CARPETING THE VILLAGE FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES
By Kevin T. Czerwinski
There's something to be said for good customer service, the kind of service that a business such as Artistic Floors provides.
The carpet and flooring specialists have been in the Village for more than three decades, having survived that long largely because of the quality of the work and products. Owner Charlie Capalbo, 72, is slowly working his way into retirement as he hands over full control of the business to his son, Joseph Capalbo.
Whether you're dealing with the father or the son, though, walking into their Lafayette Avenue showroom provides an experience that won't be found at one of the big chain stores on Routes 59 or 17. It's the personalized touch from the owners that has kept Artistic Floors in business and sets them apart.
"You get a lot of personal service with us," Charlie Capalbo said. "And you're dealing with the person that you've already talked to when you come back. Those others aren't as knowledgeable as we are and our prices are competitive."
Joe Capalbo, 48, is one of five Capalbo children but he's the only one who went into the family business. He's been with his father for more than two decades after graduating from the University of Charleston with a degree in business finance. But his experience goes back much further than that.
The younger Capalbo, who's been married for 14 years and has two children of his own, has been working with his father since he was a youngster, starting out by helping after school and during summer vacation. It's the lifetime of experience that both gentlemen bring to the job that helps set them apart.
"I think people like the idea of the family business," Joe Capalbo said. "We have a few of them here in town. People like it and they like the support their community by coming here. And when they come here they get good continuous service."
That service includes not only selling carpets but installing wood floors and linoleum as well. Artistic Floors employs two carpet crews, a wood flooring crew and a part-time linoleum installer.
"We sell both [carpet and wood] and they are interlocked," Charles Capalbo said. "You don't want to have your floor installed by one person and then for your carpet have to go to someone else."
The Capalbos don't advertise much. They say they don't have to because their business has thrived through the years by word of mouth and recommendations. They have a strong reputation in the area, one that has taken a lifetime to obtain. They handle residential and commercial clients with one of their biggest accounts being the Salvation Army.
"It's not that we've never advertised," Charlie Capalbo said. "It's just some of it doesn't seem to work all that well."
While he seems set to turn over the reigns to his son, Charlie Capalbo doesn't seem like the type to simply walk away from his business. Sure, he'll be spending a great deal more time with family but he seems as if he'd be just as comfortable sitting behind his desk in his showroom, helping customers and working.
"I still enjoy doing it but it [retiring] is inevitable," Charlie Capalbo said. "My son is younger and he has a lot of ideas of his own. Since he's been with me, the business has doubled. And that's been 20 years."
Who knows, Charlie Capalbo could just be involved with the business in one way or another for 20 more years, by which time one of his grandchildren might be ready to take over. It would be a fitting end to a fine career, one that has flourished in the Village, one that has been marked by a hands-on approach.
Free two-hour parking is available on the street in the Village while the Parking Authority's lots are free for three hours. The public lots closest to Artistic Floors are the lots on Chestnut Street and the lot behind the Lafayette Theater.