26 Cornerstone Fall 2025 agchouston.org MEK Interiors & Floors Marjorie Elaine Kidd, President G E T T O K N O W O N E O F A G C H O U S T O N ’ S S U P P O R T I N G A D V E R T I S E R S PARTNER PROFILE How many years of experience do you have in the flooring industry with a focus on commercial projects? I have been working in the industry for more than 51 years total, with 40 in commercial. What first drew you to this industry? I was a district manager for Warner-Lam- bert’s American Optical Cool-Ray Polaroid sunglass division. When the company lost its patent on the Polaroid lens, they sold the division and offered me a sales position calling on doctors. After six months of training in Rochester, New York, I realized it wasn’t for me. At the time, I had some savings and had already helped a friend by selling two apartment carpet projects. I had always wanted to start my own business, and that success encouraged me to start MEK Interiors & Floors in 1974. That same year, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) passed; This landmark leg- islation prohibited discrimination based on sex or marital status in credit trans- actions. For the first time, women could obtain credit cards and loans without male cosigners, which made it possible for me to secure financing. I didn’t have a clever name, so I went with MEK Floors, and it stuck. I shared office space with Ray Young at Young’s Transportation, and they hauled and stored my carpet. It was a rough start. Six months in, a client filed for bankruptcy, owing me $55,000 — a huge amount in 1974. I had to sell my house to stay afloat, but I paid back every vendor. It was a tough lesson, but it paid off in the long run. How have you seen the industry change since you started? We’ve transitioned from multi-family residential to more commercial projects, and the work is much more technical now. Installers and field supervisors all need to be highly trained. Specialty adhesives and floor prep are critical, and product knowledge is essential. Many new flooring materials have specific requirements, such as temperature con- ditions and slab moisture management. What’s the most memorable experi- ence you’ve had in the industry? After 51 years, I’ve had several! One of the most memorable was our first $1 million project at the George Bush Inter- continental Airport (IAH) international terminal D. It was a major challenge since we hadn’t previously taken on a project that large. It went very well until we had to return three full truckloads of tiles that weren’t quite square enough to be laid in the large baggage claim area. On top of that, the custom woven carpet didn’t align properly during installation, and we figured out it was because it had stretched during manufacturing. To fix it, we trimmed six inches off each side, which then left us short on material. The manufacturer had to ship another 100 yards. Despite the obstacles, the project turned out great and taught us a lot. My next big job, the Buckingham, involved 99 different flooring items — another one I’ll never forget. How do you build and maintain trust with clients? We pride ourselves at standing behind our work and always following through on our promises. Early on, I was told the flooring business had the reputation of a used car lot. I was determined MEK would be different, and because of that, some of our clients have been with us for more than 45 years! Do we occasionally make mistakes? Yes. Do we fix them? Absolutely. I made up my mind at that time that MEK would be a different type of flooring company, and we have customers that we have had for over 45 years.
