GROWTH, SUCCESS, AND SOFTWARE
The Entrepreneurial Vision of Pioneer Floor Coverings QFloors customer since 2001
A
s CIO of a multi-billion international company, Rob Wankier did not initially
envision that floor covering would be his future. His work at Nestle Waters
of America was exciting and financially rewarding. But he longed to get back to
his roots in the West, and the idea of owning (and growing) a small business was appealing to him. So after searching for the right fit, he purchased Pioneer Floor Coverings 22 years ago and hasn’t looked back.
Pioneer Floor Coverings started in the college town of Cedar City, Utah, over
40 years ago. When Rob and his wife LeAnn purchased it, it was a small store, with revenues of around $1M. Today the company has two locations, with revenue
“At the time I bought the business, I was lucky to have really good people working for me. I increased their pay and promised to take care of them, and in turn, they helped get me through the rough learning curve of understanding the business,” Wankier says. 36
exceeding $11M in 2021. It’s an understatement to say the company has experienced significant growth under Wankier’s leadership.
Wankier quickly shares the credit with his employees, highlighting talented
general managers and the best installers in southern Utah. He says his employees helped educate him when he purchased Pioneer Floor Coverings as a newcomer
to the flooring industry. “At the time I bought the business, I was lucky to have really good people working for me. I increased their pay and promised to take care of them, and in turn, they helped get me through the rough learning curve of understanding the business,” Wankier says.
Premier Flooring Retailer | D2 2021
