Independent Floor Testing & Inspection Inc. Invests in CSU Chico's Concrete Industry Management Program to Meet Growing Demand for Concrete Floor Moisture Testing

CONCORD, Calif., Jan. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Independent Floor Testing & Inspection Inc., (IFTI), specializing in concrete slab moisture testing, is demonstrating an ongoing commitment to investing in California State University (CSU) Chico's Concrete Industry Management (CIM) program. Specifically, IFTI CEO Lee Eliseian supports the Chico program, one of only five in the nation, by serving as a guest lecturer, running labs and working directly with students to help them become certified in the industry. IFTI has also provided direct financial support.

IFTI's investment aims to develop a pipeline of highly qualified professionals who can enter the industry and meet the growing demand for concrete floor moisture testing. An increasing number of businesses are realizing that concrete moisture testing during construction saves money over the long term.

"We welcome the opportunity to provide the Chico program with our industry connections in order to bring students into the profession who can meet the growing demand," says IFTI CEO Eliseian.

"We are thrilled to have the top-level expertise of IFTI available to our students," says Dr. Tanya Wattenburg Komas, director/program coordinator and faculty, of Chico's CIM program. "IFTI is extremely generous in its financial and in-kind donations of time, talent and materials to the program."

Underscoring the success of the collaboration, IFTI recently hired a 2010 graduate of the Chico program, Greg Mercurio, who had a double major in Concrete Industry Management (CIM) and Business Administration with a minor in Managing for Sustainability.  Mercurio joins IFTI as a technical report writer. He is responsible for analyzing field data and preparing reports.

"We are pleased to add Greg and several other new hires to our team who provide our clients with solid data and cost-effective solutions," says Eliseian.

Mercurio credits Chico's CIM program with providing real-world experience and praised the curriculum's relevance and its design by industry experts. Dr. Komas reports that the program is now in its fifth year and to-date all graduates have landed jobs.

"The knowledge and insight provided by companies such as IFTI allow our students to be at another level than might be available in other academic programs," says Komas.  "IFTI is one company that has helped our students be prepared to enter the profession."

For details on CIM degree programs, visit: http://www.concretedegree.com.

More information is available on IFTI at: http://www.floortest.com

ABOUT INDEPENDENT FLOOR TESTING & INSPECTION, INC.

Since 1997, IFTI has provided national independent third-party testing and certification of moisture-related flooring issues, from pre-floor covering concrete slab moisture testing to post-floor covering root cause failure analysis, followed by recommendations for cost-effective solutions.

The company provides prompt, reliable nationwide service, reliable data, and a risk assessment, which results in cost-effective solutions to situational flooring problems. More details are available at: http://www.floortest.com

SOURCE Independent Floor Testing & Inspection Inc.