Steve Fisher has enjoyed being a tradesman as long as he can remember. That joy in seeing a job done right from start to finish began as a stone mason in Rochester, N.Y. He quickly learned that upstate New York winters were not a stone mason’s friend.
“Epic snowstorms, weeks of below freezing temps. It was so cold, and we couldn’t work, so I started finding other things to do,” said the owner of Floors To Go By High Tide. “That led me to flooring, and it’s been my thing ever since.”
He started a small installing operation in Rochester before a 1984 vacation to Hilton Head Island abruptly changed his plans. “I mean, the beaches, the beer and the beautiful women. What more could a single guy just off a bad breakup want?” Fisher said. “I went home, loaded up my tools and my dog into my truck and came here for good.”
The islander newbie hit up the area’s biggest flooring company, Louis Sterling, and was hired instantly. The more he learned about the business, the more Fisher was determined to start his own venture. And so, Floors To Go was born.
Fisher’s entrepreneurial spirit was built around simple tenets and the morals and work ethics instilled in him by his parents. “Honesty and quality work are always going to win out. I believe in my crews; I pay them well and they deliver for our customers and work hand-in-hand with any builder,” he said. “We all sell the same thing, but I know no one will beat us in customer service and craftsmanship. Pricing is always key, and I know we’re competitive, even with the big box stores.”
Floors To Go offers the highest-quality hardwood, laminate, vinyl, tile and stone, carpet and area rug brands, all on display in the company’s showroom on Mathews Drive. The operation has grown significantly through the years, with about 70 percent of the installs residential and 30 percent commercial. The growth has led Fisher to open three warehouses and two more showrooms—a building focused on vinyl and laminate next door to the main showroom and another dedicated to tile and stone across the street.
“We began in a 20-by-20 office, and we have grown our operation year-in, year-out. It’s been 30-plus years of growth, even through the recessions and the worst of times,” he said.
Fisher attributes the success to the intangibles beyond the quality products he offers. “There’s something to be said for the local guy who’s there every day,” he said. “We have customers now where I’ve done work for their children and their grandchildren. We want those relationships; they matter.”
Fisher also wants his potential customers to shop around. “I want them to Google, want them to see what other customers say,” said Fisher, who is proud of the company’s five-star rating on the industry review site Customer Lobby.
He laughs when thinking of how the industry trends have shifted just in his 40 years in the business. “It was a lot of hardwood at first, smaller planks, three-inch Bruce flooring. Now, you see eight-, nine- and 10-inch planks that are seven feet long,” he said.
Carpet is still the most affordable option and great for bonus rooms and guest rooms, where soft and quiet landings are key. As simple as it can be to install, the product provided Fisher with one of his greatest-ever challenges.
“We will do whatever custom work folks desire. I remember one job, when I was still installing, when Windmill Harbor Yacht Club first opened. It was wall-to-wall carpet but with extensive borders and patterns—so intricate, but it turned out beautiful,” he said. “We don’t see those kinds of carpet requests these days, but it was definitely a huge trend in the ’90s.”
Tile and stone have always been a go-to look for islanders and was 50 percent of the business early in the 2010s. “Porcelain tile looks like real stone and is so much easier to take care of,” Fisher said. “The grouts are even getting better. It’s 30 percent harder than ceramic. It’s truly a lifetime floor. Tile is just so classic, and we’ve had some amazing supplier relationships through the years that give our customers the best in beauty and quality.”
Luxury vinyl has been all the rage the past five years, as the quality of the product has made it hard to tell it apart from hardwood. It’s so popular, it’s become equally requested alongside tile and hardwood. “It has truly come a long way. I remember doing oceanfront homes back in the day in Palmetto Dunes and thinking, ‘The customer really wants vinyl?’ But I’ll tell you, the look, the length of the planks, it has been a game changer for customers the past few years.”
Especially those who value durability as much as style. “I had a friend in Hilton Head Plantation; he had two huge dogs, and they just destroyed these antique pine floors,” Fisher said. “We put this luxury vinyl in; he couldn’t tell the difference from the pine, and the dogs couldn’t scratch them up, no matter how much they ran around.”
Fisher and his crew will adapt to any client’s budget or tastes. “That luxury vinyl, it’s cheaper than the highest-end hardwood, but we have some beautiful wood that won’t break the bank either—a high-end look for about the same price as that luxury vinyl,” Fisher said. “We’re here to consult, but we can match any customer’s dream vision.”
He can make that promise in large part because of the staff that’s become family. Fisher said folks like his office managers, Pam and Katrina, and inside sales specialist Tawana Best have been the backbone of the operation, as vital to the company’s success as his loyal and highly skilled installers. “It’s a big family atmosphere in here, and I think that personal touch means the world to our customers,” he said.
Fisher has not always been a fan of the internet, especially when it leads to folks getting stuck with inferior product from less-reputable sellers. But just as he has adapted to industry trends, he’s seen how a user-friendly and detailed web presence can complement the in-person experience, especially during the pandemic.
“We have a room visualizer tool on the site that gives folks a realistic view of what our products will look like in their space before they come to the showroom, and it’s been invaluable,” Fisher said. “You can learn about the company, find out about financing and get a great introduction to our business. My biggest concern was always looking out for the customer, and we’ve made the Web work for both us and the customer.”
Floors To Go guarantees every install and product they sell, with both a 60-day satisfaction guarantee on carpet and hard surface work and an exclusive carpet lifetime warranty on stain, soil and wear. “There’s no hours-long maze of phone robots. We’re right here on Mathews Drive, and we want every customer to be fully in love with our efforts,” Fisher said.
Countertops are a newer offering for the company, a natural evolution driven by customer demand. “Our installers get so many questions about matching the floor and countertop looks, so we saw an opportunity to service our clientele better,” Fisher said. “Quartz is the trend right now, and we have some stunning options to choose from.”
Fisher is still as in love with the Lowcountry as when he planted roots in 1984. He met his wife Bonnie here and married in 1989 (she’s the company’s head bookkeeper; they have one daughter, Emily). He’s ridden the trends waves, serviced the population explosion in Bluffton, and is proud of the reputation his company has built.
“The work is always interesting, and the relationships are our bond,” he said. “I love our repeat customers, and I’m just as excited to greet the new customers as I was the first day we opened our doors.”
Come see Steve and his staff at Floors To Go By High Tide at 123 Mathews Drive, call them at (843) 681-4925, or visit them online at hiltonheadisland.floorstogo.com.
