When Contract Furnishings Mart (CFM) opens a bigger headquarters and showroom in Tigard, employees will need to do little more than cross Southwest 72nd Avenue to reach their new digs in a large building being overhauled at the avenue’s intersection with Southwest Landmark Lane.
“The only thing they’ve got to be careful of is getting across the street,” said Garrett Anderson, director of marketing for the 20-showroom chain based in Tigard, who’s worked for the company for some 18 years.
The company has steadily pursued organic growth since its founding in 1981. Likewise, when the former 2.5-acre property and large building of West Side Moving & Storage came up for sale, CFM seized the opportunity to secure a new, larger CFM-owned location in Tigard.
In September, employers are expected to move out of their leased location, which they have occupied for about 20 years, and into a 33,600-square-foot building, nearly 3,000 square feet larger than their current spot. The building is located next door to Fought & Co., which designs and engineers complex building structures.
September will also mark the company’s 45th anniversary. Since its founding in 1981, CFM has quietly become the sixth-largest U.S. specialty floor covering provider, with showrooms in Oregon, Washington and Arizona.
Bill Cogdall Sr. founded the company to address the needless frustrations of trade professionals with traditional flooring retailers, including unpredictable pricing, limited product selection and unreliable installation crews.
Cogdall had tired of wholesalers initially offering low pricing, then switching to higher pricing once relationships were established, Angerson said. “He wanted exclusive resources for trade professionals like himself,” Anderson said.
The company operates as a wholesaler, dealing in cabinetry, countertops, flooring and tile to building contractors, interior designers, tilers and other trade professionals – but also to their clients. Towards that end, CFM also connects building owners with trade specialists.
The company stages no sales, gimmicks or promotions in place of its predictable pricing. In fact, the company is a force of steadiness. Not only is CFM growing under its third generation of family ownership, but its 210-employee staff also boasts an average company tenure of eight years and average industry experience of 17 years, not to mention individual longevities of more than 30 years for some employees.
The Tigard business employs about 30 people, including sales, warehouse and administrative functions. By moving them into the new building, Anderson said, the company aims to “control its destiny” from a position of ownership.
CFM expects a net a gain in employment from the relocation.
