Footprints Floors Says ‘Welcome Home’ to Mesa, Arizona Residents as Matt Gilstrap Signs to Expand His Business

MESA, AZ — Footprints Floors, the over 160-unit and growing flooring franchise, is furthering its reach in the state of Arizona. Matt Gilstrap, the franchise owner behind a Chandler, Arizona location that began operations in the midst of the pandemic, has now signed to expand his business with the brand even further, launching a second territory in Mesa.

“I love the interactions with the customers, and I love seeing the before and after photos,” Gilstrap said. “I’m very interested in home and design, and being able to utilize that creativity to bring clients’ designs to life makes the business that much more fun.”

This sentiment is well-aligned with the Footprints Floors’ larger mission and approach. When founder Bryan Park launched the brand 15 years ago, he was working to build a business that allowed good, value-driven people to provide an even better flooring installation experience. That approach is still prevalent today, and Gilstrap’s expansion will allow him to bring this five-star experience to even more members of his community.

Franchise expansion

“Welcome home – that’s what we look forward to Matt’s customers saying to their friends, family and neighbors after our work is complete,” Park said. “The only way they will say that is if we do a great job. We know Matt will represent our national brand tremendously, locally. We look forward to all of the 5-star reviews from the Mesa community, just as we have received across other communities throughout America.”

In 2022, Footprints Floors opened 18 units owned by local operators. Located all over the country, franchisees launched the brand into new markets, including Jacksonville, Florida; Boise, Idaho; Long Island, New York; Reno, Nevada; St. Louis, Missouri; Providence, Rhode Island and Boston, Massachusetts. Now, in 2023, Gilstrap’s continued growth is a crucial part of the story.

As he continues along the ownership path, Gilstrap says he looks forward to growing his team, both for the benefits it will bring to him as an owner and the opportunities it will create in the community.

“I hope to have a solid team. We just hired two people, and I hope to one day have a team working with me through this process so we can not only expand but also have an even higher quality of life,” he said. “I want to get to a point where I can spend more time with my family and grow the business to something that’s sustainable and able to support other families, not just mine, really comfortably and give people an enjoyable place to work.”

Giving back efforts

Last year, Footprints Floors ignited its focus on giving back with the launch of the First Fruits Fund, the philanthropic arm of the business. Through First Fruits Fund, Footprints Floors partners with faith-based organizations to donate and volunteer help for family services, poverty reduction, homelessness prevention, drug rehabilitation and other important societal issues.

“I see our business as a way to live up to my values of supporting my neighbors and lending a hand to those in need,” Park said. “A business should be about more than just making money for its stakeholders; it should play a positive role in its community. We will do that in Mesa, too.”

Upon his return to Littleton, Colorado, after serving in the U.S. Air Force, Bryan Park noticed that Denver’s flooring industry lacked a higher level of customer service and sophistication.

So, in 2008, he founded Footprints Floors, which today specializes in installing hardwood floors, tile floors, backsplashes and laminates. With more than 150 territories, Footprints Floors offers franchisees a robust support system, including a call center, flexible hours for work-life balance and a low cost of entry with outstanding economics..