Former DuPont Exec Draws on 30-Year Career in Flooring Industry

Experience isn’t always necessary in the franchising arena. That’s what makes it so appealing for many entrepreneurs. But if you have prior experience in the industry you’ve chosen, be it fast food, beauty salons, or the flooring business, you can certainly use it to your advantage.

This is why Bob Tlumak is the ideal franchisee for Floor Coverings International, North America’s leading in-home design floor coverings brand. Tlumak was on the corporate side of the flooring industry for about 30 years. His experience is long and extensive. He worked with DuPont in marketing and sales and product development, helping to launch STAINMASTER® carpets in 1986 before later serving as vice president of marketing for Synthetic Industries, one of the leading suppliers of specialty backings for carpeting and rugs. Additionally, Tlumak was director of hard surfaces for INVISTA, which now owns the STAINMASTER® brand.

Floor Coverings International offers an unmatched selection of flooring products including carpet, hardwood, laminate, tile and vinyl, as well as specialty products such as bamboo and cork. Their expert Design Associates offer free in-home Design Consultations, visiting customers’ homes in a Mobile Flooring Showroom with thousands of flooring choices to assist them in choosing the perfect flooring solution.

Tlumak’s area serves Cherokee, Paulding and parts of Cobb counties.

“I decided it might be a good idea to open my own flooring business with the expertise I had built over 30 years,” Tlumak said. “And with what franchising brought to the table, I thought it would be great to combine the two.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about one in every 10 Americans is self-employed, that equals about 14.6 million people in the U.S. It was an option that held much appeal for Tlumak given his experience.

“Business has been brisk from the start, it definitely helped that I had been involved in product development in the flooring industry since the mid-1980s,” Tlumak said.

Even with his industry experience, Tlumak said there was still a learning curve associated with making the transition to entrepreneur.

“You can know everything about flooring, but there are still other aspects of the business that you have to master such as marketing and financials,” Tlumak said.

Tlumak’s timing for becoming an entrepreneur in the flooring industry couldn’t have been better. According to a recent report by The Freedonia Group, the demand for hard-surface flooring in the U.S. is expected to increase 6.1 percent per year to 11.3 billion square feet in 2019, valued at $16.7 billion. The fastest growth will come from the residential market, driven by gains in housing completions and a shift toward hard-surface flooring in living and dining areas, where carpet has predominated, the report said.

“I see growing popularity in hybrid vinyl/laminate woods and products such as COREtec Plus®, which is engineered luxury vinyl flooring,” Tlumak said. “People are also looking for flooring that holds up better against pet damage.”

In addition to its extensive product selection, Floor Coverings International further separates itself from the competition through its customer experience, made up of several simple and integrated steps that exceed customers’ expectations.

“We listen to our customers’ needs and provide solutions through our products,” Tlumak said. “Having the know-how to understand the right product for the right situation for each customer is the best feeling I can have.”

Tlumak’s days are filled by following up on leads, making calls, building on to his installing network and networking with other entrepreneurs. However, at the same time, he has an eye on the future, as well.

###

ABOUT FLOOR COVERINGS INTERNATIONAL

Floor Coverings International has over 100 locations throughout the U.S. and Canada and expects to add 50 additional units by the end of 2016, targeting markets such as Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta as well as other strategic markets across North America. For more information, please visit www.floorcoveringsinternational.com/