Gregg Moore is a superior talker: He talked his way into possessing 69-calendar year-old Lake Forest Flooring, shopping for the making it occupies and bordering himself with faithful customers and a veteran team.
None of that was prepared.
Moore is a purely natural salesman who has put in 25 decades selling flooring, happily talking about his merchandise and developing interactions.
He started off in 1996 with a enterprise that bought unfinished hardwood. In 2000, he joined Mohawk flooring organization as a gross sales agent. For 14 yrs, Moore named on suppliers all over the Upstate and into North Carolina.
That’s when one shopper, Martha Woods, became a buddy, and matters took an sudden transform.
Woods had taken over Lake Forest Carpet (now Lake Forest Flooring) from her father, Carl Summey, who launched the retail store in 1952 in the same place wherever it stands today, 1334 N Pleasantburg Dr.
Moore vividly remembers their discussion in 2013. “Martha claimed, ‘Gregg, I am heading to sell my retail store, and I want you to buy it.’”
He wished her properly, then firmly declined.
Moore turned her down once again a thirty day period later on. But she was undeterred. “The Lord put your title on my coronary heart,” she advised him. “You’re heading to get my keep. Go property and communicate to your spouse, pray about it, and see what occurs.
“After a couple of months of praying … That is how we got this retailer. This put will be 70 years aged in 2022,” states Moore, who was born and reared in Greer and owns a dwelling in Taylors with his wife, Mitzi.
Mitzi’s opinion? “She was all for it.”
Moore formally bought the business enterprise a couple months afterwards. Later, he purchased his building and the 1 upcoming to it when his 96-year-outdated landlord died.
Now, he makes use of his reward of gab and information about flooring to provide consumers.
“Our organization is generational. Persons appear in since their excellent-grandparents bought flooring from us in the ’50s, and their grandparents bought, their mom and father purchased, and now they are acquiring.”
The shop – section of a strip of suppliers across from Bob Jones University and substantially much larger than it seems – carries ceramic tile, hardwood, laminate, luxury vinyl plank, carpet and location rugs.
Flooring has improved a lot by means of the years.
Luxury vinyl plank is the trendiest product or service, Moore claims. “LVP is extremely incredibly hot.” It’s quick to retain, arrives in many textures and colours, and can be eradicated simply when owners want a improve. It is also tough and resistant to scratches and water (although not scratch-proof or flood-proof, Moore cautions).
Laminate, common in the mid-1990s, is generating a comeback, he says. “Laminate is a tricky merchandise.”
Carpet is also well-liked and has been engineered to be much more sturdy. “These times, it is pet-friendly, child-proof, and wine-evidence. Carpet has occur a extended way in 20 decades.”
Hardwood flooring are even now most well known. “Most residences we do are tricky floor. They are timeless, long lasting, and can be refinished quite a few times.”
The fallout from COVID-19 has made decisions difficult. “Everything has long gone up in selling price,” Moore states. “My vendors give me five days on the cost of wood. It goes up weekly.”
Luxury vinyl plank now expenses about 20% extra, he suggests, for the reason that the solution is made in China, Cambodia or Vietnam. Carpet manufacturing was influenced when the mills were understaffed, and padding is also in brief offer.
Shipping may well be the main situation, Moore states. “Some goods are three months out.”
Even with the hurdles, business enterprise has been continual considering the fact that March, he suggests. “Walk-in traffic has been great. We’re grateful. It was difficult past 12 months. We survived, but it was tough.”
For Moore, Lake Forest Flooring is about services.
“We are over-the-leading friendly. People like that. They identify that,” he says.
Maye-Webb McCauley, a entire-time inside designer, can assistance clients match flooring or carpet to paint and fabric hues, or even enable set a entire room alongside one another.
The sizing of the position doesn’t subject, Moore states. “We’ll get the job done on the small toilet, or we’ll do the complete residence. If we do one bedroom, commonly a thing else will come afterwards. Repeat company is how we keep in company.”
Moore also understands that building flooring conclusions is complicated. He remembers hearing that customers shop at 4 or 5 retailers ahead of making a order.
“The same individual will get a auto or truck in a few hrs,” he says. “You invest in a automobile maybe two occasions in 10 decades. You obtain flooring masking when or twice in a life span.”
Which is where by Moore’s workers can enable. “Lake Forest is diverse mainly because our team is educated and personable,” he says.
McCauley joined the retail store months soon after Moore purchased it he knew her from his times at Mohawk. “I knew she had a talent,” he suggests.
Patty Byars began performing element time when Moore wooed her away from retirement. She is educated in style and flooring and has labored at a number of stores in the area. Joan Corridor was also retired when she agreed to take on a handful of hrs a 7 days.
Most senior of all, Mark Epps predates Moore. He labored full-time at Lake Forest for 40 decades. Now, he works 1 day a week, usually.
That expertise provides up: Moore’s 25 years, McCauley with 25-as well as, Byars has about 28, and Epps and Corridor have 40 yrs each individual – just about 160 whole decades in the flooring business enterprise.
The Moores’ children assist, way too.
Their daughter, Jenna – Director of Profits and General public Relations at Visit Johnson Metropolis, Tennessee – assists with social media. Their son, Josh, is in genuine estate but would make deliveries, watches in excess of the retail store, or provides small business suggestions when necessary.
Moore is also very pleased of his subcontractors. One group does wooden ground refinishing. Others do installation.
“My complete dude has been here 30 years. He did my dwelling, 20-something yrs in the past. It suggests one thing to be in a position to keep folks working for you for that prolonged,” he says.
Prepared or not, Moore is contented with his final decision to own a business. “I like it. It really is challenging. Last 12 months was pretty tough. But we arrived by means of it. We held likely. It is really been a fantastic eight several years. And we appear ahead to serving the Upstate for yrs to appear.”
