Schumacher Carpets Owners Turned to Faith and Relationships in Tough Times

  With the many hardships the Cedar Rapids community has faced in recent years, Sue Warner said it is her faith that has allowed her to persevere. Warner, along with her husband, Tom Miller, own Schumacher Carpets. The store sustained over eight feet of water in the 2008 flood, and with the economic recession quickly following, the couple found themselves facing difficult circumstances.

            It was Miller's dream to have his own business. He had been working in the flooring business since high school – starting as an installer and working his way up to sales and wholesale. When Miller and Warner were approached by the Schumacher family to purchase the business, it was an offer they couldn't refuse. Warner retired from her job at Cryovac in 2005, where she was employed for 28 years. With just a weekend to enjoy her retirement, she started working in the new family business the following Monday.

            Yet owning the business is much more than a job for the couple. The relationships they have developed through the business have turned into friendships. In some cases, customers have gone above and beyond the definition of being a good friend. Aside from helping with cleanup of the store after the flood, Warner remembers one loyal customer who had new carpet installed, not because it was needed, but because the customer wanted to help.

            “We have great customers,” Warner said. “We thank the Lord for everything we have. We turned things over to God when we bought the store and He has been faithful to us.”

            It isn't just the customer relationships that Miller and Warner enjoy. During the flood recovery process they got to know the neighbors around their business. Warner said a bond formed among the businesses as they worked through the same obstacles, and many times shared resources.

Three years later those relationships remain strong as flooded businesses have formed their own community and support system, offering referrals and spreading their business needs among each other.

“The flood brought out a lot of determination,” Warner said. “We were determined to come back, not just for ourselves, but for our community and our customers to show we could rise above.”

Now Schumacher Carpets is almost back to pre-flood revenue and seeing evidence of an improving economy. Warner said people are making more expenditures – wanting new and positive change in their homes and lives. Schumacher Carpets will be there, she says, to work with their customers and friends.

“Our faith has enabled us to survive – we knew the Lord would take care of us,” Warner said.

Schumacher Carpets is located at 622First Avenue NW in Cedar Rapids. Find them online at

www.schumachercarpets.com, or call (319) 297-7137.

View a photo gallery of Schumacher Carpets on our Flickr page: http://bit.ly/ptxGdt

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