Gregg Moore is a superior talker: He talked his way into possessing 69-yr-aged Lake Forest Flooring, acquiring the building it occupies and bordering himself with loyal prospects and a veteran employees.
None of that was prepared.
Moore is a normal salesman who has expended 25 many years selling flooring, happily speaking about his products and creating relationships.
He started out in 1996 with a firm that sold unfinished hardwood. In 2000, he joined Mohawk flooring firm as a income agent. For 14 yrs, Moore termed on shops through the Upstate and into North Carolina.
That’s when one particular shopper, Martha Woods, turned a buddy, and issues took an sudden turn.
Woods experienced taken more than Lake Forest Carpet (now Lake Forest Flooring) from her father, Carl Summey, who established the store in 1952 in the exact same location where by it stands today, 1334 N Pleasantburg Dr.
Moore vividly remembers their dialogue in 2013. “Martha reported, ‘Gregg, I’m likely to sell my retail store, and I want you to invest in it.’”
He wished her effectively, then firmly declined.
Moore turned her down again a month later. But she was undeterred. “The Lord place your title on my coronary heart,” she explained to him. “You’re heading to purchase my keep. Go property and speak to your spouse, pray about it, and see what happens.
“After a pair of months of praying … Which is how we received this store. This area will be 70 years aged in 2022,” states Moore, who was born and reared in Greer and owns a home in Taylors with his wife, Mitzi.
Mitzi’s opinion? “She was all for it.”
Moore officially acquired the business a couple of months later. Later, he purchased his making and the one particular up coming to it when his 96-12 months-previous landlord died.
Now, he uses his gift of gab and information about flooring to provide consumers.
“Our business enterprise is generational. Folks appear in mainly because their fantastic-grandparents bought flooring from us in the ’50s, and their grandparents bought, their mom and dad purchased, and now they are shopping for.”
The retail outlet – element of a strip of suppliers across from Bob Jones College and a lot larger than it seems – carries ceramic tile, hardwood, laminate, luxury vinyl plank, carpet and region rugs.
Flooring has changed a great deal via the yrs.
Luxurious vinyl plank is the trendiest merchandise, Moore states. “LVP is really hot.” It’s uncomplicated to manage, will come in quite a few textures and hues, and can be eradicated effortlessly when property owners want a change. It’s also tough and resistant to scratches and h2o (even though not scratch-evidence or flood-proof, Moore cautions).
Laminate, common in the mid-1990s, is making a comeback, he suggests. “Laminate is a hard products.”
Carpet is also common and has been engineered to be a lot more durable. “These times, it is really pet-helpful, youngster-evidence, and wine-proof. Carpet has occur a extensive way in 20 several years.”
Hardwood flooring are even now most common. “Most residences we do are difficult surface area. They’re timeless, tough, and can be refinished quite a few times.”
The fallout from COVID-19 has made possibilities challenging. “Everything has long gone up in value,” Moore says. “My distributors give me 5 days on the price of wooden. It goes up weekly.”
Luxury vinyl plank now fees about 20% additional, he claims, due to the fact the merchandise is manufactured in China, Cambodia or Vietnam. Carpet manufacturing was affected when the mills were being understaffed, and padding is also in shorter provide.
Shipping and delivery may possibly be the main situation, Moore says. “Some products and solutions are 3 months out.”
Even with the hurdles, small business has been steady because March, he says. “Walk-in website traffic has been brilliant. We’re grateful. It was difficult last year. We survived, but it was hard.”
For Moore, Lake Forest Flooring is about company.
“We are above-the-major friendly. People today like that. They recognize that,” he claims.
Maye-Webb McCauley, a complete-time inside designer, can support clients match flooring or carpet to paint and cloth colours, or even aid set a entire space jointly.
The dimensions of the job does not make a difference, Moore claims. “We’ll perform on the small bathroom, or we’ll do the whole house. If we do one particular bedroom, commonly a thing else comes later. Repeat small business is how we stay in small business.”
Moore also understands that producing flooring decisions is tricky. He remembers hearing that shoppers shop at 4 or five shops before building a acquire.
“The very same particular person will invest in a automobile or truck in three hrs,” he suggests. “You get a car probably two times in 10 many years. You get ground covering the moment or twice in a life span.”
That’s exactly where Moore’s staff can aid. “Lake Forest is diverse mainly because our staff members is well-informed and personable,” he claims.
McCauley joined the store months just after Moore bought it he realized her from his days at Mohawk. “I understood she had a expertise,” he says.
Patty Byars commenced performing part time when Moore wooed her away from retirement. She is professional in style and flooring and has labored at a number of stores in the location. Joan Hall was also retired when she agreed to get on a several hours a 7 days.
Most senior of all, Mark Epps predates Moore. He worked comprehensive-time at Lake Forest for 40 decades. Now, he will work just one day a week, normally.
That experience provides up: Moore’s 25 years, McCauley with 25-furthermore, Byars has about 28, and Epps and Hall have 40 a long time every single – approximately 160 overall a long time in the flooring organization.
The Moores’ youngsters aid, far too.
Their daughter, Jenna – Director of Product sales and Community Relations at Pay a visit to Johnson Metropolis, Tennessee – assists with social media. Their son, Josh, is in real estate but makes deliveries, watches above the retail store, or delivers small business information when desired.
Moore is also very pleased of his subcontractors. Just one workforce does wooden flooring refinishing. Other folks do set up.
“My end guy has been right here 30 yrs. He did my home, 20-some thing a long time back. It indicates something to be equipped to hold folks working for you for that very long,” he claims.
Planned or not, Moore is satisfied with his decision to personal a enterprise. “I like it. It is demanding. Past 12 months was extremely difficult. But we arrived via it. We held likely. It can be been a great eight decades. And we glance forward to serving the Upstate for many years to arrive.”