Tiles, Textiles & Talent
People-focused approach sets foundation for rise of Summit Flooring Group LLC
As its name implies, Summit Flooring Group LLC (Summit) in Frankfort, Kentucky, has high expectations when it comes to service.
Its name reinforces and reminds Owner and Founder, Aaron Hartman, about his commitment to his chosen profession. He says, “Beyond the saws, cutters and knee pads, tile and carpet installation is all about people, and specifically relationships.”
It’s a seasoned awareness that seems to bely the company’s relative youth. Now entering its fourth year of business, Summit has already become a recognized leader among general contractors and owners in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio, delivering flooring solutions for banks, sports and entertainment venues, gaming facilities, hotels and other facilities—all with an eye on geographic expansion balanced with next-generation development.
Extensive Experience
Summit’s success thus far is largely attributed to the experience and skills of its owner and his growing team. Aaron has been in the flooring business since his senior year in high school, when he took a job installing residential flooring for a friend. He laughingly recalls, “By the time I was 22, I was arrogant enough to think I could do this on my own.”
With the boundless energy and optimism of youth, he founded Aaron’s Custom Floors and built his installation business over the next 14 years into a familiar name in the Frankfort area, working largely for general contractors. In 2012, Aaron won a direct contract with Lowe’s and renamed his company Summit Home Improvement, with a focus on residential flooring and remodeling.
He says, “My success was largely dependent on our trade partners. I quickly learned that installers who work for themselves produce better-quality work with fewer mistakes.”
That firsthand experience with floor installation and the inner workings of project relationships directly formed Aaron’s business model in the residential space, and more relevantly, in his subsequent move to the commercial flooring market.
“While working on residential projects, I had the opportunity to meet and work with owners and general contractors in the commercial sector, primarily hospitality—a market segment where I saw tremendous growth potential,” he confirms.
In 2017, Aaron decided to commit entirely to the commercial sector by forming Summit Flooring Group. Within six months, he had won several contracts with general contractors to install flooring in commercial buildings and more business opportunities emerged. He gave up his Lowe’s contract and focused entirely on commercial.
He says, “Since then, we’ve been blessed and busy.”
Core Connections
Today, Summit is still relatively small in terms of personnel, just six people.
Summit’s small, but talented team includes Aaron’s younger brother, Matt Hartman, who is Head of Production. Matt began working with Aaron as an installer in 2010. “He has vast installation knowledge of every kind of flooring,” Aaron says. “He knows what it should look like and how we should get there.”
Derek Evans, Lead Estimator and Project Manager, just celebrated his third anniversary. He’s a multitalented individual with a master’s degree in business who is integral to the company’s operational and estimating workflow. Aaron’s wife, Chrissa, has been an essential part of the team behind the scenes since Summit’s inception in 2012, and recently took on a more visible role as an Estimator. Amanda Hicks joined in 2020 as the company’s Controller. She came to Summit from a large development/property management firm and has a wealth of knowledge in financial management, budgeting and financial forecasting. Chris Price, the newest hire, is Director of Sales. He had 20-plus years in sales and business development prior to joining the Summit team.
“When we hire, personality matters a lot,” Aaron adds. “I don’t want to have a corporate feel. We want to maintain a family-owned company culture where everyone knows everyone, and every voice matters. I strongly believe that a culture of mutual appreciation drives better results for our customers—and that’s what we’ve achieved.”
More impressive is the scope and scale of projects that Aaron and his team are able to take on—a success that Aaron believes is largely due to a strong installer base, which now includes about 10 partners and supplier relationships. Those relationships came in particularly handy on the Derby City Gaming project.
House Money
Derby City Gaming is one of Summit’s signature and most challenging projects.
The $65 million Derby City Gaming complex is the only licensed gaming facility in Louisville, Kentucky. Built by Churchill Downs Incorporated, the building incorporates a large gaming and entertainment floor. Overall, the project required 12,000 square feet of tile, including some several thousand square feet of special Italian tile and thin brick veneer. In total, Summit installed over 15,000 square feet of product on the floor and walls.
The tight timeline for flooring install, about five weeks, posed the greatest challenge.
“We had a number of last-minute adjustments to the flooring, but our long-term relationship with the supplier in Louisville saved us,” Aaron recalls. “Our relationship with the supplier allowed us to go directly to the manufacturer to pick up material that day. Without that connection, we would have had to wait until they ordered it, which would have severely delayed the project.”
As well, the short timeline required a large installation crew, a challenge in these times of labor shortages. “Again, our relationships saved us,” Aaron says. “Because we work so closely with the best installers, we were able to pull in extra crews and work two shifts. In the end, we got it done on time and it looked great.”
“I strongly believe that a culture of mutual appreciation drives better results for our customers—and that’s what we’ve achieved.” Aaron Hartman, Owner and Founder, Summit Flooring Group LLC
Maintaining Local Expertise
Summit’s growing reputation for speed, flexibility and quality with general contractors and owners in the local area has opened the doors for growth.
For instance, one of the company’s first commercial projects in 2017 was for Cincinnati, Ohio-based DEI Incorporated to install flooring at a bank in Kentucky. Since then, that relationship has grown to include projects as far away as New Jersey, which Aaron believes is because of his close partnership with installers.
He explains, “When we take on a job outside of our familiar region where we don’t have relationships with installers and suppliers, we take a local installer with us. I want someone with the quality, methods and skills that I trust on every one of my jobs.”
That business model for ensuring quality installation is the foundation for other multiyear contractor relationships and for projects in surrounding states as well as Virginia and North Carolina on the East Coast.
Aaron adds, “The real value of our business model is resilience. Everyone in the construction space is facing labor shortages. But the time we’ve spent developing our contractor relationships over the years, and building a reliable and top-notch installer base, is essential to our business today. I know it sounds cliché, but this truly is a relationship business. Construction is all about timing.”
As he looks to grow the company’s number of projects and geography, Aaron points to the importance of his relationship with The Blue Book Building and Construction Network® (The Blue Book Network). Summit has been with The Blue Book Network since May 2017. “When we first signed on, we had two other lead services. But we quickly realized that The Blue Book is the most interactive, with more one-on-one handshakes with potential partners and clients. Anyone can send a job over the internet, but very few have the connections to the folks signing the checks. The Blue Book does that. They’ve been a game changer in terms of our growth over the last four years,” Aaron says.
Next-Gen Opportunities
Looking ahead, Aaron sees continued geographic expansion for the company, believing that 2021 will be a big year in terms of the scope and scale of projects.
“My goal is to have satellite hubs in Cleveland, Ohio, and Chattanooga, Tennessee,” he confirms. “Those offices will allow us to build our installer base and develop more relationships with contractors and owners.”
He’s also focused on building up the next generation of installers, estimators and project managers through a unique co-op program with a local high school in Frankfort. The skills development program will give young people an opportunity to learn how to install carpet and tile, with hours going toward an associate degree.
“Our youth are the future of our country,” Aaron says. “I want young people to have options for careers. I’m a firm believer that learning a skill builds confidence and opens the way for new opportunities.”
The program is on track to begin in summer 2021.
Aaron concludes, “The biggest lesson I’ve learned over the years is that this is a relationship business. For owners, contractors and our talented trade partners, I strive to be available to answer questions and resolve problems. For young people, the construction industry, with all of its many trades and skills requirements, is a vast network of opportunity. I started as an installer and that experience has changed my life, opening doors I never imagined.”