The mother-daughter team of Karen O’Connor (seated) and Terri O’Connor-Havard review the day’s work for their woman-owned business, Superior Floor Covering, Inc.

Floorazzo’s terrazzo-like tiles—installed by Superior Floor Covering, Inc.—greet students as they enter the doors at Chicago Heights Middle School, Chicago Heights, IL.

Flooring in many ways offers pathways, and the story of Superior Floor Covering, Inc. (Superior) features its share of pathways, too. From its bumpy beginnings to its mother-daughter leadership today, the company and its employees have found a solid direction through hard work and building good relationships.

Based in Frankfort, Illinois, the company works with architects and general contractors and installs VCT (vinyl composite tile), ceramic, sheet vinyl, vinyl strip flooring, carpet, carpet tiles, hardwood, cork, bamboo, rubber flooring, vinyl base, millwork and carpet base. Superior has installed floors in medical, educational, retail and industrial structures.

Taking a look at the fine interior work the company does isn’t complete without considering the “inside” story of its origins as a woman-owned business forged by a mother, Karen O’Connor, and then bestowed upon her daughter, Terri O’Connor-Havard.

Maternal Instincts

The level of quality work produced by Superior today was actually born out of challenges in the company’s early years. The team’s professionalism, stability, integrity, customer service and commitment to a job well done were intentional choices made by Karen, the President, when lesser standards could have also prevailed.

Superior was originally founded in 1984 by several aspiring entrepreneurs, one of whom was Bob O’Connor, Karen’s husband. Their thought process was to take small jobs that a partner’s larger company did not want and have Superior do that type of contract work. Over the years of marriage, Karen learned to read blueprints and Bob suggested hiring her to handle the jobs and to help get the office into shape. Her natural leadership skills and practical recommendations soon proved invaluable. Still, the fledgling company was struggling and could not give her a paycheck. They decided to dissolve the company and Karen objected, having worked for two years without compensation. They opted to give her the company in lieu of payment.

She then took some bookkeeping classes and started knocking on contractors’ doors for business. Her husband was already working there and continued as an installer. Proud of her skills, Bob told Karen one day, “You’re going to make the business grow.” His prophetic words ultimately came true in a way neither of them could have predicted.

Terri, their daughter, looks back with pride at the way her mother stayed the course, remained strong, and rebuilt the company in a field in which she had no prior experience.

“I respect her; she definitely stepped up,” Terri says. “She bought a new wardrobe, learned negotiation skills and became knowledgeable about products and materials. She had no computer, but searched for sales leads, prioritized good customer relations and earned respect in what was typically the ‘boys’ club’ back then.”

That was 34 years ago, and as Karen eyes retirement, Terri plans to also step up to the challenge and keep the company strong. Terri is to assume the title of President in October 2020. Superior will retain its certified woman-owned business status.

Terri plans to bring more organization to the company, even while maintaining many positive aspects of the company that are part of Karen’s legacy.

Superior’s leadership is proud of its long-term employees—some have been with the company for 20 to 30 years. Their longevity means the company is staffed by people with good working relationships, so the work environment feels like a family unit. Its crew members are more loyal because of that, and their customers appreciate the company’s values more as a result.

“Construction can be kind of an unstable field because of changing employer-crew connections, but we try to avoid that,” Terri says. “We try to keep a set amount of people working; we like the stability and they give us loyalty in return.”

Karen says their employees have both the character traits and work skills to ensure the best installation service for customers. “Creating successful projects demands more than products and technology. It takes people,” she says. “Superior has dedicated personnel who aim for quality coordination of each project. Our crew members are certified for the flooring job and are trained in the latest installation techniques.”

Generation Next

This people-oriented approach also motivates Superior’s team to care about future generations of flooring pros—especially when it comes to encouraging women to enter the construction field. Karen and Terri both proudly support the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC).

“Two goals of the organization are, first, to make the industry see better the contributions that women can bring to it, and secondly, to make girls aware of the opportunities in the industry,” Terri says.

Karen has participated in NAWIC leadership at the Chicago metro chapter since 1986. She has been chapter president twice, organized fundraisers for the chapter and sponsored Camp NAWIC. Now, Terri also serves in a leadership role with the Chicago chapter.

This year, Camp NAWIC’s participants took virtual tours of an architect’s office, a general contractor’s office and a concrete contractor’s company.

Terri didn’t always follow in her mother’s footsteps. She worked at other places like fast-food restaurants, a bakery, and even for a municipal government before deciding to follow her mother’s lead, as did her two brothers. She’s worked for Superior for 10 years. To get up to speed, Terri has taken various classes and attended many workshops.

“I asked a lot of questions, visited a lot of job sites and viewed a lot of demonstrations,” she says.

Her tenacity matches her mother’s—and is a value weaved throughout the company.

From Start to Finish

Terri explains that, when a general contractor contacts Superior, many of the flooring choices are already determined, but they want to know that the handoff to Superior and the resulting work is top-notch.

Superior, a union-based shop, provides a number of services such as finding the right type of flooring for a particular circumstance, as well as working within budget constraints.

“We can handle everything,” Karen says, “from your basic VCT job to your most intricate sheet vinyl, carpet, ceramic, porcelain, rubber or wood flooring projects, and still get the job done on time with a highly skilled installation staff.”

Karen is proud that the company wins some interesting and highly visible projects. Recently, Superior’s crew installed the logo for the Chicago White Sox baseball team on flooring at the media’s entrance (Gate 4) at the team’s home, Guaranteed Rate Field, located on the South Side of Chicago.

Other projects include work at the University of Illinois at Chicago, O’Hare International Airport, a cafeteria renovation and the addition of dorm rooms at Governors State University, and flooring for an emergency department addition at Rush Oak Park Hospital.

Superior has even forged a 36-year history for work at the University of Chicago. For the John Crerar Library there, Superior had to level the floors of the old structure so that the installation of new flooring would not affect doors opening and closing.

“Our people, the field crews, are loyal and willing to do whatever needs to be done,” Terri says.

Like her mother before her, Terri navigates the day-to-day and even long-term activity as if the determination, motivation of employees and attention to quality results is part of her heredity. She is excited to continue the legacy of Superior’s service-centered mission—forging a new pathway into the company’s future.