To fully understand the history behind Newington commercial flooring specialist M. Frank Higgins, one really needs to go all the way back to 1952 when Michael Francis Higgins looked to expand upon the family’s Boston flooring business.
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To fully understand the history behind Newington commercial flooring specialist M. Frank Higgins, one really needs to go all the way back to 1952 when Michael Francis Higgins looked to expand upon the family's Boston flooring business.
Having done a great deal of military contracting work with the former Westover Air Force Base — now Westover Air Reserve Base — in Chicopee, Mass., Higgins saw Hartford as an ideal location to branch out. Leaving the Boston business in the hands of his two brothers, Higgins incorporated M. Frank Higgins & Co. as an independent Connecticut commercial-flooring contractor.
“Back then, business was done with a handshake, so Frank vowed to continue building and maintaining the long-standing customer relationships he had built back in Boston,” said Kathy Cloud, president of the company, whose husband and co-owner Steve Cloud is Frank's grandson. “This gained him a reputation as a leader in the flooring industry and assured many loyal customers that he would continue to service them at his new business.”
After more than 10 years at the helm, Higgins retired in 1966 and turned the company over to his nephew, Albert Higgins, and his son-in-law, Jack Cloud, both of whom had been working in the business for several years.
“Albert served as the company's president until his death in 1989 when my father-in-law, Jack, took over as president and placed my husband in charge of operations,” said Kathy Cloud. “Steve grew up working for his father during summer vacations, doing any job in the office or on the jobsite. Steve took over as president in 1992 and was able to double the volume of business in a relatively short period of time.”
A high school physics teacher for 26 years, Kathy Cloud also served as an officer at the company, helping out wherever she could during the summers until she became president in 2013. Since then, she has helped Higgins attain women-owned business certification.
With customers including universities, public and private schools, healthcare institutions, corporate offices and general contractors, M. Frank Higgins today carries on the tradition of quality products and personal attention that Frank began more than 60 years ago. The company currently has 45 employees and expects to reach $18 million in revenue in 2015.
In the past year alone, Higgins has landed some substantial business, including the new, 11-story Alexion Pharmaceuticals building in New Haven, one of the company's largest projects of the year valued at $3 million. Kathy Cloud said the special order Milliken carpet tile and Tarkett rubber floor tiles installed throughout the building have required a tremendous amount of coordination. The project is scheduled for completion by year's end.
Higgins also successfully completed a new dorm project at Central Connecticut State University in July that required 125,000 square feet of Armstrong wood laminate, which had to be installed in just a four-week window before students began arriving back on campus.
In the spring, Higgins was awarded a $2.6 million resilient floor project for the UCHC Tower next to the UConn Health Center.
“We are one of the few flooring contractors in the state that can handle the size and scope and still emphasize quality,” Kathy Cloud said. “Lots of coordination of both materials and manpower is required. In addition, there is a great deal of emphasis on floor preparation throughout to ensure a smooth, well-bonded installation.”
Reflecting on the company's heritage, Kathy Cloud said a family business goes well beyond the actual family members who are in the company.
“We treat all of our employees as part of this extended family,” she said. “We know their spouses, attend their family weddings and funerals, and celebrate the birth of their children. A family business model means all have a voice.”
Margaret Finnegan, Higgins's controller for the past year and a half, can attest to that, but she said it's really the company's executives who lead by example.
“What truly makes Higgins different is the fact that the principals are the hardest working employees in the company,” Finnegan said. “Their dedication is infectious and as an employee, you just don't want to fall short in any way. It feels great to help an individual or organization achieve their goals. In a smaller company, you get the sense that your contributions are truly meaningful.”
Q&A
What is your company’s biggest achievement in the last year?
M. Frank Higgins’ greatest achievement in 2015 was a 40 percent growth in volume. We have done this through a variety of ways, but mainly by strengthening our relationships with our customers and maintaining high-quality standards in all that we do.
How do you instill your family values in your employees?
We instill our family values in our employees through example. We treat our customers with respect and dignity and routinely say, “Do whatever it takes” to fulfill your obligations. We empower our Higgins team to follow this lead.
What would your founder say about your company today?
M. Frank Higgins, or Frank as he was affectionately known, would say how surprised and honored he is to see how the company has flourished since its incorporation in 1952. Frank would be proud that his belief in doing business face to face with customers is still the best method practiced today.
