Today we’d like to introduce you to Kurt Kristynik.
Kurt, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Our company was started originally as a carpet cleaning company by my grandparents, Glenn and Irene Buffaloe. So, yes, Buffaloe is a FAMILY name. As the company grew, more assistance was needed and my Dad, Larry Kristynik and then his brother, Ronnie Kristynik, came on during the 1970’s. In the early 80’s, we moved into our current office/warehouse location on Pinemont and my uncle, Ken Lunsmann, cam on-board joining the sales staff. In 2001, I had just finished my first season as a graduate assistant baseball coach at Texas Tech when the move was made to join the sales staff as well. Buffaloe was now going to be a 3rd generation company. Since then, we have added Scott Straight and Enrique Del Rio to the sales staff as well as opening our Cypress office in 2012. We have ceased in the carpet cleaning side, but have expanded exponentially in the commercial side and with numerous residential builders and remodelers.
Has it been a smooth road?
We’ve had struggles just like all companies…especially family companies. We have gone through booming times and down times and have had to lean on each other for support and focus to get through it all. Our industry is ever changing. One of the most challenging things we’ve faced as a company has happened in the last decade or so with the expansion of online product sales and the pop-up retail stores. Unfortunately, these sales are driven by either foreign companies or people who are only trying to undersell from a cost standpoint. Customers are willing to take a chance just to save a few bucks. We’ve always said you can pay for quality once or for cheap over and over. We stick to that today and do it right at the best price we can.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We encompass the following aspects:
*Carpet
*Wood floors
*Tile/Stone
*Laminate
*Vinyl Plank
*Shutters/Blinds
*Commercial and Residential.
What we’re most proud of is the main thing that sets us apart. We’re a family business. We’ve been doing this for over 52 years so we take pride in each job. You don’t deal with an estimator, then a designer, then a salesperson, then a warehouse foreman, etc. You deal with the sales staff from start to finish. We’re present on jobs and work closely with our installers because our family’s name is on the building.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Houston is without a doubt one of the best places in the country to star businesses. The diversity means that things are always changing. When they’re changing, they probably need new flooring. Being that we’re one of the few companies that will complete both residential and commercial work, we are able to work with all the different folks on a magnitude of different projects.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3831 Pinemont Dr., Houston, TX 77018
16522 House & Hahl Rd., Ste. D, Cypress, TX 77433 - Website: www.buffaloefloorcovering.com
- Phone: 713-686-3589
- Email: info@buffaloefloorcovering.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/buffaloefloorcovering
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