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In a competitive and ever-evolving industry, hardwood flooring retailers are finding innovative ways to stand out through a deep commitment to customer relationships, design expertise and local engagement. From reimagined showrooms and mobile studios to thoughtful mentorship, employee empowerment and social media marketing, these WFB Outstanding Retailers are proving that personalized service is key to long-term success. Are you a wood flooring retailer who goes above and beyond? Enter our 2026 Outstanding Retailer Awards here.
Meyer Skidmore & Co. | Longmont, Colo.
Abbey Van Horn, owner of Meyer Skidmore & Co.Courtesy of Meyer Skidmore & Co.
Number of employees: 5
Year founded: 1985
Locations: 1
Annual revenue: $2.8 million
Abbey Van Horn got her start at Longmont, Colo.-based Meyer Skidmore & Co. 11 years ago by answering a Craigslist job ad for an office manager. Van Horn had no prior knowledge of the wood flooring industry, but she immediately fell in love with it. Over the next few years, Van Horn’s boss and mentor, Bart Garner, taught her everything she needed to know about the industry and the logistics of running the business. So, four years later, in 2018, when Garner decided to retire, Van Horn asked if she could take over. “He was gonna close the doors, and I told him I loved what I did too much and asked if I could buy the business,” Van Horn says. “He was thrilled.”
Courtesy of Meyer Skidmore & Co.
As the owner, Van Horn has found ways to expand the business and make it her own while applying lessons learned from the previous owner. Shortly after becoming the owner, she moved the showroom from Boulder to Longmont to be more centrally located to clients. However, Van Horn eventually realized customers preferred to see samples in their homes rather than visiting the showroom and being overwhelmed by the hundreds of options. “I was getting more ‘foot traffic’ in their homes, bringing them samples,” Van Horn says. As that became the norm for her customers, Van Horn decided to overhaul the business’s showroom approach to better fit her customers’ needs. Last year, she replaced the traditional showroom with a mobile on-the-go studio. Now, customers will call with a project, and Van Horn will build a portfolio of flooring samples tailored to their interests.
While adapting the business under her ownership, Van Horn has maintained many of the principles her predecessors implemented. Keeping the original name was a no-brainer, as the company had significant name recognition in the Boulder County region, and it primarily acquired customers through referrals. The previous owners also maintained a seamless customer experience, and that was a top priority for Van Horn when she took over. At Meyer Skidmore & Co., customer service is all about having an open line of communication. Everyone on the team, from her project manager, Hayley Schneider, to her flooring installers, consistently follows up with customers and checks in throughout their projects, ensuring they feel heard and are informed about every step of the process. Customers mention to her that other companies rarely communicate as effectively. “I hear time and time again that they are not getting that open line of communication from other companies,” she says.
Courtesy of Meyer Skidmore & Co.
Under Van Horn’s leadership, Meyer Skidmore & Co. has not only thrived but also evolved to meet the changing needs of its customers.
LV Wood | New York, N.Y. and Bozeman, Mont.
Courtesy of LV Wood
Number of employees: 7
Year founded: 1999
Locations: 2
James Caroll gathered all his guiding principles for running a business from his dad, who ran a floor contracting business when Caroll was growing up. The two opened LV Wood in 1999, and one of Caroll’s main takeaways from watching his father was to lead employees with kindness, courage and generosity. “The way Pops treated people internally on the team really trickled down to me,” Caroll says. So LV Wood’s approach to employee management starts with kindness: By “treating people the right way and being understanding,” Caroll is able to cultivate a team that cares about one another and can lean on each other for support.
Caroll also encourages his team to be courageous and push themselves out of their comfort zone. He achieves this by devising ways to challenge his employees. The team often watches NWFA training videos and then holds meetings to discuss how to apply the principles they have learned to their business. And lastly, Caroll leads with generosity, which for him means being there for employees when unexpected things in life arise or helping them when they are struggling at work.
Courtesy of LV Wood
As a second-generation family business, Caroll treats his employees like his second family. Because of these principles, the team relies heavily on one another for support, Caroll says. LV Wood recently opened a second showroom in Montana, and Caroll is splitting his time between both locations. As a result, his New York team has taken on more responsibilities and workload without Caroll there. Caroll says the team was quick and generous to take on the extra responsibility. “You don’t get that from somebody unless there’s a mutual respect,” he says.
When it comes to LV Woods’ showrooms, Caroll wanted its design to match his clients’ style. LV Wood primarily works with architects and designers in the high-end market, so the New York and Montana showrooms have a “sophisticated” style and look more like art galleries than traditional flooring stores. All the flooring samples in each showroom were custom-built to fit the space, and there are no vendor displays. Caroll says, “If you tell someone that you can help design a beautiful floor that will fit their project, you probably want your showroom to look like you have an understanding of basic, good design.”
Courtesy of LV Wood
Specifying the showrooms’ designs to their clients’ taste exemplifies LV Woods’ approach to customer service, as well. Caroll says having exemplary customer service for architects and designers starts with understanding their industry and the complexities of their job. The LV Wood team is always seeking ways to make their clients’ lives easier by learning about the products they use and understanding the issues clients might encounter.
Courtesy of LV Wood
Having solid customer service also comes with building relationships with clients. He says his team consistently delivers quality service and attention to detail with every new job, ensuring that clients automatically think of LV Wood for their next flooring project. Caroll says, “Making solid impressions out of the gate is what kept us in business on the street in New York City for 17 years and allowed us to expand into the Mountain West market in Montana.”
UCX's choice:
Hoffman Floor & Home Inc. | Westwood, N.J.
Number of employees: 6
Year founded: 1998
Locations: 2
Annual revenue: $4 million
After 26 years running Westwood, N.J.-based Hoffman Floor & Home, Tony Sicilia still finds himself working seven days a week and often running around to customers’ homes. But staying busy and constantly being there for customers is what Sicilia prides his business on. Even now, with his son, Anthony, helping manage the business, Sicilia still offers customers 24-hour access to him and his personal cell phone number to create a more personal connection with customers. In fact, everyone at the company prides themselves on being accessible to customers throughout the entire flooring process. Sicilia doesn’t want customers to speak to a pre-recorded phone greeting; he wants them to reach someone at the company who can help them immediately. “We are there for the customer from the presentation of the product, to the in-home consultation, and right through the purchasing, delivery, installation and then follow-up service,” Sicilia says. “I think that’s really the key to the independent retailer today.”
Courtesy of Hoffman Floor and Home
Being a full-service flooring retailer, Sicilia ensures that his subcontractors installing their floors implement the same customer service and dedication to communication as the rest of his team. Subcontractors are instructed to be respectful of customers’ homes and to treat customers with courtesy. As a local business, Hoffman Floor & Home not only provides excellent customer service but also actively participates in the community. Sicilia says the business sponsors every youth organization in the area, from community plays to Little League games. Apart from building a good reputation, sponsoring youth organizations has proven to be an effective marketing tool.
In addition to sponsorships, Hoffman Floor & Home recently invested a significant amount of effort into social media marketing. The business has achieved successful engagement by conducting interviews with customers about their products, offering showroom tours and providing explanations of their projects. Additionally, they create text posts and reels that guide potential customers through the decision-making process for selecting a floor, helping to demystify this experience and allowing customers to understand what to expect before going into the showroom. Sicilia says he’s found “amazing” feedback from customers and people online. “It’s shocking to me how many people see our posts and comment on them,” he says.
Courtesy of Hoffman Floor and Home
Hoffman Floor & Home’s hands-on approach to customer service showcases the power of personal connection and community involvement in business. By prioritizing customer relationships and utilizing innovative marketing strategies, Sicilia says his team has fostered a customer base that appreciates their commitment to service and quality.
Coastal Surface's choice:
Arbor Zen Hardwood Floors | Black Mountain, N.C.
Courtesy of Arbor Zen Hardwood Floors
Number of employees: 9
Year founded: 2016
Locations: 2
Annual revenue: $2.5 million
Over the past year, Arbor Zen Hardwood Floors has undergone a major transformation aimed at enhancing customer engagement and modernizing its online and in-person presence.
One of the most notable changes is the complete renovation of its showroom, shifting its focus from product displays to a design center approach. The design center operates by appointment only, allowing team members to prepare customized ideas and dedicate their full attention to each client. Typically, a customer will provide the layout of their project and an idea of what they are looking for. Then they will make an appointment and Arbor Zen will have samples ready and create a vision board of the project for the customer. This appointment-based model aligns well with Arbor Zen’s primary clientele of architects, builders and designers, offering a more tailored and efficient experience than a typical retail showroom would provide.
Courtesy of Arbor Zen Hardwood Floors
In addition to the showroom overhaul, Arbor Zen has placed a strong focus on education courses for its customers. They regularly host industry-focused workshops and seminars to keep their clients informed about the latest developments in the industry. “We try to help them to be abreast of what the latest trends are and what the latest capabilities are for their projects,” owner Grayson Deal says. He wants Arbor Zen to be more than a retailer; he wants to be a valuable resource for industry information to his clients.
Courtesy of Arbor Zen Hardwood Floors
Arbor Zen conducts internal training for employees to keep the sales team informed about industry trends, ensuring they can best serve their customers. Deal emphasizes that the industry is constantly changing, making it essential for the entire team to stay updated on flooring trends in order to remain competitive in their market. “We want everyone to know what’s going on in the market so everyone is on the same page,” he says.
As part of Arbor Zen’s company revamp to better cater to its customer base, the business launched a new website in spring. Prior to the relaunch, the business had a simple template website, but their new site is more personalized to their brand and shows off their work, philanthropy and team members. Deal says this new website makes them appear more like the locally-owned family business they are, rather than a cold corporate entity.
Owner Grayson Deal and Vice President Carolyn Deal.Courtesy of Arbor Zen Hardwood Floors
To complement the site, Arbor Zen introduced a newsletter tailored to the building professionals they work with. The newsletter provides updates on current projects, featured products and exclusive offers, keeping clients informed and connected.
More exciting changes are coming for Arbor Zen. They plan to open their second location by the end of summer and are also working on launching their own line of hardwood flooring in the near future. Through these changes of reinventing their showroom and launching a personalized website, Deal hopes to grow Arbor Zen into a staple retailer in North Carolina. Deal says, “I’m trying to build something that one day my children can get involved in.”
Bridgebay Flooring Inc. | Hayward, Calif.
Brandon M. Constantino and CEO Oliver R. Barajas.Courtesy of Bridgebay Flooring Inc.
Number of employees: 6
Year founded: 2017
Locations: 1
Annual revenue: $5 million
When Oliver Barajas launched Bridgebay Flooring Inc. in 2017, he wasn’t starting from scratch; he was building on generations of hardwood flooring experience. As a third-generation flooring professional, Barajas grew up steeped in the trade, watching his father and great uncle install, sand, and finish hardwood floors. That knowledge gave him a significant edge when he decided to enter the industry as a hardwood flooring retailer, focusing on serving builders, designers, architects, developers, and flooring contractors throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. “I think we understand the flooring contractor a lot more than our competitors do,” Barajas says. “We have the experience of being the customer.”
Having hands-on experience with installations has allowed Barajas to anticipate his customers’ needs. Whether it means delivering samples directly to job sites or offices, guiding clients through wood species and cuts like rift and quarter sawn or live sawn, or helping solve complex flooring challenges, the Bridgebay team prioritizes supporting its customers.
When it comes to customer service, Barajas believes in being honest, transparent, and calm, especially in an industry where product delays or poor communication can derail entire projects. “We pick up the phone and tell them the truth,” he says. “If a product is delayed, we let them know quick.” Barajas says this approach has earned Bridgebay a loyal customer base, as customers regularly share how much they appreciate the communicative, honest way his team works with them. In some cases, that honesty means advising customers that they don’t need a new floor at all, offering refinishing or repair as an alternative. He finds other flooring retailers will exaggerate the need for a new floor to get more business, but Barajas says he’d rather have a lifelong reputation of being truthful rather than make a quick buck. “We’ve gained a lot of trust by just telling the truth,” he says.
Barajas says the team at Bridgebay functions like a close-knit group or “pack.” Employees are encouraged to collaborate, ask questions, and lean on each other for support. Barajas tries to foster a culture of mentorship. “We just pass on knowledge from the top to the bottom,” he explains. “The guys that have the most experience pass it onto the guys right behind them, and so everyone is always getting better.” In addition to supporting one another, Barajas invests significantly in the development of his team. He hosts in-house training sessions, encourages employees to take NWFA University courses, and travels with them to trade shows to stay updated on industry changes. And when there’s a big win at the company, the Bridgebay team enjoys celebrating as a group. Whether that’s closing a major deal or being recognized as a WFB Outstanding Retailer, Barajas will often take the team out to a brewery so everyone can celebrate.
Courtesy of Bridgebady Flooring Inc.
By combining deep industry knowledge, a strong internal culture and a commitment to honesty, Barajas intends for Bridgebay Flooring to carve out a reputation as a retailer that builders, designers, architects, developers, and flooring contractors can count on for the long haul and beyond.
