When Sam Prizant opened his first carpet store more than 40 years ago, more than a few customers likely were covering their hardwood floors with the latest in shag carpeting.

These days, wood flooring is back in vogue and the new owners of the now 10-store Western Pennsylvania chain plan to remove the word "carpet" from the store signs soon, making it more obvious they handle all types of flooring.

Sewickley residents Rob Lang and Mark Scioscia acquired the 75-employee Penn Hills chain last week for an undisclosed sum from Mr. Prizant, who is retired and lives part of the year in Florida.

The new owners are entering a competitive business. The Pittsburgh-area floor covering market is worth about $280 million and is projected to grow through 2010, according to Market Insights/Torcivia, a flooring industry research and consulting firm in Reading. The strongest demand has been in the consumer remodeling segment, while the area's new home and commercial markets have been uneven or flat.

Prizant's owners believe their acquisition is the biggest regional player. Other area competitors include Roth Carpet, which lists four locations on its Web site, and Molyneaux Tile and Carpet, which has five.

Everyone has had to pay attention to the arrival in recent years of big box players Home Depot and Lowe's. The national chains have done well in the do-it-yourself and tile markets nationally, said Santo Torcivia, president of the research firm. The industry's smaller specialty stores have been effective in the service-heavy products that require special ordering and installation, he said.

The Prizant's plan is to continue to court the residential remodeling business in part by remodeling the company's own stores, as well as to begin competing for sales to home builders and commercial properties. Within a few years, the chain could expand through additional locations, said Mr. Lang.

By fall, consumers will start to see a marketing and advertising push created by Strip District agency Think Inc. that's meant to remodel the brand, which is known for ads featuring the founder and "no interest" financing.

Neither of the new owners has a background in the flooring business. Mr. Lang helped found two area consulting firms, Blue Hammock and Telescope Consulting. Mr. Scioscia's resume includes helping to open a glass products fabricator and a powdered metals recycling company.

They were looking for a business involved in something that couldn't be outsourced to China or disappear with the next technological innovation. "You still have to walk on a carpet. You still have to walk on a floor," said Mr. Lang.