Starnet Dream Teams are collaborative partnerships between a Starnet commercial flooring contractor and a Starnet Preferred Vendor Partner (a flooring manufacturer or supplier). These teams are recognized annually by Starnet for their exceptional teamwork, strategic selling, and ability to deliver outstanding customer experiences and business results. This series explores the 2025 Starnet Dream Team Winners. 

Starnet Dream Team: Dustin Kauffman of CB Flooring and Lindsay Harbold of AHF Products. 

In the demanding world of multifamily development, where projects can span hundreds of thousands of square feet and margins for error are virtually nonexistent, success requires more than competitive pricing—it demands flawless execution, unwavering trust, and strategic partnership. The collaboration between Dustin Kauffman, commercial sales and project manager at CB Flooring in Downington, Pennsylvania, and Lindsay Harbold, business development representative at AHF Products, exemplifies how a Starnet Dream Team can dominate a specialized market segment through complementary strengths and shared commitment to excellence.

Kauffman brings a unique combination of personality and precision that makes him exceptionally effective in the multifamily market. His positive, easy-going attitude makes him highly likeable among customers—a crucial asset in an industry built on long-term relationships. Beyond personality, his organizational skills and attention to detail ensure he stays aware of ongoing projects and the specifics behind product specifications and job timing. His hustle in maintaining connections with end-users keeps the pipeline active and relationships strong.

Lindsay Harbold complements this foundation with her strategic communication skills and comprehensive support approach. She excels at clear communication, providing constant project updates to keep all parties aligned, and maintaining full transparency throughout the entire process. Her ability to support from multiple angles—whether analyzing pricing, meeting on-site with installation specialists, presenting LVT portfolios to developers, or reviewing forecasts to ensure material availability—makes her an invaluable partner in complex multifamily projects.

Together, they create a partnership where trust serves as the foundation, enabling them to tackle projects from all angles while maintaining constant communication that keeps everyone informed and aligned.

Strategic Market Focus

This Dream Team has developed deep expertise in the multifamily business, understanding that success requires years of relationship-building with developers who must trust the representatives they work with. In a market flooded with LVT products where AHF Product's Armstrong brand isn't always the cheapest option, they've differentiated themselves by providing far more than just competitive pricing.

The team's approach centers on offering a comprehensive team-based solution where they work together to resolve any issues or challenges that arise for their end-users. They understand that developers need partners who can ensure successful multifamily projects from start to finish, not just flooring suppliers and installers.

This strategic positioning has proven highly effective. CB Flooring has established a track record of completing large multifamily jobs with very limited issues, if any—a reputation that's invaluable in an industry where not all subcontractors can successfully execute 100,000 to 200,000-square-foot LVT installations without problems.

Value-Added Partnership Approach

Their success stems from going beyond traditional supplier-contractor relationships to become true project resources. They take extra steps like visiting sites to observe how sunlight affects spaces through windows, helping determine appropriate adhesive selection when window treatments aren't installed. This attention to detail ensures installations succeed from design, quality, and performance standpoints while minimizing callbacks and post-installation issues.

When projects go over budget, they proactively contact developers to reintroduce value engineering opportunities. They understand that in the multifamily market, everyone involved wants successful installations, and their role extends to helping developers achieve overall project success, not just flooring installation.

Their collaborative approach divides responsibilities strategically: Harbold tends to handle relationships at the executive level while Kauffman owns relationships with project managers overseeing day-to-day operations. This division ensures comprehensive coverage while maximizing each partner's strengths.

Proven Track Record

The numbers demonstrate their effectiveness in the multifamily market. With High Associates alone, they've completed multiple significant projects over recent years, including a 200,000 square foot Marriott Hotel Lancaster, 150,000 square foot Crossings at Conestoga, 80,000 square foot Reserve at Greenfield, and an upcoming 300,000 square foot Greenfield North project in 2025.

Their success with Hankin Group showcases their strategic relationship-building approach. They have five multifamily projects specified for 2025, some of which they've been tracking for two to three years. Their commitment to relationship-building included securing a developer visit to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for an LVT plant tour and lunch, leveraging Armstrong's domestic manufacturing capabilities, short lead times, and sustainable attributes of local Pennsylvania manufacturing.

Despite territorial expansion challenges when AHF purchased the Armstrong Flooring brand, making frequent account visits more difficult, their relationship remained strong. They adapted by maintaining communication through phone calls and texts while continuing to schedule in-person meetings with end-users, presenting a united team capable of supporting the entire sales process from initial quoting through order processing, forecasting, and material shipping coordination.

Their partnership has thrived for eight to nine years in an industry that can be cutthroat when it comes to collaboration. While competitive bidding models often create environments where loyalty and trust aren't always prioritized as all parties work to maintain decent margins, their relationship stands out as both strong and easy. Large multifamily bids move smoothly when they work together from specification phase through pricing and installation phases.

The collaboration between Kauffman and Harbold represents the best of specialized market expertise and strategic partnership. Their focus on the multifamily segment, combined with their complementary skills, trust-based relationship, and commitment to comprehensive project success, has created a winning formula in one of the most demanding segments of the flooring industry. Their track record of executing massive projects with minimal issues while building long-term developer relationships demonstrates what's possible when Dream Team partners truly understand their market and commit to excellence at every stage of the process.

Read More: Meet the 2024 Starnet Dream Team Winners