Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Abbott.
Hi Kevin, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Abbott Paint & Carpet has been proudly serving the Twin Cities and surrounding communities since 1945. Our journey began in St. Paul, Minnesota, when our founder and father, Howard “Mike” Abbott, opened a small paint store with a clear mission: to provide quality products with honest, personal service. That mission still guides us today.
Over the years, we grew from a single paint shop into a full-service home design destination. In the 1980s, we expanded our offerings to include flooring, allowing us to better serve customers looking to transform their homes from the floor up. As our reputation for quality and service grew, we opened additional locations in White Bear Lake and Stillwater, giving more Minnesotans access to our experienced team and thoughtfully selected paint, flooring, and design solutions.
Now in our second generation of family ownership, Abbott Paint & Carpet continues to thrive as a trusted name in home improvement. Whether you visit us in St. Paul, White Bear Lake, or Stillwater, you’ll find knowledgeable staff, exceptional service, and a passion for helping customers bring their vision to life.
From our humble beginnings to our three-location presence today, our commitment remains the same: quality products, expert advice, and a local touch you can count on.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Like most small, family-owned businesses, our journey has had its fair share of ups and downs. Staying in business for over 80 years requires not only passion and hard work, but also the ability to adapt to change, sometimes quickly.
There have been challenging moments: economic downturns, shifts in the housing market, supply chain issues, and most recently, navigating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Each of these brought uncertainty and required us to pivot, reassess, and find new ways to serve our customers and support our team.
One of the most difficult moments in our journey was the passing of our founder, and father, Howard “Mike” Abbott in 2016. His vision and values were the foundation of everything we do, and losing him was not only a personal loss, but also a pivotal moment for our business. It reminded us of the importance of carrying forward his legacy, of integrity, customer care, and hard work in every decision we make.
Through it all, our focus has never wavered: take care of our customers, take care of our staff, and stay true to our roots. The road hasn’t always been smooth, but it’s been incredibly rewarding—and we’re proud of how far we’ve come.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My name is Kevin Abbott, I am the President of Abbott Paint & Carpet, and work out of our St. Paul store. A running joke around here is that I am the “Gretzky” of color matching, meaning, you can bring in a chip of paint off your current home you’re looking to match, or even a hair ribbon you love and want to paint a bedroom the same color, I can match it with near precision by hand.
Of course technology has come a long way since I started working here back in the 1970s, and certainly since we were founded in 1945, but there is something about still working through the process manually that makes all the difference, and certainly sets us apart from our competition in the box stores.
I’m most proud of the team we’ve built. Many of our employees have been with us for decades, and they genuinely care about the people we serve. We’re not a big-box store—we’re local, personal, and hands-on. That means we have the flexibility to give customers the kind of attention and support that’s getting harder to find these days.
What truly sets us apart is our commitment to doing things the right way—honestly, thoroughly, and with heart. We’re proud of our history, but we’re even more excited about the future and continuing to grow while staying true to the values our company was built on.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up as the oldest of seven kids in a family deeply rooted in St. Paul and a small business, was a unique experience, and one that shaped a lot of who I am today. From a young age, I was taught the value of hard work, responsibility, and being a team player—because in a big family, and in a family-run business, you learn quickly that everyone has to pitch in.
I was definitely the responsible one, maybe even a little too serious at times, but with that many siblings, I also had to learn patience, flexibility, and how to lead by example. There was always something going on, we all played on multiple sports teams, and we helped out at the store, our mother ran the ship, but I was certainly back up to help things run smoothly in our household.
Some of my earliest memories are of being in the paint store with my dad, watching how he treated customers and handled the business with care and integrity. I didn’t realize it then, but those moments laid the groundwork for the values I carry with me today—both as a business owner and as a person.
So while I might not have been the wild one growing up, I was definitely the dependable one, and I think that steady, grounded mindset has served me well, especially in leading our company through times of growth and change.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.abbottpaint.com
- Instagram: @abbottpaintandcarpet
- Facebook: @abbottpaintandcarpet
