Article Number : 4951 |
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| Date | 10/9/2009 9:03:07 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=4951 |
| Abstract | CORAL SPRINGS, FLA.—Mitch Markoff was a gifted leader, an insightful businessman and an enthusiastic distributor. He was admired by his employees, esteemed by his colleagues and respected by his competitors. His career in the floor covering industry spanned half a century and his... |
| Article | CORAL SPRINGS, FLA.—Mitch Markoff was a gifted leader, an insightful businessman and an enthusiastic distributor. He was admired by his employees, esteemed by his colleagues and respected by his competitors. His career in the floor covering industry spanned half a century and his dedication and determination propelled him from an entry level position in 1946 to president of a major distributor in 1962. His work ethic was impeccable and his passion, so defining, was extinguished only by his passing on Sept. 5, three weeks before his 92nd birthday. He died in University Hospital in Tamarac, Fla., of complications from bronchitis. Mitchell Markoff was born Sept. 27, 1917, in the Bronx, N.Y., and attended local schools. In 1942, he entered the Army and served for four years, during which he was stationed in the European Theater of Operations and attained the rank of Sergeant. Soon after his discharge from military service in 1946, he joined White Shade & Linoleum in New York and it didn’t take long for him to decide he liked the industry and would pursue a career in it. In 1952, Jesse Brown hired him at Acme Floor Covering in the Bronx where he continued to hone his skills. In 1955 he made the switch from retail to wholesale when he joined the sales staff of Wornock Mills in New York. A year earlier, Sam Whitman founded Whitman Tri-State Floors and, in 1958, he sold it to Congoleum and his name was removed from the title. The company covered New York, New Jersey and portions of Connecticut selling primarily Congoleum products—Lewis Carpet and resilient sheet goods. In 1960, Markoff was recruited by Bob Allard, president of Tri-State Floors, and he joined the distributorship. In 1961, the company moved into an expanded warehouse/showroom/office facility in New Hyde Park on Long Island and the following year Markoff replaced Allard as Tri-State president. The company continued to grow as he turned challenges into opportunities and opportunities into achievements. In 1970, the company needed larger quarters once again and Markoff made the move to an expanded facility in Westbury, Long Island. In his 26-year tenure with Tri-State, 24 as president, he was innovative and inexhaustible, and he ran the company more successfully year after year. In 1986, Congoleum decided to close the distributor and Markoff opted to retire. For the next decade, he worked with his son, Scott, who owns Fox Floors Carpet One in Staten Island, N.Y. “He came to the store regularly,” said the younger Markoff. “He enjoyed working and I learned so much from him. He was my mentor and my friend.” In 1996, Markoff retired and this time moved here to Coral Springs with his wife, Rose. Survivors include his sons Dr. Gary Markoff of New York City and Scott, also of New York City; three grandsons, Andrew, Tyler and Chase, and a granddaughter, Clair. His wife, Rose, predeceased him in 2007. |