Floorcraft

In 1955, Tom’s brother Corbin saw a need for a new flooring store in the Mansfield area. At the time, no other stores carried inventory in stock. Wanting to do business differently, Corbin took matters into his own hands and opened Floorcraft on Lexington Ave, just north of Cook Road. Floorcraft was designed with the customer in mind. He wanted to establish a store where customers could see the product firsthand, and take it home the same day. The store was an instant success. As the business grew, Corbin needed help to keep up with the demand. Luckily, his family was more than willing to step in and help. Corbin managed the store while his father ran the warehouse and three brothers installed the product. It was truly a family owned and operated store. Floorcraft quickly grew beyond their small storefront and Corbin purchased the land at 2424 Lexington Avenue and had its current building built in the late 60s.

“Brother Corb,” as Tom calls him, was looking to sell Floorcraft in the early 80s. In 1982, Tom and his wife, Karen, purchased the business. With new ownership came new structure. Tom managed the store and handled sales while Karen took care of the front office. Another unofficial member, Chewy, came aboard as the Floorcraft greeter. Chewy was one of many dogs that came to work at the company over the years. After Chewy passed, Tom and Karen added another dog to the family, Zoe. Everything was smooth sailing until Tom and Karen’s world was turned upside down in the fall of 2011.

Karen was diagnosed with a tumor lodged between her eye and brain. The next few months were some of the hardest in both Karen and Tom’s lives. Karen underwent a 13 hour surgery, and spent 4 days in a coma before finally waking. While the tumor was successfully removed, Karen still had weeks of recovery ahead of her. Tom faced a tough decision: stay home with Karen and take care of her, or continue working full time at the store. While he was discussing care options with a nurse, Karen overheard and made Tom’s mind up for him. While Karen was recovering at home, Zoe helped to take care of Karen, keeping her company. With Karen at home, Tom needed help at Floorcraft. That’s when Steve arrived.

Steve and Tom with the official Floorcraft greeter, Zoe

Tom spent the past 20 years working alongside Karen, and now found himself relying on someone new. Luckily, Steve was a quick learner. Tom decided to make a switch and offer cash and carry pricing, bringing the same experience with even better savings to the consumer. Inventory is bought directly from the manufacturer and then sold directly to consumers without additional markups on installation and labor. Tom reflects on the relationships he has built over the past 50+ years, “We’re here for the long haul. We have families that we installed shag carpet for in the 70s, lump and bump in the 90s and hardwood in the last several years. Our clients know we only sell them the best product at the best price, so they come back.” Besides connecting homeowners with quality products at cost effective pricing, Floorcraft has evolved to offer greater selection of solid surface flooring. When asked about the changes in the industry, Tom replied, “I remember when 90% of our installs were carpet. When hardwood, and laminate flooring became popular, we expanded our inventory. Now more and more homeowners are only using carpet for bedrooms, and laminate, vinyl, hardwood, LVT and tile for everything else.” Whether you’re looking for flooring for one room or your entire home, come see Tom, Steve, & Zoe. Stop in at 2424 Lexington Ave in Mansfield, or call 419-884-2311 for a free estimate.