Falcon Floor Covering

In 1972 Bradford and Patricia Bradley moved to the small town of Lebanon Missouri looking to switch from the drywall business into flooring installation and wanting a quiet place to raise their children. At the time there were a small handful of flooring suppliers in the town, each with their own set of installers and as with any small town, loyalty and reputation make or break you. Seeking out work with the established carpet stores seemed to be impossible. Being the new man on the block wasn't working out it seemed. Needing to make a living and provide for their family, Brad and Pat had the idea of starting their own business selling and installing their own flooring.

"We needed to be able to feed our kids and pay the bills. If the current stores weren't going to give us a shot then we figured we would just skip the middle man and sell the flooring ourselves. In the beginning it was a struggle. I was a stay at home mom and I liked it that way. I didn't know the first thing about running a business or selling a product, but it had to be done. So, we opened up; I sold the flooring and Brad installed it. We had to over come a lot of struggles in those first days. When we opened the doors we were up against 'The Carpet Shoppe' which was already an established business, they sold to Lebanon, that's just who you went to. Several times I heard that we would never be competition. A lot of people didn't think we would make it more than 6 months. Some of the flooring companies wouldn't even give us samples thinking that we couldn't compete. It is almost 50 years later and most of those companies are no longer around, but we still survive.

In the early days it was a make it or break it kinda thing. We worked extremely long hours staying until 1 or 2 in the morning some days. Our children stayed with us doing their homework in the van while Brad and I measured and sold the job. It wasn't easy and we had to fight for everything we did, but with hard work and never giving up we made it through those first days. I really think that the dedication that the kids showed helping us really made a big difference. Over the years all 5 kids have worked here, and the hours we worked didn't really get less as the years went by. I really have to thank the husbands and wives of the kids for always helping and chipping in when we had those late nights and never complaining about the hard work. Its been almost 50 years now and the trend is still going on. There have been 8 different grandchildren working on and off through the years some of which are still here. Many of the grand kids were raised here in the store. That's the joy of having a family operated business, you can have your kids and their kids side-by-side working as a team and it really brings you closer together. Having the kids raised in the store, being able to watch them grow up and be with you is something that most people can't say they are able to do. I also think it gives people more trust when they walk into a business where they also got to see the kids grow up and know that this person I'm talking to isn't just a salesman here for a paycheck, that this is their blood, sweat, and tears in the walls and floors of this building."

Falcon Floor Covering has moved locations over the years. The business was first located in a building that would be next to the modern day Subway store on Jefferson. From 1972-1974 this was it's home. Needing to expand they moved locations. Moving into what is now part of The Cackle Hatchery. This location allowed easier access to downtown shoppers and gave a larger space for products. This was their location from 1974-1979 when they once again outgrew their space. Moving down the street they settled into a space right next to the post office in 1979 and continue to remain in this location. The space grew crowded and they expanded into the building next door in 2000. The current 19,000 sqft space is what customers see today.

Over the last half century the company has seen many changes, but with all those changes the one thing that has stayed the same is their dedication to their customers and the quality service they offer. Being a family operated business it is their mission to make their customers feel like they are part of that family. The company has seen expansion and rapid growth in physical and online development, who knows what the future holds for this ever growing and changing enterprise.