Progressive Flooring Services Inc.: Annually Managing Thousands of Commercial Installations

Progressive Flooring Services Inc. (PFS) has been delivering commercial-grade flooring systems for large-scale chain restaurants and entertainment venues throughout the U.S. for more than 35 years. Through longstanding relationships with employees and independent contractors alike, the Ohio-based company serves a wide range of clients and performs an impressive 5,000 installations per year. PFS covers every aspect of commercial flooring, and provides expert installation for an array of flooring materials, including carpet, tile, vinyl and concrete. The company also offers specialty services such as aisle lighting and facility maintenance services.

Based in Columbus, Ohio, PFS is able to service facilities across the U.S. through satellite offices in Tampa, Fla., Dallas and Los Angeles. “We have a 45,000-square-foot facility at our Columbus headquarters, but we do 90 percent of our work outside of the state,” explains Nino Cervi, vice president of PFS. “We have operations staggered throughout the U.S to help us respond to clients needs more efficient and economically.”

In response to a growing demand, PFS recently established subsidiary company Progressive Services to perform facility maintenance and repairs. “Progressive Services oversees replacements and repairs of drywall, concrete, waterproofing, painting and also minor plumbing issues,” shares Cervi. “Whatever we can do to ease the stress and burden on the owner, we do.”

The Progressive Team

PFS was founded in 1978, and has since become a reputable flooring industry standout thanks to a dedicated team of installers, project managers, office staff and executives. “We’re fortunate to have many employees who’ve been with us for many hardworking years,” shares Cervi. “We have about 30 people that make up our office and superintendent team, in addition to a very select group of between 50 and 60 independent contractors, whom work out of various remote sites.”

According to Cervi, the company’s close partnership with its network of subcontractors makes for a strong business model and supplements PFS’ core group of field employees. “We’re able to do complete installations through the use of well-known and trusted independent contractors,” details Cervi. “We have worked exclusively with many of our subcontractors for over 15 years; these people are just as much a part of our team as our employees.”

Cervi emphasizes that successful projects are the result of maintaining such tight knit relationships. “You won’t find us scrambling through a directory trying to find a local subcontractor last minute,” he explains. “Our project managers follow a strict rating system, where the subcontractors earn points for solid work. Every quarter, they go through and rate the subcontractors; if they want to keep working for us, they’ll do their best to get a good score. The ratings guide our project managers’ decisions about who is right for the job year after year.”

The company even goes above and beyond by performing multiple customer service evaluations. “We want to keep track of our owner’s satisfaction and respond quickly if there’s a problem,” adds Cervi.

Efficiency-oriented, Full-service Solutions

The ideal PFS client operates multiple facilities, according to Cervi. From quick renovations to full remodels or annual maintenance, PFS has the capacity to service multiple locations at one time. “We’re set up for efficiency,” shares Cervi. “We’re there to help owners keep their locations looking fresh and inviting.”

PFS is able to provide both labor and materials nationwide through the company’s regional offices, and such flexibility provides a logistical advantage over the competition. “We’ve divided our service into eight regions,” reveals Cervi. “Once we know what the client wants and what type of work we’re dealing with we can establish service rates for the project based on the region. As the work comes about, the cost is upfront so there’s no issue. We’ll do whatever our customers’ need, everything from full replacements to small repairs.”

One of the company’s largest clients is the nationally recognized Darden Restaurants (Darden). “Darden is an industry leader in dining facilities,” details Cervi. “They own and operate Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, Red Lobster and Bahama Breeze locations from coast to coast. I’d say we do about 400 to 500 Daren locations a year, which represents a significant portion of our annual revenue. We probably do another 100 or so small repair and facility maintenance projects, as well.”

Another significant client is the famous AMC Theater Company (AMC). “Generally, we install carpeting and aisle lighting at many of these locations, but there’s also been a need for ADA modification in re-sloping floors,” explains Cervi. “We’re also providing flooring as the company transitions to more dine-in type facilities, where you can sit, eat, relax and watch a movie all at the same venue.”

With a growing emphasis on green initiatives in across all industry sectors, PFS has stepped up and implemented eco-friendly recycling programs. “We now have logistics in place utilizing collection points for material and products going off site in lieu of going to a landfill,” states Cervi. “We just started doing this in 2012; so far, it’s been a huge success with several of our clients.”

PFS continues to build on more than 35 years of success, doing big business for big-name clients. “Every year we deal with clients that have 5,000 to 6,000 sites,” admits Cervi. “Over the last year we’ve probably traveled at least 600,000 miles and been in 45 states, installing over 150,000 yards of carpet. The only state we haven’t touched yet is Alaska.” Cervi predicts this growth to continue for the company in the years ahead, as Progressive Flooring Services Inc. looks to hit over $15 million in annual revenue.

For more information about Progressive Flooring Services Inc., please visit: http://www.progressiveflooring.com/.