A Visit with Phil Wexler

To Market's President and CEO, Phil Wexler, is an Icon in the floor covering business. From his creation of Bentley Carpet Mills to present, Phil has managed to attract and inspire talented business professionals around the globe. His associates have a fierce loyalty to him, with some following Phil to each of his new business ventures. We asked Phil if he would mind sharing some of his history as well as his visions for the future of the industry and To Market. We will post excerpt of Phil's interview over the next several weeks.

Part 1

Your notoriety as an entrepreneur in the floor covering business is extensive and three fold; Founder and former President & CEO of Bentley Carpet Mills, Starnet, and now To Market. Which gives you the most satisfaction and why?

All three companies were started from scratch in different time periods. Bentley grew from a few employees in 1979 to over 800 during my tenure and almost $180 million in sales. It was great to build a brand name that was recognized worldwide as an innovator in texture, color, flexibility and service in the commercial carpet business that continues to be a leader in that industry today.

Starnet was started to bring an organization together with flooring contractors nationwide that could take advantage of their expertise in floor covering sales, service, installation and contacts by utilizing the collective strengths of each member company all banded together with a limited number of manufacturing vendors to increase market share and professionalism in the commercial flooring industry. Today, it is bigger than ever and continues growing.

To Market™ was created out of a vision to bring to the commercial marketplace “Alternative Materials for Interior Spaces,” all centered on environmentally friendly and well designed sustainable products manufactured from recycled materials. Creating products and specifications with an environmental story has been great fun and has opened up an entirely new category of sales in a previously untapped market.

Today, all three entities continue to thrive, which is very rewarding because thousands of people and their families earn their incomes and are touched by each company on a daily basis.

“However, what gives me the most satisfaction is when the University of Southern California, where I received my Bachelor of Arts degree, beats U.C.L.A., their cross town rival, in football or any other sport.”

TRIBECA PARK DERMATOLOGY

New York City

"No Blemish on This Floor"

"People love these floors" states New York City
dermatologist, Dr. Adam Geyer.

"My clientele is so impressed with my new flooring.
We must have ten people a day asking about the new floors and wanting to know where they can buy them."

From the day he opened Tribeca Park Dermatology in New York City, Dr. Adam Geyer received nothing but rave reviews about the flooring.

What's behind these accolades?

To Market's Ozoloc Etchings specified by Architect Tom Opera and Interior Designer Darren Andereck of New York City's Opera Design Group.

Commented both, "we were looking for an aesthetically pleasing and modern-looking plank flooring. Etchings, with it's unique metallic finish, fit perfectly within our design."

Due to the high traffic performance rating on Ozoloc Etchings, it was installed throughout Tribeca Park Dermatology including all procedure and exam areas. This kept the design open and continuous.

Ozoloc features an environmentally friendly, adhesive free, patented and innovative connecting technology. Designed for high traffic areas in commercial or residential interiors, Ozoloc can be installed directly over most existing flooring with no floor prep, as a floating and glue-less locking tile flooring system. It is a durable, flexible and performance driven solid surface flooring.