Best Practices: McSwain Carpets & Floors – August 2026

By Jessica Chevalier

For the McSwains, flooring isn’t just a career but a generational tradition. Harvey McSwain was a hardwood flooring professional in sanding and finishing, skills he passed down to his son, Ralph McSwain Sr. 

All four of Ralph Sr.’s children, including his son Ron, worked alongside their father, installing and finishing floors for the builder community throughout Cincinnati, and in Ron’s college years, he worked in his brother Ralph Jr.’s hardwood company, McSwain Hardwood, to fund his college education. 

While Ron saw an opportunity to sell carpet to homebuilders, Ralph Jr. wanted McSwain Hardwood to remain hardwood-only, so Ron launched McSwain Carpets & Floors in Cincinnati in 1968, selling carpet and vinyl. The venture expanded rapidly, doubling in size every three years.

Today, McSwain Carpets & Floors is a major flooring retailer, with ten locations across the Cincinnati, northern Kentucky and Dayton regions.

Ron passed away on June 7, 2026, at age 83, and his son Jason, now president, attributes the success of the operation to the foundation Ron established. “The McSwain Carpets & Floors team was fortunate to learn from my father who was a master at flooring retail,” says Jason. 

OPPORTUNITY & EXPANSION

By 1978, the company expanded to serve northern Kentucky, and it continued growing, moving into Columbus and Dayton to support the growth of builder relationships. Showroom locations were added in each market to serve retail consumers. 

In the early 1980s, Ron and Barry Wert launched a commercial division to serve Prudential Commercial’s new headquarters in Blue Ash, the northern sector of Cincinnati.

And in the early 1990s, Ron opted to sell his Columbus locations to Tom Levi to prepare McSwain for expansion in Cincinnati. 

In 2000, the acquisition of a regional paint company resulted in the formation of a property management division, while McSwain’s wholesale operations launched in 2003, the same year the company acquired strong regional retail competitor Tim Hogan’s Dalton Georgia Carpet Outlet. 

McSwain joined the National Floorcovering Alliance in 2007, At present, McSwain’s segment focus is 45% retail, 22% builder, 15% wholesale, 10% commercial and 8% multifamily. 

Ron served as chairman of McSwain until his recent passing. “Today’s leadership team frequently enjoyed advertising ideas, inventory strategies and encouragement to celebrate successes via a half-page yellow legal paper handwritten by Dad,” Jason recalls. “He ended each note with, ‘This is merely an idea. Do with it as you see best, as you have the responsibility now. Best regards, Ron/Dad’.”

It isn’t just Jason who carries along the McSwain flooring tradition. Paul Moon, Ralph Jr.’s son-in-law, is the most tenured employee with 44 years of service, currently as senior builder executive. Ron’s son-in-law Kevin Carnes is chief operations officer, and Ron’s son, Jon, works in the builder division. 

In addition, Ron has four grandchildren working in the business currently: Jason Samuel, Anna, Jeremy and Joel. 

BUSINESS STATS
Locations: Cincinnati, Ohio & Northern Kentucky (Blue Ash, Beechmont, Forest Park, Florence, Mason, Tylersville); Dayton (Beavercreek, Centerville, North Dayton)
Years in Business: 58
Number of Stores: 10
Number of Employees: 95
Affiliation: National Floorcovering Alliance

PEOPLE FIRST

Jason believes that the leadership Ron imparted lives and breathes through the McSwain team associates. “Dad’s hallmark was a passion for people through his affinity of flooring,” Jason explains.

Ron appreciated that the flooring industry continuously provided for the families of installers and associates in southwest Ohio. He and his wife Phyllis took pride in investing in the lives of local residents, even beyond the business’ reach, having started numerous nonprofits supporting initiatives in healthcare, housing, economic development and education. In addition, McSwain Carpets & Floors provided flooring for the vast majority of Habitat for Humanity homes built in the Cincinnati area.

Ron also had a fondness for the strong friendships he enjoyed within manufacturing partners and distributor alliances. “The flooring industry was very positive throughout Dad’s life,” says Jason. “And it has been a blessing to be mentored through his wisdom gained across a lifetime.” 

TO CHANGE IS TO GROW

Unlike some business owners, Ron was unafraid of change. He was not precious about his locations but focused on the big picture of the retail landscape and acted, as needed, to support both the customers and his team. 

“During my first full-time responsibilities with McSwain in the early ’90s, I saw multiple examples of showroom moves to better angle the business for the future,” Jason recalls. Often, this meant relocation a few miles one way or another in order to tap into the better retail traffic. Owning, rather than renting, their real estate allowed the company to relocate on its own timeline.

“When the company’s initial location in central Cincinnati needed to be upgraded. My father designed a modern replacement five miles west in the new retail corridor and was quickly rewarded with increased traffic and revenue.” 

CONTINUING THE LEGACY

After college, Jason worked a few years for a housing network in Cincinnati that provided housing for underserved families, as both he and Ron believed there were benefits to working outside a family business. Through this experience, Jason realized his desire to pursue an MBA degree. His first role for McSwain was as asset manager, midway through earning his MBA. 

As the flooring industry has given to the McSwain family, Jason wants to return the favor. His desire to enter leadership in the NFA was encouraged by Ron, as well as by other NFA members, including Tom Hadinger, Jon Pierce, Jim and Donna Mudd, Sam Roberts and Lisa Browning. “All these individuals invested in me over the years, and it was my turn to give back to the members,” says Jason. “For me, leadership within the NFA was bringing bright individuals together for the synergy of our members and vendors, mutual growth and success.”

Looking ahead, Jason and the rest of the McSwain leadership team are bullish on the outlook for McSwain Carpets & Floors in 2026 and 2027. “We expect 20% growth over the next 17 months,” Jason reports. “We will accomplish this through our energized associates who see growth as exciting and the healthy foundation of a strong team.”