Sam Gulesserian is a 44-year veteran of the flooring industry and president of Carpeteria, a Diamond Certified company. He can be reached at (510) 431-2589 or by email.
Sam Gulesserian: Never Looking Back
By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter
SAN LEANDRO — After immigrating to the United States at the age of 18, Sam Gulesserian began working in the floor covering industry and never looked back. “I’m originally from Beirut, Lebanon,” he explains. “When I came to the U.S., my brother was working for Carpeteria in Los Angeles and got me a job there. At first, I had little interest in the floor covering business, but the more I got involved, the more I liked it. Later, when the company announced they were going to open a franchise in the Bay Area, I took the opportunity to head it up. Since opening that first store in Campbell, we’ve expanded to additional locations in Concord, Dublin, Mountain View and San Leandro.”
Today, as president of Carpeteria, Sam says his favorite part of his job is the interpersonal interaction. “I enjoy working with customers and seeing them happy with the final product. It also gives me satisfaction to see my employees fulfilled in their work and doing their best for the company.”
A resident of Los Gatos (where he lives with his wife, Aileen), Sam spends his time outside of work on a variety of activities, from listening to music and going to the beach to taking walks with his dogs and visiting his two grown children. Additionally, he makes it a point to travel regularly, both domestically and abroad. “I try to travel internationally about once a year, but I also take shorter trips to places like Miami—basically, anywhere there’s a good beach.”
As a longtime business owner, Sam espouses the importance of taking care of your employees. “I’ve found that if you treat your employees right, they’ll treat the customers right,” he explains. “I have employees who’ve been with me for 30 years. I’ve taken care of them and they appreciate that, just as I appreciate all their hard work and dedication over the years. For this reason, our company feels a lot like a family operation, which makes a big difference when it comes to customer satisfaction.”
When asked the first thing he’d do if he could retire tomorrow, Sam says he wouldn’t. “I’m still going strong,” he affirms. “I enjoy staying busy, visiting our different locations, and building relationships with our employees and customers. This is my life—why would I want to stop?”
Q: What kinds of music do you like?
A: I like almost anything, but I mostly listen to jazz, classical and pop.
Q: Are you an early bird or a night owl?
A: An early bird.
Q: What’s your favorite kind of food?
A: Mexican.
Q: If you could live in the city or the country, which would you choose?
A: The country—it’s more peaceful.
Q: What’s your favorite holiday?
A: Thanksgiving.
