Article Number: 6265
National Dealers of the Year - Mohawk honors Floorscapes, ColorCenter stores
By Louis Iannaco
NATIONAL HARBOR, MD.—For the finale of its Solutions Aligned Dealer Convention, Mohawk honored its top Floorscapes and ColorCenter stores with a banquet, selecting two retailers as National Dealers of the Year.
Joe Montemagni of Baystate Rug and Flooring in Chicopee, Mass., was named 2010 Mohawk Floorscapes National Dealer of the Year, and Todd and Renne Wenner of Lima Carpet Corp. & Design Center in Avon, N.Y., were tapped as the 2010 Mohawk ColorCenter National Dealer of The Year.
Manny Llerena, Mohawk vice president of retail marketing, presented both dealers with their awards. “This is an honor reserved for the best of the best, and we are delighted to welcome Joe, Todd and Renne into the distinguished circle of retailers who have earned the award,” he said.
Baystate Rug and Flooring is recognized as one of the most innovative retailers in the nation, and Llerena said the store “topped the charts on practically every selection criteria for National Dealer of the Year.
“Joe embodies all five characteristics of the entrepreneur we’ve talked about all convention: leadership, passion, adaptability, ambition and courage. His staff meets twice a month for professional training in sales and product knowledge. He takes full advantage of the tools provided by Mohawk as part of the Floorscapes program, and he sets an example for other retailers to follow.”
Montemagni called the honor “a remarkable realization” of goals the company set a while ago. “After attending our first Floorscapes convention and seeing the dealers nominated for this award, we couldn’t even imagine what it would take to be considered. But as you start to take away more and more from the Floorscapes program, you start to think, ‘Why not us?’ We have pushed ourselves to become better and better.”
Baystate has been a Mohawk Floorscapes dealer for eight years. The company was founded in 1975 by the Montemagni family and installed the Floorscapes system as part of a store location change and makeover. Baystate was a regional nominee for the Dealer of the Year Award in 2009.
Lima Carpet Corp. & Design Center joined the Mohawk ColorCenter program in 1996. Llerena noted that last year—in spite of tough economic conditions— the company’s net sales and margins grew double digits. “Todd and Renne’s attention to merchandising is impeccable, and they provide high quality training for their people. Everyone on the staff takes part in the T.O.P.S. (Techniques of Professional Selling) program provided by Mohawk University, and every customer who comes into the store is welcomed by the entire Lima Carpet team as if he or she were part of the family.”
“I’m living a dream,” said Todd Wenner. “You put your heart and soul into the business, but you never expect anything like this. There is no way we could have done it without the help of family and all the staff at the store. It’s not just us winning the award—it’s the whole company.”
Mohawk’s National Dealer of the Year Award is based on a number of criteria, including a percentage increase over previous year’s business, excellence in promoting the store concept, ongoing commitment to training, store standards, brand building, merchandising and installation ideas and community involvement.
Twenty-four Mohawk Floorscapes and ColorCenter retailers from across the U.S. and Canada were nominated as regional winners for this year’s award.
To learn more about Mohawk’s aligned programs, call 706.272.4961 or email aligned_dealer@mohawkind.com.
NATIONAL HARBOR, MD.—For the finale of its Solutions Aligned Dealer Convention, Mohawk honored its top Floorscapes and ColorCenter stores with a banquet, selecting two retailers as National Dealers of the Year.
Joe Montemagni of Baystate Rug and Flooring in Chicopee, Mass., was named 2010 Mohawk Floorscapes National Dealer of the Year, and Todd and Renne Wenner of Lima Carpet Corp. & Design Center in Avon, N.Y., were tapped as the 2010 Mohawk ColorCenter National Dealer of The Year.
Manny Llerena, Mohawk vice president of retail marketing, presented both dealers with their awards. “This is an honor reserved for the best of the best, and we are delighted to welcome Joe, Todd and Renne into the distinguished circle of retailers who have earned the award,” he said.
Baystate Rug and Flooring is recognized as one of the most innovative retailers in the nation, and Llerena said the store “topped the charts on practically every selection criteria for National Dealer of the Year.
“Joe embodies all five characteristics of the entrepreneur we’ve talked about all convention: leadership, passion, adaptability, ambition and courage. His staff meets twice a month for professional training in sales and product knowledge. He takes full advantage of the tools provided by Mohawk as part of the Floorscapes program, and he sets an example for other retailers to follow.”
Montemagni called the honor “a remarkable realization” of goals the company set a while ago. “After attending our first Floorscapes convention and seeing the dealers nominated for this award, we couldn’t even imagine what it would take to be considered. But as you start to take away more and more from the Floorscapes program, you start to think, ‘Why not us?’ We have pushed ourselves to become better and better.”
Baystate has been a Mohawk Floorscapes dealer for eight years. The company was founded in 1975 by the Montemagni family and installed the Floorscapes system as part of a store location change and makeover. Baystate was a regional nominee for the Dealer of the Year Award in 2009.
Lima Carpet Corp. & Design Center joined the Mohawk ColorCenter program in 1996. Llerena noted that last year—in spite of tough economic conditions— the company’s net sales and margins grew double digits. “Todd and Renne’s attention to merchandising is impeccable, and they provide high quality training for their people. Everyone on the staff takes part in the T.O.P.S. (Techniques of Professional Selling) program provided by Mohawk University, and every customer who comes into the store is welcomed by the entire Lima Carpet team as if he or she were part of the family.”
“I’m living a dream,” said Todd Wenner. “You put your heart and soul into the business, but you never expect anything like this. There is no way we could have done it without the help of family and all the staff at the store. It’s not just us winning the award—it’s the whole company.”
Mohawk’s National Dealer of the Year Award is based on a number of criteria, including a percentage increase over previous year’s business, excellence in promoting the store concept, ongoing commitment to training, store standards, brand building, merchandising and installation ideas and community involvement.
Twenty-four Mohawk Floorscapes and ColorCenter retailers from across the U.S. and Canada were nominated as regional winners for this year’s award.
To learn more about Mohawk’s aligned programs, call 706.272.4961 or email aligned_dealer@mohawkind.com.
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