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The importance of small businesses to local communities is deep-rooted in buying and selling with friends and neighbors.

For Factory Outlet Flooring Center, the shop offers diverse inventory, specializes in unique and personalized customer experiences, as well as providing employment opportunities for the community for 42 years.

“Our company goal is to continue to serve our community and surrounding communities with their flooring needs and to give our customers fair pricing, quality and timely installation,” manager Fara Hollyfield said. “We want to continue to have products available now and at affordable pricing.”

The business is not a “discount” outlet store.

“We have high end products and low-end products,” she said. “We try to have the best of all worlds.  We have first tier standings with all our distributors, which means we can offer better pricing than most.”

Hollyfield said there is not a competitor that offers better pricing.

“Some may offer the same pricing, but no one beats our company’s pricing,” she said. “We have the largest inventory than any other flooring center from Houston to Baton Rouge. There is enough business in our area and surrounding areas for multiple flooring centers, and we work well with several and help when they are in a pinch. We are not trying to put others out of business; there are many in our area that have been around for a very long time. We respect them, they respect us.”

The company workplace culture is a family and friendly environment.

“The original owner, Hub Alexander, left the business to his employees,” Hollyfield said. “Two of those employees own it now; however, the others still work here. Our bookkeeper has been here for 24 years, our warehouseman has been here for 23 years and our sales team have been here for 10 years or more.  Most of our installers have been here between 15 or 20 years, as well. We are a family; we do not just clock out at 5:30 p.m. and go home. We are friends, family and a team. Most of our customers tell us that it is nice to do business with a personal touch.”

The warehouse is made up of 35,000 square feet, containing inventory, a large showroom with various samples and space for pending jobs.

“Our showroom is kept up-to-date and trendy with wanted styles and new exciting choices,” she said. “We offer our customers free measuring for estimates and the convenience of checking out our samples and assistance with designing. We have over 300 rolls of carpet, over 100 rolls of sheet vinyl (linoleum), 16 different Luxury vinyl plank choices in stock, at least 30 different tile choices in stock for floors or walls, mosaics in stock, backsplash in stock, laminate in stock and even some hardwood in stock.

“We stock all of the adhesives for the installers, grout for tile, waterproofing materials for bathrooms or wood subfloors.”

Hollyfield said the business strategy “is and will always be respectful and kind,” the basics of communication.

“Anyone can open a business, but without the basics like humility, humbleness, kindness, respect, loyalty, honesty, fairness, you will not have a successful business,” she said. “I believe in treating others like you would want to be treated; regardless of if it is a customer, staff, installer, contractor or other representatives. It takes way more effort to be unkind and disrespectful than it does to be kind and respectful.”

The business gives back to their community by donating to difference school programs. The team also donates to several little leagues.

To support community events, Factory Outlet Flooring Center donates or discounts flooring for disaster recovery programs and offers discounts to help customers afford flooring.

“We also allow subcontractors and other business to leave business cards and flyers to give to our customers,” Hollyfield said.

“I believe the tenure of our store speaks for itself as far as being successful. When we hear excellent reviews, when we get referrals, when our customers are happy, when we get repeat customers, then we must be doing something right.”

For more information visit factoryoutletinc.com, call 409-735-6566 or stop by 18440 Highway 62 South in Orange.

— By Sierra Kondos