A flooring family: Guhde Flooring America has been giving area homeowners something solid to stand on for four generations
By Patricia Nugent
When it comes to family, a spirit of synergy determines whether the whole is stronger than the sum of its parts. With the Guhde Family, each member brings unique talent to the table that elevates this family business to an American dream-style success story.
Grandfather Donald Guhde got his start in flooring back in the 1950s, opening up his own store in Euclid in 1957. He liked to take his small son Mike along on jobs with him, helping with the measuring, and teaching him always to shake hands with the customer.
Mike, all grown up and now president of Guhde Flooring America, says the same passion for the business he learned from his father still drives him. And though he is himself now officially at retirement age, there are no plans to slow down.
Mike’s wife, Diane, married into the business in 1976, working in the showroom, and even setting up a playpen in the back when daughter Monica and son Michael Jr. joined the picture.
And just like his father before him, Michael, Jr. enjoyed going on jobs with his dad, meeting customers and taking pride in the final product when the work was finished.
The Third (and Fourth) Generation
Though Michael and Monica say their parents never pushed for them to take over the business (they each went off to college without that prospect entering their minds), both returned to the family business after graduating from Kent State University and Ohio State University, respectively.
Today, Michael is General Manager and Monica Office Manager. Monica met and married Shawn Rosa who, coincidentally, has an extensive background in the flooring business. He now wears the hat of Sales Manager.
Moving with the Times
As Cleveland’s population moved outward, so did the Guhde Family, opening up its spacious showroom on Mentor Avenue in Painesville in 1989. They have now branched out from traditional flooring choices to new luxury vinyl tiles, custom backsplashes and shower tiles and even countertops and paint.
This year, the family grew again, with the addition of Vayda, an adorable eight-month-old boxer whom Shawn and Monica bring to the store each day. It’s said that dogs mirror their owners’ personalities, and that’s certainly the case with Vayda. This spirited pup has already charmed many a customer with her affable nature.
Between them, Shawn and Monica (or as the family often whimsically calls them “Shawnica”) have three children: a son and two daughters ages 7, 9 and 11.
Michael and his wife have a toddler and another on the way, both girls.
Shawn’s sister Nikki Weber and Kat Chesbrough joined the family over the past two years as Sales Professionals and are usually the first friendly faces to greet customers walking in the door.
Although Shawn is one of the newer family members, he probably sums up the synergy best:
“When you talk about home, you talk about a place you can go to and feel comfortable and know that you have a role in the family, and that’s what I feel like here.”
Guhde Flooring America is located at 1880 Mentor Avenue in Painesville Township. Hours are Mondays, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Thursdays 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Fridays, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; and Saturdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Call 440-639-1990, or visit GuhdeFlooringAmerica.com for more information. And check out the Guhde Flooring America: Meet the Team video on YouTube.