AMERICAN CARPET SOUTH CASE STUDY
Equipping Managers with Best-In-Class Development
How ACS supported growth and scale through cohort-based management training.
Program Feedback
Fewer HR Escalations
Stronger Performance Reviews
Increased Manager Confidence
Overview
American Carpet South (ACS), a 140-person flooring installation company, had a pattern common to fast-growing organizations: high performers were being promoted into management roles without the tools to lead people effectively. Traditional training formats weren't creating lasting change.
Through Oxygen's Management Essentials program — a six-month, cohort-based experience — ACS equipped their managers with practical leadership skills they could apply immediately.
The results: fewer HR escalations, stronger performance reviews, increased manager confidence, and a lasting peer network that extends beyond the organization.
The Challenge
When performance doesn’t equal people leadership.
ACS has a strong track record of promoting from within. High-performing employees are regularly tapped to step into management roles, but leadership recognized that performance alone doesn’t prepare someone to lead people effectively.
From an HR standpoint, George Garcia, Director of HR, saw the impact show up most clearly during performance reviews and day-to-day employee conversations.
“Difficult conversations are hard for anyone,” Garcia said. “And many managers don’t realize where they need support until they’re in the middle of those moments.”
ACS had previously invested in traditional training formats, including long, in-person sessions spread across consecutive days. But while the content itself was valuable, it didn’t consistently translate into lasting behavior change.
“When you sit in a room for hours at a time, you might walk away with a couple of things, but it doesn’t always stick,” Garcia explains. “That’s not how learning works.”
“We promoted strong performers into leadership roles, and we wanted to help them mature on the people side of the job. Things like communication, confidence, and tough conversations.”
- Ed Camp, COO
The Solution
A practical approach to manager development with Oxygen’s Management Essentials program
As ACS evaluated different approaches to manager development, the team was clear about what wouldn’t work: one-off workshops, generic content, or programs that lived outside the day-to-day reality of managing teams across locations.
ACS enrolled their managers in Oxygen’s Management Essentials program.
This is Oxygen’s six month cohort-based experience centered on real scenarios, peer discussion, and practical application.
Selection was a joint effort between HR and senior operations leaders, and the program was positioned as a meaningful investment, not a checkbox.
Results
Shifts in how managers lead
“The biggest change I’ve seen is confidence. Just because one group went through doesn’t mean we’re done. We’re building a bench.”
Stronger Performance Reviews
Fewer HR Escalations
Increased Manager Ownership & Confidence
Fewer Escalations & More Ownership
From HR’s perspective, one of the most meaningful shifts was how managers approached challenges. Instead of coming to HR asking them to fix things, managers started coming with a plan and asking for input.
Increased Confidence & Clearer Communication
Over time, leadership saw managers become more grounded and confident in their roles. The language in performance reviews changed — it became more constructive and focused on growth instead of just scoring someone against a list.
A Peer Network That Extended Beyond ACS
Managers built lasting relationships with peers outside the organization. They still connect with people from their cohort, bouncing ideas off each other — an unexpected but incredibly valuable outcome.
“Invest in management training unless you want countless meetings managing the managers. When you give them the tools, HR can be strategic, not the people police.”
- George Garcia, Director of HR
YEAR FOUNDED
1993
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES
140+
MISSION
Deliver unparalleled flooring solutions with a personal touch.
Invest in training that drives results
Your managers are the bridge between your strategy and your results.
Investing in their success isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s a business imperative.
👉 Schedule a Consultation to learn how Oxygen can help you build a stronger, higher-performing organization.