At Great Western Flooring, you will find the message is simple: it’s all about collaboration. 

In recognizing how flooring can play a pivotal role in transforming properties set for sale or renovation, the Great Western Flooring team can guide their REALTOR® partners and respective clients in the right direction, empowering REALTORS® to confidently address questions about flooring types, repairs, and maintenance.

“There is such a natural partnership in what we do with REALTORS®” states Kate MacConnell, the design consultant at Great Western Flooring and a familiar face within the world of flooring. “Sometimes that perfect-sized house in the perfect neighborhood needs an update to the interiors. We focus on helping REALTORS® and their clients see the potential and transform a dated space.” 

Great Western Flooring is a small, family-owned business that offers a diverse range of flooring solutions—from tile and hardwood to laminate, vinyl, and carpet. They also collaborate with partners to provide quartz countertops and Hunter Douglas window treatments. 

Whether clients are seeking materials for a contractor-led project or to do a full installation, Kate and her team are committed to delivering tailored, high-quality service and personalized solutions.

“When I'm making selections with a client, all of my suggestions are based on what I truly believe will work best for their home, not on whatever overstock we need to get rid of that week,” she affirms. “Our focus is on being great: great products, great service, Great Western!”

Kate's journey into the flooring industry was influenced by her grandfather’s restoration business, where she gained early exposure and education about flooring materials and their significance. “I grew up ‘selling’ carpet samples to my cousins in my grandfather’s conference room, and climbing over rolls of carpet and piles of rugs in his warehouse,” shares Kate. Though her grandfather has since passed away, he continues to be a guiding force in her life, inspiring her decision-making and pushing her to make choices he would be proud of. 

Kate's career took her from her small hometown in Northwest Ohio to Chicago in 2004, where she joined a carpet manufacturer housed in the Merchandise Mart. She would work there for the next thirteen years. She says that during this time, “I discovered that flooring is really my calling. I love knowing the ins and outs of how a product is made as much as I love playing with different colors and textures to create a beautiful space.” 

When the opportunity arose for her to join Great Western Flooring, Kate didn’t hesitate. “This company is such a natural extension of who I am as a person,” she shares. “Kindness, trust, community, respect, integrity—these words are literally written into our company values, and they've always been guiding principles for me as a person.”

Kate and her team have a unique way of working with REALTORS® and clients—one that allows them to dive deeper into discovering their flooring needs. For example, as Kate notes, “Going into a listing and not sure exactly what type of flooring you're seeing? I can help with that!”

This kind of consultation normally leads to her educating those involved on how to determine when flooring can be repaired, versus replaced, and providing strategies on how to freshen up homes that are more dated.  

What fulfills Kate most is taking care of people. She finds immense joy in receiving feedback from satisfied customers who appreciate the beautiful spaces they've created together. Their return business and referrals fuel her passion and keep her inspired. “It's also so important to me that my kids see me working hard to achieve my goals,” shares Kate. 

In her many years in the industry, Kate has witnessed significant changes, especially when COVID-19 disrupted supply chains, emphasizing the need for well-trained installers. Great Western Flooring has actively lobbied for increased education and training programs for installers. They also contribute to local initiatives aimed at attracting more young talent to the flooring trade.

Beyond work, Kate enjoys the simple pleasures of cuddling up on the couch together for a movie night or playing board games with her family—her two young children and husband, Jason. “I finally got my ‘suburban mom dream car’ last year—a blue Honda Odyssey—and we're really enjoying going on road trips to Wisconsin and Ohio to visit family,” she says. Kate and Jason are big theater lovers and enjoy getting out to see the latest plays and shows whenever possible. Kate also enjoys spending time cooking and baking treats to share with others. “At Christmastime the kids and I spend a whole weekend making treats that I take to the warehouse as a gift to our team there,” shares Kate. 

Kate defines success as having the majority of her business come through repeat and referral customers. She says, “I approach my work very much the same way I approach life: a stranger is just a friend you haven't made yet, so give everyone your best!”