Businessman Turns His Hobby Into Career After Layoff

Richard Wise Opens Floor Covering Business to Serve Omaha

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Feb 24, 2014, 11:15 ET

OMAHA, Neb., Feb. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Richard Wise has held a personal interest in flooring, design and remodeling for years. When he was laid off from his job in Oct. 2013, he decided to turn what could be a setback into a second career by opening his own Floor Coverings International business to serve Omaha, Neb. and the surrounding metro areas. His new business opened on Nov. 26, 2013.

"I've always had an interest in floors in particular and I have worked with design and construction in both residential and commercial settings," he said. "Now that personal passion has become my second career and it's fantastic."

Wise spent 25 years working in medical management before his job was eliminated. Having designed several commercial office spaces and privately built three homes, he decided to use the business knowledge and management experience he developed over the course of his career in a sector he loved. "I didn't see a future for myself in health care," he explained. "I enjoy designing offices and building new homes, so Floor Coverings International was a perfect fit for me."

Floor Coverings International offers more than 3,000 flooring options from the top brands in flooring at competitive prices as well as professional installation services. Flooring options including carpet, hardwood, laminates, luxury vinyl, ceramic tile, area rugs and green flooring which can all be viewed through Floor Coverings International's InspireNet, an IT visualization system that allows clients to upload digital pictures of rooms in their home and sample countless flooring options with the click of a button.

Within the first months of opening, Wise has already seen strong positive feedback from the communities he serves. The mobile showroom service Floor Coverings International provides is unique in the area he services and his customers have been impressed by his ability to bring many options directly into their homes to help them plan their designs. Wise is already planning his next steps for his business, which focus on adding more mobile showrooms that will allow him to cover the entire Omaha metro area and expand to Lincoln, Neb. and Council Bluffs, IA within the next three to five years.

SOURCE Floor Coverings International