Tulsa, OK, Apr. 20--A Tulsa carpet business operating in the same midtown location for almost 60 years will soon vacate its blocklong building, according to Tulsa World.
When Carpet City opened in 1946, the retailer was situated in the center of Tulsa, said David Golzar, the carpet company's president.
But today, the city's carpet market has moved south amid shifting demographics. The store now sits amid antique stores and an eclectic mix of one-of-a-kind retail shops and restaurants.
"We think it's time to devote the building to other uses," Golzar said of Carpet City's 50,000-square-foot flagship store.
Golzar will begin selling off a $2.5 million inventory at the beginning of May. The discounts of 30 percent to 66 percent include carpet, area rugs, wood, ceramic tile, vinyl and laminate, he said.
The sale prices will be available at the other three Carpet City locations.
The main store's 11 employees will be transferred to other stores or to one of two warehouses, Golzar said.
"At one time, we had 60 employees" working in the store and adjoining warehouse, he said, and almost 60 sales representatives traveling the country.
Company founder Sander Davidson opened 16 stores, including one in Fort Smith, AR, before turning the business into a wholesale operation. Davidson sold the retail stores in 1978, and Golzar bought the original location.
Golzar, who joined Carpet City as a management trainee in 1970, expanded the company to 11 stores, mostly from buyouts of other local carpet retailers.
In the mid-80s, "I was the king of carpets," said 58-year-old Golzar.
Less than three years ago, an out-of-state firm offered Golzar $2.2 million for the building, with plans to convert the space into an antique mall. That offer, Golzar said, may or may not reappear.
There is interest in the property, though, and a decision will be made later whether to sell or lease.
Although Golzar has streamlined Carpet City, he will soon expand his carpet business through other outlets.
He is opening a wholesale division this year, targeting designers, home builders and decorators. A second venture--a carpet and floorcovering franchise--will open close to Carpet City's 41st Street location.
