Capozza Tile & Floor Covering Center

Located in Portland, Maine, Capozza Tile & Floor Covering Center has been providing northern New England with quality commercial and residential flooring solutions since 1974. Joseph Capozza, a Korean War veteran, got his start in the flooring industry in 1955, shortly after returning from conflict. After nearly 20 years of working as an installer, he founded his own business. Now Capozza Tile & Floor is in its third generation of family ownership, with Joseph’s grandson, Joe Capozza III, serving as vice president alongside his father, Joe Capozza Jr.

The youngest executive in the legacy business got his start in the industry at the age of 15. After a stint working for a carpet manufacturer, he returned to Capozza Tile & Flooring in 2009. “I had always wanted to come back to carry on the family legacy,” explains Joe. “My sisters Katie and Tia are involved as well.”

The family aspect of Capozza Tile & Floor sets the business apart from other specialty dealers. There is a deep sense of pride in the operation and the entire management team is fully invested in the company’s success. “When we are busy we have 35 to 40 employees,” notes Joe. “They embrace our company’s reputation for quality products and service. Many of the people who work here have been with us for a long time.”

Casting a broad net

In the 1980s, the company moved to the current warehouse location on Warren Avenue, allowing the business to keep a larger inventory and offer more options to customers. Then in 2001, the family opened a sister company, Old Port Specialty Tile, in Portland’s boutique shopping district.

Between the two locations, the family serves the needs of commercial and residential customers. The business employs trained professionals who specialize in the installation of all types of flooring for both residential and commercial projects, large and small.

Capozza Tile & Floor has leveraged strong partnerships with suppliers and contractors to supply a range of complex projects with diverse, high-quality flooring solutions. With two locations offering services in three specialized divisions, customers can count on the Capozza family for commercial flooring, residential flooring and high-design decorative tile options. The company’s geographic footprint reaches as far north and Bangor, Maine, and provides materials for projects in New Hampshire as well.

“We recently finished the new Hyatt Hotel in downtown Portland, providing flooring, carpeting and more than 90 custom showers,” recounts Joe. “We finished work at the Colby College art museum in Waterville, Maine, about a year and half ago, which involved around  9,000 square feet of tile. We also worked on the South Portland High School, which had unique designs for a commercial setting, and the finish product came out looking great.”

Keeping up with the market

As time goes on, trends and consumer preferences change and Capozza Tile & Floor is constantly on top of the shift in demand. “One thing I have noticed in the commercial market is that customers are looking for more patterns and specialty products – designs are not quite as simple as they used to be,” says Joe. “We are always working to bring in more products proactively. For example, over the last few years there is a system that has come out for custom showers that has been very popular, prior to pushing the product, we sent many of our sales staff and installers to training in order to gain the knowledge and expertise to properly sell and install the new system, that has become a major part of our residential and even commercial business over the last two years.”

While end users and contractors have more options with Capozza Tile & Floor than with competitors, many find a better value, too. “Because of the relationships we have with our suppliers and contractors, we can keep our pricing competitive, which is a huge benefit,” explains Joe. “My grandfather and father have always prioritized treating people well and working with customers and suppliers toward a common goal. We treat our partners as true partners, which allows us to streamline our process and see better results.”

These relationships helped to see Capozza Tile & Floor through a challenging economic downturn in 2008 and 2009. During those lean years, the business took the initiative to adjust the structure of the business. By holding on to key employees and building a strong leadership team, the company has come out on top, prepared to serve a growing market in northern New England.

“Over the coming years, we plan to continue down the path of making changes for the better and staying ahead of the curve with our technology,” Joe adds. “We are now able to offer the same services and products as larger flooring companies in Boston and New York, and plan to keep getting better by developing quality leaders in the company with an eye towards continual improvement.”

Regardless of how large the family business grows, Capozza Tile & Floor Covering Center remains focused on relationships, putting customer satisfaction above all else while delivering quality flooring products in Maine and New Hampshire.