traynors carpet store westminster, mdTraynor’s Floors and Carpet History – celebrating 50 years in Westminster, MD

Everyone knows Traynor’s Floors & Carpet, it’s the place you pass daily in Westminster, MD, with the man on the roof. Possibly the best known guy in town is Roland, the 10 ft tall man on the roof pushing the carpet. See some of Roland’s fun looks over the years in our special 50th Anniversary article.

Family Owned & Operated with 3 Generations

We’re a 3rd generation family-run business. Since 1973, we’ve provided customers with exceptional products and craftsmanship. We still remember when products lasted and we still expect that today, offering brands you can trust.

The Traynor Story and the Man on the Roof

“My brother Jim Traynor and I started the business in 1973, … and probably about ’76, we put that man on the roof,” said Ed Traynor, president of Traynor’s Floors and Carpets. “We had a contest to name him and these two kids came by and put a suggestion in the box to name the man on the roof Roland A. Remnant. They won the contest, so that’s the name of the guy on the roof.”

Roland is a 10-foot-tall statue of wire, paint and cement that stands above the Traynor showroom. Every so often the entire Traynor family of 4 generations gets together to give it a facelift. Read article

“When we started the business, my logo was a man pushing a roll of carpet out because my dad was an installer,” Ed said. “We look upon it as good craftsmanship and workmanship is the motivation of the business, and so that’s why we kind of idolized the installer rolling out the carpet.”

old roland Traynor carpet Westminster, MD floorsThe idea for the 10-foot-tall rooftop statue came from a road trip, according to Ed.

“I was driving around in West Virginia back in the ’70s and I saw this big Paul Bunyan character outside of this pancake house, this lodge, and I thought it would be perfect for Traynor’s Floors & Carpet. it would really stand out.”

As luck would have it, the sculptors who made the Paul Bunyan figure had inscribed their names on the bottom and Ed was able to look them up and get a quote for the figure that would become Roland.

traynor carpet roland“It was very affordable at the time — I thought it would be about $20,000 to $30,000, but it was only about $2,000 to $3,000,” Ed said. “They brought it all up the back of a pickup truck, we got a crane and stuck it on the roof, and people loved it.”

 

“People stop by to ask his name or to get a closer look,” Ed said. “It’s been a lot of fun and people remember him.”

Traynor’s Floors & Carpet combines the expertise of 50 years of carpet and floor installation with the beautiful floor products now available. While we are proud of our history we are most proud of helping the families of Westminster, choose the best product for their home and enjoy their floors for years to come.

Come visit the man on the roof! Visit Traynor’s Floors & Carpet, Westminster, MD