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Rick McGrath
Owner, McGrath Floor & Design

Rick McGrath, Founder of McGrath Floor & Design
A Life Built Around Work That Lasts

Rick didn't stumble into the flooring business... He built an honest career the old-fashioned way — by putting in the hours, learning the products, mastering the systems, and staying close to the work.

Today, as owner of McGrath Floor & Design, Rick brings more than four decades of flooring experience to homeowners across Franklin, Brentwood, Nashville, and the surrounding Middle Tennessee market. McGrath’s brand is rooted in a design-first process, careful planning, and the belief that every project should be done right the first time. That same philosophy runs throughout the entire spirit of the operation, from the brand-new showroom to Rick's vision of the perfect website and beyond.

Born March 24, 1956 (St. Joseph, Michigan)

From Michigan Roots to Tennessee Floors

Rick attended Lakeshore Public Schools in Stevensville, graduating in 1974. Even early on, construction and craftsmanship were part of the picture. In high school, Rick participated in a woodworking and building program where students constructed and sold a residential home as their major project. He also became the First State Champion in Lakeshore school history in any sport, finishing his senior wrestling season undefeated at 34–0 and winning the 155-pound class. That combination of discipline, execution, and pride in the work still shows up in how he runs McGrath Floor & Design today.

Rick went on to graduate from Olivet College in 1978. Before leaving for college, his parents asked him to build a beer garden for the family restaurant - McGrath's Restaurant. Acting as designer, supervisor, and lead carpenter, he brought the project to life. It became a defining early experience — one that helped spark his lasting interest in construction, layout, materials, and the satisfaction of creating a finished space people truly enjoy.

Rick entered the flooring industry in Tennessee in 1982 after moving to Smyrna and accepting a position with Building Plastics Inc.

The Start of a Flooring Career

Rick began working with Formica, sheet vinyl, hardwood flooring, carpet, and tile, gaining broad material knowledge across multiple product categories. He quickly rose to become one of the company’s top BRUCE Hardwood salespeople and eventually served as an instructor at the Bruce National Training Center in Nashville. His ability to absorb technical flooring knowledge and explain it clearly earned him the nickname “Woodmaster of the Universe”, a phrase that still fits the McGrath brand surprisingly well. 

Rick’s career expanded beyond sales into product systems and technical performance. In 1997, he joined Para-Chem Inc., where he became National Product Manager for self-leveling and floor-prep materials, while also helping launch and train distributors on advanced flooring adhesive products, including VOC-compliant hardwood adhesives.

Based in Tennessee since the 1980's

Technical Expertise That Runs Deep

Over time, Rick developed a reputation for understanding not just what floor looks best, but what adhesive, sealant, trowel, finish, and installation method should be used for a given application. That product-and-process knowledge remains one of the quiet reasons McGrath projects perform so well over time.

Building a Business — Then Rebuilding One

In 2002, Rick and his brother Patrick launched McGrath Brothers Distributing in Nashville, building a successful specialty hardwood distribution business that became a major force in the Middle Tennessee market. By 2010, the business had grown into a multimillion-dollar operation. Then the flood came. McGrath Brothers Distributing lost its offices, showroom, warehouse, and inventory in the 2010 Nashville flood. That loss forced a complete reset.

What followed is an important part of Rick’s credibility today. He did not leave the business. He adapted. He downsized, rethought the model, embraced new technologies, and rebuilt around a more agile, design-centered approach. Over time, that evolution became McGrath Floor & Design — the showroom and project model you operate today.

Why Clients Trust Rick McGrath

What clients get with Rick is not just experience in years. They get experience across the entire chain:

  • product knowledge
  • installation knowledge
  • adhesive and prep knowledge
  • distribution and sourcing knowledge
  • field troubleshooting
  • project management

That depth is part of what the current McGrath site already communicates: a team that plans projects from design to installation, assigns a design manager, and works to make hard remodeling decisions easier through experience and expertise.

Expertise That Runs Deep

Rick is also still hands-on. He remains actively involved in product selection, project guidance, troubleshooting, and client consultations. That direct involvement supports the family-owned positioning already highlighted on the McGrath site and reinforces why the company is seen as a more personal, more accountable alternative to larger retail flooring chains.

Family Owned Business - 
Founded by Rick McGrath

"When thinking of one word to describe this company I think of family. Rick McGrath will treat you just as he would a family member through the whole process. He will go above and beyond what is expected." - Mary Johnson (client)

A Design-First, Do-It-Right Philosophy

McGrath Floor & Design’s current public message is clear: design comes first, every project is planned carefully, and the goal is to deliver exactly what the customer wants.

Rick’s biography gives that message real weight. He has worked in construction, wholesale distribution, product training, adhesives, hardwood systems, and installation oversight. The result is a company approach that is not just sales-driven. It is systems-driven. That matters when clients are comparing hardwood, LVP, laminate, carpet, cabinets, or full-room coordination and need someone who can see the whole project, not just the product sample.

 

Built on Experience. Grounded in Service.

McGrath Floor & Design now operates from its Franklin showroom, serving homeowners across Franklin, Brentwood, Nashville, and the surrounding region. The company’s About page already describes the business as family owned, design-first, and committed to helping customers get what they really want. Rick’s story explains why. It comes from decades of work, technical mastery, a willingness to adapt, and a belief that quality still matters.

If you work with Rick McGrath, you are working with someone who has seen the flooring business from every angle — and who still believes the best projects are the ones done with care, clarity, and pride.

That depth is part of what the current McGrath site already communicates: a team that plans projects from design to installation, assigns a design manager, and works to make hard remodeling decisions easier through experience and expertise.

Work with Rick McGrath and the McGrath Team

Whether you are planning new floors, a kitchen update, a staircase project, or an insurance restoration job, McGrath Floor & Design brings the experience to guide it from concept to completion. Visit the Franklin showroom, explore the design process, and see why so many homeowners trust McGrath to help them make the right decisions from the start.

The showroom is located at 1010 Perrone Way, Suite 110, Franklin, TN, and the company invites customers to contact the team directly to get started.

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