I had the honor of attending Starnet’s annual membership meeting this spring, which also happened to be the organization’s 25th anniversary celebration. Their tagline for the event was “As we turn silver and work together, reaching for gold,” which seems appropriate, yet humble, given all the successes the group has already achieved in a quarter century. Starnet is comprised of more than 171 independent full-service commercial flooring contractors, servicing more than 300 locations throughout North America. With $3 billion in annual sales, they are a force to reckon with.
The opening night reception was held in the large courtyard of the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa and was everything you’d expect from California in late April—warm temps, clear skies and a soft breeze—the perfect backdrop for celebrating. More than 700 contractors, vendors and special guests attended, and three hours of chatting and photos flew by in a flash. I had the chance to speak with longtime Starnet members like Maureen Anderson, president of Carpet Fair in Baltimore, and Rob Hailey of Howard’s Rug Co. of San Diego; along with new member Sean Barnett of Rainbow Builders in Anchorage, Alaska, who was checking out the group for the first time.