by Crains Grand Rapids

Custer to merge commercial flooring firm into operations

Workplace interior solutions provider Custer Inc. through a strategic merger is absorbing the commercial flooring operations of an affiliated company, building on a three-decades-long partnership and shared history.

Custer soon will absorb Century Flooring’s commercial flooring division in a planned integration for the two Grand Rapids-based companies. The merger is expected to be completed by Jan. 1, 2024, and Century Flooring will wind down its residential offerings.

Executives say the integration is a “natural evolution” of the two companies’ partnership and shared approach to commercial interior solutions.

“This merger is a testament to the strong foundation of collaboration we’ve built with Century Flooring over the past 30 years,” Todd Custer, president and CEO of Custer, said in a statement.

In 1993, Custer Inc. launched a flooring division that later evolved into a separate company in 2006. The separate company, Boender-Custer, operated under the name Century Flooring. In 2017, Custer Inc. became the sole owner of the flooring company.

Now, the merger will allow for a more comprehensive range of services for customers in the two entities’ overlapping markets and industries, including workplace, health care and education.

“Through this merger, we will offer a more holistic approach to commercial interior solutions. It’s about bringing together the best of both worlds to create a stronger, more capable entity that will exceed customer expectations,” Custer said.

With the transition, Century Flooring will wind down its residential flooring business in order to channel resources into the commercial sector.

Officials at Custer say the merger will not affect any of the company’s existing commercial flooring projects.

“Existing customers will experience the same reliable service they’ve come to expect while we expand our ability to provide integrated solutions that connect people, places, and technology throughout the communities we work and live in,” Custer said.

The new combined flooring services will be available to customers next year in the areas where Custer’s showrooms and offices are located, including Grand Rapids, Holland, Kalamazoo, Traverse City and Fort Wayne, Ind.