About Sergenian’s

Sergenian’s Floor Coverings, a long-time Madison staple, serves both residential and commercial clients with quality products, exceptional service, and a commitment to the community in both leadership and sustainability. As we look to the future, we plan to carry that commitment forward to serve the greater Madison area for the next 90 years.

Sergenian’s History

A Growing Family Business

– 1930 – Ara Sergenian, Founder

Ara Sergenian founded Sergenian’s Floor Coverings in 1930, serving as Madison’s premier oriental rug dealer with its original storefront located on Monroe Street.

Prior to opening Sergenian’s, Ara started his career as a rug buyer for Gimbel’s in Chicago.

– 1948 – Sergenian’s first fleet vehicle

Sergenian’s acquired its first delivery truck in 1948 to haul rugs and carpet during the week.

The family added to that fleet in 1955, using that vehicle for both weekday deliveries and church on Sundays.

– 1962 – A family affair

Some 30 years later, Ara sells the business to his sons Marsh, Ron and Paul, who maintained Sergenian’s commitment to excellence and dedication to customer service.

Ron Sergenian shovels snow at the new University Avenue location in 1952. Initially, Sergenian’s was fully staffed by family. At various points in time, all eight of Ara’s children worked for the business. As of 2022, five family members work for the company.

– 1963 – Current CEO Jim Garner begins his career at Sergenian’s

In 1963, current CEO Jim Garner was the first non-family member to join the Sergenian’s team as a carpet mover. Now, celebrating close to sixty years with the company, Jim is part of the Sergenian’s family and award-winning legacy.

Jim began working for Sergenian’s before graduating from Madison Central High School. He is a lifelong Madison resident, growing up near Fish Hatchery Road.

– 1966 – Fire destroys State Street location

The retail showroom moved to this State Street location in 1962 and shifted its focus to wall-to-wall carpeting. In January 1966, the first of two fires to hit Sergenian’s, destroyed that location, forcing them to temporarily move to Lakeside Street on Madison’s south side as they built their current showroom on the West Beltline.

The fire, which was blamed on faulty wiring, caused $250,000 in damages to Sergenian’s. The second fire was in 1971 at our Beltline location.

– 1972 – Tom Sergenian joins the family business

Tom Sergenian, Ron’s son, started working part-time for the family business in 1972 and now serves as the current President. Tom began full-time employment with the company in 1979 and says the most rewarding part about working [here] is the people he works with, which has grown to include around 108 employees.

Tom, left, (pictured with his brother Steve Sergenian) started working for his father at the age of 13 when the two helped clean up the aftermath of second fire at the Beltline location.

– 2020 – Family legacy continues at Sergenian’s

Sergenian’s continues the rich family tradition with the emergence of the fourth generation of business leaders, including Tom’s sons, Nick and Luke Sergenian, and his nephew, Wesley Endres.

Pictured left to right: Wesley, Nick, and Luke. They will continue to grow Sergenian’s under the direction of the current company officers and CFO, Mark Blume, who has been with the company since 2017.

Focus on Residential Products

– 1967 – Sergenian’s lays foundation for its permanent home in the late 60s

In 1967, Sergenian’s retail showroom moves to its current home at Todd Drive and the Beltline, located at 2801 W. Beltline Hwy. in Madison.

At the time of its grand opening, this location was considered to be on the “outskirts” of Madison.

– 1976 – Sergenian’s stays on top of new flooring trends

Residential carpet styles featured deep pile shags, bold designs, and heavily sculptured patterns.

Shag and brightly-colored carpet were huge innovations in the 1970s as color television opened up a whole new world to satisfy America’s color palette, which included avocado green, burnt orange, and brown.

– 2000 – Sergenian’s remodels current west side store

In 2000, Sergenian’s grows its brand to include an expansive imported rug display, as well as well-known carpeting brands like Mohawk and Karastan, hardwood, laminate, tile and even countertops.

Once again, staying on top of flooring trends, luxury vinyl flooring gains popularity in the 2020s because of its ability to mimic hardwood or tile.

Commercial Expansion and Beyond

– 1984 – Commercial sales makes a comeback

In 1984, Sergenian’s makes a bigger push into commercial sales and expands to the Milwaukee area some ten years later.

Sergenian’s combined textures, using tile, vinyl plank and carpet, to revamp Studio 262 Salon in Middleton. In the 2020s, commercial business makes up about 60% of Sergenian’s customer base as the company has forged lasting partnerships with local businesses.

– 2000 – Sergenian’s joins Flooring America Co-op

Flooring America is a cooperative of flooring experts.

Flooring America is a cooperative of more than 500 independent flooring stores in North America that work together to invest in their communities, sustain family business, and strengthen local economies.

– 2005 – Commercial business proves successful

Sergenian’s wins two 2005 national StarNet Design awards for commercial installation at the Overture Center for the Performing Arts, receiving grand prize recognition for creative use of flooring and meeting client objectives.

In addition to the Overture Center, Sergenian’s has also outfitted the following Madison-based commercial sites with customized flooring: the Monona Terrace, the Madison Children’s Museum, and the Edgewater Hotel.

– 2011 – Sergenian’s acquires G. Fried Flooring America

In November 2011, Sergenian’s merged with Florida-based G. Fried Flooring America.

G. Fried Flooring has two Florida-based locations; one is in Tampa and the other is in Sarasota.

– 2016 – Sergenian’s upgrades its distribution center and commercial offices

In June of 2016, Sergenian’s moves its distribution center, commercial sales and installation services to 3812 Kipp Street in Madison. The move provided access to both the Beltline to better serve Madison and its surrounding communities and the Interstate for easy access to Milwaukee.

This building was specifically designed by the Sergenian’s team to meet current company needs and plan for future expansion.

Award-winning Sergenian’s Becomes Industry Leader & Environmentally-friendly

– 2006 – Kudos to Jim Garner

In 2006, CEO Jim Garner earns the National Leadership Award given by Flooring America, a cooperative of flooring experts.

The National Leadership Award recognizes individuals who inspire leadership in others.

– 2007 – Sergenian’s paves the way in sustainability efforts

In 2007, Sergenian’s successfully pilots Wisconsin’s first carpet reclamation program. Three years later, Sergenian’s wins InBusiness Magazine’s “Sustainability Award for Best Eco-Product or Service.” To date, the company has kept more than 20.5 million pounds of carpet and pad waste out of our landfills.

Sergenian’s partners with Reynold’s Urethane Recyclying in Madison to recycle or reuse old carpeting.

– 2012 – Garner becomes a Hall of Famer

Garner is inducted into the InBusiness Hall of Fame for Sergenian’s industry-leading sustainability initiatives and his active involvement in civic organizations.

Throughout his career, Garner has been involved in several community and national organizations and has served on various boards, including the South Metropolitan Planning Council, where he spearheaded Park Street’s revitalization, the Villager Mall plan, and the Todd Drive-Beltline project.

– 2016 – Garner among Madison elite for Madison Chamber of Commerce Award

Garner is awarded the prestigious Ground Floor Award, celebrating individuals who move their business and community development efforts forward.

Garner is the inaugural recipient of this award.

Continuing the Legacy

The next 90 years… We can’t forget our roots

Sergenian’s unwavering commitment to the Madison community, its customers and the environment pushes them to be an industry front runner and only allows its story to continue for future generations.

This family photo, taken in 1940, showcases the Sergenian family. From our family to yours, “Thank you, Madison, for your continued support of our local business.“
Aerial view of the Capitol building in Madison, Wisconsin