Drew Mittelstaedt, partner at Longust Distributing Inc., is an Arizona native born and raised in Phoenix. He never had to leave his home state to find his true calling and his life's work. After several years as a project manager for a commercial developer, he went to work for a commercial flooring outfit. Two years later, he caught the entrepreneurial bug and opened his own flooring business.
This was the late 1980s. At that time, he was a loyal customer of Arizona-based Longust, a growing company launched in 1974 that has since become a major wholesale flooring distributor servicing the Southwestern U.S. "Almost 28 years ago," Mittelstaedt recalled, "Tom Longust and Steve Wallace hired me to be their Armstrong Resilient Manager. Having held various management titles, I’ve worked into an ownership role, actively involved in sales and marketing."
Over the years, Mittelstaedt's evolution has mirrored the company's. Longust currently services five states -- Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and west Texas -- with a broad array of flooring products. With so many years in the business, Mittelstaedt can definitely speak to the challenges the business has faced and those it will be facing in the year ahead.
"Oh, there are plenty of challenges AND opportunities," he remarked. "The speed at which new products are being developed is incredible. It's great to have the innovation … to secure the right lines and partners, to manage inventories and deliver to the market on pace. Clearly, though, other factors are presenting themselves: Internet sales, direct sales by manufacturers, transportation and insurance costs, and labor shortages [to name a few]."
He went on to state that it's hard to identify what the next great opportunity is going to be. For the near future, he and his colleagues see continued growth in luxury vinyl tile (LVT), wood polymer composite (WPC) flooring, and stone plastic composite (SPC) flooring, along with thin porcelain tile. "We also believe the hardwood business will see some exciting innovation this new year," he added. "'Wood look' everything continues to grow, especially the wood plank tile."
Also on the positive side is his assessment of the current state of distributor-manufacturer relations. "Our relationships are better than they’ve ever been," he beamed. "Because we’ve narrowed our focus, we constantly strive to do more with fewer suppliers. Stability and success breeds loyalty in both directions."
It helps to be affiliated with a company that has such an extensive inventory. Longust offers hard surface solutions for nearly every type of project, both residential and commercial. So, in Mittelstaedt's view, what makes his firm stand out in the marketplace? What makes it unique? He replied, "Having operated as a family-run business for nearly 45 years has created a culture of trust with our employees, customers, and suppliers. We don’t claim to be perfect, but our team works like crazy to maintain the high standards Tom Longust instilled in us for decades. We proudly feature some of the industry’s very best brands and deliver them through an excellent, dedicated logistics system. I’m most proud of our employees, many of whom have been with us for decades through thick and thin."
He adds that one of the things that has benefitted Longust the most has been its affiliation with the North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors (NAFCD). The company has been an association member for more than two decades now. Mittelstaedt commented, "We cherish the relationships made with fellow distributors and vendors alike. I’ve met and learned from some of the best people I know through this organization. I’ve also noticed that the annual conventions have improved in recent years in terms of the content and quality of the speakers. We’ve also benefitted from the Savings 4 Members program."
Looking ahead, he concluded, "Despite the political noise, the economy appears to be strong [and] hopefully with a tailwind. Our A&D firms, commercial dealers, and builder accounts all share encouraging numbers. Here’s to a great '18!"