Past Events

The basic outline of the course is as follows:

Reviews the basic steps in a “best­ practice” rug cleaning, why we do them and some of the most common prevailing methods in application today. While pros and cons of each method are discussed, editorial content is kept out.

• Pre­-cleaning Inspection – Why some consider it the most important step in rug cleaning and some of the most common conditions encountered in area rugs.
• Dry soil removal – Why it’s important and ways to do it.
• Washing – From dry cleaning methods to full saturation washing. Each method is discussed covering the why and how as well as the pros and cons.
• Drying – Surveying the most common methods in use today
• Finishing processes – Grooming, browning correction, color correction, etc.

Covers the basics of the most common fibers and chemicals encountered in area rug care. Topics are discussed generically, avoiding favoritism and bias.

• Wool – Why it is the most common rug fiber. How we go from sheep to rug yarn.
• Cotton – Production and application
• Silk – It’s advantages, disadvantages and production
• Bast Fibers – production and uses
• Plastics – Nylon, Olefin, etc.
• Rayon – production and it’s many other names

• Soil – most common types, how they accumulate and implications for cleaning
• Solvents – Polar and Non­-polar, volatile and non­volatile and applications for cleaning
• Detergents – what they are and how they work
• The PH scale – What it is, why it’s important and the general PH of specific substances
• Sinner circle

A general discussion of tufted rugs and their specific cleaning needs and concerns is followed by a survey of the most common types of tufted rugs encountered, how to identify them and their specific cleaning needs and concerns.  We finish covering the most common specialty rugs a cleaner will encounter.

• Tufted rugs – What they are and how they differ from other area rugs
• Tufted rugs made in China
• Tufted rugs made in India
• Custom­-tufted rugs
• Machine­-tufted rugs
• Specialty rugs – Skins, Shags, craft rugs, etc.

Picks up where we left off. We start with Machine­-made rugs and cover how to tell them from hand­made rugs. While hand­made rug ID is not discussed, students are introduced to the basics of where they are made, different construction techniques and the terminology used, building a foundation for future classes.

• Wilton construction – both traditional and face­-to­-face variants
• Axminster – both tradition and the Karastan® variants
• Hand­made – piled and non­-piled construction, terminology and how to tell them from machine­-made rugs

About the instructor ­- Armen Dohanian: is a fourth generation rug cleaner. His family owns a 100 + year old rug cleaning and restoration business in Boston, Massachusetts. Involved in rug cleaning from an early age, Armen is currently vice­-president of operations at the Oriental Rug Cleaning Company in Dallas, TX, a 103 year old, “full­-service” rug cleaning and restoration company. Mr. Dohanian is an ARCS Certified Rug Specialist (CRS), a certified Master Rug Cleaner and a Woolsafe North America "Fiber Care Specialist" as well as a member of the International Society of Appraisers.

This class will cover all of the important steps that can make or break your customer experience:

• Learn about your company and what you offer 
• Elevator Pitch 
• Common Pre-Inspection Conditions 
• Terminology: How to Convey Technical Explanations in Layman’s Terms 
• Help new customers navigate the rug cleaning process 
• How to Make Repeat Customers Continue to Feel Valued 
• THE IMPORTANCE OF DOCUMENTATION 
• Managing Customer Expectations 
• Dealing with Complaints 
• Proper Phone Etiquette 
• Proper In-Person Etiquette 
• Inter-Office Communication

Jennifer Colaco: joined Oriental Rug Cleaning in Dallas, Texas as office manager in 2010, becoming the fourth generation of her family to be involved in the flooring business. Prior to this, she worked in textile project management. Jennifer is Vice-President on the Association of Rug Care Specialist Board (ARCS), a Certified Rug Specialist, and Master Rug Cleaner.

A graduate of Texas A&M University, Jennifer and has spent the majority of her professional career interfacing with customers. Her focus on delivering excellent customer practices for her team led her to create and teach “Effective Communications for Rug Cleaners”, currently offered through ARCS.

2023 TRADE SHOW HOURS:

- DAY 1: Wednesday, September 6th - 2:00 - 6:00 pm
- DAY 2: Thursday, September 7th - 2:30 - 6:30 pm
- DAY 3: Friday, September 8th - 12:00 - 3:00 pm

Information to come.

The Tools of Rug Identification – Grouped in a linear and methodical progression, students learn how to read a rug’s construction to identify its origins. Material progresses from easily discernible traits to more nuanced variations using the most commonly encountered area rugs as teaching material. Students come away knowing the covered material as well as how to advance their skills outside of class.

Survey of hand­-tufted, machine­-made, and specialty rugs

Hand­-knotted Rugs – a brief history, nomenclature and introduction to structure, the tools of rug ID

• Persian rugs

• Copies of Persian rugs

• Designer rugs

• Flat-weaves

Overview of Cleaning Process

• Review of the steps in a “best practice” rug cleaning as outlined in ARCS’ Industry Guide & Recommended Practice for Rug Cleaning

Rug Intake

• Pre­-inspection and documentation, inventory control & pre­wash stabilization 

About Rugs & Fibers

• A review of the most commonly encountered rug fibers and construction techniques and what their implications are for the cleaning process.                                                      

About Soils & Cleaning

• Review of the types of soils found in rugs  What are they? How do they accumulate?

Rug Washing

• Getting our hands dirty cleaning the host plants inventory.   Topics will include:

  • How to generate a cleaning plan

  • How all the host’s “toys” work and how to scale the operation up and down to meet the demands of each student

  • What to do if a rug starts to go south

Drying Theory

• Discussion of drying theory and its effects on the cleaning process.

Results

• Evaluating results and discussing the next steps.  Discussion, how clean is clean enough?  weighing risks vs rewards.

Finishing Processes

• A survey of the non­-wash processes that go into a rug cleaning

  • Grooming

  • Fringe Correction

  • Post­-wash treatments

  • Cosmetic Touchups

• Checkout procedures

  • Recording and reporting results

Spotting techniques

• A discussion of the techniques for removing common spots such as rust, paint, wax, etc.

Discoloration Remediation

• How the products work and how they differ from spotters.

• Risks and how to manage them

• Discussion and demonstrations of common applications and techniques

  • Urine Stain removal

  • Floor Stripping of Dye

  • Dry stripping of Dye

Review Test - Don’t worry, it isn’t graded

ARCS’s “Practical Dye Removal for the Rug Washer” course is a good primer on a complex subject. Ben did a great job explaining the principals and practical application of the most commonly encountered bleaches used in our industry. Those applications were then demonstrated at work in multiple real-world scenarios, not just “ideal” situations. Balancing risk versus reward, Mr. Knause walked students through an experienced professional’s thought process and approach to each problem. Participants were then given ample opportunity to practice with each product under the watch of an experienced cleaner, allowing them to get a better handle on the use of each type of product. This class will shorten the learning curve of anyone getting into color correction and is a must-attend course for any experienced cleaner who wants to know more about the subject.
Armen Dohanian - Oriental Rug Cleaning Co.

1. Wednesday, April 19, 2023
1. Registration
2. Welcome Happy Hour: Lobby Lounge (cash bar)
3. Dinner on your own
2. Thursday, April 20, 2023
1. Headshots - We are excited to offer professional headshots free of charge at this year’s convention! A professional photographer will be set up Thursday morning to take your updated photo. Sign up with Jennifer Colaco (jennifer@dallasrugcleaner.com) to take advantage of this great opportunity!
2. Annual ARCS Meeting - Overview of the last year of events, classes, how we are doing financially, thank you to our board members leaving, and the introduction of our new board members and officers.
3. Capital Improvements Panel – Both big and small changes around your wash plant can impact your processes, your finished product and your team. This panel discusses some of the changes made to their facilities including an overview of each project, the cost (both expected and unexpected), the highs, the lows and was it worth it!
4. The Power of Your People – The people answering your phones are either instilling confidence or deterring your customers. How do you convert a lead to a sale? How do you turn a price inquiry into a scheduled pick-up? This talk will cover the importance of the people on your front lines and how they impact your bottom line.  
5. Tangible Marketing - Modern marketing can be incredibly overwhelming. EJ from Oriental Rug Cleaning of Indianapolis will help simplify this new age of marketing and offer tangible marketing with social media, short videos, text messaging, and more to gain leads, stay relevant, and in the customer's mind.
6. The Holistic Art of Diné Weaving - The Holistic art of Diné (Navajo) weaving of the T ł 'ízí lání (Manygoats) Clan, Roy will share the traditional processes of weaving, its traditional methods/uses, and its future of how it continues to evolve. Roy will bring some samples of his family's weavings and his weaving to show the different design elements and their meanings, he will also have a 30-minute showing of the documentary of the Navajo-Churro sheep that he raised titled "A Gift From Talking God", also some slide presentation of his past and current works. He will share appropriate seasonal family stories of how Spiderman gifted his counterpart Spiderwoman how to weave on an upright loom, thus sharing the untold stories of the Male weavers and their role in continuing the evolution of Diné/Navajo Weaving in his family and through the Navajo Nation.
7. Ownership & Transitions – Owning and running a rug cleaning plant are not for the faint of heart. Join us as James Kruse talks about the process of buying DA Burns (Seattle, WA) and what has surprised him along the way.
8. Roundtable Discussion – Get together in small groups with your fellow rug cleaners to discuss a range of relevant topics. We will then join back as a big group and discuss our most interesting finds.
9. Dinner on your own
3. Friday, April 21, 2023
1. Dalworth Rug Cleaning
2. Stanley Steemer - TBD
3. Oriental Rug Cleaning Co.
4. Saturday, April 22, 2023
1. Tour (optional)

Monday - January 16th
Armen: Cleaning Chemistry 2 hours
Ellen: Machine-Made Rugs 1.5 hours
Lunch
Ellen: Review

a) History of Oriental Rugs
b) Dyes
c) What is an Oriental Rug
d) Four Categories of Oriental Rugs/Traditional Persian
e) Where Oriental Rugs Get Their Names
f) Construction
g) Knots and Grading Systems
h) End Finishes
i) Side Finishes
j) Chemical Wash
k) Design Components
h) Dating Rugs
i) Components of Identification/Technical Analysis

Countries Producing Oriental Rugs
a) Iran: Heriz, Sarouk, Kashan, Kerman, Mahal, Tabriz, Meshed, Joshagan, Serab, Bijar, silk rugs

TUESDAY - January 17th
a) Finish Persian rugs from Monday
b) Six Persian single-wefted rugs: Hamadan, Malayer, Senneh, Bakhtiari, Karaja, Lillihan
c) Tribal Rugs: Baluch, Turkoman, Bakhtiari, Afshar, Shiraz

WEDNESDAY - January 18th
Countries Producing Oriental Rugs, con’t
a) Afghanistan
b) China
c) India
d) Pakistan
e) Romania
f) Tibetan
g) Turkish

THURSDAY - January 19th
Countries Producing Oriental Rugs, con’t (if necessary)
Caucasian and Navajo Rugs
Hands-On Technical Analysis—divide into groups
Appraisals—Power Point

FRIDAY - January 20th
Review for written test
Practice rug Identification in the plant with rugs not previously seen
Mock Rug Identification test
Questions, Answers, Problems

SATURDAY - January 21st
9AM-12PM
Written test
Hands-On Identification Test

Ellen Amirkhan: Ellen Amirkhan is a graduate of Texas Woman's University with a Bachelor of Science degree and Southern Methodist University with a Master of Liberal Arts degree. She is President of Oriental Rug Cleaning Co., Inc., in Dallas, Texas, a business started by her grandfather in 1911 that specialized in cleaning, repairing, appraising, and selling oriental rugs.

A past president of the Association of Specialists in Cleaning and Restoration (ASCR) - now the Restoration Industry Association (RIA) - Ellen develops and teaches oriental rug schools for the International Society of Appraisers (ISA) and other recognized groups across the United States and England, and is a co-developer of the Master Rug Cleaner Program.

In addition, she consults and serves as an expert witness for the legal profession. Ellen holds the designations of Certified Appraiser of Oriental Rugs from the International Society of Appraisers (ISA) and the Oriental Rug Retailers of America (ORRA) and Certified Rug Specialist (CRS) from the Association of Rug Care Specialists (ARCS).

Ellen's awards include the RIA Dr. Steven Spivak Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Textile Industry, The ASCR Helen Bradley Distinguished Service Award and The North Texas Chapter of the International Society of Appraisers (NTISA) Ellen Amirkhan Distinguished Service Award.

Robert Mann: Robert owns and operates Robert Mann Rugs Inc. in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1978, RMR Inc. provides cleaning and repair services to retail and wholesale clients throughout the United States, as well as outsourced restorations services provided by its sister company, ATC, in Izmir , Turkey. Robert spent for over 25 years working as a technical consultant in modern rug productions in nearly all the major rug producing countries.

Ellen Amirkhan and Robert Mann are truly world class individuals who love this industry and are working hard to help others continue to grow their own passion for rugs.

Chuck Koshgarian, Koshgarian Rug Cleaning

Don't miss out on this course! It will only be available every other year, you don't want to spend the next 2 years wishing you would've jumped on board sooner!

Jordan King, Oriental Rug Cleaning of Indianapolis

Radisson Hotel Denver Central
4849 Bannock Street,
Denver, CO 80216

(303) 292-9500

Room Rates: $94 + tax
WIFI and Breakfast Included
Two Queen Beds or One King Bed

TED MAST

Thursday, Nov. 3, 9:00AM

Theodore (Ted) Mast has studied Near Eastern rugs, rug weaving cultures, collecting, and scholarship since 1979, and earned a Ph.D. in Folklore and Folklife from the University of Pennsylvania. He has curated exhibitions, including Highstyle to Homestyle at the Woodmere Art Museum in conjunction with the Philadelphia 1996 International Conference on Oriental Carpets. He has lectured, taught, and published widely, has advised museums, collectors, producers, and dealers, and is a contributor to Hali magazine. His presentation, The Rugs We Inherited, The Rugs We Created, recounts the evolution of the decorative rug market during the last century and will focus on examples typical of what ARCS members are likely to encounter.

Around 1900 there was a bifurcation within the sphere of Oriental rugs. Producers and dealers responded to the lucrative American market with large decorative rugs by standardizing designs, colors, and sizes that sold best. Harsh synthetic dyes replaced natural dyes to reduce costs, and machine-spun yarns became standard. Parallel to this was a small, dedicated number of scholars, collectors, and enthusiasts who believed the best rugs had already been woven, and rug weaving was in rapid decline. By comparison, new rugs had little more status than machine-made rugs, and in time, with rising costs of labor and materials and diminishing sales, the new rug market was approaching extinction. Yet a few aficionados realized that in a few rustic villages, the weaving quality was intact, but the use of synthetic dyes made their rugs virtually unsaleable. A German educator, Harald Boehmer, lead research in the ‘70s to rediscover the art of natural dyeing, and with cooperation with faculty members from the University of Marmara and the Turkish Department of Forestry, the natural dyeing project ( DOBAG) was initiated in 1982. Although their efforts were largely academic and intended to benefit village weavers, it inspired George Jevremovic, a Philadelphia-based dealer - turned producer, to develop the most artistic rugs of the century, and by the late ‘80s, had influenced rug producers throughout the world.

ELLEN AMIRKHAN: ARMENIAN SECRETS AND WHY YOU DON’T NEED TO KNOW

Thursday, Nov. 3, 10:30AM

By the late 19th and early 20th century, many Armenian immigrants were engaged in rug sales, cleaning and repair, achieving near total domination of the oriental rug business. The making, selling and cleaning of oriental rugs was viewed as closely guarded secrets held by a few. Armenian rug cleaners invested tremendous amounts of time and money to learn their craft and naturally wanted to protects their interests. In order to understand this mindset, we have to understand where our forefathers came from and the unspeakable crimes against humanity that they witnessed and endured. Beyond the doom and gloom, growing up in an Armenian rug cleaning plant definitely had its eccentricities. You didn’t know any different so you thought it was normal. Learn to “keep your eye on the overhead”, the Armenian way.

ELLEN AMIRKHAN'S BIO

Since 1980, Ellen Amirkhan has served as president of Oriental Rug Cleaning Co. in Dallas, Texas, a business started by her grandfather in 1911 that specializes in cleaning, repairing, appraising and selling oriental rugs. A Past President of Association of Specialists in Cleaning and Restoration, Ellen holds the designations of Certified Rug Specialist and ISA CAPP. She is a co-developer of the Master Rug Cleaner Program, co-author of A Comprehensive Guide to Oriental and Specialty Rug Cleaning and the video series Unraveling the Riddle of Rug Identification, and serves as an expert witness for the legal profession.

PAUL ISKYAN

Thursday, Nov. 3, 1:30PM

Paul Iskyan has been a Manhasset resident for 60 years. He attended St. Mary’s High School in Manhasset and went to Northeastern University in Boston MA on a full athletic scholarship to play ice hockey. At Northeastern Paul majored in Business Administration and graduated from Northeastern’s five year program in just four years. During his hockey playing days at Northeastern, his teams achieved two major accomplishments. In 1980 they were the first NU team to win the prestigious Beanpot Tournament, College hockey’s oldest and most coveted event. Then in 1982 the same NU team went to the NCAA final four and competed for the national championship in Division 1.

After graduating in 1982 Paul joined his family business and has worked for Rug Renovating (established in 1896) and is currently the President of the company. Rug Renovating is located in East Orange NJ and is the largest and one of most prestigious rug cleaning, repair and restoration organizations in the Country and employs 50 people. Paul has achieved the title of Certified Rug Specialist #55 as recognized by ARCS: Association of Rug Care Specialists.

In addition to running Rug Renovating, Paul also owns and operates a business that sells and installs window film as a certified 3M Prestige Dealer in the tristate area and employs 11 people. The name of the business is; TriState Sun Control Corp.

Finally, Paul is also involved in a startup company called; The Jox Company, which manufactures and sells Athletic and Medical core support compression shorts attached up a back-support belt. Paul and his partner currently hold 3 U.S. patents and international patents.

Paul lost his brother and seven friends in the 9/11/2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. Paul and a handful for friends started a very successful charity and named it Tuesday’s Children with the mission of helping the families who lost a parent on that fateful day. Paul has been an active board member, charity supporter and is the only remaining founder member on the Tuesday’s Children Board of Directors. Paul has worked with other non-profit organizations over the years but Tuesday’s Children holds a special place in his heart.

Paul is married to Pamela Iskyan for 34 years and they have two wonderful and successful children, Jacklyn and Samantha. When not working Paul enjoys playing ice hockey, golf, working out and spending time with friends and family.

MICHAEL CHRISTIE: THE RUGGIST

Thursday, Nov. 3, 3:00PM

Michael Christie is an internationally recognized hand-knotted rug and carpet aficionado, conceptualist, and commentator. A respected stalwart advocate of hand-knotted rugs and carpets, his stern and discerning critiques reflect adherence to quality, craftsmanship, and holistic sustainability as the foundation of a vibrant and prosperous carpet trade. Known widely as ‘The Ruggist’ his writings appear on his own website and social media channels, and in the past have appeared in COVER and HALI Magazines, ECS Nepal, Nepal Carpet Magazine, as well as Rug Insider Magazine; he likewise served as Editor of the latter from 2017 until 2020. Since 2018 he has served as the Brand Ambassador of Handmade Nepalese Carpets for the Nepal Carpet Manufacturer's and Exporter’s Association (NCMEA) and his ongoing fieldwork in the country of Nepal continues to foster both this work and a forward-looking perspective on adapting carpentry to the needs of this era and the future. Christie is also a novice weaver who has researched, designed and built his own upright looms, teaching himself the craft of carpentry in order to better understand the nature of weaving and the role individuals play in the commerce of luxury handicrafts.

theruggist.com

@theruggist

TOM MONAHAN

Friday, Nov. 4, 8:30AM

1977 founded and operated a successful professional residential and commercial carpet & furniture cleaning service, water damage restoration company, and an in-plant rug washing business before selling them all 3-1/2 years ago. Operated all 42 years in Ann Arbor Michigan.

Additionally, during that era, I co-founded Centrum Force in 2007, followed by Centrum Force Fabrication in 2012. This allowed for building our own equipment in-house that year. We thus became a verticle company that designs, builds, and sells our own machines. Next, bought the MOR Time Saving Equipment in the summer of 2012. Since, have been servicing, supplying parts, refurbishing older machines, and producing new machines. MOR now celebrates 73 years of existence.

Since 2019, I have been the sole owner of all the Centrum companies and MOR Time Saving Equipment located in Michigan. I continue to teach and consult.

2022 TRADE SHOW HOURS:

- DAY 1: Wednesday, September 7th - 2:00 - 6:00 pm
- DAY 2: Thursday, September 8th - 2:30 - 6:30 pm
- DAY 3: Friday, September 9th - 12:00 - 3:00 pm 

The Harrah's Las Vegas

$104 Night/USD - Sunday - Thursday

$144 Night/USD - Friday and Saturday

A Resort Fee of $30 per room per night, plus the current Clark County room tax of 13.38% (subject to change) will be charged in addition to the room rates set forth above.

(888) 458-8471

Click here to make your room reservations online now

The Tools of Rug Identification – Grouped in a linear and methodical progression, students learn how to read a rug’s construction to identify its origins. Material progresses from easily discernible traits to more nuanced variations using the most commonly encountered area rugs as teaching material. Students come away knowing the covered material as well as how to advance their skills outside of class.

Survey of hand­-tufted, machine­-made, and specialty rugs

Hand­-knotted Rugs – a brief history, nomenclature and introduction to structure, the tools of rug ID

• Persian rugs

• Copies of Persian rugs

• Designer rugs

• Flat-weaves

Overview of Cleaning Process

• Review of the steps in a “best practice” rug cleaning as outlined in ARCS’ Industry Guide & Recommended Practice for Rug Cleaning

Rug Intake

• Pre­-inspection and documentation, inventory control & pre­wash stabilization 

About Rugs & Fibers

• A review of the most commonly encountered rug fibers and construction techniques and what their implications are for the cleaning process.                                                      

About Soils & Cleaning

• Review of the types of soils found in rugs  What are they? How do they accumulate?

Rug Washing

• Getting our hands dirty cleaning the host plants inventory.   Topics will include:

  • How to generate a cleaning plan

  • How all the host’s “toys” work and how to scale the operation up and down to meet the demands of each student

  • What to do if a rug starts to go south

Drying Theory

• Discussion of drying theory and its effects on the cleaning process.

Results

• Evaluating results and discussing the next steps.  Discussion, how clean is clean enough?  weighing risks vs rewards.

Finishing Processes

• A survey of the non­-wash processes that go into a rug cleaning

  • Grooming

  • Fringe Correction

  • Post­-wash treatments

  • Cosmetic Touchups

• Checkout procedures

  • Recording and reporting results

Spotting techniques

• A discussion of the techniques for removing common spots such as rust, paint, wax, etc.

Discoloration Remediation

• How the products work and how they differ from spotters.

• Risks and how to manage them

• Discussion and demonstrations of common applications and techniques

  • Urine Stain removal

  • Floor Stripping of Dye

  • Dry stripping of Dye

Review Test - Don’t worry, it isn’t graded

1. Wednesday, April 27th
   1. Registration
   2. Welcome Cocktail Reception: Lobby Lounge
   3. Dinner on your own
2. Thursday, April 28th
   1. Annual Board Meeting
   2. CRS Presentation
   3. HR Practices & How to Scale to Apply to Specific Needs ~ Ian Schotanus, The Big Picture Consulting
   4. How to Develop a Safety Culture: Safety Manager with Woodard
   5. Current Afghan Rug Trends (Future & Present)
   6. Training Practices & How to scale to apply to your business needs ~ John Gagnepain - Woodard Training Dept.
   7. The Lean Journey: How to empower your teams to eliminate waste and increase efficiencies in their own workspace. ~ Matt Lanham and Team Members for Panel, Cambridge Engineering
   8. 2020 Vision on Workforce & Benefits Trends: How the changes in the workforce are impacting business culture, benefits, and competition for talent ~ Cali Beeman with Gallagher
   9. Associate Member Presentations/snack time (Meet & Greet your Associate members)
   10. Round Table ~ Jordan King, Ben Knause, Meg Walker, Scott Ring
   11. Dinner @ Kemoll’s Chop House (Hosted by ARCS in honor of our founding members)
3. Friday, April 29th
   1. Woodard Rug Plant Tour
   2. Saint Louis Art Museum
   3. Lunch
4. Saturday, April 30th
   1. St. Louis Arch Tour (optional)

Matthew Lanham

Matthew Lanham currently serves as the Director of Sales Management and Customer Service with Cambridge Air Solutions in Chesterfield, MO; a privately-held company focusing on energy-efficient heating, ventilation and cooling equipment for warehouse and industrial spaces. Before assuming the role of director, Matthew served as a regional sales manager for the southeast United States and Canada; fostering relationships with design and specifying engineers, mechanical contractors and end-users alike.

Matthew holds a B.S in Chemistry from the University of Missouri and minor in mathematics as well as a B.S. in Accounting from the University of New Orleans

Scott Barger

Scott started his career serving as a carpenter for 5 years before becoming the Safety Coordinator in the petrochemical industry. He has served on the Hazmat Team, the Fire Brigade, as an OSHA VPP coordinator, and an ISO trainer. He has background experience in insurance loss/risk control as well as a supervisory role with Amsted Rail. Scott continued his journey into various aspects of safety for 12 years as the Safety Manager with Fire Safety Inc. dealing with service and installation of fire protection equipment.

Today Scott serves as the Safety Leader at Woodard Cleaning & Restoration. He enjoys getting onto job sites and working with team members to get input on current and future safety opportunities.

Randy Hyde

• Randy Hyde - Past President
• Renaissance Rug Cleaning Inc.
• www.renaissancerugs.com

Randy Hyde; Owner of Renaissance Rug Cleaning, Inc. established in 1999 in Portland, Oregon. He started in the rug business with Atiyeh Brothers in the late 1980s. In 1996 Randy accepted a job with rug dealer, author, and tribal rug expert James Opie in part to manage the wash plant but also to sell rugs. Randy purchased the cleaning end of the business in 1999 and changed the name to “Renaissance Rug Cleaning”. Today Renaissance provides cleaning and service to most of Portland’s dealers and collectors. From 2015-16 Randy served on the ARCS board of directors and as ARCS President from 2016- to April 2018.

The Big Picture Consulting, LLC (TBPC)

Whether you need new documents, policies, or emergency support due to a government audit or employee situation, TBPC follows a Business Goals First consulting philosophy that goes well beyond typical compliance support you see from ‘add-on modules’ provided by payroll or Worker’s Compensation companies. Not only will you receive the letter of the law, but also an honest risk analysis of how to most efficiently comply with those laws or regulations and how they may impact your business operations, company culture, and long-term goals.

Every piece of advice offered is filtered through the lens of providing you with any and all information needed to make the most qualified business decision possible as well as a variety of options to allow you to accomplish your goal in any given situation. Whatever you are facing, TBPC will provide solutions and ongoing support/assistance through every step of the way… All while achieving and maintaining the highest level of compliance protection possible for your business!

Ian Schotanus

• Ian Schotanus SHRM-SCP, OSHA-30
• Owner & Lead Consultant
• The Big Picture Consulting, LLC (TBPC)

Ian is the Owner and Lead Consultant for The Big Picture Consulting. As a US Navy veteran with 2 Business Degrees, having worked in the retail/service field as both Sales and Technician, and over a decade’s worth of experience as a National Level HR & Safety Compliance consultant, he has a well-established knowledge base specifically geared to assist Residential and Commercial Service Providers. He has personally assisted hundreds of companies prevent or minimize financial damage caused by employee lawsuits, OSHA investigations, Wage and Hour Division audits, and more!

Specialties: Business Management, Systems Analysis and Design, Payroll Compliance, Safety Compliance, Employee Management Resolution

Cali Beeman

Cali joined the Gallagher Benefit Services team in 2013 servicing large accounts and currently serves as Benefits Consultant from the San Antonio office. She is a certified Human Resources Professional with benefits administration and compliance experience. Her past employers include the San Antonio Spurs as a Benefits & Staffing Specialist and Calvert Memorial Hospital in Southern Maryland as a HR Projects & Compliance Specialist.

As the spouse of a US Air Force member, she has had the privilege of working in various industries and company cultures. Her previous involvement with corporate strategic planning provides her the ability to find a balance between business and employee needs in regards to cost-control for budget planning and value for employee satisfaction.

Her background in Benefits Account Management and previous Human Resources experience gives her the unique ability to provide client insight for tying their Benefits and Human Capital Strategies together most effectively.

Although Cali and her husband are originally from the East Coast and have traveled the U.S. for the past 20 years, their dedication to the USAF came to a close, and they have finally “settled down” in New Braunfels, Texas with their two children.

John Gagnepain

John has worked in the Training and Employee Engagement field for over 25 years. He is the Director of Training and Leadership Development at Woodard Cleaning & Restoration. He previously oversaw training, employee engagement, and secret shopper programs at Six Flags St. Louis and lead the online training initiatives for all Six Flags Theme Parks.

Meg Walker

Meg Walker is Vice President of Aladdin Cleaning & Restoration in San Antonio, Texas. Upon graduation from Texas Christian University in 2004, Meg began her career at Aladdin in accounting, marketing and HR. In 2016 she graduated from the Master Rug Cleaner Program. Meg is the current President of the Board for the Association of Rug Care Specialists.

Jennifer Vickery

Jennifer joined Oriental Rug Cleaning in Dallas, Texas as office manager in 2010, becoming the fourth generation of her family to be involved in the flothe Association of Rug Care Specialist Board (ARCS), a Certified Rug Specialist, and Master Rug Cleaner.
A graduate of Texas A&M University, Jennifer and has spent the majority of her professional career interfacing with customers. Her focus on delivering excellent customer practices for her team led her to create and teach “Effective Communications for Rug Cleaners”, currently offered through ARCS.

Ellen Amirkhan

Since 1980, Ellen Amirkhan has served as president of Oriental Rug Cleaning Co. in Dallas, Texas, a business started by her grandfather in 1911 that specializes in cleaning, repairing, appraising and selling oriental rugs. A Past President of RIA, Ellen holds the designations of Certified Rug Specialist and Certified Oriental Rug Appraiser through the International Society of Appraisers. She is a co-developer of the Master Rug Cleaner Program, co-author of A Comprehensive Guide to Oriental and Specialty Rug Cleaning and serves as an expert witness for the legal profession.

Woodard Cleaning & Restoration

Woodard began in 1946 when Earl and Nancy Woodard began to offer their customers in-home rug cleaning door-to-door — an innovation at the time. Today, the Woodard family adheres to that same dedication to quality, customer service and innovation. Justin Woodard — grandson to Earl and Nancy, and son of Charlie Woodard — continues the family legacy as he owns and oversees Woodard’s operations.

Justin and the Woodard family attribute the company’s success to the superior knowledge and expertise of their team, the dedication to providing high-caliber cleaning, their 100% satisfaction guarantee and the many loyal customers they’ve been honored to serve for the past 70+ years.

Sheraton Westport Chalet - $119/night!
191 W Port Plaza Dr.
St. Louis, MO 63146
Phone: 314-878-1500

Follow this link to book your group rate for the Association of Rug Care Specialists!

Robert Mann: Robert owns and operates Robert Mann Rugs Inc. in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1978, RMR Inc. provides cleaning and repair services to retail and wholesale clients throughout the United States, as well as outsourced restorations services provided by its sister company, ATC, in Izmir, Turkey. Robert spent over 25 years working as a technical consultant in modern rug productions in nearly all the major rug-producing countries.

Intake, Log-in, Assessment: Going over a rug when it comes in is the first step in making a cleaning plan. We’ll check for condition problems that may complicate cleaning, assess soiling and stains, test colors for stability if necessary, measure, tag, photograph, and document all we see. Learn to create a plan for cleaning each individual rug we take in.

Pre-Wash Treatment: There’s a lot to do before you get a rug wet. Stains or soiled areas may need to be pre-treated. Dry soil and pet hair removed. Torn corners or other small damages sewn or protected so they don’t get worse in the cleaning process. Learning to recognize potential problems before they ‘happen’. Grouping rugs for efficient processing in the wet cleaning phase.

Washing, or ‘Wet Cleaning’: Accepted as the most effective method for cleaning handmade rugs this is a skilled and labor-intensive process. We will wash the rugs. At our disposal is a large wash floor, wringer, centrifuge, power washer, and wash tub. Problems will come up – stains, color run, dirty fringes. We will solve those problems and more.

Finishing: Is a washed rug ready to deliver once it is dry? No way. Finishing and ‘detailing’ are essential skills. How do we determine if a rug is clean enough? What can we do to make a rug look its best? Steaming pile, trimming fringes, removing stains that didn’t come out in cleaning, removing urine stains, ‘touching up’ minor color runs, there is a lot to do, and practice is how we learn. Make a rug looks its best. Your customers will thank you.

Follow Up and Conclusions: A review of what we have learned and discussion of how to move forward from whatever level we begin at.
What does it take to set up a wash plant?
How do drying rooms work?
What are the essential pieces of equipment, and can you wash rugs without them?
What about chemicals and supplies?

ARCS’s “Practical Dye Removal for the Rug Washer” course is a good primer on a complex subject. Ben did a great job explaining the principals and practical application of the most commonly encountered bleaches used in our industry. Those applications were then demonstrated at work in multiple real-world scenarios, not just “ideal” situations. Balancing risk versus reward, Mr. Knause walked students through an experienced professional’s thought process and approach to each problem. Participants were then given ample opportunity to practice with each product under the watch of an experienced cleaner, allowing them to get a better handle on the use of each type of product. This class will shorten the learning curve of anyone getting into color correction and is a must-attend course for any experienced cleaner who wants to know more about the subject.
Armen Dohanian - Oriental Rug Cleaning Co.