McGrath Floor & Design: Excellence Built on Legacy

Thomas Joseph McGrath enlisted in the Navy in 1942 and served as a Seabee in the 10th Naval Construction Battalion. He was a combat veteran in the Pacific theater, helping build critical infrastructure like the airstrip on Canton Island as American forces advanced toward Japan.

After the war, Tom continued serving — this time as a gunnery and combat instructor at Sun Valley Rifle Range in Rhode Island.

Dorothy Agnes Borlik served in the Navy WAVES, working in the purchasing office in San Francisco. Her work supported the war effort that would help liberate Europe and end Japan’s expansion.

Dot and Tom married on May 28, 1945, just as V‑J Day approached and the nation prepared to welcome home the Greatest Generation.

Post‑war life wasn’t easy. Jobs were scarce. They settled in Stevensville, Michigan, near Dorothy’s hometown of St. Joseph, where they would raise twelve children along the shores of Lake Michigan.

It was there that Tom’s Seabee engineering experience came back into play. Serious shoreline erosion threatened the community, and Tom became instrumental in what would become the defining civic project of the region: the Red Arrow Highway erosion control project and seawall construction.

He helped found the Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce, served as its first president, and worked tirelessly to secure state and federal support for the project. He believed in building things that lasted.

Entrepreneurship came naturally to him as well. A roadside fruit stand eventually grew into the area’s first year‑round drive‑in restaurant: Dot & Tom’s. Dorothy’s cooking and Tom’s business instincts created a destination that kept the family going through long Michigan winters.

When the drive‑in era faded, they adapted again. In 1970, they converted the business into a full‑service restaurant. With a liquor license in 1971, McGrath’s Restaurant became known for steaks, seafood, prime rib, and pan‑fried lake perch — a community favorite.

This was the world Rick McGrath was born into in 1956 — a world where hard work was expected, and excellence was simply the family way.

The Breakthrough: 1974

By his senior year at Lakeshore High School, Rick had fully absorbed his parents’ example.

That summer, while many teenagers slept in, Rick ran miles each morning before heading to work at the restaurant. That discipline carried onto the wrestling mat.

Starting in eighth grade and continuing through high school, Rick was never pinned. He didn’t always win early on, but he never quit. By his senior year, that resolve turned into a perfect 34‑0 season and a state championship — the first in Lakeshore history.

He and two teammates, Ed Krager and Mark Mohler, became known as “The Big Three,” helping put their young wrestling program on the map under Coach Bruce Bittenbender, who would later become the winningest wrestling coach in Michigan high school history.

Rick was Coach Bittenbender’s first state champion. The standard was set.

The First Solo Flight

That same summer, Rick’s mother handed him a napkin sketch and pointed to the backyard of the family restaurant. She described a vision: a beer garden under the large Norwegian maple tree.

Rick and a small crew built it from the ground up in just sixty days — footings, plumbing, framing, bar, coolers, smokers, and all. The Old Maple Beer Garden became a beloved local destination, known for its atmosphere, music, and community spirit.

Rick was just eighteen years old. It was his first major project, built on his mother’s vision, his father’s trust, and his own determination.

The Test: May 2010

Success is one thing. Losing everything is another.

In May 2010, Nashville experienced a historic flood. McGrath Brothers Distributing — Rick’s flooring distribution business — was completely submerged. Inventory, equipment, and records were lost. There was no flood insurance.

The company filed for bankruptcy.

The Fighting Retreat

Rick downsized repeatedly, determined to stay afloat. Eventually, he opened a small showroom and warehouse with what little he had left. He took a deep breath, unlocked the door, and went back to work.

That’s where the retreat ended.

The Pivot

Rick shifted from wholesale distribution to installed retail services. He partnered with insurance service companies, trained crews, and began focusing on restoration and remodeling work.

From that pivot, McGrath Floor & Design was born.

The Triumph: Today

Today, McGrath Floor & Design operates from a modern showroom in Franklin, Tennessee, serving Middle Tennessee and Northern Alabama. The company has completed millions of dollars in remodeling and insurance restoration work and is trusted by major insurance carriers.

Rick still drives long days, answers his phone personally, and visits job sites when needed. The standard set by Dot and Tom — hard work, integrity, and excellence — remains the foundation of everything McGrath does.

Because in the McGrath family, excellence was never negotiable.

And it still isn’t.