When it comes to flooring solutions, no one knows the subject matter better than the Meadows Family. Since 1978, Daniel Meadows’s family has been the expert in providing quality flooring—hardwood, laminate, and carpet—at a reduced price for their customers. Today, Daniel operates Michael’s Wholesale Flooring on Woodruff Road with a strong vision for a new future bolstered by a steady commitment to discount pricing for quality products.
In early spring of 2022, Michael’s will formally introduce a new line of cabinetry through the launch of its brand new showroom (designed by Diggs Designs) and the reveal of its new identity, Michael’s Flooring & Cabinets.
“As we have been growing our connections in the industry and learning the needs of our customers, we recognized a huge opportunity in cabinetry,” Daniel says. “It is truly an unmet need with a huge demand…and to be able to offer inventory immediately available makes it an even sweeter deal for our customers,” he adds.
The expanded portfolio at Michael’s will bring needed cabinetry inventory and budget friendly alternatives to the Upstate marketplace.
A Step into History: Michael’s Beginnings
Michael’s Wholesale Flooring entered the Greenville home improvement and building space in 1996 as part of a family owned and operated enterprise based in Dalton, GA. The company itself dates back to 1978 when Michael Meadows (Daniel’s father), then a flooring salesman, realized he could “buy smart” from the big companies by collecting their overages to sell at wholesale prices. Suddenly, he found a niche in the market that set him up for a lucrative business. Michael’s Wholesale Flooring was born.
As Michael’s expanded, including the founding of a location in Greenville in 1996, Daniel Meadows entered the scene at 15 as a warehouse worker on afternoons and weekends. By 17, he made his first sale.
Daniel attended Ole Miss for college where he met his wife, Elizabeth, and the two were considering moving to Texas for a career opportunity. Before moving, Daniel’s father asked him to take a visit to Greenville to explore the possibility of joining the family business. Daniel and Elizabeth fell in love with the city and started working for the Greenville location of Michael’s in 2009.
Since then, Daniel and Elizabeth have worked together to grow the business and hone its strategic value points in the Upstate. “We exist to give all of our clients the gift of home,” Elizabeth said. “But we do that without them taking on financial strain in the process,” she added.
Supply Chain and Inventory Challenges? Not at Michael’s.
As the business has grown in the past four decades, it doubled down on logistics and mechanisms. Owning their own trucking company enables Michael’s to avoid the supply chain glitches and labor shortages so many organizations are facing in today’s economic environment.
“One of our customers’ favorite things about shopping with us is the availability of our inventory. What you see in our store is what we have, representing some of the most known and respected brands in the industry,” Daniel says.
Family Run, Through and Through.
Though Elizabeth is not involved in the day-to-day operations of Michael’s with Daniel (she has her own business called Energetic Alchemist), it is clear the business’s growth is a product of their team vision. “Since I met Daniel when we were in college at Ole Miss, the family business has always been on the forefront of our minds and we all feel connected to it. It is who we are,” she says.
Photos on Michael’s social media account are peppered with Elizabeth and Daniel’s two young boys exploring the warehouse and taking [safe] rides on the forklifts. “Pretty much every member of my extended family has worked in the business at some point in time. We are the purest example of what it means to be a family business and are proud of that legacy,” Daniel says. “We hope our customers feel that history and everything we are trying to offer when they are in the store. That is our ultimate goal,” he added.
Michael’s plans to open its new showroom and launch its rebranding in early spring. Stay tuned to @michaelsgreenville on Instagram for updates and the release of their new website.