Enmeshed in the community while leading the way in flooring and remodeling: This is MDG Flooring America and Kiba Studios

By Ken McEntee

Many people tend to organize the year by its four seasons. MDG Flooring America and Kiba Studios—located inside MDG’s Medina showroom—track time by their calendar of charitable collections. Presently, the family-operated flooring and kitchen/bath renovation retailers are offering a 10% discount to customers who bring in donations for Hope and Healing Survivor Resource Center, a women’s shelter that serves Medina and Summit counties.

The charity campaign follows last month’s coat drive and the companies’ annual Toys for Tots holiday collection. Throughout the year, MDG and Kiba sponsor youth sports and other activities along with its ongoing “give back and save” sales—like the Hope and Healing Survivor Resource Center campaign.

“It’s our way of giving back to the community that continues to support us,” explains Steve Walbolt, co-owner of MDG and Kiba. “It’s our identity as a company. We value the fact that we are a small, local business and that the money our customers spend with us stays in our community.”

Along with being a charity drop-off site, partnering with local charities and serving with civic organizations are other ways MDG and Kiba give back to the community, says Steve, who is on the board of directors of the Northern Medina Chamber Alliance.

Core Values
The emphasis on giving back to the community reflects the companies’ core values, says Scott Powers, vice president of sales.

“Our core values are the test for every decision we make as a company,” he insists. “If it doesn’t meet that test, we don’t make that choice. That’s why I have our Values Statement and Core Values posted right next to my desk.”

MDG’s Core Values are:

• Family – We care for our team members and treat them like family.
• Legacy – We give back and make a difference in the communities in which we operate. We continue to build upon our strong quality, brand and reputation.
• Operational excellence – We make daily continuous improvements, hold each other accountable and are results oriented.
• Open communication – We communicate openly and actively listen to one another.
• Resourceful – We provide proactive solutions to problems and empower our team to make decisions.
• Integrity – We are honest and trustworthy people.
• Next level service – We provide excellent customer service to our customers and team and lead by example in all we do.
• Growth – We have a positive mindset, work hard and are focused on growth.

That, Scott says, pretty much spells it out.

All in the Family
Mike Green, whose initials provided the name of his upstart business more than 22 years ago, learned the carpeting business from the ground floor up.

“Dad was a teenager when he went to work in a carpeting warehouse,” shares Christie Jackson, Mike’s daughter and client support manager. “He worked his way up from the warehouse to installation and eventually into management of flooring stores. From there, he had the opportunity to put all of his experience to good use by starting his own company.”

Steve, Mike’s nephew, insists that the closeness of family is what has always set MDG apart.

“We are a very close family, but we also enjoy close relationships with our extended family, which includes the people on our team, as well as our customers,” he says. “We like to think of ourselves as the place where friends send friends.”

Perfect Partner
Scott promises that the friendly, expert customer service that MDG has provided to its customers extends into Kiba Studios, which opened in the MDG showroom in 2022.

Kiba Studios, Steve says, is a perfect partner for MDG. Both are affiliated with Flooring America, the national buying cooperative that allows independent businesses to offer prices and benefits that compete with the corporate big box retailers—but with higher quality product lines and the helpful and knowledgeable customer service shoppers may find lacking at the big boxes.

Meanwhile, Steve notes that your home is an ideal investment. That’s why MDG is now holding a tax refund sale, which offers 60-month, interest-free financing.

“It’s an opportunity to put your tax refund to work to increase the value of your home,” Steve suggests. “MDG features the latest trends in carpeting, hardwood, vinyl and other flooring products.”

While being a sound investment, home improvement also provides the benefit of beautifying your living space,” Scott says, adding that luxury vinyl tile (LVT) continues to be the hottest flooring product on the market for homes of all price levels.

You can peruse MDG’s complete inventory of flooring products, as well as Kiba Studios kitchen and bath renovation products, by visiting the showroom at 3812 Pearl Road, Suite C, in Medina. You can find more information by visiting MDGFlooringAmerica.com or check out the latest news on Facebook @MDGFlooringAmerica. You can call the store at 330-725-5252.