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Wednesday, September 15, 2010, 2:50pm EDT  |  Modified: Wednesday, September 15, 2010, 4:53pm
Schenectady Floor Covering buys new building, expanding
The Business Review (Albany) - by Michael DeMasi

Schenectady Floor Covering will nearly double in size and consolidate its retail and wholesale divisions after buying a former steel fabrication plant on the other end of the city.

The company bought the former Dimension Fabricators buildings at 1910 Maxon Road Extension on the city’s north side for $567,000.

The deal closed Sept. 14, said Richard Ferro of Prudential Blake-Atlantic Realtors, the listing broker.

The company sells carpets, tiles and hardwood flooring at its retail store at 2418 Broadway in the city’s Bellevue neighborhood. It also supplies home builders from its warehouse on Guilderland Avenue.

Buying the 36,000-square-foot former Dimension Fabricators manufacturing plant enables Schenectady Floor Covering to put its retail and wholesale divisions under one roof, said Jeff Smith, co-owner.

He expects to open at the new location next spring.

“We’re going to be able to construct a nice showroom with good lighting, space and no stairs,” Smith said. “It also gives us heavy-duty dock and warehouse space.”

Lending was provided by First National Bank of Scotia.

The sale included a 9,400-square-foot building that might be renovated and leased to a tenant, and a 3,700-square-foot building that might be torn down.

Schenectady Floor Covering has no need for the railroad spur that was a critical link between Dimension Fabricators and its suppliers. The steel fabrication company moved earlier this year into the former Super Steel plant in Glenville.

This week’s sale is the latest involving the old Dimension Fabricators property.

Last month, the owners of the Water’s Edge Lighthouse restaurant across the river in Glenville spent $375,000 to buy an empty warehouse and vacant land. Their motivation was to improve the view from the restaurant’s outdoor patio.

The better visibility may also help Schenectady Floor Covering.

Part of the strategy in making the move is to display products in a large showroom, similar to what customers have come to expect when shopping at Home Depot and Lowe’s, Smith said.

The company has looked for another location for the past eight or nine years, but wasn’t able to find anything suitable. It wanted to stay in Schenectady, but considered sites in Colonie and Clifton Park.

“When your name is Schenectady Floor Covering, you’ve got to stay here,” Smith said.

He declined to reveal sales figures, but said the business has been hurt by the downturn in the residential real estate market.......................>>>>...................>>>>....................http://albany.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/2010/09/13/daily28.html?surround=lfn