How a Pioneer in the Flooring Sales Industry is Changing the Way Building Product Manufacturers Do Business Online
Who is LSI Flooring?
LSI Flooring is the professional and leading wholesale sales agency representing quality commercial, hospitality, and residential flooring and interiors products from around the world. But they go further and offer consulting services to manufacturers and importers regarding selling and marketing products in the U.S. market.
LSI Flooring’s History
From the start, as a 3rd generation member of the flooring industry, founder and president of LSI Flooring, Larry Lane, was poised and ingrained in the flooring industry network. He started at his family’s business, but branched primarily into the manufacturing and importing sides.
About 19 years ago, he asked himself, “What do I want to do when I grow up?,” and the answer was clear. With great business acumen, Larry looked to other industries, and recognized that individual independent agents had been replaced with sophisticated professional sales agencies – something not yet instituted into the flooring industry.
And in August 2002, Larry formed Lane Sales, Inc., which was later rebranded as LSI Flooring. LSI Flooring represents high-quality flooring covering products (e.g. broadloom/carpets, carpet tile, rugs, rug padding, luxury vinyl tile, wood flooring, water-proof laminate, logo mats, etc.).
LSI started small, but has grown to include 16 employees, representing 14 mills, and has two separate divisions. One division focuses on flooring contractors, Flooring Dealers and to-the-trade showrooms. In contrast, the other focuses on calling on architects and designers with a mind toward getting their products specified for commercial and hospitality projects.
What makes LSI Flooring Different?
In 2021, LSI Flooring has expanded to representing products for all of the U.S. and Canada. LSI has its corporate offices in Manhattan, NY, and is now also opening a second sales office as of July 2021 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Unlike many setups where only sub-agents are used, LSI’s sales staff is a hybrid. In its Retail Division, all sales staff work exclusively for LSI’s formally structured organization.
When Larry recognized the flooring industry’s need, the standard was (and still is today) that independent agents basically worked out of their garage or their car without a real organization behind them. Furthermore, traditional flooring sales agents focus on a very narrow product range, rather than encompassing a full range of flooring products.
LSI Flooring addresses both of these issues. First, they provide a sophisticated sales and marketing organization with sales support services, and then extend to posting on seven different social media platforms, monthly newsletters, educational e-blasts, zoom and in-person training and product knowledge meetings and a quality website.
Larry explained one of these aspects in an article in Flooring Covering Weekly, “We are more of a sales and marketing group. We are using social media to drive consumers and designers to our Authorized Dealer and To-The-Trade Showroom accounts.”
What’s next for LSI Flooring?
Ever the innovator, LSI is stepping outside industry standards with the launch of their brand new website. At the time of this featurette, LSI is still in the tweaking phases, but when the new website launches, it will be full of new features.
One of the most exciting features includes a North American map pull-up that populates a catalog of all the products they represent in a specific area. Other independent agent websites (if they have one) typically only have links to the mills they represent, LSI’s new web experience will offer access to 34,000 area rugs, thousands of broadloom and hard surface products, images and specifications.
Clients will be able to conduct product filtered searches that cross all 14 mills LSI represents. Naturally, this translates into an easier and more user-friendly experience for the purchaser/specifier, and increased residential and commercial sales or specifications for the product manufacturer.
Accolades
LSI Flooring touts over 100 recognitions and awards since 2002, ranging from “National award for opening the most new accounts” to “Sales Agency of the Year” to “#1 In North American Sales” to “Centurion Award – Million Dollar Plus Sales Agency,” you know LSI’s success is earned, appreciated, and well-deserved.
Additionally, LSI has been involved in projects ranging from: Time Hotel (New York), The Carlyle Hotel (New York), NYU: Dean’s office, Ruth’s Chris Steak House (Indianapolis), The World Cruise Ship: Suites, and STK Steakhouse (Atlanta).
Final thoughts
LSI instills confidence. After all, they tout over 100 accolades, is a trusted representative of 14 mills, been in business for nearly two decades, have seen large company growth, and incorporate innovative and proven business practices.
And with the launch of LSI’s new website, filtered searches with interactive maps, and the ability to order in-stock, made-to-order, and custom products, customers can find products faster and with reduced clicks, while the mills make more sales and specifications.
Want to know more?
To learn more about LSI and its partners, visit www.lsiflooring.com