Local flooring business celebrating anniversary with expansion, specials

BY KYLE TROUTMAN ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com

Beginning in a small loft building on the Barry County Courthouse Square, Nickle’s Flooring in Cassville has ventured through four buildings and continued expanding its product offerings for 35 years.

Debra and Bruce Nickle, owners of the business, celebrated the 35th anniversary of opening on Friday and Saturday with an event culminating in a free barbecue meal. Specials on many products, Debra Nickle said, will continue through the end of July, and some through the end of summer.

Nickle’s Flooring started in 1990 with a small loft office on the southeast corner of the square — selling just carpet — eventually making their way through two larger buildings on the west side of the square before building the current structure on Highway 112 in 2005.

The business started with Bruce, who was working for a flooring company in Flat River.

“He was the top salesman there,” Debra said. “So, he thought, if I can do this, why can’t I do the rest. He started working in the warehouse, learned how to operate a forklift and learned how to do installs. Bruce is an Army brat and lived all over the world, and when he was living in Hawaii and his father deployed to Vietnam, he moved back home to Cassville for his high school years.”

As Bruce began growing, the business began changing. Debra joined in 2001, coming from a background in banking and retail, and set the goal of doubling sales.

“Since then, we’ve quadrupled sales,” she said. “The flooring aspect has changed so much. We started with just carpet and sheet vinyl, and when I joined we expanded to hardwood and tile. Vinyl plank then kind of took over the flooring business, and we started building showers many years ago, all of which are built by our guys certified in waterproofing.”

Debra said the business has followed national trends throughout its 35 years, lagging a bit behind the east and west coasts but ultimately seeing the same ups and downs in demand.

“When we’re up, w’ere up, and when we’re down, we’re down,” she said. “We’re pretty consistent with the trends.”

The biggest trend overall at Nickle’s is growth and expanding offerings. Now, with the Nickles’ son Jared operating Chief Construction Management, the business is a one-stop shop for everything from flooring to concrete, bathrooms to kitchens and asphalt to roofing.

“Jared was doing construction management- type stuff in St. Louis, and we were always getting questions here like who can do painting, roofing or windows,” Debra said. “People trust us and want to know who we trust to do other things. Jared came on and opened communication with people he knew and some new people, and now we have a lot of partners. We have an asphalt partner, Generations Paving; we have a concrete guy; Millwood Roofing out of Joplin has been instrumental in storm repairs in Cassville; and we even have Scott Stephens to do septic. We’ve expanded to: You name it, we’ll get it done. And it’s funny, things happen like the other day where Jared sold some flooring and I sold a driveway.”

As a general contractor, Chief Construction Management is able to facilitate just about any project, including things like privacy fences and decks, groundwork, interiors and more.

“We added a room onto a barn recently where we did the site work and poured concrete, built the room and finished the inside,” Jared said. “We do full remodels, concrete, retaining walls, roofs, windows and doors.”

The injection of partners and youth, Debra said, will allow Bruce to step away from most install projects and into administration, managing the warehouse and overseeing employees.

“We have great installers and crews who are super good with the customers,” Debra said. “That’s a blessing, because it’s hard to find good people to do what you need and care about your business.”

Debra said another fun part of the 35th anniversary and expansion comes from her being a mother.

“My grandson Ryder, who is 11, called me one day and asked if I had a summer job for him,” she said. “My oldest grandson John, who is 14, also helps with work here, and my son, Jordan Ellis, who is the ag teacher at the high school, has been a big help.”

Ellis’ involvement got other youth involved, as the Cassville High School shop classes built rug racks for the new warehouse building erected last year.

“I had a design for it, and Jordan’s shop class measured and determined the weights and what it would hold,” she said. “They drilled all the holes and did the welding, then Jordan and our crews hung it. The larger one holds 161 8×10 area rugs, which are the big ones. And we have a smaller one for the other rugs.”

Debra said for the rest of July and through the summer, sales will continue on numerous products, including a blowout sale of overstock vinyl plank and sales in granite and quartz countertops.

She said the business’ success over its 35 years can be attributed to the Nickles’ ability to diversify.

“Having a bigger store and more product helped, and adding custom bathrooms and kitchens was a big deal,” she said. “We offer more and more options, and now, it’s a one-stop concierge service for any project from start to finish.

“We also have good people who do good work.”

Nickle’s Flooring is located at 470 Hwy. 76 in Cassville, and may be reached at 417-847-2484 or through www.nicklesflooring.com. For more information on Chief Construction Management, people may visit https://www.chiefcm.com.