Indiana Retailer Drops Furniture for Flooring

Indianapolis, IN, September 13, 2006--Kevin Brewer decided it was better to be a big fish in a small pond. Faced with competition from larger stores, he's closing his relatively cozy Brewer Furniture store at Avon Crossing in favor of a roomy flooring business nearby, according to the Indianapolis Star. Brewer Furniture, with 10,000 square feet, opened in 1995 and established a loyal customer base. Brewer said he wasn't interested in following the trend toward large furniture stores like nearby Godby Home Furnishings and Gerdt Furniture. "That's been where these big box places are going, and I really didn't want to go that big, so I decided to cash in on an investment," Brewer said. "If you want to stay in furniture now you need a much bigger building." Brewer is liquidating about $500,000 in assets and putting the property up for sale. He will take the flooring business to a new location across U.S. 36 to 166 Vista Park Way. The 4,800-square-foot Brewer Custom Floors and More gives him much more display room for floor coverings than he had at the furniture store. "We already have a pretty good customer base," Brewer said. "In this business, you learn to pay a lot of attention to the customer. Now we'll focus on growing." Brewer's business partner Greg Garrison said some customers at the furniture store would buy items four or five times a year. Others came in that many times just to look around. Brewer, 43, grew up working in the furniture store his parents opened in Ladoga 28 years ago. After graduating from Wabash College and trying a career in banking for short time, he came back to the store, eventually running the one in Avon. "I had a taste of the business world and didn't like it," he said. "Business at the store was growing and they needed bodies." Brewer and his wife have two children in Danville High School. He said the flooring business depends on what kind of service one provides, as well as the product one sells. "I always liked the way it is service-oriented," he said. "We kind of go in there and just do what we do." Brewer's workers will install vinyl, wood, ceramic stone, marble and slate floors, as well as carpets and perform custom window treatments. They'll also do deck and patio work. Brewer's parents are closing the Ladoga store and are "ready for retirement," he said.

Related Topics:Floors and More, Coverings

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