from Starnet Worldwide. CARE is the nationwide alliance of carpet manufacturers, recyclers, dealers, and regulators committed to finding new markets for post-consumer carpet and diverting carpet from landfills. (See this list of earlier blog posts titled CARE Stories from the Carpet and Rug Institute Blog.)

Nearly half of Starnet Worldwide’s 160-plus membership of independent commercial flooring contractors has joined CARE, according to Starnet vice-president of operations Fred Williamson. The program was introduced to Starnet members at the group’s November 2009 Membership Meeting held in Washington, DC. “It’s been a great response in a short period of time,” Williamson says, adding that memberships continue to come into his office daily. Williamson is a current member of CARE’s Board of Directors.

CARE’s commitment to finding new markets for products made from post-consumer carpet content “supports Starnet’s mission to offer carpet reclamation on every project,” says Starnet’s Environmental Issues Committee Co-Chair Linda Goldstein. Linda was kind enough to speak to me in the few minutes she had to spare between her duties as General Manager for CI Carpet Select in St. Louis and serving as the elected mayor of Clayton, Missouri.

Under the program, dealers may join CARE for $150 annually, and may add additional stores for $50 each. Normally the price to join is $500 yearly. For their membership fees, CARE Aligned Dealer members receive a packet of materials that includes a framed certificate, window cling, counter card, business card template, press release template and other marketing materials. CARE is also offering its discounted membership program to Shaw and Mohawk aligned dealers, and plans to expand the program further in the future.

“It’s a great way for residential and commercial carpet dealers to show their customers they are making a sustainable difference,” said CARE Executive Director Georgina Sikorski. “We are thrilled with Starnet’s participation so far – it’s a great organization, full of people who really care about the environment.”

If you'd like more information about the CARE Aligned Dealer Program, please let me know!

~ Bethany


Note: The photo above shows Starnet’s Environmental Issues Committee Co-Chair Linda Goldstein telling Starnet members about the CARE Aligned Dealer program at the group’s Annual Meeting in November.