The Carpet Shoppe, 2005 Small Business of the Year Finalist

Since then, things have changed.

Still in its original location, The Carpet Shoppe has grown into a 33,000-square-foot facility with more than 40 employees.

While Pearce did not disclose 2004 revenues, he said that they were in the eight-figure range. “I didn’t expect it to grow like this – that was a phenomenon to me, and it still is,” said Pearce.

“Since we have been part of the community for so long, a lot of people here know what we stand for as far as our service is concerned and our quality of installation. We warranty every product we sell and we warranty our installation. If something isn’t right, we’ll make it right; if a mistake is made, we’ll correct it,” Pearce said.

Carpet isn’t the only flooring sold and installed.

“We have all of the products available in floor covering: carpet, area rugs, vinyl, tile and laminates. In the last five to 10 years, the hard surface products have really been catching on.

But he noted that the Carpet Shoppe’s products complement each other well.

“When people install hardwood floors, then we get to sell them area rugs, so we can catch them either way,” he said.

Pearce cited ceramic tile as an area of growth for his company. He’s added personnel for both installation and sales.

“I had to hire a department manager in ceramic tiles because it is a different sort of product in terms of installation,” Pearce said.

Ed Alden, vice president of construction for Stenger Homes LLC, counts himself as a loyal client of The Carpet Shoppe.

“They do superb work. When I first came to town around 1990, all they did was carpet. One of the best things they ever did was expand their line to include hardwood flooring and ceramic tile,” Alden said. “It’s been a blessing for us because we are able to provide one-stop shopping for our customers.”

Pearce said such diversification has fostered longevity.

“We have always done all three phases of the floor covering industry: We work with builders and in residential retail and commercial. Most people specialize in only one of these areas, but we do all three,” he said.

This strategy has carried his business through difficult economic periods. He noted that in times when retail sales were unsatisfactory, new construction or commercial bids would fill the gap and vice versa.

“We have had some recessions. The worst for us, I think, was in the mid-70s, and then in 1980 and 1981, when interest rates were so high and construction was slow. But even in tough times we had enough customers to keep us going,” he said.

Over the years Pearce has embraced new technologies. “There is a computer on every desk. We also have a computer system called the Floor-Rite System where basically our salespeople can go on a job site, draw a diagram (and) bring it in,” he said. Floor-Rite provides a computer-generated printout that provides a job estimate and also addresses cutting and seaming issues.

“That system was implemented in 2001. We also have a computerized carpet cutter, so we have made a lot of strides in the last few years. It’s not cost-free, but it helps us with the work. We’re more productive and the sales people don’t have to work so many long hours,” Pearce said.

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