Sioux City, IA, February 23--After 14 years of running a Siouxland race track, Evan Schoenfish shifted into a new line of work, according to the Sioux City Journal.
The former general manager of Park Jefferson Speedway recently joined with his friend, Paul Connealy, to purchase the local franchise for Floor Coverings International, an Atlanta-based floor covering business.
Schoenfish described the move as a big change for him, both personally and professionally.
"Racing is an entertainment business," he said. "Obviously, our floor covering business is home improvement. It's taken me a little while to kind of shift gears a little bit to get used to the difference between the two businesses."
Schoenfish's move followed the recent sale of Park Jefferson, a NASCAR-sanctioned track near Jefferson, S.D. Leon and Shirley Mulder of Doon, Iowa, purchased the speedway from longtime owners Ted and Mary Jo Carlson of Sioux City. Schoenfish, who will continue to help out at the track this season, said he was already ready for a new career after 21 years in the racing industry. He managed the track at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds in Minot for seven years before coming to Park Jefferson in 1990.
"For me personally, I was at the point where I was looking for a lifestyle change," he said. "Obviously, with my involvement in racing, it meant pretty much being tied up with all your weekends and weekdays from April to October."
With their four children grown, Schoenfish said he and his wife, Karyn, now will have a greater opportunity to travel.
Connealy had managed the Siouxland Floor Coverings International franchise since it opened in 1999. Friends with Schoenfish since he arrived in Sioux City, Connealy said the two would often "talk shop." When Connealy discussed the possibility of buying the local franchise, Schoenfish expressed interest as well.
"He kind of saw how excited I was about it," Connealy said. "He said, 'You know what, I've always wanted to run my own buisness and be my own boss.'"
The company's business offices are located at 929 W. 25th St. in South Sioux City. The franchise territory includes Northwest Iowa, Northeast Nebraska and Southeastern South Dakota.
Established in 1988, Floor Coverings International has more than 400 franchise businesses throughout the United States and Canada. The franchises operate "mobile showrooms" that provide customers with a convenient, in-home shopping experience. The "Floor Covering Store at Your Door" concept offers all types of floor covering -- carpet, vinyl, ceramic, laminate, marble, cork and woods. There are more than 3,500 distinctive styles and colors to choose from.
Connealy, who completed custom floor covering training in Atlanta, said shopping at home is the best place to make floor covering decisions. It makes it easier to select styles and colors that match a home's furniture, wall paint, wall coverings, woodwork, drapes and other fixtures. Seeing the various floor coverings colors in a room's own natural lighting can make a big difference in the selection process, he said.
