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Event Carpet Outlet offers a unique opportunity for shoppers to buy carpet at drastically reduced prices.

The new store is located at 7300 Highway 411 South, Greenback, and opened to the public Tuesday.

Rich Cantrell, a partner in the business, said the retail site opened to sell carpet and flooring used in another business, Event Trade Show Flooring, which provides temporary carpet and flooring at trade shows. Then, the carpet used at the event is sold at 50 percent off regular retail price.

"This store is a place for us to sell the carpet we have used at huge discounts," Cantrell said. "Events usually last two to five days. This carpet doesn't get much traffic."

Cantrell said most of the carpet comes from trade shows in Las Vegas but also from shows throughout the country. The warehouse is filled with stacks of large rolls in a variety of colors.

However, selling the trade show carpet is only a fraction of the business at Event Carpet Outlet. It is also a full service flooring store with professionals to install everything they sell.

The company specializes in inlaying carpet.

"Using a company logo in a PDF format, we make a template and manufacture, in house, carpet with any logo," Cantrell said. Any company or business can have the professional look of custom inlayed logos.

The store also provides custom dyeing of carpet in any color, perfect for hard-to-find custom colors. Cantrell said the custom carpet dyeing is particularly useful for decorators looking for a special color.

Another service available is edge binding and seaming borders of carpets and rugs.

As a full-service flooring store Event Carpet Outlet sells new carpet, hardwood, laminate, luxury vinyl and rubber flooring.

For the natural look, natural and sisal sea grass rugs are also available and can be ordered in any size.

"Not many people deal in the real grasses," Cantrell said.

Large lots of carpet are available and Cantrell said the store offers discounts to contractors and builders, but those are not the only people he is willing to offer discounts to.

"People that give back to the community, we want to help them out," Cantrell said. "Such as firemen, law enforcement, churches, for example. We want to take care of them," he said.

Cantrell is a Chicago native and chose Blount County as the headquarters for Event Tradeshow Flooring two years ago because of the beautiful surroundings and friendly people.

Event Carpet Outlet is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.