Family Owned & Operated

Roger Benedict

In 1967, when my parents decided to move to Vail, I felt like one of the luckiest kids in the world. My father and grandfather were in the flooring business in eastern Colorado, and Dad decided that Vail would offer better opportunities. I grew up in the family business and learned flooring installation working beside my dad and his crew.

In 1972 I left college and came home to Vail for good. I joined my two older brothers who had taken over the flooring business, while my Dad, Bud Benedict, moved on to Real Estate. We ran the original Ruggs Benedict out of a small garage in the Minturn trailer park. The business has grown slowly over the years, and with the help of a great staff, we have become the leading flooring business in the region. A lot has changed in the Vail Valley since my days at Battle Mountain High School, but many things have stayed the same. It is still a great place to live, work, and raise a family.

I still believe that I am one of the luckiest kids in the world.

Dawn Harker

After twenty-six years of Sales, Marketing and Management experience in hospitality and event planning, Dawn Harker is employing her skills to benefit customers of Ruggs Benedict. Dawn’s experience trained her to provide outstanding customer service to the upscale clients that visit the Vail Valley. Strong attention to detail and a keen eye for logistics enabled Dawn to consistently fulfill the expectations of this very discriminating clientele.

As she transfers her skill sets to Ruggs Benedict, Dawn provides outstanding customer service through her attentiveness to client needs. After the selection process, Dawn employs her logistical skills to stay on top of the process and ensure client deadlines are met.

Dawn is dedicated to exceeding customer expectations by combining her experience with the many resources available at Ruggs Benedict.

Shannon Elicker

Shannon brings over 15 years of sales & customer service experience to the Ruggs Benedict Team. Her primary objective is to make your shopping experience for new flooring enjoyable and most importantly easy. In fact, many of her clients leave saying, “Wow! I didn’t think this would be so easy!” She will help you to select the right product for your specific flooring needs and take care of coordinating everything from start to finish. The Ruggs Benedict showroom makes it easy pull together a room or an entire house with the perfect carpet, wood flooring or area rugs.

Shannon enjoys all that the Vail Valley has to offer. She enjoys mountain biking, camping, hiking, riding on the back of her husband’s Harley, skiing and the list goes on and on.

Alfonso Aragon – Installation Department Manager

In 1989 I left Texas on a road trip to visit a friend in Idaho. Along the way I stopped in Vail to see another friend. I never left Vail, and still to this day have never visited Idaho. I took a job in construction that at the time was building the Vail Post Office. Then I went on to work as an independent flooring installer. In February 1995, I was hired as a full time flooring installer for Ruggs Benedict. After 3 years, I was promoted to Installation Manager, a position I hold to this day. My most enjoyable challenge is training the crews install techniques on new products. In my spare time I enjoy mountain biking, riding horses and softball. My wife, son and I try to visit family in Mexico a few times a year.

Tom Kelly – Warehouse Manager

My wife and I left California the day after Thanksgiving in 1989. The very next month I got a job with Ruggs Benedict as a flooring installer. While I enjoyed the daily challenges of being an installer I was excited to accept a promotion as Warehouse Manager in 2003. One of my favorite responsibilities is the weekly truck trips to Denver, to pick up flooring orders and supplies. Contradictory to what you might think, I love driving in heavy snowstorms, and actually prefer it to sunny days. The more relaxed pace of the Vail Valley allows me to enjoy numerous hobbies such as; snowboarding, skiing, and hiking with family and dogs.

Gigi Lepley – Store Manager

In 1995 I left my home state of Indiana for Colorado. I worked for a local ski shop for 4 years as a buyer/manager at the base of Vail Mountain. Next I tried my hand in the medical field as an Office Manager of a family clinic. The job didn’t work out but on a bright note I met my husband. I have been the Store Manager for Ruggs Benedict since the fall of 2001. I enjoy the variety this job brings to me daily. Living here in the Vail Valley enables me to do the things I love, such as hiking, biking, skiing, and spending outdoor time with my 4 pets.