COLUMBUS - In many ways, Stanley Steemer's growth has been a magic carpet ride.

The carpet-cleaning company based in Dublin, Ohio, a Columbus suburb, has more than 300 franchises in 48 states - and it all started with a one-person cleaning service in 1947.

When Jack Bates started out, wall-to-wall carpeting was becoming popular because a new process had cut the cost of manufacturing in half. From the Toledo Blade.