Honoring the Past While Building the Future
Gilford·Johnson Flooring is the result of a vision shared by the management teams of Johnson Wholesale Floors in Atlanta, Georgia and Gilford Flooring in metro Louisville, Kentucky. A combination of these two great companies, Gilford·Johnson forms one of the largest flooring distributors in the United States, with a significant presence throughout the Southeast and Midwest. We continually seek to honor the past while building for the future.
Both Gilford Flooring and Johnson Wholesale Floors long sold only to independent retailers and the trade, offering complete lines of flooring and supporting their customers with loyalty and display programs, promotions, educational seminars, special purchase opportunities and more. Throughout their existence, they prioritized and delivered individualized service to meet the specific needs of their customers.
A Tale of Two Companies
Johnson Wholesale Floors was founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1963 with Donald Johnson as President and Emory Deaton as Sales Representative. Management passed from Mr. Johnson to his daughter, Melinda McChesney, in 2005. From its inception, Johnson was a distributor of resilient flooring, prefinished hardwood and rubber/vinyl cove base. In 1981, Johnson established its first branch office in Jacksonville, Florida to better serve its growing customer base. Later branches were established in Knoxville, Tennessee; Birmingham, Alabama; and Orlando, Florida as well.
Gilford Flooring began in metro Louisville, Kentucky in 1991 as the commercial flooring division of Gilford Corporation. A wholesale wallcovering distributor, Gilford Corporation had been in business since the 1940s and led by its President, Dennis Cook, since 1986. Following on its commercial success, Gilford then entered the residential flooring market in 1999, growing from its initial base in Indiana and Kentucky to serve customers in Ohio and Tennessee also.
Gilford•Johnson Flooring at Work
