Collins & Aikman

As Technical Manager for C&A I worked to improve technical operations and reduce costs.  In managing technical field operations, I worked to improve/reduce environmental impact and improve workflow and operations of C&A Technical.

An innovative procedure I introduced (2000) to complement our environmental initiative was to reformat our entire sales training (Technical Dept) to transition to a paperless process.  Prior to developing this program, our sales training material was distributed to each salesperson in a series of three-ring binders containing several hundred pages each and at a cost of several hundred pages.  I converted this material to a web-based (Microsoft word) program that could be distributed on one CD-rom and did not require online access.  (Again this was 2000 and is common practice in 2009).  This CD-rom contained keyword text links that would direct (jump) the reader to other pages with related information. Like a spider web, all pages were interconnected, but I did not use an HTML editing program to create this communication tool.  This website on a CD-Rom was actually published in Microsoft Word format and provided complete MSDS catalog, detailed product maintenance, stain removal, installation, comprehensive sales training, and hundreds of pages used regularly by salespeople.  This was a novel idea in 2000.  Unfortunately, our sales staff would constantly lose their CD, so we regularly updated content.  At the time this was an innovative, cutting edge concept.  I assembled this complete training program with three (non-HR) technical staff members.

Also in 2000, I used my CRI experience of managing the Carpet Industry Biological Testing program to introduce Zinc Omadine to C&A Carpet Tile adhesive (peel and stick).  While my original suggestion was intended to reduce biological growth (within the adhesive) as a result of organic contents of the adhesive, the adhesive actually demonstrated a "kill" affect on topical biologicals found on the flooring surface during installation.  In other words, once the peel & stick carpet tile was placed on the subflooring, all mold, mildew, and bacteria on the flooring surface was killed. The adhesive also provided residual kill value.  From a long-term perspective, this helped reduce biological growth from concrete vapor emissions and residual moisture.  I earned the windfall of $1 for this contribution.

In addition, I completely eliminated the procedure of faxing information to field reps.  We developed a digital copy of all information and emailed this information to any rep requesting information.  Prior to this procedure, toll charges for faxes were astronomical and sales reps abused my Technical staff by calling and requesting fax copies be sent on-demand to their customers.  In refusing to fax this information, we were able to "clean-up" the quality of information sent to customers, and transferred more responsibility to field staff.  More salespeople were required to plan ahead to their needs rather than operate constantly in panic mode.

During my tenure at C&A, I completely rewrote and reprioritized their product maintenance procedure and printed material.  It became mandatory (by Sales & Marketing) that I spend 45-60 minutes with every customer who came to C&A in a product presentation tour and most field salespeople requested that I travel to their territory for presentations to large customers (Microsoft, Compaq Computer, Motorola, Shoney's restaurants and Perkins Restaurants and many more.)  In one instance, management for The Hospital Corporation of America brought with them a 55-gal bag of staining materials to dump on carpet (including Betadine).  I was then called to the demo (at C&A) to remove all of those materials from the carpet without knowing what they were.  I removed every staining item with no residual stain (even betadine) and C&A closed the $400,000 sale that afternoon, as a direct result of this demonstration.  Within two weeks word had spread to every salesperson in the company.  At one time I spent 18 straight days on the road from Fairbanks, Alaska to San Diego without coming home.

Sometime after this, I hired two full-time cleaning and maintenance techs to assume this hectic travel and training schedule.  C&A changed their marketing focus to promote the Clean-ability of Powerbond Carpet and maintenance became an essential part of their marketing plan.

In 2001, under my direction, C&A began to promote the concept of carpet tile in improving Indoor Air Quality. We started to offer AIA Courses, that my staff developed, to help sell this concept.  Later in 2001, we formed an IAQ Advisory committee which consisted of Dr. Michael Berry (EPA), Bob Axelrad, (EPA), Dr Marilyn Black, (AQS) and a number of high profile personalities.  C&A (not affiliated with CRI at the time) became one of the first carpet manufacturers to develop their own IAQ Communication plan that was independent of the CRI plan.

One of the most ground-breaking studies we developed was a biological assessment of Disney World.  I also performed biological assessments of facilities in the Florida Keys, and an assessment at St Luke's Medical Center where numerous patients had died.  St Lukes and the medical industry was attempting to lay blame for high Hospital infection rates (extremely common and publicly known in 2009) on carpet.  In the St Lukes study I was able to isolate and identify the toxins and find evidence of these toxins on bed rails and on bathroom faucet handles.  This finding quickly ended the blame attributed to carpet as the source of the infection.  While this may be publicly known in 2009, the source of these infections in 2000 was unconfirmed.  Since carpet had been under fire previously, the St. Lukes staff tried to lay blame on a common flooring material.

This Collins & Aikman Technical Manager position was an extremely challenging, self fulfilling, worthwhile position which allowed me a great deal of flexibility to offer significant input and opportunities for Corporate Improvement.  I left this position to aid in the development of an online business (new business model) providing consumers with access to local contractors (similar to Angie's List).  The new position helped me to formulate a new conceptual business model for the Carpet Buyers Handbook (which I authored and published from 1999 to 2000 and uploaded in October 2000.  The C&A position allowed me positive room for growth and development.

Michael Hilton

706-463-2168