Focus on Leadership: Will Young loves the flooring business – May 2026

Interview by Kemp Harr

Will Young, senior vice president of residential sales at Engineered Floors (EF), is the grandson of Bob Shaw and part of the next generation leadership team that is being groomed to take the family business to the next level. Seventeen years ago, while Will and his brother Joe were halfway through their college education, their grandfather asked them to join the new business he was launching. The brothers agreed. Since that time, Will has held a number of positions within the organization, contributing to its growth and building relationships along the way.

As an upcoming leader in the flooring business, Will offers his thoughts on mentorship, reversing carpet’s share loss and the importance of relationships. 

Will and his wife, Mary Helen, share two young daughters.

Q: What were your initial career plans when you chose to attend the University of Georgia and pursue a marketing degree? 

A: My plan for most of my life was to join the family business (Shaw Industries at the time). There was never any pressure to do so, but I was sure that was where I wanted to be. That changed a bit after we sold to Berkshire Hathaway in 2001/2002. 

When heading to Athens, I would say the plan was fluid: find a career path that involved competition and people. I was committed to staying flexible and investigating opportunities as they arose.  

Q: When your grandfather invited you to lunch the summer of your junior year of college to explain his plans to build Engineered Floors and ask you and your brother Joe to join the company, how did you react? 

A: What a great day! We had little to no information, but we were excited to be a part of whatever he had in mind. I believe he said, “I have something I’d like to discuss with y’all. Come on up to that breakfast place off Walnut Avenue”…he was talking about Cracker Barrel. 

When we sat down, he started to explain how pre-dyed PET was going to change the carpet industry…a “step change” as he called it. This company—we didn’t have a name at the time—would pioneer this new manufacturing process. 

Most importantly, he asked us if we would like to be a part of this new business when we graduated. No hesitation on our side…we started working at our first plant in Calhoun that summer (2009) where we were just starting to install fiber extrusion and processing capacity. 

Q: Did Mr. Shaw lay out your pathway to eventual leadership, or did he leave that up to you to sort out?

A: I wouldn’t say we had explicit conversations about leadership roles. He doesn’t really work that way. We were given every opportunity to grow in the part of the business that excited us most. My role has changed just about every 18 to 24 months since I started. Every role served as a foundation for the next. It’s been a great way to learn the business. 

Q: Tell us about an “aha” moment when you learned what it takes to accomplish your professional goals.

A: A few stick with me…

One of our earliest customers was Redi Carpet out of Houston, Texas. We had their management team in Dalton while Joe and I were still in college. We were invited to attend dinner that night at The Farm, so we drove in from Athens. Joe and I had to drive back that night, so we left the table early. On the way out, I heard my granddad say, “I’d go to war with those two.” Probably more of a motivating moment than an “aha” moment, but it stuck with me. 

I was calling on the Carolinas right out of college. One of my first customers in Charlotte was Carpet To Go. As we were finishing up one of our first meetings, the owner, Dennis DiCarlo, said to me, “You will do well in this industry.” It was a kind word that gave me confidence early on in my career.

Q: Who are/were your mentors, and what did they teach you?

A: My dad was my first mentor. He taught me how to be present. Time is the ultimate commodity, and he spent his time with us growing up. 

Professionally, I have been lucky to be surrounded by folks that took a real interest in helping me develop in my career and as a man: Danny Freeman, Dewayne Westmoreland, Gary Hollowell, James Lesslie, Jeff Honkonen. That’s an odd bunch of names right there if you know them personally, with very different skills and personalities, but I like our weird melting pot.

Specifically in developing my career in sales, Brad Matthaidess is a mentor of mine. Brad was my first boss at EF and runs our East Coast division now. Brad was all about accountability and doing the small things the right way. As he puts it, “Plan your work and work your plan.” I still need a reminder every now and again from him to do this. 

Q: Earlier this year, you were the keynote speaker at the Abbey convention, where you spoke for an hour without notes and entertained and informed the audience on the state of the business. Where did you learn these skills? What is the secret to keeping an audience engaged?

A: I remember going to Surfaces earlier in my career. I loved listening to other people pitch, so I could take what I liked and discard what didn’t work. I think engagement comes when you can deliver a unique perspective with passion and conviction.  

Q: EF’s largest product line is carpet, which has been steadily losing share. What needs to happen to reverse this trend?

A: Our industry has done a very poor job conveying the benefits of soft floorcovering. Textiles are having their moment in home décor across wallcoverings, window treatments and furniture coverings, but we still refer to our textile floorcovering as carpet. Soft floorcovering has been around for thousands of years. It may never grace the kitchen or the bathroom again, but it will have its place in the home. It’s on us to change the perception of a category that delivers so many benefits to the home.   

Q: Relationships are a key driver for success in business. What is the best way to convey to a customer that you have their interests at heart? 

A: The best part of our industry is the relationships. Relationships require trust, and trust takes time to earn. I think it’s consistency that keeps the relationship moving forward. I always tell people that we want to be the most boring supplier they have—clockwork quality and service without surprises. 

Q: How does a family-owned business compete with private equity or publicly traded companies that seem to have endless resources?

A: Being a privately owned business is one of our biggest strengths. Capital is not a constraint, and we can deploy it quickly with a long-term view. It is up to our management group to identify and execute those opportunities. 

This industry was built by entrepreneurs of family-owned businesses. The missing link was usually capital, so we saw them go public or be purchased by someone with capital. 

Q: Aside from building EF’s business, you are also building a family. What is your trick for balancing these priorities? 

A: My goal is to always be present, whether that is with my family and friends, my coworkers or my customers. If I am with you: you have my full attention. My seven-year-old, Anna Clare, is quick to correct me when I fail to do so. I usually get a “Snap out of it!” when I spend too much time looking down at my phone. 

Q: What character traits do you look for when you are building your team? 

A: I love working with curious people, who are interested and want to learn. I had one member of my team say EF was like “working at a flooring think tank.” We nerd out over product and ideas of how to get them to market every day. 

I have also been lucky to find talented people who look at the world very differently from me. Their strengths are usually my weaknesses and vice versa. We tend to make a great team. 

Q: You are an active board member with the Floor Covering Industry Foundation (FCIF). What drives your energy for this endeavor?

A: This industry has been an incredible blessing to my family and our community. I can’t think of a more worthy cause than to support the fine folks who have worked in it during their toughest times. The FCIF really embodies what makes our industry different. We have a legacy of stewardship and leadership that moves beyond the transaction. Change is inevitable, but we should do all we can to make sure that this mindset continues. 

Q: What are you and Mary Helen doing to make sure your kids are both happy and successful?

A: Our kiddos are young (four and six), so our goal these days is to build a foundation for happiness and success when life isn’t so simple. Mary Helen keeps us all grounded, and, boy, do we need it. I recharge when I am at home and so do my girls. To me, happiness is a by-product of being fulfilled. Fulfillment comes from purpose—we sometimes just need help identifying our purpose. 

Q: What is your favorite quote?

A: I wish it was a little more inspiring, but my favorite quote is from Michael Scott on The Office, “I’m not superstitious, but I am a little stitious.” n