| Carpet One Celebrates 20th Anniversary at Annual Winter Convention
GRAPEVINE, TX (February 11, 2005) – It’s hard to
believe that just twenty years ago, Carpet One held what would
become their first annual convention in Atlanta, GA with a small
but progressive group of floor covering retailers. Carpet One’s
three founders – Howard Brodsky, Alan Greenberg and Sandy
Mishkin – shared a vision: to form a cooperative of floor
covering retailers that would enjoy increased buying power and
market clout together, giving them the ability to compete against
“big box” retailers, while maintaining their independence.
Since 1985, Brodsky, Greenberg and Mishkin have turned their
original vision into a reality, building the largest floor covering
retailer in North America. Though there were challenges along
the way, Carpet One has grown into one of the most dynamic and
powerful leaders in the floor covering industry.
Arnold Carston, owner of World of Carpets Carpet One in Santa
Rosa, CA is celebrating 20 years along with Carpet One. As one
of the first members to join Carpet One in 1985, he remembers
when they held meetings in the parking lot of the hotel and
had to stay up late hours setting up the convention floor themselves.
“The beauty of Carpet One,” Carston explains, “is
that they can help us to run every piece of our business –
from training and education to merchandising and advertising.
My business has definitely changed for the better during the
past two decades, and it’s because Carpet One has a level
of expertise in so many different areas that we just couldn’t
achieve on our own.” “I’m very proud to be
a Carpet One member,” continued Carston. “I really
think it’s one of the smartest things a floor covering
retailer of my size can do to improve their business.”
Two years after Carston, Pat Martin, owner of Patrick’s
Carpet One in Olympia, WA, joined the cooperative. “The
biggest attraction for me,” explained Martin, “is
that my business wouldn’t have to be alone anymore –
I was joining a partnership, rather than just a buying group.
It has been a positive growing experience since the day I became
a Carpet One member.”
Martin, who is also on the Board of Directors, attributes much
of Carpet One’s success to the programs and technology
that Carpet One has created: “There are so many benefits
and resources that Carpet One provides us with – from
marketing programs to networking opportunities, we are always
on the cutting-edge of the floor covering industry. When I first
joined Carpet One, I was required to get a fax machine! It’s
amazing how much we’ve advanced since then.”
In the past twenty years, Carpet One has grown from its 10
original charter members to over 700 members with more than
1,000 locations. They’ve expanded into Canada, Australia
and New Zealand. Yearly sales have grown from $25 million in
1985, to over $3.3 billion last year. But more importantly,
over the years Carpet One has continuously provided independent
retailers with the tools they need to improve their overall
business operations.
At their 2005 Winter Convention, Carpet One celebrated their
anniversary by looking back and looking forward. They took the
time to recognize their accomplishments and growth, while also
holding special break-out sessions of 200 members each designed
to develop a 5-year plan for the future of Carpet One.
“This is a very important year for us,” explained
Evan Hackel, President of Carpet One. “We are celebrating
a truly exceptional twenty years of growth and innovation –
but we also need to look to the future. In the next twenty years,
we want to continue to make improvements so that our members
can expand and refine their individual businesses and Carpet
One can remain a powerful force in the floor covering industry.”
In the spirit of Carpet One’s 20th Anniversary, a few
retailers shared their experiences and praise for Carpet One.
Tom Brown, owner of Mt. Vernon Carpet One in Mt. Vernon, WA
and Carpet One Advisory Council member, laughed, “I’m
tough to please – Howard and Alan certainly got a handful
when I joined Carpet One!” All joking aside, Brown explained
that he initially joined Carpet One in 1996 to get protection
for his purchases and remain competitive in his area.
Brown explained, “I joined Carpet One out of necessity,
but I have gotten much more out of Carpet One than I ever expected.
Carpet One provides a level of professionalism that has been
very, very successful for my store. I know that I always have
help in my corner now.”
Brown also commented on the way that Carpet One continually
strives for improvement: “What makes this company truly
amazing is that we are always looking to the future. Carpet
One is already a successful and powerful buying group that has
changed the industry, but we are always looking for opportunities
to expand that are in the best interest of the members –
us. That’s what really sets Carpet One apart in the floor
covering industry.”
Like Tom Brown, Al Sinclair also joined Carpet One in 1996.
As the owner of a Canadian floor covering store, Alfred’s
Carpet One in Ontario, Sinclair had a different experience.
Alfred’s Carpet One was part of a 50-store buying group
in Canada, looking to align with a larger group. Sinclair explained
that most of his fellow dealers recognized that they had a greater
chance for success and profitability if the were able to pool
the resources with other independent retailers.
“As we considered our options,” said Sinclair,
“I decided to do my homework! I spent some time speaking
with existing Carpet One members about their experiences. I
heard nothing but positive comments – people were absolutely
delighted with Carpet One. The feedback from retailers that
had once been faced with the same choice was very convincing.
It made our decision an easy one.” Like the members he
spoke to nearly 10 years ago, Sinclair had nothing but praise
for Carpet One and its staff. “Before joining Carpet One,
we were really just treading water,” he continued. “But
the marketing and training programs gave us a whole new slant
on operating our business and Carpet One’s management
and buying of products relieved many of our headaches. It was
definitely the best decision for my business.”
Mary Ann Bertlin, owner of Loren’s Carpet One in Missoula,
MT, also shares the same sentiments as Brown and Sinclair. She
has been a Carpet One member since 1992 and just recently completed
renovations to her store that she says “represent the
continuous devotion and innovation of Carpet One and its staff.”
Through Carpet One’s “Destination: Carpet One”
store planning program, Bertlin completely remodeled her showroom
under the guidance of a professional design expert. She explained
how impressed she was with the personal attention and support
she received from Carpet One, throughout the entire process.
Bertlin’s new showroom opened in September and she has
already seen an incredible increase in traffic during what is
usually a “slow time.”
During her thirteen years as a Carpet One member, Bertlin has
seen Carpet One grow tremendously. “It’s incredible
how much this company has evolved,” she said. “I
am continually in awe of Carpet One’s organization and
the breadth of programs they offer us. From education to marketing
to the store planning program, there is so much available that
has made our business successful. I’m extremely optimistic
for the future of Carpet One.”
About Carpet One
Carpet One (carpetone.com), the largest unit of CCA Global
Partners, is North America’s largest floor covering retailer
with locations in the United States, Canada, Australia and New
Zealand. The stores are known for a broad selection of floor
covering products, distinctive warranties, excellent service
and exclusive brand names such as Liz Claiborne Flooring, LEES
For Living and Good Housekeeping. Headquarters are in Manchester,
New Hampshire; Ontario, Canada; and Queensland, Australia. |