Plano-based Rug Doctor LLC is reinventing itself with an innovative new headquarters, new equipment, branding, and a rejuvenation of its mission to be a global leader in the do-it-yourself carpet cleaning market.

Rug Doctor will show off its new look and products Wednesday to Dallas-Fort Worth media at its new office space in Plano.

The new headquarters is intended to create a workspace that fosters employee collaboration, deepens engagement with technology, assists team members to become more familiar with all of Rug Doctor’s products, and to be a magnet for top North Texas talent. The company partnered with Anne Sneed Architectural Interiors on the design.

CEO Travis Lewis is leading the company’s reinvention. He took over leadership of the company in 2015 looking to improve and modernize all aspects of the Rug Doctor business.

“We’ve brought in new talent to infuse external thinking from the consumer product industry and it’s had a tremendous impact in fueling innovation.”
Travis Lewis

“We’ve brought in new talent to infuse external thinking from the consumer product industry and it’s had a tremendous impact in fueling innovation,” Lewis said. “North Texas is a great place to hire, work, and live, so we look forward to continuing to be a magnet for top talent in the area. The new office space in Plano is a prime example of the culture we are working to build to do just that.”

The company began in 1972 in the Fresno, California garage of founder Roger Kent, and it moved to North Texas in 1998.

The business has grown over the years into an international manufacturer and marketer of steam-cleaning carpet machines and other related products. It’s a big business with an estimated $164 million in annual revenue, according to Hoover’s.

As the company approaches its 20th anniversary in North Texas, Rug Doctor is relaunching its rental business with what it calls its most significant innovation and consumer-driven focus since it formed 45 years ago. 

That innovation continues to evolve Rug Doctor’s products. Last week, for example, the company was granted two patents for a “liquid extraction cleaning device and method.”

With the launch, Rug Doctor plans to release all-new products — including the Pro Detailer & Portable Spot Cleaner and the Pro Deep Upright Carpet Cleaner — and optimize efficiencies at 40,000 retail locations including Walmart and Kroger.  It’s the largest new product launch in the company’s history.

RUG DOCTOR INVESTS IN NEW TECH, ADVERTISING

“We listened to customer feedback and created solutions to their pain points,” Chief Product Officer Rich Foster said. “Our scientists and engineers have used the latest technology to ensure our products provide the versatility and ease consumers are looking for while performing comparably to hiring a professional carpet cleaner.” 

The two new machines are lighter, more powerful, versatile, and easier to use, the company said. Rentals start at $19.99 a day. 

Rug Doctor said the Pro Deep Upright Carpet Cleaner was awarded the Carpet and Rug Institute’s Platinum rating, its highest rating, for superior dirt and water removal comparable to the results achieved by a more-costly professional service. 

The machines also can clean hard floors and grout. 

“We listened to customer feedback and created solutions to their pain points.”
Rich Foster

Along with new technology, Rug Doctor has been investing in advertising to get its message out to consumers.

Chief Marketing Officer Jan Valentic wanted the brand to be “contemporized,” and to be more relevant and memorable. 

Rug Doctor rolled out new rental machines early with advertising support in Denver, Colorado, and Portland, Oregon, and the company said early results have exceeded expectations.

Those two markets are up 11 percent compared to the rest of the country after two weeks in the market, Rug Doctor said.

Rug Doctor is projecting a 5- to 10-percent increase in dollar growth during 2018 in the rental relaunch markets versus the company’s other markets.

Dallas-based The LOOMIS Agency was hired to handle the company’s advertising campaign, The Rug Doctor Institute of Clean, which was inspired by the Rug Doctor’s research and development facility.

The company’s campaign has a new Urban Dictionary term — disgustification — that Rug Doctor said can be described as the feeling people get when they pour out the dirty water tank after a deep carpet cleaning and see the dirt and other things that were extracted from their carpet.

PHOTO TOUR

Here’s a first look at Rug Doctor’s new headquarters.

The break area at Rug Doctor’s Plano headquarters includes patio swings and a popcorn machine. The company’s “clean” open floor plan with shared workspaces creates a whole new level of employee collaboration. [Photo: Wade Griffith]

The main conference room would not be complete without a signature Rug-Doctor Red rug. Adjacent to the conference room entry are working Rug Doctor rental machines and cleaning products that are in each retailer. The new work environment was built to deepen employee engagement with technology and help team members to become more intimate with all of the products Rug Doctor rents and sells. [Photo: Wade Griffith]

Framed carpet fibers portraying actor Nicolas Cage in the film Raising Arizona add some personality to a Rug Doctor workspace. A range of cultural characters, people, animals, and designs are depicted in “carpet art” adorning the walls throughout Rug Doctor’s North Texas headquarters. [Photo: Wade Griffith]

Welcoming sculptural dogs stand watch at Rug Doctor’s red-front-door office entry in Plano. Bicycles are available to employees who want to take a ride to get their innovative juices flowing. Since Rug Doctor is a brand used in the home, the company created visual cues in the work environment that invites team members and visitors into the new Rug Doctor home. [Photo: Wade Griffith]

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