Chicago dealer plans 5 Thomasville stores
Heath E. Combs -- Furniture Today, June 12, 2006
Chicago — Thomasville Furniture Inds. is working with dealer Brad Emanuel to redevelop the company's market in Chicago, with a goal of opening five stores in three to five years.
Emanuel acquired two Zierks family locations in Lincolnshire and Geneva, Ill., in August. Two other Zierks stores, as well as a third in Crystal Lake, Ill., owned by another retailer, closed last year, according to Kevin Bowman, vice president sales and retail development at Thomasville.
The Darvin family owns a third Thomasville store in Chicago, Brown said.
Emanuel is working with Thomasville to find locations for other stores to target middle and upper-end retail markets. Some stores may be placed near regional malls, he said.
"It's important to us to go where the people are and make it easy for consumers to shop," he said.
Emanuel did not project when the first new store would open. He hopes to use the new Thomasville store prototype in each of the locations.
"We recognize they are a first-class company and we're very impressed with the executive team and dedicated store program," he said.
