It may not have been so obvious in the moment, but looking back now it becomes crystal clear: 1989 was a turning point in the lives of the DePiano brothers. Working at the time for an established flooring company—where Jimmy ran the day-to-day operations and younger sibling Andrew was an experienced installer—they easily could have been content to stay the course and likely would have carved out long, successful careers in the industry. But they had loftier goals in mind.

“You have to be a leader, not a follower. That’s true in life as well as in business,” Jimmy DePiano says. “If you show me a follower, I’ll show you a failure.”

Armed with that mantra, and the belief that they could offer customers the vast knowledge, affordable prices and pleasant experience they deserved, the brothers confidently took the leap to venture out on their own and founded A&J Flooring Outlet. More than three decades later, the company continues to set the benchmark for quality in carpet, hardwood flooring and much more.

Although DePiano jokes that working with his brother at times feels about as enjoyable as a trip to the dentist, in fact they have formed a fruitful professional relationship, leaned on each other during challenging times like the Great Recession of 2007 and built a well-known brand throughout New Jersey and beyond. DePiano’s son, also named Jimmy, is part of the business as well, having worked his way up from installer to a leadership position.

“We are a true family business,” DePiano says. “I’ve been doing this since I was 18 and I turn 64 this year. We’ve had our company for 30 years, and each year has gotten better and better and better.”

The brothers were putting in 12-hour days in the early years of the company but it did not take long to develop a team behind them they could trust. One of their employees has been with them from the beginning, while most have been on board for 15, 20 or even 25 years. 

From showroom staff who know the products inside and out to expert installers, A&J is able to make every step of the process as stress-free as possible for residential and commercial customers. 

“I don’t care who you are or what you own, you’re only as good as your employees are,” DePiano says. “If they’re incompetent, your company is going to suffer—it’s that simple. You have to have confidence that your team is going to go out and do the job properly, and we 100% do. We don’t have any turnover here and that’s because we treat our employees the way we want to be treated.”

A&J offers the full range of flooring options from all of the leading manufacturers, including luxury vinyl tile and luxury vinyl plank, which both mimic the look of hardwood while being easier to install and maintain. 

About 10 years ago, the company also branched out into kitchen and bath remodeling to meet the high demand for these services. Just as the initial move to open their own flooring business was a tremendous success for the brothers, the same can be said for the renovation side, as they can handle every aspect of the project from design to completion.

“Kitchens and bathrooms have become a big part of what we do over the past 10 years,” DePiano says. “You can only do so much with flooring; you have to grow your business in other places. That was a huge step for us and there was some opposition. Why create more headaches for yourself? But sometimes you have to take on the challenge. I know people in this business who, up to a few years ago, only sold carpeting. You can’t run a business that way; you have to diversify.”

A&J’s ability to adapt with the times and consistently prove their dedication to their customers has led to them being chosen for major jobs in local schools, offices and hospitals. They also have served multiple generations from the same family, a source of great pride for the DePiano brothers.

“I have a picture of a kid who was about 3 years old at a tent sale back at our original location. He was standing next to Barney, the big, purple dinosaur,” DePiano says. “He walked into the store about a year ago with that picture as an adult, and he bought flooring from us. People we sold carpet and hardwood to now have their grandchildren coming in to buy flooring for their own homes or condos. If you can go that many years and serve families like that, it says a lot.

“This business has been very good to us, that’s all I can say. It’s been a great ride.”

A&J Flooring Outlet
4461 Route 42 | Turnersville, N.J.
(856) 481-0429
AJCarpet.com

Published (and copyrighted) in House & Home, Volume 21, Issue 8 (April/May 2021). 
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