When Tracey Moehling and her family decided to upgrade the flooring in part of their farmhouse in rural Miami-Dade County, they called on an old friend for the job. P.A.P. Builders, Inc. is a 31-year-old general contracting firm specializing in residential work. He is also a long-time customer of
D&B Tile Distributors.
According to Phil Porter, president of P.A.P., “As soon as Tracey told me what she wanted, I told her the only place to look was D&B Tile. They have an excellent selection of quality tile, marble and stone and they are known for their service after the sale.”
“I wanted the wood look to go with the style of our home and found it at D&B. We selected a 10”x60” plank
rectified wood porcelain tile that has the exact look and feel that I wanted. It has a matte finish and looks fantastic in our home. It is the perfect match to the style of our home. We had Phil remove the old tile flooring that had been in place since the house was built in 1981. We now have new wood-look flooring in the entry foyer, the dining room and kitchen/family room.” said Tracey.
“I refer all my customers to D&B. They will take good care of you and follow through on every order. This tile was purchased at the
Palmetto Bay tile store and the salesman was Michael Adessi. I’ve been a D&B customer ever since we opened the doors on our business. I particularly like their delivery system. It is fast and efficient and we have little to no breakage on the product,” said Phil.
For locals and anyone who has ventured off the beaten path to a local fruit stand that has been called a “South Florida Icon” by Southern Living Magazine, Robert Is Here is a household phrase. And, this is the family home.
A fruit stand becoming an icon in South Florida, where delicious tropical produce is available year round, may seem unlikely. But what’s even more
exceptional is that it has remained a local favorite long after being discovered by the tourists. “I take more pride in my community than a lot of other people do,” Moehling says. “I understand the importance of living up to the hype.”
People on their way to the Florida Keys and the Everglades will often take the 15-minute detour down a two-lane road to the squat barn at the rural intersection. White letters mounted on the roof proclaim Robert Is Here. It’s been that way since the second day Moehling set up on this corner in 1959 at age 6. His father, a farmer also named Robert, sent him out to sell surplus cucumbers. He didn’t have a single customer. The next day, his dad painted “Robert is Here” on a plywood hurricane shutter, and young Robert sold his entire crop.
From then on, his mother, Mary, who later became his right hand at the fruit stand, had the school bus drop him off at the corner. Moehling hired his first employee by age 9 and bought 10 acres (where the property still sits) by age 14. Now, his entire family works at the stand, including his four college-educated children and two daughters-in-law.
D&B Tile, also referred to as a Florida Icon, is widely known for its selection of tiles from America and around the world. This particular line of tiles is from Italy. It is a
rectified porcelain and comes in a variety of sizes, colors and textures.
To see these and many other selections of tile, marble and stone, visit any of D&B Tile’s eight convenient locations throughout South Florida. Remember
that the first step to beautiful design is stepping into D&B Tile.
Photographs and article by
G. Richard Booth
