Why I Started Harper Floors
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The history of Harper Floors dates back more than 80 years, when my grandfather founded a lumber manufacturing business in South Sumatra, Indonesia, distributing lumber all throughout Southeast Asia. When the time came for my dad to join the family business, my dad decided to expand to the United States and took lumber one step further. He wanted to develop pre-finished hardwood flooring that could be put down without additional sanding, staining, coating and finishing on the job, and he worked with manufacturers to do just that.
My dad’s hardwood flooring company quickly became a trusted US distributor for exotic hardwood floors and one of the first to offer the classic hardwood styles that we know and love today.
25 years later when I joined the family business, I quickly felt that the flooring industry is one that has been stuck in its ways, an industry that has gradually become monopolized by a handful of players that dictate the supply chain. Essentially, flooring manufacturers sell to wholesale distributors, like my dad’s. Wholesale distributors hire sales representatives to sell to retail shops. Retail shops hire a team of in-store customer representatives to sell to contractors and builders. Contractors and builders, who are more often than not, shopping for a client, then go back to the client with the flooring options that they’ve been able to locate.
My dad’s hardwood flooring company quickly became a trusted US distributor for exotic hardwood floors and one of the first to offer the classic hardwood styles that we know and love today.
25 years later when I joined the family business, I quickly felt that the flooring industry is one that has been stuck in its ways, an industry that has gradually become monopolized by a handful of players that dictate the supply chain. Essentially, flooring manufacturers sell to wholesale distributors, like my dad’s. Wholesale distributors hire sales representatives to sell to retail shops. Retail shops hire a team of in-store customer representatives to sell to contractors and builders. Contractors and builders, who are more often than not, shopping for a client, then go back to the client with the flooring options that they’ve been able to locate.
"...an industry that has gradually become monopolized by a handful of players that dictate the supply chain."
When our flooring product finally gets to the person who is making the purchase, there are a number of individuals involved, so much time and effort spent locating a product that the contractor or builder thinks might suit their client’s needs, that the goal becomes solely to push the sale, to close the transaction whatever it takes.
Hardwood floors have the potential to add depth, texture, natural character, and warmth to an interior. It acts as the canvas and plays such an important role in a renovation project. The process of jumping through hoops for someone to find a floor that they love is something I wanted to improve, something I wanted to fix.
Hardwood floors have the potential to add depth, texture, natural character, and warmth to an interior. It acts as the canvas and plays such an important role in a renovation project. The process of jumping through hoops for someone to find a floor that they love is something I wanted to improve, something I wanted to fix.
"The process of jumping through hoops for someone to find a floor that they love is something I wanted to improve, something I wanted to fix."
Harper Floors was created with a mission – to offer best in class flooring without the middle men, the supply chain fees, or the retail markup. We design and develop hardwood floors, and deliver them directly to you. We’re a small team – every interaction, comment, reply, is handled by one of us. Shopping for new floors can be just as simple as shopping for new clothes, and we’re here to help.
