Even though Todd Eden does work around the area, he says operating his store in Hartland works well for him.

Hartland Carpet & Flooring, which sells and installs carpet and flooring, gets most of its business on reputation. He said he looked at having a store in Albert Lea or Owatonna but the rent is more reasonable in Hartland and there is more available space.

“I don’t need a big shopping mall or a big store,” he said. “Being in Hartland keeps costs down.”

Eden, who lives in New Richland, had been installing flooring for years when he decided to open a store at 516 Broadway St. in Hartland in 2007. He moved across the street in 2008 to 509 Broadway St.

He said the business community in Hartland is supportive and said he hopes to establish regular hours in a month or so. The store closes when he has to leave for an installation job. He installs what he sells and installs for local companies such as realty agencies and property managers.

In fact, scheduling jobs and store hours is a challenge, Eden said.

“One week we will be kind of slow and all of a sudden the work will come in, and you’ll have two weeks to get it done,” he said.

Most of his customers, he said, come from Albert Lea and New Richland, and he gets some from Mankato and Owatonna. He said some even make the drive from Rochester.

His products include carpets, laminates, linoleum, hardwoods and various kinds of flooring.

The store has some ceramic tiles, but he is hoping to add a greater selection of ceramics this summer. Ceramic tiling is particularly enjoyable to install, Eden said.

“You get a lot more designs and variations,” he said.