“We’ve seen a lot of changes in our industry over 50 years, but as a locally owned family business we’ve tried to evolve to meet our customer’s needs,” said Pat Leiting, the owner of the business. “When my Dad started the business in 1973, his primary focus was residential and commercial carpet. Today, we provide all types of flooring for both residential and commercial applications. In addition, we offer several cabinet brands, along with quartz/granite countertops as part of our product mix, complemented by a professional design staff to guide the design process, as needed.”

That focus on serving the community has become integral to Flooring America Design Center’s growth as well as a big lesson for Leiting.

“If you want to make a positive change in your community, you need to get involved,” he said. “And to run a successful business you need to stay customer-focused and provide a good service to your community. If you provide a good service to your community, the community will support you. We strive to do that every day.”

When looking toward the future of the business, Leiting said, “One of the largest challenges facing our business in the future is cultivating that next generation of professional installers. When you think about it, we provide everything that makes a home beautiful, and you need skilled craftsmen to achieve that. As an industry, there is a general lack of awareness of the opportunities that exist in the flooring installation profession. We need to change that perception and start marketing the profession to that next generation of craftsman. It’s a very rewarding career if you like working with your hands. Every job we install is custom and has its own unique set of challenges. There’s a tremendous amount of job satisfaction that’s achieved with each job we deliver. We are currently working with flooring industry leaders to assist us in developing a high-level training curriculum that we can implement locally.”

Reflecting on the Fort Dodge community and their role in it, Leiting said, “Even though we live in a small community, we try to offer the best product selection in the industry. As a Flooring America dealer, we are a member of the nation’s largest co-op, with over 500 stores nationally. This relationship provides us with the best in product offering, purchasing power, merchandising, marketing, and training that’s offered in the industry.

“Our staff, both installers and sales associates, are highly skilled in their professions to assist our customers with the best in products and services. When a customer comes into our showroom, they have a vision or dream of what they want their home to look like. It’s our job to make that dream a reality.”

With 50 years of business under its belt, Flooring America Design Center is dedicated to many more years of service to the community.