"Carpet Warehouse" first opened its doors in 1975 when Skip Esterbrook, whose parents owned Colby's in those days, started the flooring store. Local high school students Herb Lowe and Leigh Carroll came to work for Skip in the warehouse part-time after school. By the time second owner Don Russell purchased the store and added his name in 1980, Herb and Leigh, now graduated from Ridgefield High Sch
ool, were moving into sales and installations. In 1992, Herb and Leigh purchased the store from Don Russell, and opted to keep the Russell name as, after twelve years, it had become well-recognized locally. Through the years Russell's has really been a family business - Leigh was with the store for his entire career and his brother Paul, who also started by working in the warehouse, has now been a full-time installer with the store for many years. Herb's nephews Kristopher and Kevin worked at the store during high school and learned some valuable technical and business skills. The family tradition continues with Herb's sister, Anamaria, who joined the sales force earlier this year. Lowe has seen many changes in the carpet business since he started as an installer for Russell's Carpet Warehouse all those years ago but attributes the success of the business to the loyalty of his customers, the quality of the materials he handles and the expertise of the installers. "The difference between an average installation and an excellent one can make all the difference, particularly in the long run," Lowe says. As they start another chapter in their long success story, the folks at Russell's Carpet look back fondly on the years when Ridgefield was a little less hectic, but look forward to continuing the friendly, small town atmosphere of their store. In the end, however, Herb Lowe believes that the quality of the carpets and his reputation for highly skilled installations is what really has been the secret of success for these thirty years.
