Butler Floor has 3 generations of family
For 70 years and three generations, Butler Floor & Carpet has been a family-owned business and ever-expanding community staple.
With dozens of employees and now two vibrant locations, the company is responsible for more than 2 million square feet of flooring per year.
But the business, which prides itself on quality at affordable prices, began as one man's dream: patriarch Lloyd Croft, a World War II veteran, purchased the business in 1949.
Then, Butler Floor offered a limited supply of residential and commercial hard surface flooring in its lone, 15-by-25-square-foot sales floor at 331 South Washington St.
Product selection was limited to a few colors of rubber tile, linoleum — the trending choice of the era — and 10 colors of asphalt tile. Bathroom and kitchen remodelers often opted for plastic wall tile.
Within a dozen years, Lloyd Croft made the company's first relocation, moving to 231 Wayne St. to gain needed showroom space.Butler Floor started out on Wayne Street sharing the location with the Gregg Glass Co. But a decision to expand into acoustic ceiling sales prompted takeover of the Gregg Glass space, as well as the Tip Top Bakery.By the mid-1960s, Butler Floor added carpeting to its sales selection.Large rolls of carpet were kept on the showroom floor, so that salespeople could, right on the spot, cut the carpet a customer selected.
Even before Lloyd Croft's death in 1986, two of his three sons, David and Jack Croft, picked up the business' ownership.Like their father, the brothers grew the business into a position of needing more space.And in 1990, Butler Floor & Carpet relocated to its current showroom at 1763 N. Main Street Extension, one mile north of the Clearview Mall.A second company was added, Butler Floor & Carpet Co., Inc., to represent the residential division, while Butler Floor, Co. continued to manage the commercial flooring and acoustic business.
In 2011, two of David Croft's three children, Tim Croft and Julie Czifra, took the helm at the business.They too expanded by opening a new, 15,000-square-foot warehouse and commercial office space at 1924 N. Main Street Ext.The facility, which compliments but does not replace the existing business showroom, held a grand opening May 30.“This is our legacy building,” Tim Croft said. “I enjoy building relationships and seeing the continued growth here. I also enjoy the challenges of getting the job completed.”
Company officials say they have very been fortunate over the years to have hardworking, loyal employees, seven of whom have retired with 40 or more years of service.Today, Butler Floor and Carpet offers carpeting, tile and stone, laminate, vinyl and area rugs.It also has a selection of window fashions.Czifra said Butler Floor & Carpet strives to stay on top of current market trends.“I really like working directly with the end user … the people who are going to use the product,” Czifra said.
At present, Czifra said, there's a lean toward hard flooring surfaces, such as wood, and luxury vinyl tile (LVT). Floating floors are popular and commercial designers are crafting more intricate patterns and unique additions.“People today want their project to stand out from other projects,” Czifra said. “There are always new textures, styles and colors. They change constantly, and we are continually updating our sample room. We are continually changing.”
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