Pete Spieldenner and his sister, Lisa Spieldenner Johnson, have been in the carpeting business in Port Clinton for 66 years. They recently merged Young’s Carpet One Floor & Home with Barrington Carpet & Flooring Design in Akron. (Photo by D’Arcy Patrick Egan)

BY D’ARCY PATRICK EGAN

Young’s Carpet One Floor & Home, a Port Clinton mainstay for 66 years, announced this week that it has merged with Barrington Carpet & Flooring Design in Akron, creating a carpeting powerhouse in the region.

“We’re very excited with the merger, and all of the positive aspects it will bring for both Young’s Carpet and Barrington,” said Pete Spieldenner, who has operated Young’s Carpet with his sister, Lisa Spieldenner Johnson, since 2007.

“Working as a team, it will strengthen our product line at Young’s Carpet, and we look forward to continuing to provide the outstanding customer service we’ve long been known for,” said Spieldenner. “For example, we had been able to offer five colors of a popular vinyl plank flooring. With Barrington’s support, we now have more than 60 colors available for Port Clinton customers.”

Both Pete and his wife will continue to be the familiar face of Young’s Carpet, a family business since Kenny Young opened it in 1955. The Spieldenner family — Jim,Tom, Charlie and John — took over in 1979, and Pete Spieldenner and Lisa Spieldenner Johnson have been the owners since 2007.

Craig Phillips, left, of Barrington Carpet & Flooring Design in Akron and Pete Spieldenner of Young’s Carpet One Floor & Home have announced the companies have merged. (Photo by D’Arcy Patrick Egan)

“My grandfather, Paul Spieldenner, started the family carpeting business in 1931, so a Spieldenner has been in the business for more than three generations,” said Spieldenner. “When Kenny Young began, he was successful modeling my father.”

The major difference that Young’s Carpet customers will notice this year will be an expanded product line made possible by Barrington Carpet’s impressive buying power in a very competitive industry. Barrington, which has been in business for a quarter-of-a-century, “is a shining example of how to adapt to the changing nature of retail without sacrificing company identity or values,” said Mohawk carpeting officials after naming Barrington its Edge Dealer of the Year in 2018, a prestigious national award.

Barrington, which also owns Carpet Country Flooring & Design Center in Twinsburg, was founded in 1978 as Design Carpet Warehouse. Since 1984, the store has been located on Arlington Road in Akron.

“Teaming with Young’s Carpet will allow all of us to be more competitive in the marketplace, and provide more value to our customers,” said Phillips. “When considering our merger with Young’s Carpet, we were a little envious of its outstanding customer base and loyal following. The services they provide have a stellar reputation in the market place. Young’s Carpet will be a force for years to come in a very vibrant Port Clinton and Ottawa County market.”