Terry L. Wheat
Terry L. Wheat, an accomplished Carpet One retailer who has also been instrumental in developing computer software for the flooring business, is set to be the lone inductee for 2008 into the World Floor Covering Association’s Flooring Industry Hall of Fame. Wheat, who is president and CEO of both Wheat’s Carpet One in Tuscaloosa, Ala., as well as the software developer RFMS, Inc., is set to be inducted at the association’s board meeting in Chattanooga, Tenn., next month.
Commenting on the selection, WFCA president and CEO D. Christopher Davis said, “Terry is the prototypical Hall of Fame inductee. He was elected to this honor for his sustained achievements and contributions over every aspect of his life throughout his entire career.”
Donny Phillips, chairman of the board of the WFCA, noted that Wheat has devoted his career to the flooring industry. “Having known Terry for years, it is fantastic to see him rewarded for his tireless efforts of consistent performance in our industry by being inducted into the WFCA Hall of Fame,” he said.
The enterprise that grew to become Wheat’s Carpet One was established in 1969 operating out of the kitchen of Wheat’s house in Alabama. Using what he learned as a retailer, he went on to develop an integrated software package tailored for the floor covering business. He ultimately established RFMS, which now serves some 2,000 clients, representing more than 5,000 store locations and more than $6 billion in annual sales.
