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Brian Barnard’s Flooring America: an environmentally-friendly, floor covering service
Brian Barnard’s Flooring America has been a family-operated, floor covering business in Tallahassee since 1975. Though Brian Barnard originally opened the store, his sons J.R. and Chris currently work with him; J.R. is vice president and general manager while Chris is showroom manager.
J.R. grew up surrounded by the business in Tallahassee, so for him, working at the store seemed an inevitable and appealing choice. He started as early as 11 years old, working in the warehouse and learning how to install. While in high school, he began actually selling the floor covering. Though he went to Florida State University and graduated with a degree in residential science, J.R. never took a break from working. Upon graduation, he transitioned into a full time position at the store. He has spent approximately 18 years with the business and now serves as vice president and general manager. J.R. has also been married for almost three years and has a young son and thirteen year old step-daughter. He enjoys outdoor activities like hunting and fishing in his spare time.
Brian Barnard’s Flooring America is a full service floor covering store. Products sold include but are not limited to: tile, wood, laminate, vinyl, cork and ceramic; installation is also offered. J.R. explains they have the largest selection in the area. In addition, there is a sister company within the building: Barnard’s Rug Gallery. The rug gallery includes both handmade and machine made rugs and has the largest selection of area rugs in the panhandle. The Barnards pride themselves on the good service and family ownership. They run a store where customers get individual attention and can always access one of the family members on site. While keeping the family business thriving, the Barnards also make sure to pay attention to the environment. They recycle all used carpet padding so it doesn’t go to the landfill and embrace the concept of “going green” by using renewable products like cork and bamboo flooring.
In addition to the environment, the Barnards serve the community. They are involved in the American Heart Association, Boys and Girls Town, Tallahassee Memorial Hospital Foundation, and a number of small civic groups and school sponsorships.
At the end of the day, J.R. is pleased to be working at Brian Barnard’s Flooring America. He believes it is a lucrative industry and good career, and enjoys the ability to work in a family run business. He looks forward to a future of changing trends that will benefit the environment at large as well as his native community, Tallahassee.
By: Lauren Novo, Staff Writer
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