After you sell the customer that beautiful hardwood floor, it takes some regular upkeep to keep it looking and performing well for years. While individual maintenance schedules will vary depending on use, wear and lifestyle, hardwood maintenance can be a profitable opportunity for retailers looking to create a new profit center. We spoke with Kelly Ragalie, office and showroom manager for Treadline Hardwoods in Tualatin, Ore., and Allan Jerman, owner of A-Max Hardwood Floors in Boise, Idaho, for some insight on this potentially profitable business.
Ragalie: We are both a hardwood flooring contractor and wholesale distributor and have been in business for about 12 years. On the contractor side, we do a number of things. We provide both maintenance services and maintenance programs, depending on what the customer needs. We have a prepaid program where we come back every year to do maintenance services; it just depends on how much they want to invest up front and how much wear and tear they anticipate.