Brasure’s Carpet Care

From the back row, left to right: Justin Brasure and David Brasure. Front row, left to right: Heather Brasure, Amber Brasure and Peggy Brasure. | DBT PHOTO BY LUIGI CIUFFETELLI

Founded: 1983

Generations: Two

Employees: 18

The Brasure family is a family of entrepreneurs. So it’s no surprise that family members make up just over a quarter of the 38-year-old carpet, upholstery, tile and grout cleaning company’s staff of 18.

And for those who aren’t blood-related, they’re part of the family, too, President and Co-Founder David Brasure said.

“We’re truly a family business,” he said, recalling how his uncle helped him launch the business in 1983. It quickly grew, as did his family. On the business’s one-year anniversary, he married his wife, Peggy Brasure, and soon their young children would become regulars in the company’s Selbyville-based office.

What began as a one-man carpet and upholstery cleaning operation in a two-car garage expanded to a more than 8,000-square-foot plant  in 1997.

Now Brasure’s family has grown as well and continues to support the family-owned business: Their daughter, Amber Brasure, and son, Justin Brasure, serve as company vice presidents, while their daughter-in-law, Heather Brasure, is also part of the team.

The Brasure family also claims to have Sussex County business roots dating back to the 1700s, when three Brasure brothers began a salt-making company in southern Delaware. David Brasure said the salt pot they used can be found next to the Fenwick Island Lighthouse.

Beyond those deep local roots, Brasure’s Carpet Care boasts that it is one of only two companies in the state that offer oriental rug cleaning, a specialized service that requires the right balance of chemicals, training and skills. They also give back to the community through their support of the Roxana Volunteer Fire Company and as sponsors of the Carl M. Freeman Foundation.

Not only have employees stuck around for decades, but so have Brasure’s customers. David Brasure said there are some who have returned generation after generation because of their dedication to their customers.

Its founder said the company’s success hinges on treating everyone like family.

“To see a customer’s face when you take a carpet that looks like it needs to be thrown away and you make it new again, it’s very very satisfying,” David Brasure said. “That’s what’s kept us going. When they call they know they don’t have to think twice about anything – we just take care of it.”