Abbey Van Horn, Owner, Meyer Skidmore
Every day, the people of Meyer Skidmore make it their mission to care for their customers like no one else can. The reason for the company’s longevity (38 years) is not a secret: It’s service. Neighbors talk, of course, and Meyer Skidmore has been blessed by untold referrals over the years because of their commitment to excellence. “We want to give great service to all our clients,” says owner Abbey Van Horn. “Time and time again, they don’t get it from other companies, and they really appreciate it from us.”
Meyer Skidmore is in the hardwood flooring, carpet and tile business. The company moved from Boulder to Longmont this year to accommodate a larger showroom (by appointment only) and warehouse. They install flooring in Boulder, Denver and many Front Range cities in between. The company has a remarkable client base of residential general contractors who focus on “building and remodeling custom homes in addition to working directly with homeowners for installation and refinishing of existing hardwood floors, new carpet, and tile.”
Theirs is a small, agile team of loyal, talented employees and subcontractors, with approximately 20 people working for the company at any given time. “Our guys have been with us for a long time —longer than I have — and we do everything in our power to keep them on board,” says Van Horn. “They’re true craftsmen and we want to keep them happy!”
The flooring industry is very competitive, and Meyer Skidmore has the pulse of the market. For example, if there’s an insurance job on a flooded house, the homeowner is generally required to get two or three estimates. Van Horn and her team know exactly where a competitive bid should land to be in the ballpark with other local companies. But regardless of where a bid goes, Meyer Skidmore’s attention to great service is in its own league. “The gang at Meyer Skidmore is simply fantastic,” says Todd H. of Boulder. “We scheduled an appointment … to review our ideas and get estimates for our project. Upon deciding to use them, they delivered exactly what they said they would, they started and finished on time and charged exactly what they estimated. Most of all, however, the quality of their workmanship and the quality of people performing the work are top notch. We installed new hardwood throughout three levels of our existing home and couldn’t be happier with the end product and the experience as a whole.”
Meyer Skidmore offers many high quality products at lower price points than their competition, and they test what they sell before sending it to the showroom floor. That might mean a weekend with pets running across a carpet or seeing what kind of stress some hardwood can endure. The company is careful about understanding the latest technology in their products and installation. They’re always improving and following trends, which this year includes natural lighter colors (think Scandinavian) and dark brown stains, which were hot about 20 years ago. Things come full circle!
Abbey Van Horn is Meyer Skidmore’s proud owner — rare in a field that is largely a male-dominated industry. She has been with the company for a decade and bought it five years ago. “I guess that’s why we’re known for great communication,” Van Horn laughs. “Being woman-owned helps us stand out. When I walk into a home, the customer is often over the moon about it.”
There are supply chain issues affecting the market from the container ship to the client’s living room. Quality work has always taken some time, and right now even more patience is needed. Meyer Skidmore isn’t going to complete a job in one or two days. “Most jobs take a week or two,” Van Horn explains. “We don’t rush. We want to make sure the home is beautiful when we’re done.” Considering that the client often can’t even be in the house for part of the project, Meyer Skidmore is grateful for their customers’ understanding and flexibility while the industry struggles with delays. Because of these challenges, not to mention inflation, if a client wants a particular product, Van Horn keeps an early, close eye on that order and can only honor estimates for a week or two. Prices are changing fast, but Meyer Skidmore’s craftsmanship is as solid as a rock.
Before you request a free in-home estimate from Meyer Skidmore, put meyerskidmore.com to good use. Click that “Hardwood University” tab for a ton of invaluable information about prefinished versus unfinished hardwoods, pros and cons of hardwoods and carpet, cleaning and maintenance of your floors, environmental certification and more. And don’t skip the jaw-dropping “Gallery” tab, either. It’ll spark your imagination for an amazing home renovation.
Nearly 40 years after Chris Meyer and Steve Skidmore formed the small craft-oriented hardwood-flooring firm, Meyer Skidmore’s mission hasn’t changed: To satisfy their customers’ needs and create a positive work environment for their employees. Word of mouth has been very good to the company over the years, allowing them to continue providing timely service without compromising quality.
Meyer Skidmore offers only top-quality wood flooring materials from manufacturers known for precision milling and low moisture content kiln drying in addition to Soci and Crossville Studios tile and high-quality carpet products. They work with Bona and Pallmann floor finishes and many other recognized finishes on the market.
So, when only the best will do, trust your flooring to Meyer Skidmore. Go online or call to make a showroom appointment today.
Meyer Skidmore, 63 S. Pratt Parkway, Unit A, Longmont; 303.444.1174; meyerskidmore.com
By Darren Thornberry, At Home Colorado. Photos courtesy: Meyer Skidmore
