Manchester, N.H.—Carpet One Floor & Home has announced five new members of its advisory council: Daniel Arita, Richard Dobson, Tammy Gurski, Rich Dalene and Adam Joss.
The advisory council serves as a conduit between the retail members of Carpet One Floor & Home and its leadership team. They provide insight and guidance on programs, products and short- and long-term planning from the perspective of the retailers in their regions; they communicate back to their members on the reasoning, benefits and details of current and future offerings from the co-op.
“Our advisory council plays a crucial role in making sure our strategy is in line with what our members need,” said John Gilbert, president of Carpet One Floor and Home. “We depend on them to be the voice of our membership, and they are there to challenge us to provide the best service possible to our members.”
Each of the new members joining the advisory council has been chosen for their dedication to the cooperative and their business success.
Daniel Arita, American Carpet One Floor and Home (Calif., Hawaii)
Daniel Arita serves as vice president of American Carpet One Floor & Home, overseeing its 120 employees. Arita said he joined the advisory council to continue learning from other Carpet One businesses and to have a voice to share his ideas and thoughts on the future. Arita represents an interesting personal perspective, from that of a millennial and second-generation retailer.
Richard Dobson, First Floors Carpet One Floor & Home (Ark., La., Okla., Texas)
Richard Dobson is a second-generation business owner of First Floors Carpet One Floor & Home, a multi-store operation based in Dallas. When Dobson talks about his family business, he says he is proud to include his employees and all of the members of Carpet One Floor & Home as part of that family. Richard said he is happy to be returning to the council he previously served on ten years ago.
Tammy Gurski, Valley Carpet One Floor & Home (AB, BC, MB, SK)
Tammy Gurski lives on Vancouver Island and runs Valley Carpet One Floor & Home with her husband, Chad. Gurski said she is excited about representing the members of Western Canada whose customers and economy differ in multiple ways from the states and those of Eastern Canada.
Rich Dalene, Dalene Flooring Carpet One (Conn., Del., Mass., Maine, N.H., N.J., N.Y., R.I., Vt.)
Rich Dalene is a 4th generation member of Dalene Flooring Carpet One, a multi-store operation that focuses on the three tiers: commercial, builder and retail. Dalene said he believes Dalene’s diversity in sales and operations will serve him well as a council member in understanding and serving the diverse needs of the Carpet One membership.
Adam Joss, the Vertical Connection Carpet One Floor & Home (Pa., Md., N.C., Va.)
Adam Joss is a second-generation member who pivoted from his career in banking ten years ago to join his family business, The Vertical Connection Carpet One Floor & Home. One of his initial roles in the company was a sales manager, where he learned the importance of being an active listener. He said he believes this skill will serve him well today in his new role of representing members of his region on the advisory council.
The fourteen-member council meets periodically throughout the year to advise senior management and help shape the direction of programs developed by the flooring retailer cooperative.
According to the group, each new advisory member represents an excellent cross-section of the Carpet One membership, including diversity in geography, customer demographics, sales volume, gender and age.