Floored by Miracles
A son of Waialua chicken farmers, David Arita grows American Carpet One into Hawaii’s largest flooring company, and out of gratitude volunteers with the Salvation Army, where he says miracles happen daily
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ings,” he says. “And there was opportunity for growth. In the carpet business, I could be independent and focus on my own business.”
That was 35 years ago, when Arita and friend Stan Koki opened The
Carpet Shoppe in Consumer City Furniture Store on Kamehameha Highway. They started with five employees and in 1976 opened the largest freestanding carpet showroom in Hawaii at the time. Soon they added installation and contractor services, as well as increased variety and inventory.
In 1988, the company became part of Carpet One, an international cooperative of 1,600 carpet stores in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Carpet One dealers use their collective buying power to lower prices.
“We can choose how to run our own business and at the same time we can buy like the big boxes and be very price-competitive,” the president of American Carpet One explains.
“There are two purchases that make a difference to people when they’re brand new,” Arita adds. “One is a new car, the other is new flooring. It makes a huge difference in people’s lives and their lifestyle.
“To me, living with style means having the ability to create feelings and emotions through personal touches in a space. The home is a reflection of self. We take a client from an initial consultation to discover their vision for the home, then step by step educate them on product construction and performance, space planning, color coordination and the installation.”
American Carpet One’s full-service home flooring and window fashion design center at 302 Sand Island Access Road is a wonderland of custom flooring in carpet, wood, lami-nate, vinyl, ceramic, porcelain, natural stone, cork and bamboo - and you thought flooring was only short, medium or shag pile carpeting!
When Arita started, 95 percent of sales were carpet and 5 percent vinyl. Today it is 50 percent carpet and 50 percent hard-surface flooring.
“We now have luxury tiles that look better and perform better than natural wood,” he says. “They are easy to install and maintain. Plus there are amazing choices in colors, textures and styles. It’s mind-boggling.”
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Indeed. The immaculate showroom at American Carpet One is a sea of thousands of carpet and hard-surface samples from which to choose.
But we liked the back rooms where rolls and rolls of bargain-priced carpeting and remnants are found. High-quality Stainmaster and other brands are available at sacrifice prices. Aladdin couldn’t have taken a better journey to affordability.
Carpet should last 20 years, Arita says. While price is a consideration, factors such as durability, maintenance and product guarantees should not be ignored. It’s an investment in long-term comfort and aesthetics, he suggests.
Thankfully, technology and manufacturing innovation have made carpet fibers better and better over the years. One of the oldest industries in the world, originating in the Middle East and Asia, carpet making is one the most durable crafts in the world.
America is a leading carpet manufacturing center, along with Belgium, Holland and the Middle East, in that order.
“I enjoy my work,” Arita says. “I enjoy the people I work with (more than 100 employees) and the community service I’m involved with.”
When he’s not in the office, you’ll find the carpet CEO on the golf course testing his 15 handicap, or jogging and lifting light weights. Sharing life’s magic carpet ride are his wife Chris and three children: Darin, an investment analyst for Deutsche Bank in New York;
Jessica Schlais, who works at Avalon Care Services; and youngest son Daniel, who’s assistant manager at American Carpet One.
Whether it’s community service or a good deal for flooring, Arita is a man who knows how to roll out the red carpet.
He can install it, too.
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