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March 10, 2010

Mohawk looks at honor as challenge to improve

Submitted by Mohawk Industries Dalton Daily Citizen

DALTON — Mohawk Industries has again been named as one of Training Magazine’s “Top 125” training organizations, this time for 2010. 

And as the company celebrates, it is also looking ahead at the challenge of staying among the nation’s best training organizations. 

The Training Magazine “Top 125” is considered the most elite ranking among Fortune 500 companies for training and learning development. To qualify, company training organizations are measured, selected and ranked on both quantitative and qualitative data. An independent research and statistical data company makes recommendations to the magazine, which selects the winning organizations.   

Mohawk’s learning organizations cross all divisions of Mohawk Industries, including Dal-tile University, Unilin, Mohawk Home, Logistics, Customer Service, Human Resources and Mohawk University. Even in these tough economic times, Mohawk believes investments in training — both internally for staff and externally for Mohawk customers — is critical to building business.

“In many ways, continuous learning is the new normal,” said Mike Zoellner, vice president of marketing services. “Taking a single class, while helpful, is very short term. To thrive in today’s environment requires people continuously building upon their knowledge and experiences. We try to accelerate that.”

Zoellner said Mohawk emphasizes continuing education, not just product knowledge, for this reason: “If we can teach people the right skill sets, they take the product information and make it work harder.”

Mohawk University rolls out major new programs

Throughout 2010, Mohawk’s retail training arm, Mohawk University, is rolling out entirely new programs to help dealers manage tough economic times and find new avenues for building business.

Tim Gray, director of Mohawk University, said that one key value of being part of the Top 125 is looking at how other organizations address training — and seeing how those ideas could benefit Mohawk’s customers. 

“We’ve discovered that by looking outside our industry, we’re finding ideas that help us take professionalism to new levels in flooring,” Gray said. “It’s helping us bring in new concepts faster, and get them into our dealers’ hands.”

Gray said that in 2010, Mohawk has partnered with top training resources to introduce brand new courses to Mohawk University. The new classes are based on retailer input and from what Mohawk has learned by looking at successes in other businesses. 

New courses include Techniques of Professional Selling, a comprehensive sales training course from Don Hutson of U.S. Learning that is offered in 24 modules that can be viewed in the retailer’s store; and Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, a course offered in partnership with the internationally-recognized training organization Franklin Covey.

“These are designed to make information more accessible to dealers, because everyone in the store can be part of the professional selling course without having to travel. And with Seven Habits, we’re giving Mohawk dealers a course that can make a dramatic difference in both their business and personal lives.”

Mohawk University, the residential flooring training arm of Mohawk Industries, teaches thousands of people each year how to become experts in different aspects of the floorcovering business, covering everything from installation to business operations. Courses can help novices learn the fundamentals, or make seasoned veterans even better. And it’s all done objectively, with no sales or marketing distractions.

To learn more about Mohawk University, ask your Mohawk representative, visit www.mohawk-university.com or call 800-664-2958.

 

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