About Us
Great Lakes Carpet & Tile is a family owned and operated specialty floor covering business serving the Central Florida area since 1991. The company got its beginning when Joe and Laverne Hearns opened a retail store in a small town in Northern Michigan where they continued to serve the local community there until 1989 at which time they retired to the Orlando, Florida area.
After enjoying a short time in retirement Joe and Laverne were offered an opportunity to get back into the business in 1991 and opened a store in The Villages, Florida. They initially concentrated on the new home construction market but later saw a need for a retail storefront. After the passing of Joe in 1998, Darren Hearns took over as President.
Today the company has grown from one location into three retail locations which all feature the Mohawk Floorscapes concept. Great Lakes offers a full line of floor covering including carpet, area rugs, sheet vinyl, laminate, hardwood, cork, bamboo, ceramic tile and brick pavers. In addition to their retail operation and new home construction business, Great Lakes also has a separate Commercial Division as well as a Carpet Cleaning Division using the Mohawk Floor Care System.
Seeing the need to further diversify in January 2010, Great Lakes added granite countertops, cabinets, and plumbing fixtures to their offerings in an effort to take advantage of the kitchen and bathroom remodeling business by offering a complete package. In addition, their sister store, Veranda Home Furnishings and Design which is also family owned and operated, offers all price points of furniture, window treatments and accessories, which further adds to the services offered.
Great Lakes has been recognized in recent years by Floor Covering Weekly as one of the Top 50 specialty retail dealers in the country with the highest ranking of 35th in 2007. They have also been nominated as Mohawk Floorscapes Dealer of the Year (3) times since joining the program in 2000 and have the distinct honor of winning the National Award in 2001.