Brenda Saget: I've heard you say Hokanson has "an obsessive devotion to quality." What distinguishes quality carpeting to you?

Larry Hokanson: How sleek a rug looks on the surface–the finish–is key. It will have a lot to do with whether or not it will wear well. Can you see the weaving–or is it virtually invisible, as it should be? Are the yarn tips in neat, even rows the same distance apart, or are they going off in all directions? Also examine the yarn itself. Rub your hand across it. When a manufacturer uses less-expensive materials, you may see fuzz. A lower-quality yarn also will yield a dull finish.

The only real secret Hokanson has is the quality of our yarn. The finest silks and wools, custom spun and then dyed by master colorists, help Hokanson carpets earn a place in prestigious homes, executive offices, and designer boutiques across America.

Brenda Saget: Tell me a bit about Hokanson's newest floor- covering options.

Larry Hokanson: We made our reputation by producing very fine, thin rugs tufted in extremely high-quality wool and silk. But the market is changing: Shag rugs are back. In fact, we've just completed a spectacular handmade shag carpet for the Los Angeles home of a major star and fashion trend-setter. It's an unusual combination of copper and platinum yarns spun together, and it's quite beautiful.

Brenda Saget: Your company sells to some of the highest profile and most demanding clients in the world. Hokanson carpets have even graced the Oval Office. What's your secret?

Larry Hokanson: We don't cut corners when it comes to design integrity and quality. We offer the best product money can buy, design it better than anyone else, and gear the entire organization to customer service.

Brenda Saget: What current design trends do you see reflected in carpeting?

Larry Hokanson: Speed–and simplicity. Hokanson has the fastest production time in North America. Another area where we made our reputation is in intricately designed rugs. Nowadays simpler designs are popular as well. So we're offering a new Texture Collection, which is well-priced and produced quickly.

As with all our products, these textured designs are seamless and available in custom colors.

Brenda Saget: What do you attribute your production speed to?

Larry Hokanson: More employees; it's that simple. When you put more people on the job, it's done faster. So there's no waiting for an order to move from department to department. When it's finished in dyeing, the gunners immediately start tufting it. At Hokanson, rugs don't sit in the factory, waiting to be made.

Brenda Saget: It's well known that design artistry is paramount at Hokanson. How big a part does that play in your business?

Larry Hokanson: I started out in rug design and still have a strong affinity for it. We now have ten design artists working in our showrooms and factories. In the showrooms they're available to design rugs for individual jobs. To help clients make decisions, we have color photographs of more than 150 original designs.

Some 60 percent of the business now comes from our collection. The rest is custom work, where we create rugs and carpets from scratch, designing and dyeing for a specific job.

Brenda Saget: When last we spoke, you were about to open a Florida showroom at DCOTA (Design Center of the Americas).

Larry Hokanson: It opened a few months ago [at 1855 Griffin Road, Suite C466, Dania Beach; 954-922-9382] and is a beautiful 3,000-square-foot space designed by Gensler & Associates architects. David Fernalld is the manager. Our next new showroom will be in San Francisco, and that's scheduled to open in 2002.

Brenda Saget: Does your Web site at www.hokansoncarpet.com also help to market your products?

Larry Hokanson: : It does, in that it acts as a catalog. Visitors get to see a random selection of beautiful rugs from the collection, and it's an easy way for the design community to contact us.

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