Dehart Tile
Floors for Every Space
Text by Jennifer Poff Cooper Photos by Tom Wallace
“It’s challenging but I love every minute of it,” says Joe Cole, owner and president of Dehart Tile in Christiansburg. The flooring firm began when brothers Ed DeHart and Bill DeHart were doing floor installations in the early 1960s. Bill decided the market was ripe for more business, so he bought out his brother and opened a flooring store in 1964 on Roanoke Street. It moved to its present location at 1140 Radford Street 14 years later. Bill DeHart’s stepson, Jerry Childs, eventually ran the business, and when retirement rolled around in 2016, Cole was looking for a local business to buy. He strives to maintain the family atmosphere while keeping up with market trends, and 24
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under him the business – both walk-in traffic and contractors sending their customers – grew every year. With COVID-19, store traffic, which had been phenomenal prior to April tapered off for a while, then picked up again. Communication never stopped, and technology bridged the gap. Now people are looking at changing spaces in their homes, and Cole has seen an uptick in re-decorating, with people renewing spaces or adding new ones like a fitness room. Technology is an asset as Dehart can offer virtual room scenes to folks at home or use apps in the store and email results to customers. This entrepreneur isn’t cowed
by larger competitors. “Big box stores have their place,” he says, “but there is still a strong market for an independent flooring and tile company.” Dehart Tile has the largest flooring showroom in Virginia west of Lynchburg with 11,000 square feet of showroom space. The big boxes only devote 4,000 to 5,000 square feet to floor samples and information. Additionally, Dehart carries high quality Hunter Douglas blinds and shades. While the family name has the capital H in DeHart, Cole simplified that with DEHART or Dehart. The business offers distinctive advantages, starting with its staff. Interior Designer Jessica Hall has a degree from Virginia Tech and local roots. Other
Novemb er/Decemb er 2020
