S & S Flooring opens in Lincoln offering Mohawk products and installation

[April 08, 2019]  

If you are in spring cleaning mode and working on a list of spring projects that includes flooring, then there is good news for you in Lincoln. A new flooring retailer and installer has opened its doors, giving local shoppers another option without leaving town.

S & S Flooring is located at 1726 Tremont Street in Lincoln and is ready, willing, and able to serve the needs of their customers with top quality Mohawk products.

The business is owned by Scott Johnston, a Lincoln native who believes that keeping business local is crucial. Scott is the first ‘S’ in the business name and said that the S & S stands for Scott and sons, representing his three sons Matt, Chad and Nick. There is another “S” in the business as well Sterling Bonet, who is the official installer for the business.

Scott explained that he grew up in Lincoln and for several years he was an over the road truck driver. When one of his sons became seriously ill in 2006, Scott decided it was time to leave that career and find something that would keep him closer to home. He has worked at a couple of local manufacturing companies since then.

About six months ago he and his friend Sterling began doing flooring installation. Johnston said they were purchasing the flooring from retailers and the only real money they were making was on the installation work. As they grew their small business they knew that they could do more.

Johnston said first of all, he looked at what their customers were paying for their flooring, and realized that if he set up a business franchise with a reputable name brand, he could offer the flooring to his customers at much better prices, and he could also vouch for the quality of product they were buying.

Scott said he knew he could sell product, and was confident that Bonet could do the installation, so he began working toward getting a Mohawk dealership. In the middle part of March, everything was in line, Johnston opened a shop and started selling Mohawk carpets, laminate and one-piece vinyl flooring.

Johnston says with the dealership he is now able to offer products based on need and budget. There are three grades of carpeting with 25, 50, or 75 percent density and correlating pricing structure.

In addition he is bonded and insured, so the work done by the business guaranteed.

Johnston said there are some definite advantages to doing business with a flooring business versus the big box stores. He said in Lincoln, first of all, one has to travel out of town to get to those bulk retailers. So advantage number one is keeping local dollars local. He added that what many don’t realize is that the big box businesses buy their carpets on contract, and the specifications for the flooring may be compromised in order to make the product fit into the desired price structure.

Another advantage is when you are working with a retailer versus a big box, prices may be negotiable. In the larger ‘general’ stores, the price on the box is the price you pay. When you are working with a dealer, that business manager or owner can work with you to help fit your needs into your budget.

And, perhaps most importantly, when you buy locally, you are buying from friends, neighbors, people you know. Those people are much more concerned about your customer satisfaction than a large retailer out of town will be. Your local dealer wants you to be happy with what you have and wants you to spread the word around the community that you are happy.

Johnston said that Mohawk, and its companion name brand Aladdin, offer products he is proud to sell to his friends and neighbors. He talked about the three qualities of carpeting, but also mentioned that the padding under the carpet is very important and he has a wide variety of offerings there as well.

One product he is particularly happy to offer is a pet proof padding that will help protect subflooring from pet accidents. Johnston said that pets are going to have those moments when they do their business on the floor. With a regular pad under the carpet, the moisture the pet produces is going to seep through and infiltrate the wood flooring underneath. That can cause moisture and odor issues inside the home that linger after that particular carpet and pad are removed. If there are repeat offenses, the moisture can also cause long term damage to the subflooring. With a pet proof pad, the moisture is stopped in the pad and does not have the opportunity to soak through to the wood.

Johnston said another fine line of products he offers is the one-piece vinyl flooring. With tongue-in-cheek think linoleum. But, this is not your grandma’s linoleum. The products offered by S & S Flooring are also Mohawk, and come in three thicknesses. The flooring is designed to reflect nature with the patterns and colors imitating real hardwood, stone or tile quite realistically. These are excellent durable products that are ideal for use in kitchens, bathrooms, or any room in the house where carpeting is not practical.

In the showroom, shoppers can see samples of all these floorings and can speak with Johnston personally or they can also speak with Kandi Anderson, who is the store receptionist. Right now, Johnston said the showroom is still a work in progress. Display units have been ordered and plans are to make the showroom into an area that is comfortable for shoppers and will also offer easy access to samples of products.

Johnston said he is really excited about the new business and is looking forward to serving the Lincoln and Logan County community. He said that he feels strongly that local folks should support local business because that is what keeps communities alive and thriving.

He added it is also important for local businesses to support the community as well. While he’s only officially been open for a couple of weeks, he has already made some commitments to support local events in the community. He noted that this year there are expanded plans for the Fourth of July celebration in Lincoln, and he has signed on S & S Flooring as a sponsor of a bags tournament that will go on that day.

Johnston concluded, he is looking forward to the future and working to grow his business and added, “I’m excited to of service to a community I grew up in.”

If you’re going to be thinking about new flooring this spring, be sure to give S & S Flooring a call at 217-671-0866.

[Nila Smith]