Established in 1918, Rochester Hardwood Floors of Utica Inc. is a fourth-generation hardwood flooring company owned and operated by the Claeys family. Owners Jerry and Kevin, along with their employees – and in conjunction with area contractors – specialize in the sanding and refinishing of existing hardwood floors as well as the installation of new floors including unfinished, prefinished, engineered, and luxury vinyl tile. Rochester Hardwood Floors first contacted the Mohawk Valley SBDC in 2012 to inquire about an SBA loan. In 2016, Sandy Claeys attended the Small Business Contractor Training Program hosted by the MVSBDC.
Through the years, the SBDC’s Government Contracting Coordinator kept the firm up-todate on procurement issues and training and networking events. Sandy Claeys, who attends many SBDC-sponsored events to position the business for continued resiliency and success, recently worked with former Director Roxanne Mutchler to take advantage of SBA’s disaster assistance programs. The firm received PPP and EIDL funding that helped them to weather the state’s shutdown of business activities in the spring. The family commented that without the help of the PPP and EIDL programs they would not be in the strong position they currently enjoy
“The Mohawk Valley SBDC helped Rochester Hardwood Floors pursue contracting opportunities, provided ongoing training, and was there for us when we needed assistance navigating the COVID assistance programs.”