From the CEO’s Desk
We Love Main Street
Throughout my career, I’ve had the pleasure of living and working in a number of small to medium-sized towns: Columbus, GA, Birmingham, AL, Lancaster, PA, and now right here in Dalton, GA. These are places where you know the diner operator down the street, the florist who attends your church, or the small factory owner across town. This is pure Americana. Pure Main Street America.
They all have two things in common. They’re proud of their businesses, and they want them to look their best, often while operating within a tight budget.
This is where you come in. Many of you are small business owners yourselves, so you know exactly what I mean. That’s why this month we’re celebrating Main Street America alongside our nation’s 250th birthday. At Southwind, we make several affordably priced flooring products that are ideal solutions for your Main Street neighbors. They just need to know about them from you.
Small business built this great country of ours, so let’s help small business look its best.
— Drew
Drew Hash
President & CEO, Southwind Floors
Product Spotlight
What Do You Have to Offer Your Main Street Neighbors from Southwind?
Depending on the type of business and situation, a Main Street business may need a soft surface solution, a hard surface solution, or both. Southwind has both.
Take a look at our modular carpet tile selections that provide the style and durability needed for office or retail environments. And our loose lay vinyl flooring provides all the advantages of a resilient floor that’s easy to install and maintain. Modular carpet collections such as Essential, Metro, and Neapolitan are ideal for offices, churches, schools, and meeting spaces where performance and appearance matter.
They feature:
- Easy tile replacement
- Lower maintenance costs
- Flexible design options
- Strong performance in high-traffic areas
When businesses need to minimize downtime, Southwind’s commercial vinyl solutions provide an attractive answer. Heritage Loose Lay Plank combines durability, realistic wood visuals, and installation efficiency for offices, healthcare facilities, and retail environments. Contour Plank and Contour Tile offer additional options for customers seeking contemporary design and dependable performance.
They feature:
- Fast installation
- Easy maintenance
- Durable wear surfaces
- Attractive visuals
- Long-term value
Dealer Edge
Your Route to Main Street
If you haven’t spent much time on Main Street, or don’t know quite where to begin, we’ve put this checklist together for you. Your Southwind Territory Manager will have even more ideas to help you add Main Street sales to your business.
DO’s
- Start with smaller commercial projects to build experience.
- Build a portfolio with photos and testimonials.
- Learn how customers use and maintain their spaces.
- Set realistic expectations and timelines.
- Communicate throughout the project.
- Ask satisfied customers for referrals.
- Position yourself as a problem solver.
- Promote your commercial capabilities.
DON’Ts
- Assume every commercial customer has the same needs.
- Lead with price alone.
- Overlook maintenance requirements.
- Overpromise on installation schedules.
- Allow communication gaps to develop.
- Wait for opportunities to find you.
- Focus only on products.
- Assume customers know you offer commercial flooring.
Team Spotlight
Meet David Farmwald
This month, we’re proud to introduce David Farmwald, one of Southwind’s CDL Drivers. For the past three and a half years, David has helped make sure our products arrive where they need to be, safely and on time. With more than 43 years of professional driving experience, he brings a level of knowledge and dependability that our customers and team can count on every day.
Behind every successful flooring project is a lot of coordination, and David plays an important role in keeping things moving. His commitment to reliable deliveries helps support the service our dealers expect and the experience their customers deserve.
When he’s not behind the wheel, David enjoys spending time fishing with his grandchildren, relaxing on his deck while watching the deer, and taking his two dogs, Tigger and Tank, for rides in his pickup truck.
We’re grateful for David’s years of experience, steady dedication, and the care he brings to Southwind every day.
The Final Word
Confidence in the Details
For many Southwind dealers, Main Street Commercial represents an opportunity hiding in plain sight. Local businesses need flooring solutions that balance performance, appearance, value, and ease of maintenance, and they prefer working with trusted local professionals.
By expanding your focus beyond residential replacement and leveraging Southwind’s commercial flooring solutions, you can create new revenue opportunities, strengthen customer relationships, and position your business for long-term growth.
The opportunity is local. The demand is real. The time to get started is now.
–– The Southwind Team