By Jennifer Garrett
Madison Magazine
Special To Channel 3000

"There are some things you just can't do with a baby here, like running a forklift." Melissa Clements, owner of Eco-Friendly Flooring, might take the notion of a family business to new heights, but she does draw the line at heavy machinery. When a last-minute order comes in and a pallet of bamboo flooring has to go out in the same day, Clements knows she has to get the order on the truck. She also knows she cannot do it herself if her 18-month-old daughter Marina is with her at the office. With no other employees on hand, Clements can find herself in a quandary.

Instead of fretting, she just greets the truck driver with Marina on her hip and offers two choices: hold the baby or drive the forklift. "They always drive the forklift," Clements laughs.

Melissa Clements, 32, planned to have her daughter with her at work, so she designed her Madison Enterprise Center showroom with Marina in mind. The bright, functional space perfectly displays the recycled glass tile, bamboo, cork and linoleum flooring that comprises the bulk of Clements' business. The area is also baby-proofed, stocked with toys and outfitted with a kitchen. "This is her business, too," Clements says or Marina. "It's basically all for her."

So it is no big deal if Marina sits on Clements' lap while she consults with clients about the right style, the best color, the proper installation. Most of the time it works well, and Clements manages to grow a business and raise her family at the same time. While it might be a bit unorthodox to design workdays around nap schedules, Clements does not believe that kids and careers must be mutually exclusive.

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