About Us
Hank’s Specialties is a family-owned-and-operated wholesaler of high-quality flooring products serving the Upper Midwest with 19 locations.
We have the largest supply of flooring products in the region, and our experienced and knowledgeable employees continue to offer all the latest advances in the industry. Our highly trained sales staff and architectural specialists will work together to assist you with any project—large or small—from start to finish.
We offer in-house delivery across the entire Midwest with our own fleet of delivery trucks and pride ourselves on our ability to control scheduling to ensure that your product arrives on time.
1976
Hank’s Specialties started in 1976 when Hank Grachek and his two sons began selling floor covering supplies out of a 20 by 40 ft. rental garage. Two years later, Hank’s business moved to a 4,700 sq. ft. warehouse in New Brighton, MN. In the years that followed, Hank’s Specialties opened three new locations and continued to acquire superior product lines thanks to long-term, experienced employees, a commitment to superior customer service, competitive pricing, and most importantly, loyal customers like you.
1990
The 1990s saw a decade of tremendous growth. Hank’s not only expanded further into Minnesota with branches opening in Rochester and St. Cloud, but also in North Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Nebraska with new locations appearing in Fargo, Eau Claire, Des Moines and Omaha respectively. This expansion gave Hank’s a strong presence in the Midwest, for both their customers and suppliers.
2003
In 2003, Hank’s moved the New Brighton facility to a 110,000 square foot distribution center just blocks away from the old site. The Rochester and Plymouth locations received upgrades and new branches opened in Cedar Falls, IA; Cedar Rapids, IA; Sioux Falls, SD; Duluth, MN; Rapid City, SD; Bismarck, ND and Lincoln, NE.
Present Day
Today, Hank’s sons, Randy and Bruce, own the business and continue to incorporate the same tradition of a quality product at a great value sold by knowledgeable staff that launched the business back in 1976. Hank’s has now established its footprint in the Midwest with 20 locations in Minnesota, North & South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Wisconsin.
Hank’s installation supplies,
tools and equipment
Flooring tools and installation supplies are at the very foundation of Hank’s Specialties. We strive to carry the most complete selection of brand names in every product category. Hank’s also distributes the Powerhold line of floor installation products. Powerhold Brand tools, adhesives, metal mouldings, seam tapes, tack strip, etc. are ‘Professional Grade’ and are not available in DIY or Big Box stores.
Powerhold Products
Hank’s stocks private-label Powerhold Products exclusive to Hank’s Specialties in the Midwest. Products include tools, adhesives, carpet seam tapes, tack strip, blades, nails, glue sticks, and seam sealers.
Adhesives
Hank’s stocks a wide array of adhesives for carpet, sheet vinyl, VCT, LVT, rubber, SVT, wood, and cove base. We also stock spray adhesives, seam sealers and other specialty adhesives used in flooring installation. Produced by W.W. Henry, Powerhold, XL Brands, Taylor adhesives and Lighthouse adhesives.
Floor Preparation and Repair
Hank’s stocks floor preparation and repair products including self-leveling underlayments, trowel-grade patches for thick or thin applications, adhesive removers, and moisture remediation systems.
Tapes
Hank’s stocks a wide variety of tape including hot seam, double faced, masking and pad tapes, as well as shrink wrap for carpet and vinyl remnants..
Ceramic Products
Hank’s stocks a variety of products related to tile and stone installation including hand tools, wet saws, Profilitec Profiles, thinset mortars, grouts, tile maintenance products, in-floor heat systems, shower system kits from Ardex TLT, Wedi, and GoBoard, and foam boards from GoBoard, Wedi and Ardex TLT. We also offer crack isolation and water proofing products.
Wood Underlaymentsand Tackstrip
Hank’s stocks tack strip for every purpose for residential and commercial installs. Products are available in assorted widths for wood, concrete or gypsum subfloors, and either pre-nailed or un-nailed when mechanical fastening is not an option. Hank’s also stocks truckloads of underlayments in multiple sizes for use with sheet vinyl and tile. We buy from trusted suppliers that offer warranties and quality products.
Metal/Vinyl Trims/Cove Base
Hank’s stocks Johnsonite, Futura, Profilitec Profiles and Powerhold trims. Metals are available, and vinyl trims can be ordered in 36 colors. Hank’s stocks cove base in many sizes and most colors including 2 ½”, 4” and 6” rolls or pieces in rubber or vinyl. New merchandise arrives twice a week.
Tools
Hank’s stocks hand tools, power tools, flooring removal equipment, and much more. We offer Crain, Gundlach, Orcon, Traxx Corporation, Wolff Tools, Rubi, Bartell Global, IQ, DeWalt, and DiaFlex brands of tools for carpet, resilient, ceramic/stone, wood, laminate and VCT/LVT floors. We also offer tool-repair services.
Industry-changing inventions 1988-1990
“Two of the most innovative tools to hit the flooring industry”
bruce grachek & marv berg
Inventors at Hank’s Specialties“Hank’s Specialties is a leader in floorcovering accessories distribution. The Gracheks developed and taught unique new methods of merchandising the products of our industry, involving better in-store displays, lighting, and signage, among other things. They are also associated with two major tool inventions: the Auto-Lok tube and the disposable cove base adhesive nozzle. The industry will benefit from their efforts for a long time to come.”
