Dear friends,
WhenNational Floor Trendsinvited me to write an open letter directly to our customers, I jumped at the chance. Why? Because we owe our success to you, the dealers who believe in us and proudly sell our product; as well as the over 6,000 Beaulieu associates who take pride in making and marketing our product. Without the hard work and dedication of a lot of people, Beaulieu of America wouldn’t be where it is today and poised for growth.
Granted, things are tough for all of us right now. In spite of that, we at Beaulieu are doing surprisingly well. But as many of you know, in the 30 years Beaulieu of America has been in operation, we’ve had our share of lean times, too. Since joining the team here in 2001, we’ve set about dedicating ourselves to a few simple principles that I’d like to take this opportunity to share with you.
1. Never abandon the things that got you to where you are today for the sake of expediency. The corner will be turned at some point. Will you be there? Will you be stronger for it?
2. Are you focused on being the very best at what you do for your customer? At Beaulieu, we decided a few years ago that our focus would be carpet. Period. That seemed like a tough decision then – now it seems like a no-brainer. And we’ve been very successful as a result.
Carpet is still the best flooring from an installed cost, warmth, softness, comfort and safety standpoint. That’s why we believe carpet will remain the dominant flooring choice.
3. Listen intently to your customer. And, as we did in the case of our research and development for Bliss, listen to your customer’s customer, too. There’s no mystery to developing the next big idea – just ask them.
Good listening is also a big part of customer service, too. Our associates consistently go the extra mile in treating our customers with care, concern and dedication.
It was on that basis that we undertook the most ambitious brand development initiative in our company’s history. A year and a half later, we were standing in the booth at Surfaces unveiling it to the world – Bliss by Beaulieu. A lot has been written and talked about Bliss since then and we’re appreciative of all the attention, of course. But actually, Bliss is just a natural result of staying true to your principles, being focused on what you do best and being responsive to the needs of your customer.
While the market conditions are challenging right now, I believe there are great things ahead for our industry, driven by the development of exciting new styles, technologies, materials, and markets; as well as continued advancement in sustainable manufacturing practices which, I’m proud to say, Beaulieu is a leader.
At Beaulieu, we’re at work on the future for you, our customer, every day.
Sincerely,
Ralph Boe
President and CEO
Beaulieu of America
