Mr. Shepard has an extensive working background in domestic and international freight forwarding from 1963 through 1971. The position of transportation manager allowed him to develop his keen ability to identify and respond to clients’ needs. The client base included the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the U.S. State Department, and a number of national and multinational corporations.

In 1978 he founded Merchants Services, Inc., a Florida based company. This business venture provided him the opportunity to gain extensive classroom and practical experience in the disciplines of carpet, upholstery, and drapery cleaning. In the early 80’s he expanded the scope of services to include textile treatment, water and fire damage restoration services. This business was built completely on a referral basis. The client base consisted of insurance carriers and financial institutions.

In 1985 Mr. Shepard purchased Fashion Carpet, Inc. At the time of purchase Fashion Carpets Inc. was the primary carpet installation workroom in Broward and Palm Beach counties for Sears & Roebuck, J.C. Penny, and Federated Department Stores. In 1987 he shifted the focus from the retail sector of the installation market, to the Marine Architectural and Interior Design Industries. His present client base includes; but is not limited to the following:

Trade showrooms in Florida, Chicago, Houston, New York, Boston, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and California. Several manufacturers of high end textiles and floor coverings.

The consultant is recognized as one of the most accomplished craftsmen for the installation of woven carpets in the south Florida market.

He is also recognized as an accomplished trouble shooter for a number of flooring related problems. He is the senior inspector with Bloechinger- Shepard Associates, P.A.

In 1993 the consultant became a registered I.I.C.R.C. Senior Inspector. The I.I.C.R.C. is the only international certification board for the cleaning, restoring, and installation of floor covering textiles. The I.I.C.R.C. is a non-profit organization formed for the sole purpose of educating and certifying technicians and inspectors for the floor covering industry. Over the years the I.I.C.R.C. has expanded the base of its educational and certification programs to include fire and water damage restoration, textile treatments, hard surfaces, and it is presently formulating a program to train and certify inspectors in the area of vapor emission problems as this relates to floor covering failures.

A few of Mr. Shepard’s accomplishments are listed below:

* Has completed three years of Business Administration and Marketing studies at the University of Kentucky. * Holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Veterinary Science from Virginia Polytechnic Institute. (1978) * Graduate of the Academy of Textile & Flooring (Whittier California 1993) * Registered Senior I.I.C.R.C. Inspector since 1994 * Certified Substrate Preparation Technician Ardex Engineered Cements (1998) * Has developed Decontamination and Appearance Maintenance Programs for health care, hospitality, and interior design firms. * Has served as a mediator and expert witness in floor covering related cases. * Has served as a technical advisor to several manufacturing and design firms. * He has developed a continuing education course for the south Florida chapter of the A.S.I.D. The Department of Professional Regulation of the State of Florida has certified this course. * He has been certified for installations by AMTICO International (2000) * He has successfully completed the training seminar for commercial carpet installations by Advanced Flooring Specialists (2001) * He has developed a network of industry specialists and scientists, which is capable of identifying and resolving various issues of flooring related problem. * He has developed a network of consultants, which is capable of successfully entering into litigation relating to floor covering related issues. * 2006 Forbo vinyl certification program

CONSULTATION PROGRAMS

Examination, evaluation, and advisement on problems dealing with the specifying, manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, and installation of carpet. Job-site inspections and evaluation of installations of vinyl and wood flooring. Evaluation of concrete conditions as they relate to a flooring failure. The following are the services offered:

* Appearance Maintenance Programs * Expert Witness services * Destructive testing * Freight forwarding * Installation specification * Labor Management Evaluations * Laboratory testing * Legal support services * Materials handling evaluation * Non-destructive testing * Project Management * Project review and analysis * On-site testing * Processing of insurance claims * Repairs and feasibility studies * Risk Management * Sample collection * Specification writing * Training Seminars