Howland Floor & Design, LLC

Howland Floor Covering is owned and operated by the dynamic mother/daughter team of Dixie Howland and Amie Whittington. Both Amie and Dixie are natives of Kalamazoo and Dixie has resided in Richland for the past 34 years. Amie lives on Pine Lake, with her husband, Tom, and has two children who keep her very busy with their sporting activities, when she is not at work. Dixie grew up in a retail fam

ily. Her father owned a carpet and furniture business. In 1976, because of a sudden illness, Dixie went into the furniture business. At the age of 25, she became a furniture buyer, wrote and produced television and radio commercials and went on to manage 2 furniture stores for over 6 years. In 1991, Dixie was given the chance to pursue her lifelong passion and follow in the footsteps of her father. She sold her first house of carpet unexpectedly at the local gas station! With the support of her friends and the Richland community, her business grew one day at a time. “I cherish our repeat customers”, Dixie states, “they are one of the reasons for our success”! In 1997, her business had grown to the point of needing more sales people and employees. Dixie’s mother, Dorothy, came on board and assisted with office needs, while Dixie attempted to find the “perfect” sales staff, however, that became more of a struggle than she thought. They just didn’t have the same philosophy on sales as Dixie did. When her oldest daughter, Amie, finished graduate school later that year, she came on board. Amie was a therapist in Grand Rapids at that time but soon adjusted to being the kind of sales person that Dixie was looking for. She had the knowledge, the drive and the talent to be a perfect fit for the business!! Amie also provides a design service for customers who are looking for a bit more than just flooring. Her expertise can assist with all aspects of remodeling or building a new home. Our Philosophy:
Dixie knew that she never wanted to go back to the “today and today only” sales approach, as in her past. Instead, instilling a mission statement that’s core that is founded upon the importance of developing a relationship with the customer and being their when needed. Both Amie and Dixie desired to be a different kind of flooring store. A store that offered in home design consultation, providing professional and meticulous installers and assisting the customer through the entire process of buying flooring. “We are a very hand’s on company”, notes Amie. “Anyone can buy flooring from any store or the internet, but we combat that notion by attempting to provide a different, a more pleasant, experience for the customer”. “Sometimes, making a purchase for your home can be an emotional experience, one that can create doubt in a customer’s mind, whether they are choosing the right product and/or color”, Amie points out, “we try to make the process as pain free as possible by providing that second opinion and really listening to what the customer wants her home to look/feel like”! Customers often leave saying, “this was so easy”, and that is our goal. It’s all about creating a mutual relationship of trust and that is what has kept Howland Floor Covering in business for over 32 years. There are so many options on the market for flooring. Each one has its’ own pros and cons. We assure you that we will do our absolute best to assist in finding the perfect floor for your home. Dixie and Amie look forward to meeting with you, in your home or the store! Please call us for an appointment when you are ready to look at changing out your current flooring. We are excited about the opportunity.