Gilford Hosts Dealers for a Day at the Races

By Matthew Spieler

Gilford_Img1 — Gilford personnel, customers and suppliers all enjoyed a day at the world famous Churchill Downs racetrack as part of the distributor’s Downs Getaway thank you event. From left, David Dobbs, Gilford’s director of technical services and his wife Cathy; Tracey Brelje, Gilford’s field sales manager; Rick Bloom, IVC sales rep; Rhonda Green, Floor Source sales rep, and Bill Lipinski, Earthwerks sales rep.

Gilford_Img3 — Gilford’s president Dennis Cook and his wife, BC, were gracious hosts during the Downs Getaway event.

Gilford_Img4 — Karen Edwards, with hat, and her husband, Mike of Edwards Floorcovering in Rome City, Ind., cheer on one of the races from the deck of Millionaires Row.

Gilford_Img5 — Joel and Anne Billman of Topeka Quality in Topeka, Ind., were one of the many dealers who enjoyed the beautiful day at the races.

Gilford_Img6 — Jay and Amanda Hathaway of Keely Flooring in Marion, Ind., got into the spirit of the festivities at Churchills Downs.

When it comes to iconic places, especially with regard to sporting events, there are few larger and more well-known than Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

So what better place to host a thank you event for some of your best customers? That’s exactly what Midwestern distributor Gilford Flooring did when it hosted a “Downs Getaway” for approximately 100 people. Customers traveled from throughout the wholesaler’s four-state region—Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee and Kentucky—to attend the three-day customer appreciation event.

And, not only did dealers enjoy the world famous venue, they did so from atop Millionaires Row, where the stars go, and which provides spectators with a great vantage point to watch the races from the comfort of table monitors or from the 4-tiered balconies overlooking the race track.

Dennis Cook, Gilford’s president, said “Building long-term relationships and being a valued partner with customers is of key importance in our culture, as we believe it is key to a successful business.”

He added the Downs Getaway was a way “we could say ‘thank you’ for your business and build upon the relationship with both customers and supplier partners.”

Following the day at the races, Gilford hosted a reception for dealers at the downtown Louisville Marriott where guests stayed for the special event.

To learn more about Gilford, call (800) 852-5454 or visit gilfordflooring.com.