Small Business of the Year Finalist: The Carpet Shoppe Inc.

The Carpet Shoppe Inc.
Address: 1827 E. Seminole St.
Employees: 40

When The Carpet Shoppe Inc. opened its doors 40 years ago, wall-to-wall carpet was the trend in high-end flooring.

“When we started, we carpeted everything, including bathrooms and kitchens, if you can believe that,” said General Manager Dale Pearce, who owns the company.

Design trends may have changed, but the company’s philosophy remains: Put the customer first.

As a result, The Carpet Shoppe has a steady stream of repeat and referral business, Pearce said.

When the business opened in 1970, Pearce and his wife, Pam, were the only employees, and an independent journeyman installer and an assistant installed the products the Pearces sold out of their store. Now, the shop employs 40 and uses about 70 independent contractors to install its products, Dale Pearce said.

Business is split among three areas: residential and retail; home builders; and commercial work. Since the recession hit, Pearce has focused on expanding the commercial division to help cover a lagging home construction business. Commercial work now comprises about 50 percent of total business, with the other two divisions sharing the remainder, he said, though he declined to disclose revenues.

“The home building part is almost zilch,” Pearce said. “Commercial work has sustained us through these really poor economic times.”

To build that commercial business, the Carpet Shoppe has expanded the area it covers. The store is taking on installation jobs in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., St. Louis and Kansas City, Pearce said.

Still, it’s The Carpet Shoppe’s treatment of its client base that Pearce credits with the store’s longevity.

“It’s our attitude towards our customers and how we value the customer. That’s been our focus all along,” he said.