Dalton—Before there was nylon fiber in carpet or tufting machines, before wall-to-wall carpet was commonplace, there was Joe Mascari. Back when Warren Harding was president, Mascari came on the scene and hasn’t slowed down since. Recently, at his home in the official “happiest place in America,” San Luis Obispo, Calif., among 50 of his friends and family members, Mascari celebrated his 91st birthday. The party didn’t last too long. He had to get back to his sales territory and home in Atlanta to take care of his customers who depend on him every day.
A rare find in any business, not to mention the floor covering industry, Mascari is a humble, unpretentious man who loves people—and it shows in his eyes and easy smile. And he unfailingly puts his customers first. When asked his secret for success, he replies simply, “Service your customers, meet with them face-to-face and answer your phone.”
Not terribly complicated advice.
His customers love his accessibility as they can reach Mascari at home, in the evenings or on holidays to get their issues and questions answered. Today’s generation of sales professionals don’t usually work that way, observed Mascari, which he feels is unfortunate for them, their customers and the companies for which they work.
Before getting into the flooring business, Mascari owned six appliance and furniture stores in Pittsburgh (his hometown) and Los Angeles. It was from this point that Mascari began his journey into soft flooring.
First, Mascari purchased a braided rug mill, sold his interest in it and joined E.T. Barwick Mills where he sold carpet to major accounts and distributors in a seven-state area out of California. In 1961, Barwick transferred Mascari to Atlanta as its national sales manager. After leaving Barwick, he and three partners purchased Mo-dern Carpet in Dalton. When Modern was sold, Mascari joined Whitecrest Carpet Mills as its national sales manager. Following its sale, Mascari went to Columbus Mills, which was later bought by Beaulieu of America, and ever since then he has been one of the company’s top sales performers.
Throughout his career stops, Mascari has mentored many young, up-and-coming flooring executives, and many of them are now in leadership positions with various companies in the industry.
Mascari has seen it all as he lived during the history of carpet making in America. He recalls going from single-needle tufting machines to the computer-driven 800-plus needle machines now common in the industry. Mascari remembers manually pouring latex to make the carpet backing.
Mascari saw the advent of synthetic fibers—first nylon, then polyester. And he’s lived through the Great Depression, WWII, numerous recessions and the rise in popularity of hardwood and ceramic tile, taking it all in stride. Along the way, Mascari has had 10 children. One of them, Kristina, works with him today.
Mascari’s co-workers at Beaulieu marvel at him, not just for his longevity or his lifetime of success, but for his heart.
To Mascari, his job isn’t a job at all, it’s just who he is. And his heart is for helping his customers succeed.
For more information, visit BlissFlooring.com.