The Floor Store has been a big part of Chris Tarnes’ life for nearly two decades.
He started working at the business in January 1998, when he was 19 years old. Chris started at the bottom by cutting materials to prepare them for installations, and organizing the showroom.
Chris had been with the company for more than nine years when he was approached by the previous owner of The Floor Store about purchasing the company. The owner was planning to move to another community, and wanted to give Chris a shot at owning the business before going public with plans to sell The Floor Store.
“My loyalty to his company got me a big opportunity,” Chris said.
Chris and his wife, Deanna, became the company’s owners on June 1, 2008.
The Floor Store has locations in Estevan and Carlyle, and they employ about 13 people.
The Estevan store is on the Highway 47 South service road. It’s approximately 8,000 square feet in size, with 5,000 sq. ft. in the store front and 3,000 sq. ft. in the warehouse.
The Carlyle site is on Highway 13 in the heart of the town, and has 2,600 sq. ft. for the store front, and another 600 sq. ft. in storage. Chris noted Carlyle has a nice trading area, as it draws customers from as far away as the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border to the east, Whitewood to the north, Stoughton to the west and the U.S. border to the south.
The Floor Store’s staff pride themselves on providing a one-stop shop for household interiors. They offer General Paint and paint accessories. There are window treatments such as blinds and shutters. And, of course, there’s the flooring with carpets, vinyl, tile, wood and laminate.
“We also offer high-quality, professional installation of flooring and blinds,” he said.
Chris believes he gained the skills necessary to run the business by learning throughout his life. He grew up on a family farm northeast of Estevan, and still holds to the 4-H motto of “Learn to do, by doing.”
He expects The Floor Store to remain an important business in southeast Saskatchewan for years to come.
“Though certain industries are struggling now, Estevan is very fortunate to be surrounded by a diverse economic climate, with farming, mining, et cetera,” he said.
And while the business might be located off the proverbial beaten path, they have never thought about moving to a new location.
“If customers come out of their way to find us, we need to go out of our way to help them,” he said.
Chris believes that the people of southeast Saskatchewan shouldn’t have to travel to larger centres for goods and services. If they do, it means The Floor Store isn’t doing their job. It’s an attitude he believes applies to all businesses, not just his own.
“We do what we say we are going to do,” he said. “We don’t give out a quote on work, and when the work is done, add extras. We also keep things light and have a lot of fun at work.”
Employees are a big part of their success. During the eight years that Chris and Deanna have owned the business, they have had little, if any turnover, in their workforce.
The people at The Floor Store are also big believers in giving back, regardless of whether it’s with time or financial support. It’s a philosophy that Chris believes all businesses should carry.
The Floor Store has helped out such projects as the lounge expansion at Creighton Lodge. They supported the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games committee, and the Hearthstone Community Campaign, which fundraised for a new Estevan Regional Nursing Home.
They have also supported minor sports, local service clubs and other organizations.
“This city is great at giving back,” said Chris. “It’s the reason that most of us live here.”
It’s also important to shop locally, and support the businesses in the city.
“If we want our community to stay as good as it is, where everybody bends over backwards to help everybody, and everybody looks out for everybody, then it’s not just people but business owners need to support local,” said Chris.
Chris has a variety of interests when he’s not running the business. He and Deanna have two children, and he enjoys spending time with his family. And he’s an avid golfer who loves to travel.
