Dream home dreams are fueled by this showroom
BIZ BUZZ
The Ferguson showroom gallery in Baxter opened about three months ago.
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Late last week the business celebrated with an open house with associates, vendors, the Brainerd Lakes Chamber and the Baxter City Council.
The Ferguson gallery is next to sister company Stock Building Supply. Both are Wolseley companies, which is based in the United Kingdom. Bath and kitchen fixtures abound along with lighting, appliances and accessories.
Ferguson, a wholesaler known for its plumbing in particular, has its bread and butter from contractors but is open to homeowners who may want to browse and get ideas for work in their homes.
The Ferguson showroom gallery's ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday brought out a crowd. The showroom gallery opened about three months ago next to sister company Stock Building Supply in Baxter. Brainerd Dispatch/Renee Richardson» Purchase reprints of this photo.
Donna Strobel, showroom manager, said contractors have been finding them. She said Ferguson covers the range from starter homes to luxury with an emphasis on making the home building or remodeling projects pleasant and easy.
That sentiment was echoed by Trent Lee, Ferguson general manager. Lee said their responsibility is to deliver that dream home to customers, to make it fun and easy and to provide ideas.
"We're able to fill everybody's appetite in a sense," he said.
Lee said the lighting and appliances are new areas for the company.
Bath displays at the Ferguson showroom gallery stress the tub's role in promoting relaxation. Brainerd Dispatch/Renee Richardson » Purchase reprints of this photo.
Even with the down housing market, Strobel said the company has been busy through work on cabins and new homes.
Kuepers constructed the showroom, which at 6,500 square feet is one of the company's smaller galleries. An entire showroom area is devoted to Kohler. Ferguson is building a 22,000-square-foot facility in Golden Valley.
The Sunset Cinema in Jenkins is back. Fans of stadium seating and digital sound will no doubt be pleased to hear the theater will re-open with new owners on April 4.
Town Theatres Inc is re-opening the movie theater, which has first run films in a five-screen cinema with 12,000 square feet. The theater will be open seven days a week, year round. New owners report the majority of films will be in the theater on the national release dates.
A trio of sinks in the Ferguson showroom gallery in Baxter, next to Stock Building Supply, catered to a variety of home designs. Brainerd Dispatch/Renee Richardson» Purchase reprints of this photo.
Weekly discounts and specials on movie tickets and popcorn are expected.
Sunset Cinema opened in April of 2005 with owners Clayton and Sandy Sundvall. It closed in February of 2007.
Clayton Sundvall said there was not enough business to keep the doors open and not enough moviegoers bought food or drinks. He said ticket sales mainly covered the cost of showing the movies.
"We think it was much too short of a life for such a nice theater in such a nice community," Shane Martin, Town Theatres president said in a news release. "We couldn't let it stay closed. We know there is a market here for a facility like this and we feel that the community deserves a first-rate movie experience and we will give them that."
A sink on display at the Ferguson gallery follows an up-north theme and may appeal to anglers. Brainerd Dispatch/Renee Richardson» Purchase reprints of this photo.
Martin, a self-professed fan of real butter on popcorn, said the real thing will be used instead of flavored topping which lacks the real movie theater popcorn taste.
Sunset Cinema will have pop and candy, as well. In the near future, customers will be able to sign up online for weekly newsletters that will be e-mailed to them with show time information and trivia, upcoming releases and specials or promotions.
The theater reported it will celebrate the re-opening with reduced ticket prices throughout April and will sell pop and popcorn for $1 each for the opening week.
Gone are the days when a round, sunken bowls set in a counter or pedestal ruled without competition as colors, styles and shapes abound. Brainerd Dispatch/Renee Richardson» Purchase reprints of this photo.
Carlson Hardware of Nisswa announced it has changed from Ace Corp. to Do It Best Corp., which was formerly known as Our Own Hardware.
Customers have the option of placing special orders online and having the shipped free to the Nisswa store. Resident hardware dogs, Abby and Dolly, greet customers.
RENEE RICHARDSON, senior reporter, may be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.