Dolan Flooring to host 50th anniversary party

By Jay Turner

In 1962, John and Gail Dolan opened a flooring business out of their home in Canton, and through hard work and vision, the company thrived over the next four decades, expanding several times amid a rock-solid reputation for quality and honesty.

Now celebrating its 50^th anniversary and currently operated by the Dolans’ children, the aptly named John Dolan Flooring, Kitchen & Bath would like to say thank you to all of those who have contributed to the company’s success over the years with a family-style cookout and party on Sunday, June 10, from 1-4 p.m. at the company’s showroom in the Walgreen’s Plaza in Canton Center.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature food and drinks, a moonwalk, face painting, games, and “tons of giveaways,” according to Caroline Eckler, one of three Dolan siblings who now run the business.

“Fifty years is such a long time — we just couldn’t let this milestone go past without recognizing it in some way,” said Eckler, who focuses on kitchen and bath designs and also does home estimates. “We just wanted to have a big family party.”

Those who attend the celebration will also have a chance to win $10,000 in cabinetry, and there will be a variety of in-store discounts offered, including bound area rugs and tile remnants at “greatly reduced prices.”

Mostly, though, the event will be a celebration of the business and its customers — a tribute to the past half-century and a chance to recognize the two who started it all, John and Gail.

“We’re very, very lucky — my dad and my mom, they worked so hard,” said Eckler, adding that “everybody loves” her father and “no one forgets him.”

Eckler said most longtime residents will remember their location on Jackson Street, which her parents purchased as a house and transformed into a showroom and a warehouse. Prior to that, the business had locations next to the old movie theater on Washington Street (now Canton Cleaners) and next to the old Yankee Lumber (now Stanetsky Funeral Home).

The business has continued to evolve over the past ten years under the leadership of Eckler, Lorraine (Dolan) Davis, and John Dolan Jr., adding new services including tile work and later full-scale kitchen and bath remodeling.

Eckler said the remodeling side of the business really began to take off around seven years ago, when the Dolans sold their Jackson Street location and moved into an expanded showroom at its current location at 605 Washington Street.

The business still does plenty of flooring, including hardwood, carpeting, and “tons of tile work,” although it is often as part of a larger remodeling job. Either way, Eckler estimated that around “70 to 75 percent” of their business comes from repeat customers or referrals, which is a particular point of pride for the Dolans.

And despite experiencing quite a bit of growth over the past 50 years, John Dolan Flooring is and always has been, at its core, a small family business. Whereas before it was John Sr. and Gail running the operation, now it’s Lorraine running the showroom, Caroline out in the field, and John Jr. serving as the main installer.

All three have grown up in the town and in the business, and all three, like their parents before them, prefer to let their work speak for itself.

For more information about John Dolan Flooring, Kitchen & Bath or the upcoming 50^th anniversary celebration, go to www.dolanflooring.com or call 781-828-4029.

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