- The furniture manufacturer opened a retail store in Berlin.
- HFG director shares the impact of the furniture business on society.
- The Chamber of Commerce welcomes new businesses to the city.
BERLIN TOWNSHIP — Furniture is all Albert Barkman has known for most of his life, and opening his own retail furniture business in Berlin is a dream come true.
Barkman is a furniture manufacturer with a store in Becks Mills. And on Wednesday, Oct. 18, Luxe Home Furnishing will open at 4780 E. Main St., on the southwest side of the intersection of Route 39 and U.S. Route 62 in Berlin. celebrated its official grand opening in the former Sommers General Store at.
“I always had a dream of making retail furniture,” he said. “We have wholesale production that we’ve been running for several years. This also works great for our dealers across the country. Now I can bring them in and use it as a showroom and show them our product before they decide what they’re going to put on the floor for their customers.”
30 years of company history
Barkman Products began manufacturing wooden toys and home accessories in 1992 and added cabinet doors and contract furniture. In 2008, Barkman expanded into a spacious, modern facility where it produces premium, high-quality wooden furniture for the home, office and bedroom.
“I want to thank my family and the great support of my staff for supporting me in this venture,” Barkman said. “I would also like to thank all the vendors and suppliers who contributed to the opening of this retail store.
“It came together pretty quickly,” he continued. “We started the process in June and opened a few weeks later on August 4th.”
He said he was excited about the opportunity to set up his retail store in a familiar location in Berlin. He remembers when the property was a Gulf gas station before Somers Market.
Hardwood Furniture Association director talks about impact
Kendrick Mullet, executive director of the Hardwood Furniture Association of Holmes County, talked about the impact of the furniture business on the community.
“Albert’s sister company, Barkman Furniture, is part of our organization of more than 200 businesses in the hardwood furniture industry who work together to market and promote local furniture,” Mullet said. “We do marketing and outreach to retailers across the country to help them find and connect with these small, mostly Amish-run furniture businesses.”
Mullet explained that the furniture offered for sale at Luxe Home Furnishing was the last item in Barkman’s store.
“What you don’t see is the behind-the-scenes, community of small, often family-run businesses,” he said. “Albert gets his panels and adhesives from a local supplier, and they buy their products from a local sawmill. He also gets his knobs, door rails, and things like that from a local hardware store. Once the furniture is made, it goes to a local finishing shop, and the beautiful product comes here.”
He added that this is an example of how the community works together to create these amazing products.
“As a resident here in town, I am also excited to see a new business like this start on Main Street,” Mullet said. “The tourism industry has a huge impact and it benefits all merchants in the city and spills over to everyone in the community.”
Chamber of Commerce welcomes new businessmen to the city
Holmes County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tiffany Gerber welcomed Luxe Home Furnishing to the community.
“This is an exciting day for us to see a vibrant business coming in and adding to the experience of downtown Berlin and the furniture family we have here,” Gerber said. “Bringing this manufacturing business into retail and design is a great addition to the community.
“Retail in this area is a very important part of our tourism product, our quality of life and also the economic health of the community,” the director continued. “On behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, we congratulate Albert and his team and wish them success.”
#Luxe #Home #Furnishings #retail #arm #Barkman #Products #opens #Berlin
