Friday, Feb. 19, 2010
Carpet business waits for housing market to turn
Owner hopes to attract home owners
By Corey Pride / cpride@losbanosenterprise.com
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ReprintAfter becoming a home owner about a decade ago Ping Gonzales was quickly supplied with the inspiration that led to her opening her second business in Los Baños.
"It was a small house. I needed like 110 yards in carpet and I told this guy I don't really need high-end carpet," Gonzales said. "He quoted me $3,300. I said, 'Wow, that's a lot of money to do that.' I said that's a lot of profit."
Hoping to grab a share of the profits in the industry, Gonzales opened Los Baños Carpet and Tile last march. She's running the business from her antique shop, Ping's Affordable Furniture at 500 H St.
Gonzales had trouble attracting customers in the weeks after she started the company. The carpet business was slow.
However, Gonzales refused to be derailed by a floundering housing market. She started doing business with a real estate company and, so far, has provided carpeting and tiles for nearly 20 foreclosed homes.
She said she does not find the work to be difficult.
"Every time I get a job I go take a measurement. Then I walk around [to see] what color the wall is, what color the kitchen counter is so I can get tile to match. So far I do pretty good," Gonzales said.
She said she hopes the housing market turns around soon because she believes she can do good business selling carpet to home owners while they're in her shop buying antique furniture.
"It's good for me I have a furniture store," she said. "I already have a showroom."
In the middle of Gonzales' shop is a section reserved for Los Baños Carpet and Tile.
"People go this way, they have to see it. They can't ignore me," Gonzales said.
She said she plans to expand the area as the business grows.
But until the housing market is thriving again Gonzales is seeking a relationship with companies managing rental properties such as apartment complexes.
Gonzales is upfront about why she chose to go into the carpet business in the past year.
Gonzales, who lives out of town, said she likes Los Baños and wants to continue to be a business owner in the town.
"People may say 'You're already a furniture store, why do you want to do this carpet and tile?' It's just the furniture business has been really slow. I don't want to give up," she said.
Enterprise reporter Corey Pride can be reached by phone at (209)388-6563 or by e-mail at cpride@losbanosenterprise.com