ARCS's Second Quarter Newsletter 2020
Greetings Everyone!
Changing of the Board...
As most of you know, a big part of the Annual Meeting is the introduction of ARCS newest Board Members and Board Positions. Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the Annual Meeting has been postponed, but the new Board has begun!
It has been my honor to serve as President these past 2 years. From Annual Meetings to Rug-A-Palooza to The Experience to Turkey, I've enjoyed meeting and spending time with many of our members. We've shared stories, experiences and a beer or two. Part of what makes ARCS such an exclusive organization are the unique experiences we share in a very niche industry. Rug cleaning is not for the faint hearted, it takes dedication, time and patience. ARCS may not be the largest organization out there, but it is one of the strongest groups, full of incredibly talented, passionate and knowledgeable people that I am honored to know.
I'd like to thank the Board of Directors, each and every one of you has helped to make the past 2 years great! And special thanks to Randy Hyde, Past President for his guidance and help with all things presidential and to Robert Mann for his endless commitment to ARCS. And Ann Marie, what would we do without her, she guides the way. I'd also like to thank all of ARCS members for trusting me to help guide ARCS into the future.
And now, I'm beyond excited to introduce ARCS New President Mrs. Jennifer Colaco from Oriental Rug Cleaning Co., Inc. in Dallas, Texas, that's right another Texas girl as President! Jennifer's resume is extensive, Master Rug Cleaner and Certified Rug Specialist, her charm and whit undeniable as is her drive to get things done, while maintaining the utmost patience, she's pretty awesome!
Y'all are in good hands.
Meg
So here it is, your ARCS 2020/21 Board of Directors:
CRS - Certified Rug Specialist, Class of 2019
The CRS Class is held every two years and is the industry's highest level of designation. For those that don't know what CRS is; the Certified Rug Specialist class is a four-day, advanced rug identification seminar. Aimed at those who are already competent in basic rug ID and looking to take the next step, this class arms students with the tools to improve and expand their readily apparent rug identification skills, as well as provide them with the skills to identify those rugs with may not be so obvious.
2019 Graduates:
Tyler Ferguson- CRS
Oriental Rug Cleaning Co., Inc.
www.dallasrugcleaner.com
Tyler Ferguson served in the U. S. Navy for four years before joining Oriental Rug Cleaning Co. in 2012. During his time in the navy, he was deployed to Bagram, Afghanistan, Ain Asad, Iraq, and finally as a trouble shooter atop the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis.
His first position at Oriental was as assistant to the route crew chief, making pick-ups and deliveries. He finished the Master Rug Cleaner program in 2016. It was at this class that he developed an interest and proclivity for rug identification. In 2017, he became crew chief after his mentor retired.
Tyler has great discipline, patience and respect, not only for his work and fellow employees, but with his interaction with customers. He passed the CRS class in 2019 which took him to the next level of expertise and confidence. There is little that the customer can throw at him that he cannot address professionally. This enhances Oriental's reputation of being the rug experts in Dallas, Texas. Oriental is proud to have him on our staff.
Damon Fortenberry- CRS, MRC, CCT
Aladdin Cleaning & Restoration, Rug Cleaning Operations Manager
www.aladdincleans.com
Damon has over 20 years of experience in the restoration business, 12 years of hands-on rug expertise, and has been at Aladdin since 2003. Damon is a Certified Rug Specialist (CRS), a 2016 graduate of the Master Rug Cleaner Program (MRC), and a Master Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification's Certified Technician. Damon's key to success is to take pride in your work and the rest will follow! Damon is a San Antonio native and outnumbered in a household of beautiful women - wife Sarah and daughters, Liz and Aspen.
David Sweeney
Sweeney Bros., Bloomington, Illinois
www.sweeneybrothers.com
After working many years at Sweeney Bros. while growing up, David joined the family business in 2006 after graduating from Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Science in Physics and Mathematics.
The company started out in 1956 installing the growing trend of wall-to-wall carpet. Naturally, installation evolved into cleaning. Like all businesses, there were many setbacks, but the family overcame them with determination and hard work. In 1993, they moved into their present location that houses a materials warehouse, showroom, offices and cleaning facility.
In college, he was a frequent volunteer in the Physics Model Shop and was elected president of the Physics Club where he helped introduce programs such as Physics on the Road and a Solar Car Project. He was now officially a NERD!
While in school, David learned every aspect of flooring installation from 30+ year employees. When he joined the business full-time in 2006, he assisted with installation of carpet, hardwood, vinyl, tile and grout as well as commercial flooring products. It wasn't long before David was the lead on installations.
In 2007, using his degree in science and chemistry, David headed up the new venture of rug cleaning. In 2009, he took the Master Rug Cleaner course in Dallas, Texas and from there learned about the newly formed Association of Rug Care Specialists. He has taken advantage of the many educational opportunities that ARCS provides and completed the Certified Rug Specialists course in 2019.
With David at the helm, Sweeney Bros. continues their commitment to education, quality products, expert installation and top-notch cleaning. Above all else, they will continue to prove why "the beauty of a room starts with the floor."
ARCS Practical Dye Removal Class - March 2020
Scott Ring, Woodard Cleaning & Restoration
Rug Cleaners have always been frustrated about the mysteries associated with color migration and dye bleed and specialty stain removal. After several years of requests, the inaugural Practical Dye Removal Course was developed. Ben Knause of Carr's Rug Cleaning in Knoxville, & Randy Hyde of Renaissance Rug Cleaning in Portland spent many months developing the course work.
The class was hosted in Indianapolis by Jordan & Tom King of Oriental Rug Cleaning of Indianapolis. Day of 1 started with introductions all around, learning where each participant was from and their experience in the industry. After the introductions, Ben & Randy presented a PowerPoint discussing the course material and what to expect over the next two days.
After a break it was onto the wash floor to learn about checking in high risk rugs and rugs with existing color bleed. Ben spoke to the group about setting expectations with the client and the risk of cleaning such a rug with these issues. Here the group learned about setting up a strategy for cleaning a high-risk rug as well as having a plan of action if and when it bleeds during cleaning.
The class spent the afternoon with hands-on experience using several different methods to treat the entire rug as well as revisiting some problem areas at the same time. Ben & Randy discussed strategies, mixtures and techniques and then encouraged the students to take a crack at utilizing some of the strategies themselves. After discussing the cleaning and stripping methods, safely drying the rugs quickly became the topic of interest.
Day two started with a review of strategies and techniques from day one along with a lesson on how to evaluate the previous days wash. Once the review was completed, the class moved on to some more hands-on with washing rugs and correcting pre-existing color bleed on the wash floor. The afternoon session was focused around color and stain correction off the wash floor. Each student worked on an individual area or problem with solutions geared more toward finish work.
The class wrapped up with a final discussion followed by a question and answer session. All participants of the class left with a product usage guide and some ARCS swag. This class was designed for the experienced rug cleaner and is not geared toward beginners. All participants were vetted to have completed the ARCS Intermediate Rug Cleaning Class or course work equivalent. Comprehensive knowledge was gained, friendships were made as it was time to leave on day two. A special shout out to Jordan & Tom King for hosting the group at their facility. ARCS has received several request for another class. Watch for future announcements for upcoming events.
Rug Dusting
Kash Sobhe, Rug Ideas
Having a Tumble Duster definitely helps a lot with the flow of your cleaning process, whether you have a higher volume or rugs or just rather not dedicate a full time employee to just dusting. A Tumble Duster allows you to put rugs in, start the machine, and go on and do other things.
While you are bundling rugs up together, you do have some decision making of what rugs not to put in there. So the person assigned must have strict pre-inspection. We personally pre-secure rugs which have holes or rips, so it does not open up in the Tumble Duster. We also avoid putting tufted rugs and very fine/antique rugs in the Tumble Duster.
We have a 10 ft wide Tumble Duster and while that allows us to put over 10 to 15 average size rugs in there, we also don't over pack it or put rugs much wider than 10 ft in there, in order for rugs to open up freely and allow the dust to be released.
We broom our dust room on a daily basis and do a full deep cleaning of the room once a week. Always check the Tumble Duster door to make sure it's closed and locked and always make sure the machine is free of any objects around it (Ex: Don't lean your broom stick on it) before starting the machine.
Rug Dusting by Kash Sobhe, Rug Ideas
Serbian Rug
Brian Benzel, Serafian's
At Serafian's, we clean enough rugs that we rarely see something unusual. Earlier this year, however, we had the pleasure of servicing a rug the likes of which we've never seen. It was approximately 5' x 7' with a coat of arms presented on it, and the client was hoping to get more information about the piece. Thanks to the community of rug gurus over on the Weftkickers Facebook group, we were able to get some pretty precise information for her.
We learned that the rug is of Serbian origin, and it depicts a Serbian coat of arms. With a little study of the various coats of arms through the region's history, it became clear that this was the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918-1943), placing the rug's age firmly in that time period.
The piece is a fairly finely woven kelim with a weft-faced, slit tapestry weave. Wool weft on a wool warp.
Motifs: Rams Horn - Kocboynuzu
Meg Walker, Aladdin Cleaning & Restoration
As mentioned in the last newsletter, while in Istanbul on ARCS Turkey Trip last November, we had the opportunity to visit the Carpet Museum, where they had an extensive exhibit of Ottoman Empire Carpets. Included was a fascinating series about different Motif's used in carpets designs.
Motifs are still being used by carpet weavers today, as seen in these examples. Motifs are derived from symbols that a long, long time ago were used to communicate. Some people use symbols/motifs to "read a rug" or to translate the story weaver is trying to tell us. The Ram's Horn motif represents the belief in the family structure, and the supremacy of its values. It symbolizes manhood, the symbol of might, strength, bravery, courage, heroism and abundance. Some believe if a weaver incorporates the Ram's Horn into her design, it means these are qualities she wishes her future husband to hold.
Member Spotlight - Certified Clean Care, Watkinsville, GA
Owner, Jared Reeves
Jared Reeves turned the Covid-19 Pandemic disruption into opportunity by pivoting his business model. Software giant, Service Titan, highlights his experience in this online exclusive:
If you are a member of ARCS, please join our ARCS Member page on Facebook for great information and sharing!
A.R.C.S. | info@rugcarespecialists.org | www.rugcarespecialists.org
