By Steven Feldman
FAIRFIELD, N.J.—Allstate Flooring Distributors, the specialty wood flooring wholesaler that emerged earlier this year, moved into its new digs June 1, complete with designer showroom, pro shop and 44,000 square feet of warehouse space.
The move to new headquarters was necessitated by rapid growth, according to Joel Lefkowitz, president, who noted he now has 514 dealers on the rolls from southern New Jersey to Fairfield County, Conn., and from Long Island to eastern Pennsylvania.
The centerpiece of the new space is the 2,500-square-foot showroom, which highlights products on both the floor and wall from each of the 10 manufacturers handled by Allstate.
“We want to show wood flooring in a way that’s fashionable rather than just a display,” Lefkowitz said. “The retailer, designer and architect can take their customer here to view different options. A floor covering dealer, unless he’s [seriously] in the wood business, cannot show flooring the way it’s shown here.”
He added that Allstate tries to show products that are unique to the market. To that end, it distributes about 10 lines, including Mullican, which currently funds the operation, and Mercier. Some others include:
• Sheoga, handscraped in Ohio by the Amish. “They have plank, they have walnut, ash, they have 3-, 4- and 5-inch,” Lefkowitz said. “The products are great quality, and they are good people to do business with.”
• Hackwood, an “extremely high-end” collection of solid and engineered products featuring wide widths, and fumed and oiled looks. Manufactured in the Netherlands, “the company has products you can’t get in the U.S. like 8-, 10- and 12-inch, unfinished or prefinished.”
• Landmax, a Chinese-imported line that Lefkowitz describes as “engineered, sawn face, mostly exotics.” He cited Caribbean walnut, a natural black wood, as totally unique.
• Yarema, whose attraction is in its ability to produce any custom border, medallion or parquet, all by laser.
• Stile, a very high-end Italian line. “The Italians are leaders in design from clothing to ceramic tile,” Lefkowitz said, “and you see this same type of design leadership in hardwood.” The company offers 3mm or 4mm product in colors, sizes and species that are unique to the North American market.” Another point of differentiation, he explained, is the products’ square edge as opposed to most domestic engineered products that offer beveled edges.
• Nature, a Peruvian-manufactured solid line that “offers good quality and is very competitive with similar products on the market.”
• Wood Cellar, a “very unique” engineered product featuring rift and quartered looks. “Very few people make that. The handscraped walnuts are so different than anything on the market today.”
• BamStar, a line of bamboo flooring that offers the beauty and natural distinction of hardwood flooring with added strength and durability. The product is environmentally friendly, easy to install and maintain, and offered at a solid price point.
Lefkowitz believes Allstate’s success is predicated on offering these types of products rather than compete every day with me-too products. “Everyone makes the same colors and looks. There is so much duplication in the market that you have to find a niche you can serve without killing yourself. We want to be the driver of the specs. We want to be in front of the bus.”
Competitive advantages
Despite opening its doors less than a year ago, Allstate has already established a series of competitive advantages, Lefkowitz said. For starters, the distributor makes its own samples.
“If you see something unique here and want it in your showroom, we can create it for the dealer,” he said. “Or if a retailer wants an individual sample for a particular customer, we can make one in any size, weight or dimension. Many of our customers have taken advantage of that.”
The Pro Shop is also something that sets Allstate apart, catering to the flooring contractor and retailer looking for accessories and materials to install, sand and refinish hardwood floors—from tape to hanging drop-cloths to sandpaper to nails and glue. Allstate’s merchandising systems are also shown in the Pro Shop.
Service is another Allstate hallmark as the majority of the products it handles can be delivered within 24 hours. “We stock almost everything except Hackwood, Yurema and Stile, which are too custom.”
Speaking of service, Allstate’s customer service reps are not just order takers. Rather, they are inside salespeople who can help a customer with any question he or she may have on wood flooring.”
Another advantage is the company specializes solely in wood flooring, so “we are able to better assist customers than other distributors.” And it offers a wide range of product, from a $3 engineered oak from Mullican to a $15 or $16 engineered Wenge from Stile to an $18 12-inch, fumed, stained black from Hackwood, “the Mercedes of wood flooring.”
FAIRFIELD, N.J.—Allstate Flooring Distributors, the specialty wood flooring wholesaler that emerged earlier this year, moved into its new digs June 1, complete with designer showroom, pro shop and 44,000 square feet of warehouse space.
The move to new headquarters was necessitated by rapid growth, according to Joel Lefkowitz, president, who noted he now has 514 dealers on the rolls from southern New Jersey to Fairfield County, Conn., and from Long Island to eastern Pennsylvania.
The centerpiece of the new space is the 2,500-square-foot showroom, which highlights products on both the floor and wall from each of the 10 manufacturers handled by Allstate.
“We want to show wood flooring in a way that’s fashionable rather than just a display,” Lefkowitz said. “The retailer, designer and architect can take their customer here to view different options. A floor covering dealer, unless he’s [seriously] in the wood business, cannot show flooring the way it’s shown here.”
He added that Allstate tries to show products that are unique to the market. To that end, it distributes about 10 lines, including Mullican, which currently funds the operation, and Mercier. Some others include:
• Sheoga, handscraped in Ohio by the Amish. “They have plank, they have walnut, ash, they have 3-, 4- and 5-inch,” Lefkowitz said. “The products are great quality, and they are good people to do business with.”
• Hackwood, an “extremely high-end” collection of solid and engineered products featuring wide widths, and fumed and oiled looks. Manufactured in the Netherlands, “the company has products you can’t get in the U.S. like 8-, 10- and 12-inch, unfinished or prefinished.”
• Landmax, a Chinese-imported line that Lefkowitz describes as “engineered, sawn face, mostly exotics.” He cited Caribbean walnut, a natural black wood, as totally unique.
• Yarema, whose attraction is in its ability to produce any custom border, medallion or parquet, all by laser.
• Stile, a very high-end Italian line. “The Italians are leaders in design from clothing to ceramic tile,” Lefkowitz said, “and you see this same type of design leadership in hardwood.” The company offers 3mm or 4mm product in colors, sizes and species that are unique to the North American market.” Another point of differentiation, he explained, is the products’ square edge as opposed to most domestic engineered products that offer beveled edges.
• Nature, a Peruvian-manufactured solid line that “offers good quality and is very competitive with similar products on the market.”
• Wood Cellar, a “very unique” engineered product featuring rift and quartered looks. “Very few people make that. The handscraped walnuts are so different than anything on the market today.”
• BamStar, a line of bamboo flooring that offers the beauty and natural distinction of hardwood flooring with added strength and durability. The product is environmentally friendly, easy to install and maintain, and offered at a solid price point.
Lefkowitz believes Allstate’s success is predicated on offering these types of products rather than compete every day with me-too products. “Everyone makes the same colors and looks. There is so much duplication in the market that you have to find a niche you can serve without killing yourself. We want to be the driver of the specs. We want to be in front of the bus.”
Competitive advantages
Despite opening its doors less than a year ago, Allstate has already established a series of competitive advantages, Lefkowitz said. For starters, the distributor makes its own samples.
“If you see something unique here and want it in your showroom, we can create it for the dealer,” he said. “Or if a retailer wants an individual sample for a particular customer, we can make one in any size, weight or dimension. Many of our customers have taken advantage of that.”
The Pro Shop is also something that sets Allstate apart, catering to the flooring contractor and retailer looking for accessories and materials to install, sand and refinish hardwood floors—from tape to hanging drop-cloths to sandpaper to nails and glue. Allstate’s merchandising systems are also shown in the Pro Shop.
Service is another Allstate hallmark as the majority of the products it handles can be delivered within 24 hours. “We stock almost everything except Hackwood, Yurema and Stile, which are too custom.”
Speaking of service, Allstate’s customer service reps are not just order takers. Rather, they are inside salespeople who can help a customer with any question he or she may have on wood flooring.”
Another advantage is the company specializes solely in wood flooring, so “we are able to better assist customers than other distributors.” And it offers a wide range of product, from a $3 engineered oak from Mullican to a $15 or $16 engineered Wenge from Stile to an $18 12-inch, fumed, stained black from Hackwood, “the Mercedes of wood flooring.”
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