Carpet duo on a roll

TWO men with a track record in the carpet industry are taking stock as their new business celebrates 12 months of operations at Hill Stores in Oldham.

Eddie Trainer, (54), from Moorside, and Jason Parry (38), from Stockport, have established Carpet World (North West) Ltd, in the iconic, former Co-operative landmark building at the junction of Huddersfield Road and Ripponden Road.

They have both worked in the floor coverings industry for more than 20 years and, after taking redundancy from a national chain, set up on their own in 2008.

Eddie’s knowledge of Oldham, where he has lived for 30 years, and the availability of the 6,000 sq ft showroom, with its 5,000 sq ft of storage, was a major factor in their decision to invest around £100,000 to establish their business, but it hasn’t all been plain sailing.

Eddie said: “The first week we took hardly a penny, but things have picked up.

“A few years ago the laminate flooring industry was killing the business, but there is most definitely a move back to carpets now.

“This business used to be seasonal, with everyone wanting carpets before Christmas, but we are finding it is much more stable these days.”

He and Jason, the pair worked together in Stockport, have also invested in their fitting teams and lead man Les Evans has worked with Eddie for more than 20 years.

In addition to carpets, the firm supplies rugs, laminate flooring and beds, from nearly 30 supplies, only one of which is from outside the UK.

In addition to the residential market, the partners have taken their first tentative steps in commercial floor covering with customers in Oldham and Mossley.