About Russell Martin Carpets and Rugs. Unforgettable. Serving Naperville and Surrounding Area.

The History of Russell Martin

Dave Martin learned the carpet cleaning trade first-hand from Russell’s Cleaners in downtown Naperville, where Dave worked cleaning rugs and pressing pants while attending North Central College. It was at Russell’s that he learned about fabrics, materials and stains. In addition, Dave learned from Russell what they didn’t teach in school; the fine art of customer service.

Russell In 1978, Dave bought the carpet cleaning side of the business from Russell. Those first years in the business were tough for Dave and his wife Rae, whom he met while working a second job delivering pizzas. They had just purchased the house at 221 W. Jefferson, the beautiful Victorian home which now houses the offices of Hitchcock Design Group. But when Dave and Rae bought it, the home was a real “fixer-upper,” complete with 26 broken windows and a refusal from every agent in town to insure it.

The carpet cleaning business continued to grow, despite high interest rates, the pain-staking remodel of their home, crippling snowstorms and the birth of two babies, Sam in 1976 and Kate in 1978. As things got better, Dave built the coach house that now sits behind the Victorian as his carpet cleaning shop. In 1984, Dave added carpet sales to the business because his clients had begun to ask for recommendations about new carpeting. As a professional who had worked with carpets for many years, he took a logical step and began selling carpets and rugs himself. Again, however, success did not necessarily come easily.

Dave Martin History Unlike many other carpet dealers, Dave did not want to sell entry level or builder’s grade carpeting. He wanted to sell high-end replacement carpeting which would allow him to deliver the same quality Naperville area homeowners had come to expect from his cleaning service. When Dave initially approached Karastan Carpets about selling their product, they turned him down flat. He persisted and today, Russell Martin is the second largest independent Karastan dealer in Illinois.

Over the years, Russell Martin eventually moved from their lovely rehabbed Victorian to the industrial park behind Naperville North High School, then to downtown Naperville and finally to 633 North Washington Street, where they bought an old auto repair shop and devotedly transformed it into their beautiful new showroom you see today.

Today, Russell Martin is the premier carpet dealer in the Naperville area.



The History of Russell Martin Dave Martin learned the carpet cleaning trade first-hand from Russell’s Cleaners in downtown Naperville, where Dave worked cleaning rugs and pressing pants while attending North Central College. It was at Russell’s that he learned about fabrics, materials and stains. In addition, Dave learned from Russell what they didn’t teach in school; the fine art of customer service. In 1978, Dave bought the carpet cleaning side of the business from Russell. Those first years in the business were tough for Dave and his wife Rae, whom he met while working a second job delivering pizzas. They had just purchased the house at 221 W. Jefferson, the beautiful Victorian home which now houses the offices of Hitchcock Design Group. But when Dave and Rae bought it, the home was a real “fixer-upper,” complete with 26 broken windows and a refusal from every agent in town to insure it. The carpet cleaning business continued to grow, despite high interest rates, the pain-staking remodel of their home, crippling snowstorms and the birth of two babies, Sam in 1976 and Kate in 1978. As things got better, Dave built the coach house that now sits behind the Victorian as his carpet cleaning shop. In 1984, Dave added carpet sales to the business because his clients had begun to ask for recommendations about new carpeting. As a professional who had worked with carpets for many years, he took a logical step and began selling carpets and rugs himself. Again, however, success did not necessarily come easily. Unlike many other carpet dealers, Dave did not want to sell entry level or builder’s grade carpeting. He wanted to sell high-end replacement carpeting which would allow him to deliver the same quality Naperville area homeowners had come to expect from his cleaning service. When Dave initially approached Karastan Carpets about selling their product, they turned him down flat. He persisted and today, Russell Martin is the second largest independent Karastan dealer in Illinois. Over the years, Russell Martin eventually moved from their lovely rehabbed Victorian to the industrial park behind Naperville North High School, then to downtown Naperville and finally to 633 North Washington Street, where they bought an old auto repair shop and devotedly transformed it into their beautiful new showroom you see today. Today, Russell Martin is the premier carpet dealer in the Naperville area.