Reno, Nevada—Following its purchase by Abbey Carpet almost a year ago ( FCNews, May 27/June 3) many Floors To Go dealers expressed excitement about the merger from day one, while some took a wait-and-see attitude as their small, hands-on group grew quickly in size. During the recent Floors To Go convention at the Silver Legacy here, any concerns were laid to rest as all enjoyed an upbeat, informative show. “Many of the dealers were very curious about the transition,” said Gene Presson, executive vice president of Floors To Go. “They wanted to know what was in store for them. During the show, I have not gotten one complaint. I saw dealers that were more ecstatic about what was going on than I had ever seen at any of the past conventions. It’s been fantastic.”

 With 110 dealers on hand to see what Floors To Go now had to offer—which included a bump up in vendors from 30 to 90—optimism reigned. Phil Gutierrez, chairman and CEO of Abbey, spoke to the membership about the numerous levels of support and benefits that were being committed to them, along with the long-term benefits that they could expect as a result of being part of the fast-growing franchise. Steve Silverman, president and COO, exhorted the power of the Floors To Go name, detailing “the valuable incentives incorporated within the Floors To Go brand.” Subjects such as merchandising, advertising, marketing and financial services were covered during the convention by members of the Floors To Go man- agement team, while members had the opportunity to attend a variety of educational seminars offering in-depth information on “Maximizing Your Floor’s Potential,” “The Power of Branding Your Service,” and “Improving Your Bottom Line.”

Attendees were able to visit more than 90 floor covering and window fashions suppliers who displayed the latest styles and trends within the industry at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. Floors To Go members also had the opportunity of seeing a 5,000-sq.-ft. “Smart Floor Showroom” where all the newest Floors To Go soft surface and hard surface displays were presented in private-branded units: Designer’s Choice, Creative Concepts, Classic Choice, Creative Fashion, Casual Living, Luxury Living, Dream Gallery, Beyond Berber, Exquisitely Yours, Pattern Collection, Super Value Blankets and Creative Elegance, available in carpet, laminate, hardwood and ceramic tile. “These new matching branded displays have really been a highlight of the show,” said Presson.

 “Before we would just take a mill display and change up the headers. These are hard as rock maple wood wing racks and displays we have put together. It is a total conversion of what we have done in the past where all displays, be it from Shaw, Dixie or Mohawk now all match. The members have been overwhelmed by it. “They’ve also been impressed with the business-to-business services we now offer as well as the FT-GinfoNet computer service,” he added. “We didn’t know what to expect with the merger,” said Ona Smith of Floors Horizontal in Tilla-mook, Ore. “Our pricing got better right away. With Abbey coming in, it has really improved our cash back program as well. It has gotten much better, in particular with these new displays. The introduction of the new, exclusive displays from the various manufacturers has been great. Most of them offer really great warranties which are a great selling point.

“The show has been very informative and has had a lot more offerings than the first two shows we’ve been to,” she added. “There’s been a lot more new products and programs that I think will be beneficial to all of us. Overall, it’s been a very positive change. Abbey’s been around a long time. The people there know what they are doing. They are very helpful. They are showing us they’re behind us 100% by helping us grow.” Glenda Ward of Ft. Worth Carpet Co. In Ft. Worth, Tex., who just joined Floors To Go in February, said she was “impressed with all of it. I thought they put on a very good show. It was well organized. The Floors To Go people have been very helpful. The breakout sessions we attended have been very good. We think the FTGinfoNet service is a very good program as well.”

“The show has been wonderful. I’ve really been impressed with how things went,” said Shirley Rohr of Rohr’s Interiors in Flaggstaff, Ariz., a Floors To Go member since 1996. “There’s more of us so we have had to move to a bigger convention area. Every thing has gone very smoothly with the seminars and everything else. The area rug program is wonderful and the sample program is super. We’ve been given choices regarding different levels of buying products. We’re not being told, ‘You have to have this.’ There are more options.” “We are very excited that Abbey has bought Floors To Go,” said Dan Crowder of Morrell’s in Lake City, Fla., “and that it is going to be run separately from Abbey but that we are going to be able to enjoy much of the leverage Abbey has regarding products and vendors. With 60 new vendors, that’s all good for us. I go back almost 40 years in this industry. When I was asked from other Floors To Go members what I make of the merger, I told them I make all good things of this because I’ve known Phil and Steve and they can only be good for us.”

“I’ve been really impressed,” said Gary Norman of Norman’s Floor Covering in Newburg, Ore. “We’ve got the same support as the Abbey people do. We are in a much better position than we were before. As a result of the merger, we went to the convention wondering whether we were going to stay with Floors To Go. We definitely are, and are moving forward, trying to make a name brand out of the Floors To Go name.” “Before the convention, I think there were a lot of people who were wondering how Floors To Go would be affected due to the Abbey purchase,” said Dave Fairchild of Fairchild Floors in Port Angeles, Wash. “I would say it’s been very positive, bigger than it’s been in the past and a little more organized. They are trying to make us look more presentable and unified and that’s a good thing. But we still hold our own as far as how we handle our businesses and that’s a good thing too.

“The way they’ve coordinated their carpet racks and displays to all go from one mill to the other, like the Alexander Smith displays with Abbey, it gives us a lot of continuity. I think many of the dealers were looking for direction. The leadership at Abbey has a direction it wants to go, a proven track record and I think everyone who is here has been pretty optimistic. Dealers were nervous coming in but are excited going out.” Bill Waters of Dixie Mills said, “the show has been very positive for us. With Abbey’s influence and Floors To Go, we saw a whole new merchandising program and many new displays which is good for vendors. But it’s exciting not only for us but for the franchisees as well. Everyone has been very positive about Abbey and you could see it in the merchandising and the uniformity of the Smart Floor Showroom. I think Floors To Go has a tremendous growth opportunity ahead of it.” Currently with 175 storefronts, Floors To Go is seeking to open between 60 and 75 stores by the end of the year, noted Presson. “The members were very optimistic about the future of the group, despite economic woes and global concerns. They’ve been so overwhelmed with all we’ve put in front of them,” he concluded, “none of that was ever really brought up.” For additional information on Floors To Go, call 239/948-3836. —Louis Iannaco