Forty-five years ago, Chuck Wien earned his degree at Ohio State University and did what many of his generation did: He joined his father in what was then a five-year-old family business, Marshall Carpet in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. The Wiens sold carpet from samples in a 700-square-foot showroom at the Richmond Mall (now called Richmond Town Square), which was one of the first large-scale shopping centers in the area.
Marshall Wien had launched the business in 1966 after distributing Barwick Mills carpets in the 1950s and early ‘60s. Comfortable with working off of samples without stocking any product, he was able to settle nicely into the small second-floor showroom utilizing an off-site workroom to build the business until he was ready to hand over the reins. Sons Chuck and Marc joined the company in 1971 and 1972 respectively and became co-owners while their father Marshall moved on to community work in the public sector.