Tom Durkan Dead At 78

Thomas R. Durkan, the founder of Durkan Patterned Carpets who was credited with creating a lucrative niche market for upscale printed carpet in the commercial carpet industry, died at his Dalton, Georgia home on November 25, 2003. He was 78 and suffering from leukemia, a family spokesperson said. A self-made millionaire who entered the carpet business as a trainee for Mohawk Carpet Mills in 1951, Durkan retired in 1996 after selling his $100 million company--ironically to his alma mater, now known as Mohawk Industries, Inc. The rags to riches story Durkan was fond of relaying as an inspiration to the entrepreneurial independent sales agents he cultivated, many of whom also became millionaires selling his product, was one of true grit and determination. Durkan, who also maintained a residence in Manhattan, was born in October 1925 above the New York City carriage house of business tycoon Jay Gould, for whom his father Thomas was chauffeur. His parents were Irish immigrants, and they provided him with a Catholic school education for 12 years, 1931 to 1943. A veteran of World War II, Durkan was a Waist Gunner for the Air Force, and flew 30 missions over Germany for two years, 1944 to 1945. After the war, he attended Fordham University in New York, and graduated with an accounting degree in June 1949. In addition to holding various positions at Mohawk, he was national commercial manager for Stephen Leedon, a carpet company in New York City, and national commercial manager for Stark Carpet Corporation between 1960 and 1961. Durkan’s carpet empire began as Durkan Carpet Corporation in June 1964, a small contract carpet operation in New York City catering to the architects and commercial interior designers he served throughout his career. When that company filed bankruptcy in 1971, the scrappy fighter came out for round two, forming Durkan Enterprises with no money, no equipment and no factory. The business was a one-man show, with Durkan selling carpet produced by way of commission manufacturing. The era from 1971 through 1980 was marked by a constant struggle to remain liquid. By 1980, the company had a 10,000 square foot rented warehouse, 12 employees and no real net worth. He did have a vision, however, and he clung to it steadfastly despite all obstacles. Durkan wanted to change the poor image of printed carpet via high quality manufacturing, and market his improved product to hotels and restaurants where printed carpet would make the same visual statement as woven Axminsiter carpet from Europe, but would be more durable, and far less expensive than the imports, the standard for hospitality installations at the time. The company, now called Durkan Patterned Carpet, began limited printing of carpet on commission basis in late 1977. Gradually Durkan overcame challenges in the manufacturing and marketing areas, so that commercial interior designers would specify his product--indeed, continued product improvement became the company’s hallmark. Durkan was 54 when he made the decision to pinpoint the hospitality trade as a prime target, and gave up his previous market as a supplier of carpet to department stores for their own store use. In 1982, his children joined him in the business, learning all aspects from sales and marketing to production. The family soon expanded Durkan’s markets to health care, the gaming industry, contract commercial, theaters, shopping malls and other areas, including international sales. As their empire continued to expand, generating millions of dollars, the family, unencumbered by outside stockholders, continued to invest in plant and equipment. With limited credit from banks and commercial factors, Durkan soon became totally vertical through a series of acquisitions.