ProSource Targets Top Urban Markets with New Forma

St. Louis, MO, December 15, 2006--As part of a national growth strategy to enter the top U.S. home improvement markets, ProSource Wholesale Floorcoverings said it will launch a new, design-centered format showroom for metropolitan markets. This year, it said, four metro showrooms opened in Chicago, Baltimore, North San Diego and Houston. ProSource Floorcoverings is opening an additional urban location in Bellevue, Washington in February 2007. With 150 showrooms throughout North America, the company said it plans to open 20 new locations by the end of 2008. Targeted metro markets include Miami; Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles; San Francisco and Orange County. ProSource Floorcoverings’ development of the 7,000 sq. ft., design-centered format enables the company to establish exclusive franchise territories in the top U.S. home improvement markets where real estate prices are on the rise while better serving their growing metro customer base. "As the largest wholesale floorcovering franchise in the U.S., we want to accommodate our members and their clients in urban markets and open ProSource Floorcoverings showrooms right in their backyards," said Mark Jameson, vice president of franchise development for ProSource. "Our members no longer have to travel outside the city to have access to the latest flooring trends at the lowest prices." The new showrooms are less nearly a third of the size of the standard showrooms, which allow them to be placed in a variety of new metropolitan locations to introduce ProSource’s 20,000 product offerings to their members in a more personal shopping environment. In addition to the reduced footprint, the new format offers an urbanized feel that fits the contemporary lifestyles and market tastes of the area residents, while maintaining the visual merchandising appeal and ease in navigation. “Our new showroom format enables ProSource to operate in higher-priced real estate markets while offering members and their clients merchandise at the highest value with a low cost guarantee,” Jameson added. ProSource Floorcoverings is offering franchise opportunities to qualified candidates for a franchise fee of $46,450.