Ira Lefkowitz

Hoboken, N.J.—Since he was teenager, Ira Lefkowitz was involved with Hoboken Floors. But last month, he stepped down from his position as president to pursue “other opportunities.” His twin brother, Joel, remains with the 77-year-old distributor as CEO.

“This transition comes at a good time,” Ira said. “My brother and I built this company into an industry leader—something we are both very proud of. I am now looking forward to new challenges.”

In addition to resigning his post as president, Lefkowitz also vacated his position on the company’s board to allow him the necessary time to focus on his other ventures. What those are and if they involve the flooring industry remain a secret. “Ira will make his own plans known when he feels the time is right,” a company spokesperson told FCNews.

His brother commented, “I will certainly miss working with [Ira] everyday, but I support him 100%. I know that his new direction is going to take him to a whole new level in his professional life.”

As for Hoboken, which was started in 1930 by their step-grandfather Joseph Sakosits, bought by the brothers in 1996 and is now the largest flooring distributor in the country with estimated annual sales of more than $600 million, Joel said his brother’s leaving is not the first step in a succession plan. In fact, steps are being taken “to better meet the needs of our customers. Our philosophy is still the same, our quality is still the same and our company’s mission is still the same.”

Not only will Joel remain Hoboken’s CEO, he will assume many of Ira’s executive responsibilities. A new president, who had yet to be named at press time, will fulfill a leadership role in the company’s Stoughton, Mass., office.

While much remains business as usual at Hoboken, Joel said some things are changing. “What is evolving is our approach to better serving our customers in this challenging market.”

First is the fact that Hoboken operates 18 divisions from Maine to Texas and each area has different needs. “All of our customers are facing a challenging economy,” he explained, “however, the needs of each marketplace varies. To more effectively service our customers we have customized our product mix, merchandising and customer support to be market-specific. The spirit of the plan is to streamline and focus more than ever, so that even though we have the capacity of an interstate company, we have the market approach of a local distributor.”

Upon leaving, Lefkowitz applauded his brother’s strategy, saying, “He has a great plan for Hoboken Floors, and I look forward to how he will continue to grow the business. Change can be good.”