By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher | It’s always good to see a Gwinnett business succeeding. It’s particularly a good feeling when it is an immigrant business in diverse Gwinnett.
We recently attended the opening of CIC Floors showroom in Norcross. It’s located behind The Varsity (its address is 1756 Wilwat Drive). We felt elated to watch the family happily cut the ribbon on the business’s opening day.
The company is owned by Clara and Cesar Olguin. She’s originally from the Dominican Republic, while he is from Mexico. They met in 2003 and were married 13 years ago. They have lived in Norcross for five years, and have four children, Issac, 10; Alondra, 8; Clair, 2; and Luis, 11 months. They have been in Gwinnett since 2005, first in Lawrenceville, before moving to Norcross in Bishop’s Crossing. Having a showroom closer to their home was the reason for locating it in Norcross.
The Olguins began their floor covering business in 2004, even before they were engaged. The firm offers a complete line-up of floor work, from selling the different coverings of carpet, laminate or hardwood, to sanding and installing and making their customers happy.
Cesar and Clara Olguin
After years in business, Clara, 42, says that they are “…not where we want to be yet, but we try every day to grow the business so that we will have a legacy for our children and do things right.” She adds: “We want our children to dream, work hard and be honest. That’s what we want to leave with them.” The couple is willing to eventually turn their firm to their children; however: “…if they don’t want to do floors, it’s OK with us.”
Cesar, 35, bought a pick-up truck in 2004, then added another vehicle, so that the firm could keep growing. Originally, they did sub-contracting work, including a lot of renovation and seeing to water and fire damage problems of customers. Cesar says: “Now our next level is to offer more training to installers, manage more projects, and serve our clients with quantity but also quality. It helps to have their own show room. Clara adds: “But competition is one thing, and we’ll always have it.”
One of the hardest parts for them in being an immigrant business is the perception in people’s minds. Clara admits: “Being Latino, people tend to think that we will cut our prices, or give them a big discount.” Some threaten to go to Home Depot or Lowes’s if the Olguins won’t bargain.
She feels sometimes that type of prejudice. “We can discount, but it seems like we get asked for that more, since we are Latino. When I go into stores for myself, I never ask for discounts. If that’s the price, that’s it and I’ll pay it.”
Other problems that the Olguins see is that some competitors don’t have the right certification for installing floors, do inferior work and quote prices too low. “This is not good for us. We’re not as expensive as some places. We offer our work at what we feel is the right price.”
Through the years, the couple has worked steadily, and then realized that their next step was to have a bona fide show room so that customers can easily look through their many choice of floorings. With this grand opening, now they have the showroom. The Olguins will still go to clients’ residences to allow them to pick their flooring.
You get a good feeling when talking to the Olguins. We wish them the best.
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