The Guhde family makes floor buying easier and different from the competition

By Patricia Nugent

Since the 1950s, from one generation to the next, the Guhde family has expanded and evolved their business.

Grandfather Donald Guhde founded Guhde Flooring America. He taught his son, Michael, the importance of doing the job right, never taking shortcuts, and—just as important—to always shake hands with the customer.

Passion for the business resonated with Michael, and he grew up to become president of the growing company. Along with his wife, Diane, he welcomed daughter Monica and son Mike Jr., who today serve as office manager and general manager, respectively. Monica married Shawn Rosa, who acts as sales manager at the showroom.

“In the 1980s and 90s, big box stores were gaining popularity and began competing with us,” says Monica. “So we had to adapt and were constantly looking for avenues of improvement, moving from our original shop in Euclid to a larger showroom in Painesville Township, and expanding from offering just flooring to everything you’d need for a kitchen or bath renovation, such as cabinetry, countertops, faucets, sinks and backsplashes.”

Along this evolutionary arc, a lot has changed. But it’s what hasn’t changed that’s just as responsible for the family’s success.

In the Spirit of Transparency

Monica and Shawn report there are a lot of myths and misconceptions floating around out there about their operation versus the big box stores.

Here are the top five ways Guhde Flooring America beats the big box stores:

1. Price: “Folks tell us they believe we’ll be more expensive than other stores since we seem more high-end,” says Shawn. “But that couldn’t be further from the truth. The whole reason we entered into a cooperative partnership with Flooring America is to tap into its national buying power. This also allows us to offer a much bigger selection than other stores.”
2. Design: “We offer design services free of charge for customers working on projects,” says Monica. “With the average cost of hiring your own designer coming in at around $100 per hour, that’s a huge savings. Plus, you’ll be so much happier with the end result, when everything looks perfectly coordinated and reflects your personal style. I love it when people come in uncertain of how it will go, and you almost see the worry wash away when they start working with our sales team on a design. We love it when people bring in photos, as that helps us get a better handle on their style. We sketch ideas and create 3-D visuals, too.”
3. Quality: “People don’t realize that there are often differing levels of quality within products that have the same name,” explains Shawn. “It’s hard to compare apples to apples. What we do offer the customer is a greater selection of lines from value lines to designer lines, to correspond to the level of buyer, from someone who just wants to flip a house to someone who wants to invest in a very high-end forever home.”
4. Installation: “Craftsmanship makes an important difference to any job,” says Monica. “Unlike big box stores, we’ve always been a business that believes in hiring and employing our own team of highly trained and seasoned installers. And because of that, we guarantee and warranty our products and installation when other stores often won’t.”
5. Customer Service: “We actually enjoy finding out about our customers’ jobs, whether they are DIY or us doing the installation,” says Shawn. “With big box, you’re always getting a different salesperson and they are rarely trained on the products they’re dealing with. For example, last week a man came in who had been sold all the tile to finish his shower, but no one had bothered telling him he’d need different products to finish the edges. That just isn’t right. Our salespeople possess a product knowledge that’s second to none. They are also adept at advising people when to invest in a better quality of product line, and when not to. Our biggest advantage is our experience. Over the past decades, we’ve learned what will and won’t work on every job, and are able to offer our customers the ideal balance of price and quality.”

Guhde Flooring America is located at 1880 Mentor Avenue in Painesville Township. Hours are Monday, 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.; Tuesday, 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Wednesday, 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Thursday, 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.; Friday, 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; and Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Call 440-639-1990, or visit GuhdeFlooringAmerica.com for more information.