The adulation is flattering, he says. "I don't know if it's a curse or a blessing. But I have a very unique voice."

His rapid rise to fame, fed by an onslaught of heavy advertising, almost came to an abrupt end nearly seven years ago. He nearly drowned during a 15-minute ordeal in Acapulco, Mexico.

Occasionally, he has trouble getting excited about making a television or radio spot. But most days he can't wait to ham it up. Kallick doesn't plan on quitting anytime soon.

"I'll retire when I can't stand up from the wheelchair to do a commercial," he quips.

The charm of his commercials, marketing pros say, is that he seems genuine. Viewers and listeners want to believe in him.

Ronald Sovik, president of Ad Marketing, a Canton advertising agency, observes, "He's memorable. He always seems to make it sound new and fresh, like you're getting a value."

Known for his persuasive skills, Kallick has pursued customers in the parking lot to give them the "bottom line deal," says Marty Schweiger, a longtime friend and store manager.

While swimming with Rozin and his wife, Terre, one evening, Kallick was swept a few hundreds yards out to sea by the undertow. The ocean also began to swallow the Rozins.

Leif Rozin screamed loud enough to alert rescuers who paddled out on surf boards.

"You know this business about your life flashing in front of you? That's baloney," says Kallick. who was on his high school swim team. "The whole lime I'm saying, "What a dumb way to die. Am I going to die like this? This is crazy.'"

Policies at a glance
Buddy's Carpet has grown rapidly since 1983 when co-owner Leif Rozin decided to expand from a one-store wholesale operation to retail. Here's how he did it, with help from carpet celebrity Buddy Kallick:

Pitch man: Rozin hired Kallick in 1983 to market new retail stores. His flamboyant style seems to work.

Wage control: The company had trouble keeping workers because its base pay was below the industry average.

Volume counts: A low price, high volume business philosophy is critical to the company's success. "Even though you're at a lower margin, you still make money," Kallick says.

Signing leases: Rather than build freestanding buildings, Buddy's Carpet guards its cash flow and debt by leasing space.

No print ads: The owners deplore newspaper ads, which can be buried too deep. Advertising dollars are split between TV and radio.

Quality products: Rozin and Kallick stand by their carpet, saying it's first rate. They steer clear of "seconds," which run more of a risk of holes and mismatched seams.

Employee retention: Recently, the company upgraded commissions to ward off competitors who may try to hire them. Top sales reps and managers are rewarded with cruises.

Customer satisfaction: Workers contact customers after installation to see whether they're pleased. Customers appreciate the follow-up. But it can be risky, Kallick says. The customer might put down the phone and say: "Wait a minute. Let me look around."

Name change: The company started off with Buddy's Carpet Barn but dropped the "Barn" because it didn't suit the quality carpet image the company wanted to project.

Market research and blitz: Rozin says he worked extensively with real estate brokers to scope out new markets and Find the best locations. With expansions in Columbus and Northeast Ohio, the company opened several stores at the same time to make the most of advertising dollars. 

"Folks, in the 93 years that I've been selling carpet for Buddy's Carpet, or at least it seems like it, this is the most incredible offer we have ever made. And here it is, for a short time at Buddy's Carpet, you can get the brand new choice nylon with Scotch Guard stain release. And we're not talking a lightweight piece of carpet here—a heavy meaty chunky delicious piece of carpet. Thirty gorgeous colors. Believe it or not, only $6.99 a square yard. Hurry to Buddy's carpet now. 'What did you say, Buddy?' I don't care about making money. I just love to sell carpet."
—Excerpt from Buddy's commercial