You might miss it if you drive quickly on Route 35. Tucked into the south end of Staples Plaza in Hazlet is a carpet and flooring store that has been around through 23 years of economic ups and downs, the comeback of hardwood flooring, the introduction of Pergo, and the big box invasion of home improvement centers.
Although it sells hardwood floors, laminates, and now luxury vinyl, carpet remains the most popular choice for flooring, and D n’ R Carpet Mill offers “blow out” prices, money back guarantees and a focus on keeping and training outstanding staff.
D n’ R (dependable and reliable) Carpet Mill was founded in 1991 and is owned by Middletown couple Michele and Joe Colonna. It offers carpet, linoleum, laminate, wood floors, remnants, expert installation and cleaning.
“Most of our clientele buys because they’ve heard of us,” notes Joe, “We’ve been here a while.” The business does a bit of cable and magazine advertising, and has an active Facebook page, but most of its business is repeat business.
What’s its secret?
“Installation,” says Joe. “You can have good carpet, but if it’s not installed right, you’ll be unhappy.” He carefully trains his own installers and would rather delay a job than use someone he’s unsure of and risk an unhappy customer.
Michele and Joe enjoy volunteering in their hometown of Keansburg. A sign on their door from the Northern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce says they assisted “Beacon of Hope” with its storm recovery efforts for local residents.
“The local people support us,” says Joe. “So we want to help support them.”