Meet Our Family

While crawling on the floor at age two, Mark was angered by the bad seams on his parents' front room floor. It was evident from the beginning that carpet was in his blood. Starting at the young age of nineteen, he has climbed up the vertical ladder of the flooring business. Since opening a retail store in Lockport back in 1990 with his wife Tammy, he has never slowed down enough to look back. Today, Mark oversees everything "Creative Carpet & Flooring" as an ever-present body and keeps all staff informed and up-to-date on all things political.

Tammy, AKA… The Creative Carpet and Flooring air traffic controller. Nothing happens in or out without her knowing. Having raised five sons, she is a seasoned veteran of running a circus and keeping things organized and grounded. Married to Mark Sr. longer than Creative Carpet & Flooring has existed, she has been in the carpet business for as long as he has. Spending most of her time running ALL the back-bone workings of this company, she is spotted in the showroom from time to time to gather some coffee before retreating again to the Creative Carpet Underworld.

As a youngster, Mark Jr. started installing flooring to prepare him to carry on the Creative Carpet legacy his father built. Transferring from installation to sales in 2008, he now oversees the retail and commercial side of Creative Carpet & Flooring. His time is spent building systems, improving them, and then building more systems, scanning blueprints, making conference calls, and being late - unless it involves his clients. Mark is committed to the store's integrity and his clients' happiness. He is an exemplary example of how all companies should be run. He has two adorable daughters and four adorable sons.

As the master of all things coming and going, Jake ensures everything and everyone is in their designated positions. Moving at the speed of a cheetah and with the efficiency of a Prius, Jake manages to oversee all of the company's receiving, shipping, inventory, quality control, orders, and deliveries. With his acute attention to detail, he combs through every job to ensure that nothing gets missed. What would take the average man 8 hours to accomplish, Jake usually finishes by 9:00 am. Most of his free time is spent playing guitar like his dad.

In the warehouse hive, you will find Clay buzzing around on the forklift, in the Creative Carpet van, or making a delivery to a customer. Clay works side-by-side with his best friend, Tim Churchill. In rare moments of downtime, you might find them both lifting weights in the back of the warehouse. Clay has earned his personal training certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and is skilled at providing comprehensive fitness training. Clay’s proudest accomplishment is his son, Bryson. He looks forward to being a fantastic dad and growing old with Bryson’s mom.

Introducing Cody, our Operations Maestro! Formerly a flooring consultant and certified vinyl tile installer, Cody's passion for flooring knows no bounds. Whether he's cruising down LaGrange Road on his Harley or orchestrating seamless installations behind the scenes, Cody ensures our day-to-day operations run like a well-oiled machine. As your main point of contact for installation inquiries, he's the go-to guy for scheduling, logistics, and ironing out the nitty-gritty details. While you won't spot him on the sales floor anymore, his dedication to delivering top-notch service remains as strong as ever. Cody's got your back, ensuring every step of your flooring journey is smooth sailing!

Alexis's mother, Dawn Giganti (see below for an older version of Alexis), forced her daughter to work as an administrative assistant here at Creative. Bringing youthful energy to the back office, she is the first to roll her eyes at her mother at any given time. As a former captain of her high school winter guard, Alex sometimes shows off by twirling and spinning full carpet rolls to music. She graduated high school quite a while ago now. However, Alex still officially knows everything... especially when it comes to showroom samples, pricing, and making the most delicious coffee ever.

Autumn has over fifteen years of flooring experience, cabinet design, and other design work. Autumn helps her clients make their design dreams a reality. She loves the design challenge of tying colors and patterns that aren't typically put together. You will often find this in her daily attire as well! Autumn and Dana not only work together but are best friends. So, whatever Dana is wearing is also a reflection of Autumn. Visit Autumn in our Highland, Indiana, showroom for help making your design visions come to life.

Known as our "warehouse hero," Brad flies through the warehouse on the forklift (but not fast, in case OSHA is reading), organizing carpet rolls, moving pallets, and unloading trucks. Brad enjoys football, playing drums, and eating frog legs. We have let the frog legs slide, but getting past him being a Green Bay Packers fan has proven difficult. Since he is an ordained minister, we are afraid to harm him for fear we might get struck by lightning. So instead, we send him out in the snow in only a t-shirt because, apparently, he enjoys suffering in the cold.

Brian is no stranger to flooring, having spent most of his life in the industry. He started his flooring journey in 1992 with his father, who ran a flooring store on the north shore. Brian prides himself on his extensive knowledge of the flooring industry and shows it off every chance he gets. His dedication to staying on top of the latest design trends has provided residential and commercial clients with the most suitable flooring selections for their projects. Visit Brian at our Mokena, Illinois, showroom for an educational shopping experience and exemplary customer service.

Brit started her career in flooring with the encouragement of a neighbor and now has years of experience in retail, new construction, and commercial projects under her belt. Brit holds a degree in mathematics and a master's in curriculum and instruction. She spent seven years teaching Algebra before transitioning to the flooring world. With a passion for design, Brit enjoys creating beautiful spaces for her clients and is known for her attention to detail, personalized service, and extensive industry knowledge. A dedicated mom, her biggest accomplishment is her children.

Admittedly, Carrie knows very little about flooring but enjoys a challenge. She has proven to be a quick learner and exceptional at numbers, planning, and people - a perfect fit for bookkeeping at Creative Carpet. After counting beans all day, she focuses on her daughters, Ginny and Lena, and her husband, Brian. The Dolans are active in their Tinley Park community and school, but family time is their priority. Reading books is a passion shared by the entire family. Carrie is a nerd with people skills - contact her anytime for all things Star Wars and Harry Potter-related.

Chris keeps all the scheduling running like clockwork and the installations and deliveries flowing smoothly. Chris and Mark Jr. are childhood friends making Chris part Bouquet. Their longtime friendship allows Chris and Mark Jr. to work side by side, which is quite entertaining for the rest of the staff. However, it is not all fun and games, as the job is always done. Chris enjoys motorcycles, hiking, and traveling abroad. What he is most grateful for and his entire life revolves around are his two daughters... and Disney's "Frozen." Let it go, Chris... just let it go.

Clinton is an installer here at Creative. He is responsible for installations, measures, inspections - just about anything to help deliver appropriate flooring solutions to our customers. Just because Clinton installs flooring doesn’t mean he can cut a rug (Clinton “thinks” he can dance, but we suggest not asking him to.) During Clinton’s off time, he loves to do projects at home. Being a huge American history buff, he would travel back to the 1800s... if he could get his hands on a DeLorean. Clinton also enjoys Star Wars, fishing, golfing, football, baseball, and, most of all, being a dad.

Dana is an experienced professional providing expert knowledge of all residential and commercial flooring aspects. She has worked on large commercial jobs, residential remodels, small businesses, apartment buildings, assisted living complexes, hospitals, and auto dealerships. With over 15 years of flooring experience, no job is too big or small! Although rumors suggest Dana did the flooring for 550 Central Park West, known famously as 'Spook Central' in Ghostbusters, she experiences PTSD whenever anyone brings it up! Dana is the one-stop shop for all your flooring and design needs - no difficulty level is too high for her! Dana is available for private consultations in our showroom in Highland, Indiana.

Dave Coulam has been in the industry for 35+ years, starting after the military. He is a jack-of-all-trades, having been an installer, salesperson, and manager. Dave has managed flooring repair and replacement projects for a vast array of restoration and insurance companies for two decades. In case of a flood or fire, Dave is your man. He'll work with you and your insurance to solve flooring issues. Dave is handy with Xactimate, the insurance company's go-to tool. He speaks their language and knows everything about flooring. Dave will always be a passionate Chicago Bears fan, so we must keep him away from the warehouse and Brad, the only Green Bay Packers fan in the company. It's just not safe.

With her marketing efforts, Dawn helps potential customers realize that Creative Carpet & Flooring is the place to shop for all their flooring needs. If she is not on social media or doing something with the website, you will find her writing the monthly newsletter or working on the next big social event marketing Creative Carpet’s products and services. Dawn loves the friends she makes while interacting with customers and helping the community. She enjoys reading, writing, graphic design, and all aspects of music. When at home, you will find Dawn hanging out with her two corgi pups.

You know what they say about payables; you're never done with them. That's where Debi comes in. Math was always her favorite subject, so it's no surprise that Debi's first job after high school was accounts payable. She loves when things balance - everything feels right with the world. When it doesn't, Debi enjoys finding out why and finding a way to balance. She says math and accounting are trustworthy. They have logic in them. It must be balanced to be correct. When not busy mathing, Debi enjoys her home by the lake and the trees. But her heart is always with her American Eskimo pup, Hannah.

Life's most outstanding question, which came first, Gary Onate or carpet itself? With 40+ years in the industry and 20+ years of service with Creative, Gary is Creative's longest and most seasoned employee. He taught Mark Sr. how to install carpets, and they have stuck together for over 30 years. Gary is the "in-home" face for nearly every job running through the store - visiting almost every client's house, gathering measurements and information, and ensuring all orders and installations run smoothly. Gary spends his free time fishing and has single-handedly caught every large-mouth bass in a 300-mile radius of Chicago.

Gina (aka Gina Kabeena) is a Design Consultant at Creative Carpet & Flooring, helping customers make informed decisions about the flooring they choose. She learns the customer's individual needs and preferences to be able to provide excellent advice on what types of flooring would be appropriate for their space. In addition, she helps them explore different options to achieve their desired look. Speaking of "desired looks," Gina is a girl from the 80s who wants BIG HAIR to return and listens to "yacht rock" on the radio. Her FUN and bubbly personality will make your shopping experience like no other!

Mark C., as we call him, maintains the Highland, Indiana, showroom. Being the owner of a cabinetry installation company, he knows how to make a house a home and treats his customers like family. We're delighted to call him a member of the Creative family! If he ever won the lottery, Mark would give to a few charities, then disperse the rest among family and friends. Then Mark would start a charity and retire. We would love to see him hit that jackpot, but we won't let him retire! Come and visit Mark in our Highland showroom.

Michelle specializes in residential flooring and prides herself on being patient and passionate about helping people. Drawing on her experience managing kitchen and bath remodel projects, cabinetry, countertops, and flooring, Michelle now focuses on flooring. She enjoys assisting clients in selecting colors and styles utilizing her design background. Michelle is a qualified Interior Designer with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design from Harrington College of Design. You might catch her dancing to the showroom's overhead music if you enter the store quietly. Visit our Mokena, Illinois, showroom to have Michelle help you design your flooring project today!

Tim Churchill began his career at Creative Carpet & Flooring, helping in the warehouse when we were relocating and super busy. However, his ability to lift full carpet rolls without using a forklift has secured Tim as a permanent Distribution Center Associate. He enjoys working out, lifting weights, and eating healthily. Tim plans on opening his own gym by 2030, where everyone at Creative will have free memberships. To show him how grateful we are, we shall continue to eat to our heart's content and be lazy. This will enable us to appreciate his gift to us to the fullest extent.

Trish Rosko, the maestro of customer delight at Creative, started her flooring adventure as a consultant, eventually becoming a customer service wizard with over 30 years in the game. She's the smooth operator, fixing issues before they appear, and her motto is "Treat others as you want to be treated." Family gatherings and her summer home in Michigan are her happy places. She's a hockey enthusiast, terrible joke teller, and Christmas tradition keeper—sharing Polish wafers and heartfelt wishes. Oh, and if you're ever looking for her, just remember: she's the introverted superhero behind the scenes, making sure everything runs seamlessly!