In 1962, just three years after statehood and seven years before the oil discovery at Prudhoe Bay, four individuals – Al Vacura, George Dujmovich, John Hajdukovich and Joe Carie – founded Florcraft Inc., in Fairbanks, Alaska. In those days it was just a small “mom and pop” operation in the state’s interior city. In 1986, ownership changed to Richard Wien, John Hajdukovich and Robert Hanson.
Today, 47 years and 2 generations later, Florcraft, with sales of over $10 million annually, is one of the state’s oldest and largest providers of carpet, ceramic tile, vinyl and hardwood flooring, and window coverings, with products available in all price ranges and styles to suit residential and commercial customers alike.
Patrice Hanson Case, Florcraft’s General Manager, recalls what her late father Robert Hanson used to say; “The company was founded on two very basic and simple guiding principals: ‘Provide the best possible product at the best price; and give the customer the best possible service.'” Even though Florcraft now has over 35 employees and a second location in Anchorage, adds Hanson Case, “That philosophy still guides the company today.”
Florcraft provides a professional interior design service, a knowledgeable sales staff, and can also accommodate the do-it-yourself buyer. Florcraft also provides a free measuring service, estimates, and has several finance options available. “We have over 20,000 square feet of warehouse space that allows us to maintain a million dollar in-stock inventory,” Hanson Case explains. “So it’s a good bet that we will have just what the customer wants somewhere in our system. And since our stores are connected by computer, finding it is easy.”
“Our success stems from our employees’ commitment to customer service and the communities of Alaska, and that is what we are most proud of,” says Patrice Hanson Case. The company is community-oriented, too, as demonstrated with a generous gift of cork flooring and installation in the upgraded KUAC studios in the fall of 2009. Visit Florcraft at 1991 Fox Avenue in Fairbanks – take Nome Road off Phillips Field – or through their website at www.florcraftcarpetonefairbanks.com.
