Longevity is the name of the game for G. Fried Flooring & Design, located at 495 Rt. 17 in Paramus. A one-stop shop for almost any type of flooring, including carpet, hardwood, luxury vinyl, and area rugs, the store has been a staple of the highway’s commerce corridor for over 45 years. It’s a Bergen County institution thanks to owner Sam Levine’s commitment to top quality, beautiful styles, and old-fashioned integrity and honesty.
Gaye Levine, Sam’s wife of 51 years, has been alongside him all the way. “He was in this business since he was 19. He always had the ability to make things happen, and he excels in everything he does. We make a great team,” she says. “I’ve never met anyone who knows as much as he does.”
Sam and Gaye’s lifelong teamwork has paid off—not only in retail success but in the positive relationships formed with their employees and customers. They pride themselves on providing nothing less than stellar customer service, and their team of long-tenured employees stands right behind them. “If anything ever goes wrong with something you’ve purchased from G. Fried, we will have your back,” emphasizes Gaye.
“When you are spending a lot of money, it’s so important to trust the people you do the business with,” says Sam, whose longtime career developed first-name-basis relationships with manufacturers and importers. Those relationships ensure that G. Fried customers receive the best flooring products in the world.
Teamwork plays a significant role in running a well-reputed business like G. Fried, and most of their employees have been with the company for most of their professional careers. Store manager Matthew Bader began working for the company when he was 16, joining his father and his brother, Marc. “Our employees are like family. When we find quality people to work with, we never let them leave,” quips Sam. “We don’t sub anything out, so every service we provide is done in-house—installation, fabrication, and so on. We treat the customers the way they want to be treated.”
The team at G. Fried knows the value of being connected. “It’s important to create a relationship based on emotion and trust,” notes Matt. “We make ourselves available—even at off-hours. We know that people are looking for a quick response, and we try to provide that service as much as possible.”
The store stocks thousands of styles of carpet, hardwood flooring, and premium vinyl flooring. “Our sales team has been in the business for a long time and can effectively advise customers on what type of carpet is best for their specific needs,” says Sam. “We let the customer talk—and we listen!”
G. Fried also offers carpet cleaning and restoration services. “We opened our cleaning and restoration department in 1998 because we were getting calls and requests for these services, but we didn’t have a good provider to refer,” says Matt. G. Fried’s experts help restore much-loved carpets and rugs following pet accidents, floods, and other disasters. If it’s time for a new rug, they also offer design and planning services.
The Levines prioritize taking customer service to a new level. “Now, we have generations of families coming into the store,” says Gaye.
“We treat customers how we would want to be treated, and we make it a point to ensure they are always happy—then, they will come back again,” says Sam.
