Mark Herr, owner of Hammond Knoll and Abbey Carpet & Floor of Tacoma, knows how to change adversity into opportunity. Maybe it was his almost 18 years in the US Army, maybe it was his innate ability to find a door opening when another is closing, or both; but when in 2018, he broke his leg in a motorcycle accident while serving in the Army, he pivoted smartly into a new career path in the flooring industry, and a new life path, here in the South Sound. 

 

Originally from South Carolina, Mark spent the first nine or so years of his Army life as “an infantry guy, a sniper, deployed to Iraq, all the things I joined the Army to do.” Then he was sent on recruiting duty, which he did for another nine years or so. Both jobs “built up my understanding of skills that were going to be beneficial in the business world.” He describes himself as “good at talking, engaging, and understanding” how the business world works. These talents have served him well. A natural entrepreneur, Mark started by purchasing a carpet cleaning van from an Army buddy. Then serendipity took hold in December of 2019, when he had the opportunity to purchase Elite Cleaning out of Olympia. “We went right into the pandemic,” Mark recalled. That winter, he’d come up to Hammond Knoll in Tacoma to learn about carpet cleaning and floor cleaning, especially to do with area rugs, Hammond Knoll’s specialty since they began in the 1930. “We made our name cleaning Turkish and Oriental rugs,” Mark explained. 

 

Mark had originally visited Hammond Knoll to create a strategic partnership and learned that the then-owners “were looking for a retirement plan,” so he bought the company in 2021. Similarly, a short while later, in the summer of 2022, he walked into Abbey Carpet & Floor and found out that “their owner had passed away, their widow was running the company, and she needed help.” Now, Mark owns both companies and has a 20,000-square-foot facility off of G Street that includes a showroom. He employs approximately 18 to 24 people per year, depending upon the season, which includes flooring experts, fabrication experts, sales, and administration. Not only can Mark’s team either install a floor or clean your floor or rug, whatever the material, they can also repair or create a custom floor for your needs. “We have a custom rug fabrication shop on site, which is really cool,” he said. “Let’s say you have a boat down in the harbor,” and you want to pull out the carpet and replace it. “Bring it to us and we can recreate that,” For any rug, they can “put a new edge treatment, hand sew, stitch, bind, add or take tassels off,” Mark continued. “We have experts in-house that can advise you on the way to move ahead with your item.” 

 

Mark is very proud of the old-fashioned customer service they provide at Hammond Knoll and Abbey Carpet & Floor, and of the many long-term customers they have kept for just that reason. “When you walk through the front door or call our phone lines, it’s like stepping back in time. It is an old way of doing business, and an old way of life, where there are real relationships,” he told us. “We’ll sit down with you and we’re going to talk to you about the item, learn the history of it, how it was made, and where it came from. Our customers enjoy that interaction. We hear this feels like a different time that we no longer live in.” Need them to come to you? They will. Able to bring the rug to them? Also fine. Interested in new carpet or flooring? They’ve got you covered. “Coming up is a big shift in the industry towards American made, American sourced, and American produced products,” Mark shared. “That’s important to us. I’m a veteran. When we can bring in and support more jobs here in the continental U.S., that’s a good thing for our community.” 

 

A Rotary Club member, Mark cherishes the opportunity he has gotten through his business to foster relationships, not only with clients but also with his staff. “It’s being able to take all the skills I learned in the Army and pass those lessons learned along to young people,” he said. “I believe in growing leaders and community members inside of our organization. Whether someone is with us for 6 months or 30 years, when they leave us, they’ve learned about life and about themselves, and they’re ready for the next challenge.”  

 

Mark settled in the South Sound after his last Army assignment as a recruiter out of the Seattle Recruiting Battalion. His first duty station was Fort Lewis, so the area served as bookends for him. He decided to stay, and married in 2022. “That mountain just stole my heart. I grew up where you walk outside at Christmas in t-shirts and shorts and you’re sweating. That was not for me.” Between himself and his wife, Mark has six kids. The family lives in Lakewood. “I’ve had so many amazing opportunities. This community has been amazing to me both personally and professionally.” Mark advises that his neighbors clean their flooring regularly. “If you have carpet, the number one tip is when you feel like you’re vacuuming too much, then vacuum again.” Need help? “Our trucks come out to your home and clean your carpets, hard surfaces, or restore tile or natural stone,” Mark shared. “Having your flooring cleaned professionally, even when it doesn’t look dirty, is going to extend the lifetime of your flooring, no matter what kind of flooring it is. If you wait until there’s a problem, then you’ve done yourself a disservice.”