Ft. Lauderdale, FL, March 9--John Provencal, owner and president of John the Tile Man, began his career in the tile business in his early 20s. Many of the varieties of tile he carries at his store on Lee Street come from Brazil, Spain and Italy and are exclusive in Lehigh, according to the Lehigh News Star.
Provencal credits his years of success to his careful attention to each job and each customer.
Though his new showroom is full of beautiful, exclusive tiles from around the world, as he talks about his business, his pride is obviously rooted more in his commitment to service.
He stays involved with his installation crew, visiting every site at the beginning and end of each job, he said.
"I go on the job with them to make sure it is done the way the customer wants it done," Provencal said.
Provencal, 61, came to the flooring business without much formal education in his native Ottawa, Canada.
After just a few months working for a local flooring company, Provencal opened up his first shop at the age of 21. "I had people behind me to help me," Provencal said.
By the time he was 33, Provencal was ready to retire. He moved to Fort Lauderdale and bought some mobile homes, but eventually opened another tile shop.
While there, he built up an impressive client list, installing tile in the upscale homes of Ann-Margret and Jackie Gleason in Fort Lauderdale and Wendy's founder Dave Thomas in Boca Raton.
Provencal eventually moved back to Canada, but returned to Florida seven years ago, this time settling in Lehigh Acres.
He began doing installation work independently out of his home, but he was soon doing enough business to warrant opening yet another shop. "The demand came up so much I said, 'We need a store,' " he said.
Provencal opened his shop at 1000 Lee Boulevard in 2001. Naming the shop was easy, he said. When people called to hire him, they always asked for "John the Tile Man."
The business soon outgrew the Lee Boulevard location, and Provencal decided to move to a newer, bigger building.
The store moved to its new location at 5460 Lee Street in November and had its grand opening there in February. It employs about 15 people, Provencal said.
The new store sits among several other new and bustling commercial buildings in Westgate Air Park Center.
Provencal said he was somewhat hesitant to move away from the heavy traffic on Lee Boulevard, but the move appears to have paid off.
Business has more than tripled so far this year, compared with the same period last year, according to store manager Todd Snow.
The new location's showroom features tiles from Brazil, Italy and Spain, as well as carpet and wood flooring. There are also tools and other products for rent or sale for those who want to lay the flooring themselves.
Provencal is already talking about expanding his business more, including bringing a drapes specialist to the store.
No matter how much the business grows, he said, the focus will still be on getting each job right. The store strives to deliver same-day estimates for work and take care of problems within 24 hours.
Provencal said he also guarantees his work and strives for more than the typical business to customer relationship. "We want them as a friend," he said.
