June 10/17, 2019: Volume 34, Issue 26
By Ken Ryan
Veteran flooring executive Bill Schollmeyer is returning to his distribution roots as president of Gilford-Johnson Flooring, a top 20 wholesaler based in Jeffersonville, Ind.
Schollmeyer most recently worked with Johnson Premium Hardwood Flooring, where he spent 12 years, including the last eight as its CEO. “I’m psyched and really looking forward to the challenge,” Schollmeyer told FCNews. He will report to Jonathan Blue, who will remain executive chairman of the company. Blue served as acting president following the retirement of Dennis Cook, the long-term Gilford-Johnson executive.
Before Johnson Hardwood, Schollmeyer spent eight years with Hoboken Floors, rising to the level of vice president of product management for what was then the industry’s largest distributor with annual revenue of $500 million. Schollmeyer left Hoboken in 2006, a year before it abruptly closed under a mountain of debt.
Schollmeyer’s areas of responsibility at Gilford- Johnson include leading all of the company’s functions as well as overseeing its strategic direction. “Landing someone with the caliber of a Bill Schollmeyer is a home run for our organization,” Blue said. “We are now positioned for growth under Bill’s leadership.”
In a related move, Gilford-Johnson announced an undisclosed equity investment from Johnson Premium Hardwood. As part of the deal, Johnson products will be exclusively distributed by G-J throughout its markets in the Midwest and Southeastern U.S. Products designed for the national market will also be developed, marketed and sold through this collaborative effort. “We are extremely excited to forge this strong partnership with Gilford-Johnson and support Bill in his new role,” said Danny Chen, chairman of Johnson Hardwood.
These moves are meant to solidify the transformational partnership between Gilford-Johnson, the Ku family and Johnson Hardwood. “We’re excited about our new relationship and we’re confident that the combined strengths of both companies will make our products and services even more valuable to our customer base, Schollmeyer said. “Gilford-Johnson is ever more dedicated to being the best distributor in the country—both for our customers, as well as for our supply partners.”