Floor Central
Options and Customer Service Are at the Forefront at Hochstedler Floorcovering
Writer / Julie Yates
Photography Provided
The brother-and-sister team of Greg Hochstedler and Carmella Walters are at the helm of Hochstedler Floorcovering, a family business started in 1998. When their father, Verl Hochstedler, retired three years ago, he had accumulated more than 50 years of experience in the flooring industry. Verl and his wife Shirley sold the store to Greg and Carmella in 2018.
Dads been installing flooring since the 60s, Greg Hochstedler says. He also had a flooring store in downtown Kokomo in the 70s. The flooring business has always been part of our lives. We have grown up with it. We are a retail store that caters to individuals, but we also do a large amount of our work commercially. We work with hospitals and schools. Our products include every kind of flooring – carpet, sheet vinyl, luxury vinyl and laminate, as well as ceramic and porcelain tiles. Also carried is engineered and solid wood.
Customers can make an appointment to visit the showroom to ensure individual attention, but its not necessary as walk-ins are welcome. Products from Mannington, Shaw, Mohawk, Patcraft, Teknoflor and many others can be viewed. Hochstedlers daughter, Jessica Pearson, is very hands-on with all the products.
Many local businesses such as banks, car dealerships, churches, schools, restaurants and medical facilities have worked with Hochstedler Floorcovering. They choose from a large inventory of commercial carpet, rubber and porcelain tile, and vinyl flooring melbourne. Staff members can install all the products offered.
We have a full crew of people who install, Hochstedler says. We also can call up two additional crews from individuals who sub for us. We start getting really busy in the spring and we do a lot of school work during the summer. Lately a lot of people are remodeling their bathrooms and showers. The trend seems to be pulling out tubs and putting in showers. The tile they choose is bigger than in the past – 1x2 is the most popular, but some people go with tile that is even bigger than that.
Hochstedler says many people continue to enjoy having carpet in bedrooms, but are installing luxury vinyl plank in many areas of their houses. They especially like that it is water resistant and can hold up well in high-traffic areas. Hardwood continues to be the most popular traditional standard.
For customers who need flooring in a hurry, the store has some products already in stock that dont need to be ordered. Some Shaw and Mohawk styles such as short frieze carpet and short plush carpet are available. Plus, carpet remnants and rolls of vinyl can be purchased.
Kokomo is our home and where we grew up, Hochstedler says. I lived outside of Kokomo for a while but I came back. Its the people we know, and family. Its just home to us.
Hochstedler Floorcovering is located at 1301 East Morgan Street in Kokomo. Call them at 765-868-9080, and visit their website at hochstedlerfloorcovering.com.
