Illinois Retailer Opens Showroom

Ottawa, IL, March 14, 2006--Karen Lanehart's customers don't question her judgment of flooring. After all, for the last 15 years Lanehart and her husband, Brandon, have sold and installed everything from carpet and hardwood to ceramic and vinyl composite tile in all kinds of homes and businesses. In that time, their company, Select Wholesale Flooring, has expanded to cover a sprawling area of northern Illinois that includes La Salle County and stretches from DeKalb on the northwest to the Lake Michigan shore and as far south as Kankakee. But last month, the Laneharts decided to take Select Wholesale Flooring to a different level and open a showroom. "Our clients were asking for a place that they could bring their customers to show them the products," she said. And as the location of the company's first showroom, Lanehart said she could find no better location than Leland. "Leland?" said Lanehart with a laugh. "That's the first question on everybody's mind: Why Leland?" For starters, Lanehart said Leland offered a storefront big enough for the showroom, yet priced reasonably enough to support the venture. And, Lanehart said she and her husband loved the quiet atmosphere Leland offered. She noted that, until eight years ago, the Laneharts and their five children lived in suburban Brookfield, literally steps from the Brookfield Zoo. "We'd wake up in the morning to the lions roaring," said Lanehart. "And when we moved away, the zoo bought our house." But while the Laneharts enjoyed the zoo, she said they craved a small-town atmosphere. And so, the family relocated to rural Leland, taking their flooring business with them. So, said Lanehart, when they were looking for a place to open a showroom, no place seemed to fit so well as Leland. To support the continued growth of the company, Lanehart said the business will also soon open a warehouse in Leland. But while the Laneharts see the advantages of the situation, others have questioned their choice. Some flooring manufacturers have declined to support the venture because they believed Leland to be too small. "But we feel like this place has a lot of potential," said Lanehart. "And we intend to grow with the town." The showroom features samples of all kinds of flooring offered by Select Wholesale Flooring. Lanehart said, including basics like carpet, hardwood and tile from the nation's top flooring maker, Shaw Flooring, to less common floorings, such as stone, marble and exotic hardwoods, like bamboo. And Lanehart said Select Wholesale Flooring will install everything it sells through its network of custom installers. "And we intend to keep our prices where everyone can afford them," she said. The store celebrated its grand opening Saturday, and Lanehart said more improvements are on the way, including a Web site and even more flooring samples.

Related Topics:Shaw Industries Group, Inc.

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