Throughout Dan Gill’s career in flooring he said he has worked in the warehouse, installed and sold flooring, and owned his own business in Austin, which he eventually sold. Later he opened a business in Georgetown.

“My wife and I have been doing this pretty much our whole lives—the floor and carpeting business,” Dan said. “I did it all. … I just can’t get away from it.”

Along with his wife, Dixie, he opened Eagle Rug & Floor in 1997 with a focus on family.

“We are a family-run business,” Dan said. “We are a mom and pop [shop], and it’s the extreme. [We are] the ultimate mom and pop shop. … Between [the three of us] we have probably 75 to 80 years of experience.”

The Gills run the business with their daughter, Dara, and their granddaughter Presley May, who is 22 months old, is a fixture in the shop.

“She’s here every day. … [Presley] is the real boss around here,” Dan said, adding that he is moving to a part-time role in the business.

Along with the members of his biological family, Dan said he considers the installers who work for the store as part of his family, too.

“Many of the installers have been with us for years,” he said. “We know our people; we’ve watched their kids grow up. I trust every one of my guys.”

The store offers hardwood, ceramic, granite, natural stone, tile, vinyl, vinyl plank, decorative tile and carpet flooring options.
Dan said one of the store’s biggest sellers recently has been vinyl plank, which is made from recycled vinyl that is made to look like wood or tile and is water-resistant.

“Vinyl plank seems to be one of the bigger trends right now,” he said. “It has easy maintenance and doesn’t stain. ... The realism is good and has great aesthetic value.”

Dara said the store has also seen a recent surge in carpet sales.

About 90 percent of the store’s merchandise is American-made, and what is not comes from countries, such as Belgium, with strict regulations and standards for production and quality, Dan said.

“Making sure products are made in America is important to us,” Dan said. “We’ve really come a long, long way in our industry in terms of manufacturing in the United States. There has been a big conversion within the flooring industry.”

Along with focusing on American-made flooring, Dan said the store offers many products that are made from recycled materials.

“A lot of the companies now are recycling,” he said. “I’ve got a grandchild, and I want to make sure if I’m going to put something in my house and in my granddaughter’s house, it’s important [it’s safe]. I’m excited about the [environmental] awareness; I’m excited about the industry as a whole. … Most of the carpet being made is being recycled again.”

Eagle Rug & Floor also offers free measuring and custom area rugs, Dixie said.