Michael Smith, President of Kraus Orders Inc.

Greenville, S.C.—Orders Distributing Co., one of the Southeast’s oldest wholesale floor covering distributors, has been purchased by Kraus Carpet Mills, the privately-held, North American integrated carpet and fiber manufacturer and flooring distributor, headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

Orders was founded by William Orders in 1955 and has been family-owned and operated for 51 years, serving flooring dealers in a seven state region of the Southeast. The new company, Kraus Orders Inc., will operate as a separate wholly-owned subsidiary of Kraus Carpet Mills with Orders’ entire management team and all 80 employees.

Michael Smith, president of Kraus Orders Inc., said, “We are confident this new association with Kraus will provide our 4,000 dealers, our company, our employees and our suppliers with opportunities for growth like never before. We believe this is a perfect fit for both Kraus and Orders.” Orders will join the Kraus Distribution Group managed by Brad Vollrath, executive vice president, distribution.

“We did not carry Kraus prior to the acquisition,” he added, “but we have been carrying other residential and commercial carpet lines from other manufacturers. This acquisition is really going to provide our dealers an alternative to their other carpet suppliers. With our package, including the total portfolio, it’s really going to provide them with an opportunity to partner with a carpet manufacturer, with us.

“Terrific Opportunity”

“So,” Smith explained, “it’s really a terrific opportunity for our retailers, and also, for our suppliers. Because we will have a total portfolio package, they should be able to see their particular products grow as a result of the transaction. It’s a terrific fit for all the suppliers.”

Gary Witt, president and CEO of Kraus, stated, “Kraus already operates full-time distribution coast-to-coast throughout most of the Northern United States and all across Canada. Step by step, we are building a high-service nationwide distributing network for our carpet and complementary flooring products.”

With the transaction, Kraus has bought at least half a dozen distributorships around the U.S. and Canada, including Sound in Seattle, Royal Scot in Chicago, Sorce in Clarion, Pa., as well as McMahon in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Spectra in Quebec, Ontario, Canada.

“We didn’t have a major distributorship in the Southeast,” said Walter Eckhardt, senior vice president, marketing for Kraus. “A sales force like Orders would take us a decade or more to build. We will introduce a complete range of contract and residential carpet that will complement the other flooring product lines offered by Orders, creating a total portfolio package offered by only one other flooring manufacturer in all of North America [Mohawk].

“At the same time,” he concluded, “we also want Kraus Orders to continue aggressively marketing its hard surface lines of Armstrong by Hartco, Berry, Interceramic, Nafco, Tarkett, Witex and its other fine suppliers.”

For more on Kraus Orders, call 864/254-1213.
—Louis Iannaco