Tandus Flooring Takes the LEED in Certification

By Margery Weinstein

To ensure its workforce adheres to environmental construction standards, Tandus Flooring created a training program to help employees attain The LEED AP Interior Design + Construction designation, a kind of certification for professionals who are participating in the design and construction of environmentally responsible commercial spaces. These spaces are intended to provide healthful and productive places to work, and be less costly to operate and maintain.

The LEED AP Interior Design + Construction is a two-part exam that is designed to measure knowledge and skill in understanding the LEED Rating System and ability to facilitate the project certification process. LEED AP ID+C is a highly regarded designation in the building industry. Therefore, Tandus Flooring recognized the value of having several LEED AP ID+C professionals on staff. Here is how Tandus prepares employees to achieve this certification:

• The LEED AP Boot Camp is a 12-week training program that is designed to assist Tandus employees in preparing for the LEED AP ID+C exam.
• The program’s curriculum was derived from consulting with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), and several individuals who already had attained the LEED AP ID+C designation. One person in particular who contributed to curriculum development was Tandus Flooring’s CEO, Glen Hussmann, who is LEED AP accredited.
• The structured 12-week curriculum includes reading multiple books, online coursework, weekly conference calls, practice exams, flash cards, group study, mentoring by LEED AP Boot Camp graduates, and hours of individual study.
• The final week of the program brings the group together in Atlanta, GA, for three days that provide the group the opportunity to collaborate, study, attend a one-day “crash course,” and, finally, to take the two-part exam as a group.
• For those individuals who completed the LEED AP Boot Camp prior to taking the exam, the company has attained a 95 percent pass rate on the two-part exam and a 100 percent pass rate on the one-part exam.
• Because of this program, more than 10 percent of the Tandus salesforce is now LEED AP ID+C, and the company anticipates that number to grow with each year. Tandus says the LEED AP Boot Camps are planned for many years to come.

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