Business Spotlight: Cameo Carpets

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Judy Hunt knows her clients walk all over her company's products. And she wouldn't have it any other way. |ret||ret||tab|

Hunt started Cameo Carpets in 1984 as a wholesale custom rug company. The following year she opened a retail store in order to have personal contact with her clientele. Since that time her business has grown to support a full line of flooring products. |ret||ret||tab|

"The biggest thing we do right now is total floor covering: carpet, laminate, wood, tile and installation," said Hunt. |ret||ret||tab|

The company's ability to install a variety of floor coverings draws home builders to her business. |ret||ret||tab|

"We have a good rapport and a good idea of what it takes to work with builders. We know how important it is to stay in contact with them and how important it is to be on time. When a builder contacts a subcontractor, they have to be able to count on them; that's where we really work hard," Hunt said.|ret||ret||tab|

Cameo Carpets does residential and light commercial work within about a 100-mile radius of Springfield. Hunt has three employees and subcontracts with five installation crews. Hunt believes her staff's experience contributes to the success of her business. She makes certain that her staff members are trained in every aspect of the business.|ret||ret||tab|

Hunt hopes that her dedication to customer service gives her company an edge in the Springfield flooring market. Competition in the area is tough, according to Hunt particularly with the introduction of large, heavily advertised national companies.|ret||ret||tab|

"The box stores are hard to compete against, but they don't have the level of service that we do. We are really strong on the sale after the sale. We want to be sure that you are satisfied with that product and you know how to maintain it. Just because the job is done doesn't mean we are done with you," said Hunt.|ret||ret||tab|

To ensure that she has competitive prices and products, Hunt has allied her company with Floors To Go, a wholesaling franchise. "We joined with Floors To Go so we could get more leverage with our wholesalers. Now I can get better buys even though we are a smaller store."|ret||ret||tab|

According to Hunt, the flooring industry has benefited from advances in technology, which have allowed for the production of materials that better endure everyday wear. Customers now benefit from "softer yarns, the integration of stain blockers, Carpet Fresh and other odor removers. We also are seeing more exotic flooring such as bamboo. We have access to so many materials more quickly now," said Hunt. "We add new products all of the time so you never know what's coming in next." Popular choices among Hunt's customers include frieze twist carpeting, and Quick Step wood and tile.|ret||ret||tab|

Technology also has assisted Hunt in promoting her business. In addition to promoting her business through traditional methods such as attending the HBA Home Show and the Remodeler's Show, Hunt has created a Web site at www.cameocarpets.com to increase visibility of her company. Cameo Carpets has had its Web site for about one year.|ret||ret||tab|

If consumers do not find carpeting to suit their taste among the many brand names Cameo Carpets carries, Hunt and her staff can create a custom rug for them.|ret||ret||tab|

"We ship custom rugs all over the United States. Out-of-state customers can fax me a design and we go from there," said Hunt. Clients may customize any detail of their rug from material to the design itself. "I've had people bring me pictures, one lady sent me a picture of her cat, someone else sent me a picture of a classic car, anything can be put in a rug," said Hunt. |ret||ret||tab|

Custom rugs range in price from $150 to $3,000, depending on size and the intricacy of the pattern. Cameo Carpets will also bind carpet remnants to create area rugs for high traffic areas of the home. |ret||ret||tab|

The size of job doesn't matter to Hunt, who accepts everything from area rugs to the complete flooring installations.|ret||ret||tab|

"No job is too small," said Hunt. " A lot of people will put off a small job, but that job is just as important to them as a big job. We make sure that even the small jobs are really taken care of, and we get more referrals than you can imagine that way." |ret||ret||tab|

To Hunt, referrals are the greatest measure of a job well done. |ret||ret||tab|

"You have to work really hard to get a good referral. With builders and with walk-in customers, we make sure that they have a stress-free experience with us, and that the flooring looks really good. So when they recommend us to others, that is the greatest compliment because we know we have done that job right." |ret||ret||tab|

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