In 1999, as Silicon Valley buzzed with dot-com fever and tech startups promised to revolutionize everything from pet food delivery to furniture sales, a different kind of digital transformation began in Utah's flooring industry. But unlike the venture-backed startups of the era, this innovation grew from three generations of carpet remnants and sweat equity.
Flooring software provider QFloors recently celebrated 25 years in business. QFloors owners, the Ogden family, have a long history in flooring. Their legacy began when Dale Ogden, the paternal grandfather of QFloors founders Trent and Chad Ogden, owned a sheep ranch in the mountains of rural Utah. After an unfortunate string of terrible winters killed off many of his sheep, he was ready for a new career path. In 1954, he loaded up the family, moved to Southern California, and opened the Broadloom City carpet store. Years later, his son Steve followed in his footsteps. Steve founded Ogden's Carpet Outlet (later Ogden's Flooring & Design) in 1974, and the business quickly grew and expanded. Today, there are 13 Ogden's Flooring & Design franchises in the Intermountain West.
For Chad and Trent Ogden, the flooring business was woven into their childhood. At age 12, they earned their first paychecks rolling remnants—fifty cents for small ones, a dollar for the large ones. But while Trent gravitated toward the family business, earning his accounting degree and MBA from the University of Utah, Chad's interests led him down a different path.
"My dad thought it was weird that I liked computers," Chad recalled. "I grew up in an era when technology was uncool and not well thought of by many people." Despite this, he pursued his passion, earning a computer engineering degree from the University of Utah. He spent a decade in the tech industry, eventually becoming the director of engineering at a firm specializing in cutting-edge mass spectrometers.
In the meantime, Trent continued working with his father, finding his niche as an accountant and controller. As he learned more about business, he realized that despite high sales, his father's flooring company was not always realizing profits. Trent recognized how essential those things were to profitability as they incorporated better tracking, job costing, and reporting. As the business grew, multiple warehouses made inventory management difficult, and Trent said it took a lot of work to create and analyze financial statements quickly.
“We weren’t efficient back then,” Trent said. The team was handwriting invoices and handing them to someone in the back office who would enter the orders.
Their father eventually expanded the flooring business to seven stores before transitioning to a franchise model, in which he focused on advertising while selling the stores to individual owners. This franchise transition ultimately created the need for better software, which led to the creation of QFloors.
A Spark that Changed the Industry
The catalyst for QFloors came in 1998 at the Surfaces trade show in Las Vegas. Chad, who was working as a tech consultant, attended a seminar by the industry's leading software provider. When he asked about their Windows development timeline, the response stunned him: they were planning to stick with DOS.
This response was unfathomable for Chad, who had spent years developing Windows-based programs. The disconnect between modern technology capabilities and what was being offered to flooring retailers consumed his thoughts. That night, unable to sleep, he pulled out a notebook and sketched out what would become QFloors—drawings that remain framed in their office today.
"I spent all night long with paper and pen and a notebook, and I sketched out QFloors, the basic design," Chad recalled.
Early sketches of QFloors in development. Photo: QFloors.
While he didn't know it then, those late-night sketches would become the blueprint for revolutionizing how flooring retailers manage their businesses. He dove into QFloors development.
"I did not come out of my basement," Chad said. "My wife was sliding food under the door sometimes. I didn't know if it was night or day. I was basically a vampire."
Breaking Ground
Photo: QFloors.
Two years later, QFloors returned to The International Surface as exhibitors, relegated to the basement level while established competitors occupied the prestigious top floor. Armed with heavy CRT monitors and a Windows-based solution in a DOS-dominated industry, they watched as curious competitors descended from above to investigate this upstart company.
Their success was immediate and significant. By show's end, they had sold five systems—remarkable for a product tested in just one store for two months. More importantly, they had sparked an industry transformation that would force the entire sector to embrace Windows-based systems.
Impact on the Flooring Industry
QFloors' introduction of Windows-based software in 2000 catalyzed significant industry changes. The Windows interface made the software more accessible and efficient, particularly appealing to smaller dealers who found DOS systems cumbersome.
"The software cannot have bugs, and it has to be easy to use,” Chad explained. “The harder it is to use, the more employees you need to set up and train."
Their success gave them a five- to six-year advantage while established competitors, who had initially dismissed Windows, scrambled to catch up. Manufacturers who recognized the technological advantage quickly supported QFloors, legitimizing their position. This shift was transformative for flooring retailers, who could now operate more efficiently with fewer staff members and better inventory control.
Chris Ogden, Chad Ogden and Trent Ogden in the early days of QFloors. Photo: QFloors.
Secret to Success
The Ogdens attribute QFloors' success to their distinctive business model and software design philosophy. The software stands out for its streamlined design—using just five windows to accomplish what competitors need 50-60 windows for—and an emphasis on bug-free, stable code that requires minimal support staff. This efficiency-focused approach generates reliable recurring revenue through maintenance fees while allowing customers to operate with reduced staff.
A cornerstone of their strategy is the consultative customer service model. Rather than relying on automated systems or phone menus, QFloors maintains a knowledgeable in-house support team that directly assists with technical issues, business practices, and operational guidance.
This investment in stable, long-term support staff has helped establish QFloors as a trusted industry partner through difficult periods.
“I’ve grown up with the company, and I saw where it started, and it’s amazing to see where it is now,” said Qfloors Marketing Director Aerin Packard, Chad and Chris’ daughter. “QFloors has a unique culture where people have each other’s back. There aren’t any politics, and people check their egos at the door. It’s an environment where people are here to bring their best selves and use their best talents to help our customers. I think that culture started with Chad and Trent, and their examples have really impacted their employees.”
QFloors demonstrated remarkable resilience through multiple economic downturns, starting with the dot-com bubble in 2000 and again after September 11, 2021. Their most impressive showing came during the 2008-2010 recession when only 3% of QFloors customers went out of business— compared to a 25% industry-wide closure rate.
The company's disciplined approach extends to product development, where the team carefully evaluates customer feedback to implement features that benefit the broader user base rather than accommodating one-off requests. This focused strategy has allowed them to maintain high-quality products requiring minimal support while helping customers operate more efficiently.
Trent and Chad Ogden at TISE 2024. Photo: QFloors.
Look Ahead
With just 45 employees, QFloors continues to innovate across multiple fronts while focusing on product stability and customer service.
The company is completing the development of Q Pro, a browser-based platform that will eventually replace its Windows software, with full accounting integration expected within the next year. They're expanding their mobile solutions with programs like Installer View for installation management and Account View for multifamily housing clients. The company is also strengthening its commercial product offerings to attract more commercial dealers. Additional developments include an online signature program to replace DocuSign and various web apps extending their core software capabilities.
The QFloors team is planning a 25th-anniversary celebration for its customers in 2025, featuring an Alaskan cruise. The event underlines QFloors’ continued emphasis on building strong customer relationships while pushing technological boundaries.
“It’s been a great ride,” Chad said at a recent anniversary celebration. “I’m so grateful for everyone who’s here. And for everyone who’s been a part of watching this thing explode.”
