b'C&E FlooringEntrepreneurial LeapWhile in college, Cody Cleary and EthanAfter graduating from Valdosta StateC&E Flooring relocated to a 6,000-square-Guess started talking about opening aUniversity, Cleary and Guess startedfoot store that includes a showroom.business. Sharing a passion for hunting,considering various startup options, and the fishing, and music, the two also connectedidea of a flooring business continued to riseWithin six months of being in our first over the goal of becoming entrepreneurs. to the top of the list. My father works in thelocation, we couldnt turn around, says flooring manufacturing industry in NorthCleary, now we have plenty of space, and We just clicked, says Cleary, I knewGeorgia, says Cleary. I got his advice andplan to continue expanding. then Ethan and I were like-minded when ithave been able to make direct connections came to many things, including business. The new showroom, located next to a with sales representatives. lighting store and home interior shop, has While they encountered some skeptics,opened up opportunities to reach more Guess says they continued to move forward.residential customers. Some folks had their doubts and laughedOur customers in the first location were at us, and most thought we wouldnt last sixmostly commercial, says Cleary. We built months. relationships with builders in the area, Starting with a 700-square-foot warehousebut knew we needed to start focusing on in Valdosta, the business partners quicklyresidential sales. gained a foothold in South Georgias Entrepreneurial Leap: Owners of C&Ecommercial flooring market. Two years later, Flooring Cody Cleary, left, and Ethan Guess 30 SG MAGAZINE| FALL 2019 BUSINESS + CULTURE31'