Best Practices: MDG Flooring America, Monarch Carpet One Floor & Home – April 2025

By Jessica Chevalier

Steven Walbolt and Donnie Green are cousins and co-owners of a retail flooring enterprise in northeast Ohio consisting of four stores-three Flooring Americas and one Carpet One-two of which include CCA Global’s new Kiba Studios kitchen and bath program. While many businesses have family-centered values, Steven and Donnie hold especially tightly to their tenets, as their ownership of the business was born out of a family tragedy.

SILVER LININGS
Michael David Green, Donnie’s father, started MDG Flooring America in 2001. However, in 2007, Michael was in a traumatic car accident that left him with brain damage and forced him to retire immediately. Donnie, at the time only 21, and his mother Carol had to take control of MDG overnight-while also managing Michael’s complex injuries-and neither of them were experts in running a business. On top of that, at the time, MDG was largely focused on new home construction, and the recession was setting in.

Steven, who worked in corporate America during this time, was close to his cousin. The pair spent a lot of time together talking, and Steven proposed, “Why don’t I quit my job and partner with you so that we can keep the family legacy alive?”

In 2016, they officially became co-owners. “It’s the perfect partnership,” says Steven. “We didn’t even realize how ideal it would be early on. I joke that I don’t know much about flooring. I will never talk specs of a product or about installation details. Donnie is the brains behind that. I am process and procedural. We wouldn’t find success if we were both one way or the other. We make a great team.”

“The identity of our company is resiliency,” he adds.

Today, the business is about 50% residential retail, with the other half comprised of mainstreet commercial and new home construction.

In 2022, Steven and Donnie added a Kiba Studio to their original Flooring America location. In 2023, they acquired a second Flooring America location. And in 2024, the company acquired a Carpet One, opened a third Flooring America and added a second Kiba Studio.

In addition to Steven, Donnie and Carol, several other family members work in the business, as well. Donnie’s sister, Christie, is general sales manager at one location. Steven’s wife, Christina, is director of marketing. And Steven’s mom, Kathy, is the accountant. But Steven and Donnie emphasize that being family by blood or law isn’t the only path to success at MDG. Promotions are based on merit, and the pair is happy to advance any team member who excels.

STRATEGY
Steven and Donnie’s decision to diversify their offering by adding Kiba Studios to their operation was strategic, but that doesn’t mean it was easy. “Adding Kiba was definitely a challenge and still is today,” says Steven. “It’s more of a mindset challenge and understanding that, as we continue to grow, whether we are installing a kitchen or a floor, the process can still be the same. We tend to overthink or overcomplicate it.

“Whether we thought we were ready to add Kiba or not, the way our industry is going, we felt we needed to do it. As new generations become new consumers, we have to cater to their buying habits. It is a huge asset to be a one-stop-shop showroom.”

Another way that Steven and Donnie serve their target customer is through their messaging. “We are very consistent with everything from a marketing standpoint,” says Steven. “We want to consistently be relatable to our target customer and offer messaging that relates to them.”

The ability to do that as a retailer does, of course, hinge on properly identifying the core consumer and understanding what, specifically, your business offers them. This is something Steven and Donnie strove to achieve and, through a great deal of trial and error, succeeded at.

Much of the company’s customer outreach is social media driven, though it continues investing in print advertising in local publications to tell the business’ story.

THE TEAM
The story of the business isn’t just something Steven and Donnie share with customers; they begin training new hires on the business’ history immediately, making sure team members understand “how we got here,” says Steven.

Steven and Donnie are committed to continual improvement for themselves and their team, taking advantage of the educational opportunities that Flooring America and Carpet One present and nurturing ownership among team members. “I have a servant-leadership mentality,” explains Steven. “I have a job to do, and I need the team to hold me accountable. Each person and each position has an ownership mentality, as well, and looks at our operations from the consumer’s standpoint. It’s not about what process suits us, but what suits our customer.”

In hiring and all decisions, Steven and Donnie consider the operation’s core values and culture to determine if the outcome aligns with the business.

Values, believes Steven, are the one thing that can’t be taught, so identifying individuals whose values align with the business’ value is key.

OPPORTUNITIES
Steven and Donnie’s installation team is a combination of both employees and subs. While the company does have enough installers to fill demand now, Steven expresses concern about that holding true as the business grows.

“The installer shortage is an industry threat as people age out or move on,” he notes. “We are always working on how we find good people to bring in. We work with local schools to attract students interested in the trades. Donnie handles that side of the business, and he is very well respected because of how well he treats the installation team. It has to be a win-win for both parties.”

This is part and parcel to Steven’s bigger-picture concerns: “How do we prepare ourselves for even the next five years with the industry ever-changing? And, as we grow, how do we protect our core culture and values?”

Looking toward the future, Steven and Donnie are excited for growth but aren’t sure exactly what that may ultimately look like. “Years ago, I wanted 20 stores, but that has changed,” Steven laughs. “In the last two years, we have grown a lot. Right now, we are focused on mastering that growth and continuously finding new opportunities. I believe the right opportunities will present themselves when we are ready.”

INTERIOR DESIGN
Design is a part of RSA training, and Steven and Donnie seek to continually educate their team about new trends. However, the operation also leans heavily into relationships with local interior designers, offering, “Let us be your showrooms.”

“They are the experts,” says Steven. “We have the design knowledge, but we partner with them on big-picture vision.”