Empire

Year of Investment:

2021

Strategy

Flagship

Industry

Consumer

Headquarters

Northlake, IL

Status

Active

Website

https://www.empiretoday.com

Business

Founded in 1959 and headquartered outside Chicago, Empire Today (“Empire” or the “Company”) is the largest direct-to-consumer (“DTC”) provider of replacement hard surface flooring and carpet, serving over 70 of the largest US metropolitan areas. Featuring a wide selection of carpet and hard surface flooring products for homes, Empire also sells fully installed flooring solutions to small businesses and property managers. An iconic brand well-known for its “800-588-2300 Empire Today” jingle, the Company has a differentiated business model which simplifies the consumer experience through a free in-home estimate and sales consultation, a targeted product assortment and a coordinated professional installation.

Charlesbank Investment

In November 2021, Charlesbank partnered with management to invest in the Company. The investment leveraged both our experience in the residential services industry through our ownership of American Residential Services (ARS) and our knowledge of consumer spending on home goods through our investment in Wayfair. Having met Empire’s CEO during the Company’s 2016 sale process, we have maintained a multi-year dialogue with him, including through his service on the ARS board over the past several years. We believe our investment will enable Empire to expand its installation capacity, improve sales force effectiveness, drive B2B growth within the residential property industry and broaden its geographic footprint.