FCEF Opens New Training Center in Birmingham

Birmingham, AL, October 1, 2026—The Floor Covering Education Foundation (FCEF) celebrated the official opening of its new FCEF Birmingham Training Center on September 29, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that brought together more than 46 representatives from education, flooring industry leadership, workforce development and the local business community.

The new training center will serve as a hands-on instructional site for Jefferson State Community College and Lawson State Community College, where students will receive training through FCEF’s FI41 Flooring Technician program as part of Alabama’s Skills for Success initiative. Representatives from the Alabama Community College System and the Innovation Center joined college leaders, employers, and industry partners to mark this important milestone for flooring workforce development in Alabama.

Whitener also recognized Don Roberts of Central Alabama Flooring, Roy Lewis of Eagle Floorcovering, and Roy Allen Lewis of RAL Contracting for their leadership, support, and hands-on contributions in helping develop and prepare the new facility.