When Brendan Duffy first got here to the U.S. from his native Eire in 1994, it wasn’t due to flooring—he got here for the World Cup.
Whereas visiting for the World Cup, Duffy took on a small flooring job with a member of the family. Working along with his cousin shortly changed into a ardour for the craft and the service business—one which’s pushed Duffy to new heights on the planet of luxurious hardwood flooring. Duffy’s Flooring Companies has specialised in ground set up and ground ending within the New York Metropolis space for over twenty years.
The Entire Package deal
Duffy and his gifted crew are Carlisle Referred Installers, skilled flooring professionals who’ve labored with Carlisle and our hardwood flooring for practically 15 years.
However what makes him select Carlisle time and again? “It’s the entire bundle,” Duffy says. “The product is outstanding,” Duffy explains, but it surely’s the crew members, the technical experience, and the general expertise that make the distinction. “After I ship a consumer to a showroom, I’m sure they’re going to have a wonderful, skilled expertise.”
“It’s all concerning the particulars,” Duffy emphasizes. It’s why many designers and householders select to put money into high-quality large planks that scale back seams and exude luxurious.
And in terms of Carlisle, they’ve bought the main points coated. Duffy’s favourite factor about Carlisle? “The standard of the planks.” (Duffy’s personal home is fitted with a Carlisle ground.) And the second? The shopper expertise is designed to please at each step of the way in which.
Duffy significantly appreciates the lengths Carlisle’s crew members go to make sure the wooden makes it protected and sound to its vacation spot. Duffy shares, “Even the deliveries are good. It’s by no means simply thrown off the truck; the supply man is aware of methods to deal with it. If it’s going to be a wet day, he calls me and says he gained’t ship it as a result of it may hurt the wooden. If it will get moist, it’s not a good suggestion.” Duffy laughs, “No different firm will ever say, ‘I’m not going to ship it as a result of it’s raining.’”
Navigating An Ever-Evolving Flooring Panorama
Life within the flooring business is much from boring. “It’s one thing completely different day-after-day,” Duffy says. “Some jobs are straightforward: Shoppers stroll in figuring out precisely what they need, they usually depart fortunately 20 minutes later. Different purchasers want much more assist.”
Issues can come up for a lot of causes, Duffy explains. What makes an organization and its workers stand out, in keeping with Duffy, is whenever you don’t run away from issues. And whereas it’s not Carlisle’s accountability to supply help when issues come up, Duffy shares, “I can all the time name up Carlisle. I’ve had guys come together with me to fulfill with purchasers and make issues proper.”
Whereas enterprise has stayed persistently excessive, Duffy’s tasks have developed over time. Duffy recollects, “As my enterprise and my status have gotten higher, I’ve began coping with extra high-end merchandise.” That’s the place high quality merchandise from makers like Carlisle develop into a necessity for a enterprise in a aggressive market, like New York Metropolis, to thrive. And thriving in NYC is spectacular in itself. As Martha DiPrete, Carlisle NY Showroom Supervisor observes, “Putting in in New York Metropolis could be difficult, from complicated elevator challenges to putting in in pre-war vs trendy new building, Duffys has seen all of it they usually have the technical data to resolve probably the most difficult installations.”
Customizability—particularly round shade—is more and more vital for Duffy’s clientele, and that’s the place Carlisle’s product vary shines. One of many greatest shifts within the business that Duffy sees is the shade of the flooring is not solely dictated by the species. “You don’t have to choose a wooden for the colour you want anymore,” he explains. “It was once that in case you appreciated a darkish ground, you obtain a darkish wooden, and in case you needed one thing lighter, you obtain bamboo. However as of late, with all these new water-based finishes, you may get all woods in so many colours that it doesn’t matter.”
Constructing a Enterprise and Relationships
What began as a small enterprise again in 1997 has been persistently rising into one of many premier flooring installers within the tri-state space. However Duffy has a secret: He’s not simply within the enterprise of putting in flooring. He’s additionally within the enterprise of constructing relationships.
Martha DiPrete agrees, “We love working with Brendan and Alison of Duffy’s as a result of they’re so dedicated to the consumer’s satisfaction– they simply get the job performed. They’re nice at speaking with us and the purchasers, which helps make all of it look really easy. We solely hear probably the most constructive suggestions from our purchasers when Duffys is on the mission!”
For Duffy, guaranteeing his purchasers have a constructive expertise issues simply as a lot because the flooring set up itself. He trains his crew with a concentrate on service and a few core values: punctuality, respect, and cleanliness. “The very last thing folks praise you on is how the flooring look,” he says, “however the very first thing they’ll say is, ‘you guys have been on time day-after-day.’” He laughs. “They’ll say, ‘You guys have been on time, respectful, clear—and yeah, the flooring look nice, too.’”
It’s paying off for Duffy—each in enterprise phrases and the satisfaction he will get out of the work. “While you end a mission, and also you get a pleasant electronic mail, or they ship you a pleasant letter saying, ‘Hey, we love the flooring, we love you’—I like that finish of it.”
Learn extra about Duffy’s Flooring Companies on their web site or observe alongside on Instagram.
Keen on studying extra about changing into a Carlisle Referred Installer? Work with the large plank specialists that ship above and past on high quality and repair. Installers concerned about discussing our referral program please contact Paul Senechal at psenechal@wideplankflooring.com.