First-Ever Tom Jennings Champion Award Winner Announced

Carpet Mart’s Bruce Jones is the inaugural recipient of the Tom Jennings Champion Award.

Created by the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) in honour of Jennings’ esteemed career and commitment to excellence in customer service, the annual award recognizes a retail owner or manager for their contribution to and impact on the flooring community.

Jones is co-owner of Carpet Mart, an independently owned store in Louisville, Ky. He has been with the company for nearly 30 years and purchased the store in 2017. His business philosophy is rooted in hard work, commitment to excellence and the guiding principle, ‘do the right thing.’

“Bruce has embedded first-rate customer experience into the very fabric of the organization,” says Freida Staten, WFCA vice-president of marketing, communications and membership. “Through his non-commissioned sales representatives and stellar installers, he ensures customers receive the highest quality products and services. He is committed to his business, community, team and team members’ families. Bruce embodies the spirit of the award by understanding the only truly unique offering a company has to sell is the people in its organization.”

A key aspect of Carpet Mart’s commitment to its staff is adjusting their hours to give them more family time. Jones’ emphasis on staff physical and mental wellness ensures his team comes to work rested and recharged to provide the best customer service to their patrons, says WFCA.

Community involvement has also been a cornerstone of the business since its inception. Each quarter, Carpet Mart partners with a new organization, including the YMCA LiveStrong program, Habitat for Humanity, Scarlet Hope and Dare to Care, among others.

“Tom Jennings set such a high bar for customer service in this industry. It is a tremendous honour to be chosen as the recipient of this award,” says Jones. “I would also like to acknowledge my business partner, Aaron Kinser, as none of this would be possible without his support and providing me the time and opportunity to serve.”