Four decades of success.

One customer at a time.

Story by Matt McGarry
Photography by Ethan Smith

In Knoxville, a good name is earned one job at a time. For 46 years, Broadway Carpets has been earning it. Since opening its doors in 1980, the company has watched businesses come and go, design trends rise and fall, and customer expectations shift again and again. Through it all, one thing has held steady: a reputation for treating every customer like a neighbor.

Now, as Broadway Carpets steps into its next chapter, with Bo Perkins helping lead the way, that reputation is exactly what the company intends to protect. “We’re Knoxville born and bred,” Perkins says. “And the growth that comes with success has not changed who we are. We’re still a small-town, local shop and do business one customer at a time.”

For longtime customers, that continuity matters. Perkins is no newcomer; he grew up in Broadway Carpets alongside the Founders who built it. He is not here to reinvent the company but to carry forward what decades of hard work built.

That foundation is considerable. What began as a carpet store has grown into a full-service flooring business serving residential and commercial customers alike, with tile, hardwood, and other floor-covering solutions, as well as custom shower projects. Yet even as the showroom has expanded, the way Broadway Carpets does business has remained remarkably consistent.

The company takes what Perkins describes as a “tailored” approach, recognizing that no two customers, homes, or commercial spaces are exactly alike. Rather than simply selling a product, the team considers how it will work within the space, evaluates the application, and matches each project with the right installation expertise. “It’s never one size fits all,” Perkins says. “This is what you like. This is your space. Let’s make it work. How can we do that in the right way?”

That promise carries weight because of the people behind it. The average tenure at Broadway Carpets sits in the mid-20-year range, and many team members bring 30 or more years of industry knowledge to their roles. That depth is increasingly rare in today’s market, and the company still invests in ongoing training so its team stays current on evolving products and installation techniques. Customers are not just buying flooring; they are getting guidance from people who have seen it all.

The truest measure of a reputation, though, is who keeps coming back. Much of Broadway Carpets’ business comes through referrals and word of mouth, including multiple generations of the same families. “Being in business for over four decades, you’re getting different generations of the families,” Perkins says. “We have customers who have parents that are customers.”

That kind of trust cannot simply be assumed; it is renewed with every single project. Perkins understands that the next chapter will be judged by the same standard as every chapter before it. The years may bring change, but the commitment to customers will not.

“At the end of the day, it’s still relationships,” Perkins says. “And that means always doing business one customer at a time.”