Floor entrepreneur sees brighter days

Bud Hurter, who was forced to shrink his carpet and flooring business in Bradenton by more than 50% in the recession, has begun to see a peep of recovery.

“We are starting to pick up a little bit,” says Hurter, owner of the Carpet Depot. “We are surviving.”

Overall sales volume is still down, says Hurter, and profits have shrunk by at least 10%, but there are some positive developments. For one, the firm's list of prospective clients, mostly retirees from the Midwest and Northeast, is growing, Hurter tells Coffee Talk.