About The Floor Covering Shop
Get to know your Norwich, CT area flooring experts
Miles & miles of carpet & tile
The Floor Covering Shop has been Eastern Connecticut's home of in-stock flooring since 1963. However, its predecessor had been open for over ten years prior to the establishment of the "Floor Covering Shop" we know today. MacGarry Floor Covering Company was opened in 1950 by Max "Mac" Strachman and Nathan Lorber; Gary (Garry) was the name of Lorber's child. Lorber relocated from Fairfield County while Strachman relocated from Hartford, where he had been installing linoleum since the 1930s. MacGarry's was located in Burnham Square, first at 378 Main Street, then at 5 North Main Street, both in the historic Marguerite Building.
33-year-old Irwin Sayet relocated from Stamford to Norwich in 1963 to purchase MacGarry Floor Covering from Lorber. Within a year, Sayet renamed the business "Floor Covering Shop" in order to avoid being continuously mistaken with his competition; Mac Strachman had opened Mac's Floor Covering just a few blocks away from MacGarry Floor Covering in 1954.
33-year-old Irwin Sayet relocated from Stamford to Norwich in 1963 to purchase MacGarry Floor Covering from Lorber. Within a year, Sayet renamed the business "Floor Covering Shop" in order to avoid being continuously mistaken with his competition; Mac Strachman had opened Mac's Floor Covering just a few blocks away from MacGarry Floor Covering in 1954.
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Under Sayet's ownership, The Floor Covering Shop outgrew its space on North Main St and, in 1966, he moved the business across the street to the former A&P Supermarket at 364 Main Street. This is where The Floor Covering Shop remained for the next 45 years - the flagship "red and white building" at the corner of Routes 2 & 12. Sayet increased his showroom and warehouse space to 12,000 square feet following the completion of a second story addition to the building in 1973.
Serving eastern Connecticut since 1963
His business flourished over the course of the following decade and, in 1987, he was joined by current owner Gregory Graf, formerly of Tillinghast Lumber in Killingly. Greg has owned The Floor Covering Shop since Sayet's 2002 retirement and was joined by his son Jonathan, who had been helping after school and on weekends since his early teenage years. They spent the remainder of the 2000s on Main Street, before moving to the Greeneville village of Norwich in December 2011.
The Floor Covering Shop is now located at 385 Central Avenue, in Norwich's historic 1906 'Trolley Barn,' previously occupied by Alix Cohn and his antique shop and later, New England Glass & Mirror. The Grafs occupy one third of their 45,000 square foot building; their facility features more parking, modern showrooms and a 2,000 square foot carpet & vinyl remnant warehouse. Greg and Jonathan are now joined by project manager Jennifer (Price) Graf - Jonathan's wife - formerly employed by Tile America in New London, warehouse manager Dustin Kiely and, Greg's other daughter-in-law, sales manager Brittany Graf.
The Floor Covering Shop is now located at 385 Central Avenue, in Norwich's historic 1906 'Trolley Barn,' previously occupied by Alix Cohn and his antique shop and later, New England Glass & Mirror. The Grafs occupy one third of their 45,000 square foot building; their facility features more parking, modern showrooms and a 2,000 square foot carpet & vinyl remnant warehouse. Greg and Jonathan are now joined by project manager Jennifer (Price) Graf - Jonathan's wife - formerly employed by Tile America in New London, warehouse manager Dustin Kiely and, Greg's other daughter-in-law, sales manager Brittany Graf.
