By: Rachel Pillow
ATLANTA FLOORING DESIGN CENTERS IS A ONE-STOP SHOP FOR BUYERS IN THE RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL AND BUILDER SECTORS
A well-known and respected name in the flooring industry since 1985, Atlanta Flooring Design Centers, is proud of the fact that their “humble beginnings” all started in Gwinnett with Founder, Donny Phillips. The flagship store sits proudly on Buford Highway in Suwanee with sister locations in Charlotte, Birmingham and Chattanooga. But for a company who has had ongoing success and growth, there is still a fierce sense of small-town integrity that drives them. And their mission statement permeates every aspect of what they do: “To listen to our customer’s needs, then professionally provide service and material at a great value. Honoring God and always treating others as we wish to be treated.”
Giving Back to the Community
“In general we believe giving back to the community is extremely important for the business and for our employees,” said Phillips. Atlanta Flooring Design Centers often opens up their beautiful, spacious offices for groups and organizations in the community that need meeting space and has done charitable work with local nonprofits such as Annandale Village, Eagle Ranch, Rainbow Village, the Salvation Army as well as many local schools. Phillips also noted that he is passionate about supporting servicemen and women who have given so much for our country and is even looking to hire veterans.
Selling Service, Not Flooring
“Our people are what make this company,” said Executive Vice President, Frank Winter. “We sell service, not flooring,” he continued. They are confident that their service is incomparable to big box “competitors.” In fact, big box retailers cannot even be considered direct competitors because of the unequivocal knowledge and service you get at a privately owned, local company like Atlanta Flooring Design Centers. In terms of product selection and pricing, they also remain on top of the game.
In December of 2014, Atlanta Flooring Design Centers opened the doors to their retail outlet center, located directly next door to their premier showroom on
Buford Hwy. Open to the public, with outrageously low costs, the retail outlet serves as a “cash and carry” store stocked with product that is highly discounted due to being discontinued or leftover from large quantity purchase orders. In other words: a dream come true for the D.I.Y market looking for tile, stone, hardwood, laminate, vinyl, carpet and even cabinetry!
Atlanta Flooring Design Center originally started as “Atlanta Carpet Company” with a small retail space of 1200 square feet selling carpet, hardwood and vinyl, but quickly expanded their products and services to essentially become a one-stop shop for buyers in the residential, commercial and builder sectors – even offering a planned maintenance and carpet cleaning program to ensure product warranty and satisfaction. In January of 2016 their redesigned showroom will include cabinetry, furthermore expanding their product and service offerings.
“We offer a great product selection on the full-service side of medium to upscale products that last a long time in your home. We encourage customers to always look for a product that will give them years of service and will not go out of style,” said Phillips. And with one of Atlanta’s most premier retail showrooms staffed with designers who have years of experience, there is bound to be something for everyone, at a price they can feel good about.
Phillips expressed that he feels blessed with every opportunity for growth the company has been given. “I don’t know how much larger it will get, but we just want it to be better everywhere, for everyone,” he said. “My favorite thing is watching the company work and grow, seeing it be a living company for thirty years that provides for families and is an important part of the community,” he said. Treating each other with dignity and respect is at the core of Atlanta Flooring Design Centers, whether you are a visitor, an employee, a client or customer. “We want to make good choices in term’s of how it impacts individuals around us,” Phillips said. It is that company culture that’s evident in everything they do.