An Unusual Journey Leads an Engineer to Flooring Business
This article was originally published on FranchiseJournal.com on May 1, 2026.
Ben Hauser recently launched a new Floor Coverings International® serving communities across southern Minnesota-bringing a rare mix of engineering, global entrepreneurship, and facilities-relationship experience to a business built around helping homeowners love where they live.
Hauser, 47, opened his locally owned and operated flooring franchise in February, serving Carver, Faribault, Farmington, Jordan, Lonsdale, New Elko Market, New Prague, Northfield, Prior Lake, Shakopee, Webster, and Lakeville in Minnesota, returning to his wife’s home state.
After studying engineering and management in college, he sold elevators and escalators for Otis. What makes Hauser’s path especially unusual is the life he built before returning to Minnesota. Born in South Korea and adopted by American parents, he later moved back to Korea to reconnect with his heritage-staying for 13 years and helping run an English-language institute for Korean elementary students. “Living in Korea changed how I look at service, communication, and what it means to create a welcoming environment, Hauser said. “Now I get to bring that mindset into people’s homes-helping them choose flooring that makes daily life better.”
Before opening his FCI location, Hauser spent six years as a GM and was on the co-founding team at Helix Intel, a computerized maintenance system software company built around insurance partnerships. His clients were directors of facilities for schools and municipalities that required clarity, trust, and consistent follow-through. “Everything I’ve done has centered on precision, project management, and building strong relationships,” Hauser said. “Flooring is no different. Homeowners want someone who listens, communicates, and gets the details right.”
Hauser’s move into business ownership followed a corporate restructuring and layoff that pushed him to rethink what was next. He evaluated 15 business options before choosing Floor Coverings International as the best fit drawn to the brand’s in-home experience, consultative approach, and operational model. He also felt a personal connection after building his own custom home and discovering how much he enjoyed selecting design elements like flooring, cabinets, paint colors, and hardware.
“With the Mobile Flooring Showroom™, we bring hundreds of options right to the customer’s home, so they can see what styles look like in their lighting and alongside their cabinetry and paint,” Hauser said. “It’s a better shopping experience-and it makes decisions easier and more confident.”
The business is already gaining traction, with seven jobs on the schedule in the first few weeks. Early trends Hauser is seeing include rising interest in patterned carpet, wider 9-inch LVP planks, and lighter tones or warm color palettes-choices that can brighten spaces and create a more inviting feel.
For Hauser, the business is also personal. He and his wife met while he was living in Korea; she is from Minnesota, and the couple later relocated to the area to raise their family. They have two sons, ages 5 and 8. “I want my kids to see that there’s another way to build a career-one where you can serve your community and create something of your own,” Hauser said. “Maybe someday they’ll even want to be part of it.”
Hauser describes himself as a “societal entrepreneur”—a personality profile that emphasizes community impact and building something that helps others. That philosophy aligns with his goal for the new business: to deliver a smooth, high-touch flooring experience, backed by strong installer relationships, clear communication, and craftsmanship homeowners can feel proud of.
