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DCO Commercial Floors
Written by Pauline Müller

Flooring trends come and go, but DCO Commercial Floors’ service, quality, and values are constant. This is why this industry leader is trusted by general contractors, architects, designers, business owners, and government departments as far as Oregon, New York, Michigan, and Miami for the latest in quality flooring and window treatments.

The company has two offices in Atlanta and Athens in Georgia and another in Austin, Texas, and has built a loyal following by remaining in touch with the latest in interior design fashions while cultivating lasting customer relationships.

After forty-one years in the business, DCO Commercial Floors may be bigger than ever, but installing modern flooring and window treatments has never been easier. Its dedicated people do everything needed to get the job done on time, to standard, and within budget. These values have secured the company’s lasting success and meant that its clients are mostly happy to oblige with slightly higher prices to achieve the results for it is known.

DCO’s values extend beyond its work. Many benefit from the company’s commitment to making the world a better place through its support of community events and charities, such as the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, a non-profit in honor of firefighter Stephen Siller, who died saving people on September 11, 2001.

As floors are one of the final flourishes in construction and renovations, installing flooring and window treatments can be a stressful process for owners whose patience can sometimes run thin toward the end of projects. This is where the advantage of having DCO Commercial Floors’ project management teams on board quickly becomes evident.

They ensure smooth flow on every job, from concept to estimation and delivery. And their aim to please is not only driven by creating beautiful spaces. Instead, product performance and purpose lead the way in every decision, delivering an optimal blend of form and function on all the company’s projects.

“DCO brings expert knowledge to any type of floorcovering project. With years of experience and on-site supervision, we provide the absolute best in quality control,” says Summer Brittain, Director of Preconstruction.

Therefore, it is not surprising to find several Starnet Design Awards lining its walls. The company’s employees are accustomed to giving extra in everything they do, as the firm prides itself on equipping its people with all they need to complete every project successfully, regardless of any challenges that may have complicated the process along the way.

“We provide a smaller business feel even though we are one of the larger flooring companies in the Atlanta market. Most of my clients have no idea how big we are, and I love surprising them with that,” says Luke Canup, Senior Account Executive. Luke says that clients most often value the company’s commitment to detail and knowledge that its scores of account executives, estimators, project managers, site superintendents, and support staff are all backed by extensive resources.

DCO Commercial Floors was launched when its late founder, Mike Blanton, identified a huge gap in the commercial flooring market. Flooring was in his blood, as his mother exchanged her bookkeeping profession at a hardwood company for a retail flooring business when Mike was just a boy. He spent his school holidays and weekends installing floors for his mother’s business and eventually opened a string of stores known as Dalton Carpet Outlet. For more than six years, Mike served the residential market before identifying the opportunity that would become the business as we know it today.

He realized that there were no knowledgeable and experienced flooring installers on which contractors, builders, and other professionals in the construction industry could count to serve this unique market segment. Following this, Dalton Carpet Outlet joined Carpet One cooperative in 1988, becoming Dalton Carpet One.

In 2007, the business’ residential and commercial interests split into Dalton Carpet One Floor & Home and DCO Commercial Floors, respectively. The separation meant that DCO Commercial Floors could now focus solely on serving its commercial partners with all the attention to detail, speed, and efficiency that this market requires.

After nearly thirty years in the business, Mike’s son Curtis Blanton, current owner and president, joined the company via its Eatonton, Georgia branch, where he worked full-time. During this time, in 2007, Curtis also graduated cum laude from the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia. He managed to double the annual revenue of the Athens facility’s commercial division in only five years, taking it from $20 million to over $40 million, and in 2017, he became vice president of DCO, Inc., the overall parent company.

The company has seen tremendous expansion under Blanton. He also serves on the board of directors of the Flooring Contractors Association (FCICA) and is part of the technology committee of Starnet, a partnership of independent flooring contractors.

DCO Commercial Flooring ascribes its success to its people. “We have a great team where we all face the same direction and work for a common goal of making it easy for our customers to do business with us,” says Adrienne Dean, marketing and media manager. According to Dean, there is absolutely no shortage of creativity, passion, or productivity here, and each project is treated as a unique opportunity to shine. Its employees love creating solutions selected from a vast selection of materials and finishes and uniquely suited to the needs of each client’s location.

Thomas Krieger, Lead Site Superintendent, says: “If a customer is ever concerned about completion or meeting an end date, I always tell them that the main reason I work for DCOCF is no matter how the job is going, in the end, I know that DCOCF has my back and will send all the help I need to complete the job on time.” Krieger sees that the company’s trustworthiness builds confidence both in its capabilities and in the outcome.

The reason the company does not fail at the end of its project is thanks to sufficient planning and diligent execution, according to this industry expert. “I have watched other trades on job sites fail because the main office would not offer support in the field. I am very lucky to have that support from the team,” Krieger adds.

There have been many exemplary projects over the years, including The Independent in Austin, Texas, the tallest residential building in the West; the Westin Sundial Restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia; Bailey Power Plant in Winston Salem, North Carolina; and the Golden Nugget Rush Tower in Lake Charles, Los Angeles.

Of course, this success hinges on skill, and therefore, all its site superintendents are trained in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s thirty-hour voluntary health and safety training program for midlevel employees, offered by the United States Department of Labor.

All its project managers are also certified installation managers (CIM) through a program that is made possible by the Flooring Contractor’s Association (FCICA) and is specifically designed for qualified professionals who want to expand their essential skillsets and knowledge about project management in the commercial flooring industry. Every flooring design and trades professional is always improving their knowledge and skills.

Flooring is not what it used to be. Recent trends are seeing floor coverings slowly finding their way onto walls and even ceilings. Chick-fil-A, with corporate headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, is one of many clients that love this modern trend. The company recently had a wood floor application laid throughout an entire boardroom with walls and ceiling included.

Thinner brick and stone floor coverings are also finding their way onto walls. Luke explains that the installation, with standard thinset, is much the same as for any wall tile, although the grout joint is wider.

A new generation of products makes moisture testing on poured concrete obsolete. There are flooring products so tough that they can now be laid on top of fresh concrete after only twenty-four hours. A new membrane acts as a moisture guard between freshly set concrete and flooring. Then there is the hundred-year-old interior surfaces firm Altro, which fabricates adhesive-free flooring options and other innovative solutions. DCO Commercial Floors is fully-trained and certified to install Altro products.

When DCO Commercial Floors rolls into a new city, one of its priorities is to study the state of the construction industry. “Our motivation is in our growth. We see where the industry is heading. We count the cranes we see when we enter a big city, and we know the growth will continue,” says Adrienne.

Of course, to keep up with the rate at which the industry evolves takes planning and training and lots of it, which is why the company ensures that its installation teams are up-to-date with all the latest technology, product specifications, certifications, and courses. As in any craft, knowing your materials is essential to accomplishing quality work, and flooring is no different. By continuously improving its methods and skills, DCO Commercial Floors will be extending its reach considerably in years to come.

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