Growth Includes a Move, More Staff and Two Web Sites
Looking down at the floor can be a sign of boredom, but that won’t be the case at a new showroom in Miramar.
In less than a month, Zauss-Godwin Hardwood Flooring hopes to attract an audience to its new Miramar showroom, which will feature more than 100 types of hardwood and laminate floors when it opens, tentatively scheduled for mid-May.
The new showroom is just one more step in the company’s growth plans, which has included a relocation of headquarters, more staff and more work.
Laying the groundwork for Zauss-Godwin in 1978, Barney Zauss created Zauss Flooring. The company has since added brothers Mark and Jeff Godwin and updated the company name.
While the floor expertise lies with Zauss and Mark Godwin, Jeff Godwin was called upon to help expand the company in late 1997. Since then, the three principals have watched the company literally grow.
Last year alone, the company experienced a growth of 60 percent, which adds up to more than $1 million in increased revenue over the course of the year, said Jeff Godwin, who handles the financial side of the business.
The company offers sales, installation, sand and finish, screen and recoat, borders and inlays, floor care products and other services and serves mainly San Diego County, although some work is done in Temecula and Orange County.
– Firm Expands
In All Directions
Since last year, the company has increased its work force to almost 40 employees, expanded sales and marketing efforts and acquired five company vehicles, Jeff Godwin said.
In addition to adding office staff, the company also hired people to supervise and inspect installers’ work in the field, he said.
In addition, Zauss-Godwin has launched two Web sites within the last six months. The company site at (www. zgfloors.com) went online last year.
A site dedicated to the company’s floor care product sales was introduced earlier this year at (www.zgfloorcare.com). Although the floor care portion of the company is small, Zauss-Godwin offers these products because manufacturers’ warranties require that customers use only certain cleaning products on their floors, Jeff Godwin said.
With this much growth, the company moved their corporate office and warehouse facilities within the Miramar area in January. Currently, Zauss-Godwin has an office and warehouse off of Miralani Drive and a showroom on Miramar Road.
While the showroom space was much more expensive per square foot than their office space a few blocks away, the company hopes that the visibility of the showroom will pay off.
Already, the company has formed partnerships with other local businesses. In exchange for installing products in the showroom for free, Zauss-Godwin will refer interested customers to those businesses.
– Partnerships Formed
With Local Companies
Currently, partnerships have been formed with Cabinets Galore; NatureMaker, which creates artificial trees; Masterpiece Leaded Windows, a window manufacturer; and Waterfall Oasis, which handcrafts decorative waterfalls of various sizes.
“All these partners are helping us beautify the showroom,” Jeff Godwin said.
Joel Debus, president and CEO of Masterpiece Leaded Windows, said he invested a couple of thousand dollars in glass for the showroom.
While he is not expecting this to greatly affect his business, Debus said that the location has good exposure to the public.
“Any kind of exposure is good exposure,” he said, adding that people who may not be looking specifically for windows may become interested in the product.
At last count, showroom visitors will be able to see 109 types of floors from all over the world. Overall prices range from $6.50 to $50 per square foot of flooring, he said.
– Showroom Functions
As Designers’ Resource
While the showroom is open to the public, the company wants it to be a resource for designers. “We will offer a courtesy to the trade,” Jeff Godwin said.
In essence that means that Zauss-Godwin will support designers and their customers by doing things like showing samples, explaining installation techniques and providing other information, he said.
While the company features and installs laminate flooring, hardwood floors will be the showroom focus.
“Wood is more fashionable than it has ever been,” said Jeff Godwin, attributing part of this trend to the good state of the economy.
Although the company has been lucky in finding success, Jeff Godwin is quick to recall an old saying.
“The harder I work, the luckier I get,” he said, adding that it has in fact taken quite a bit of hard work.
– Three Principals
Work Well Together
It also doesn’t hurt that the three principals have a good working relationship, he said.
“I never tell them how to install a hardwood floor and they never tell me how to prepare a financial statement,” he said of Zauss and Mark Godwin.
Still, “installing a floor properly is half the battle,” said Jeff Godwin, referring to the company’s installers.
Citing a quality and diverse staff, he pointed out that some installers come from European countries with highly skilled craftsmanship and good work ethics.
In fact, almost every reference letter included in a company booklet mentions employees and their workmanship.
Zauss-Godwin is also one of two companies in San Diego authorized to install Richard-Marshall floors, but they are the preferred installer, according to Richard Hirsh, an owner of Hawthorne, Calif.-based Richard-Marshall Fine Flooring, Inc.
Richard-Marshall produces high-end floors that have a lifetime warranty, which makes Hirsh “very particular of how the work is done.”
The company was very receptive to being taught installation techniques for Richard-Marshall floors, he said, adding that Zauss is very creative and Mark Godwin is very detail oriented.
Stating that those he trusted exhibit competence and character, Hirsh said, “I trust those guys.”
Although the company is still settling into its new location, a space on a conference room wall has already been set aside for the 2000 staff picture of 37 full-time employees.
