(Photo courtesy of The Record) The new Clarks Hardware Hometown Furniture store fills with inventory. Pictured are Wendy Weaver, who will oversee the store, and Kevin Schaeuble, who oversees Plendl Feed Service’s “doing business as” activities. The store is set to officially open on March 1.
KINGSLEY — A new store, Clarks Hardware Hometown Furniture, will soon open in Kingsley.
The owners of the new business are no strangers to Kingsley.
Rob and Bob Plendl of Plendl Feed Service, Inc., in Kingsley, have invested in two other downtown entities in recent years. They also do business as Clark’s Hardware and more recently the Hometown Pantry grocery store.
Kevin Schaeuble, who has worked at Plendl Feed Service as an office manager for 22 years, also oversees the dba activities.
He said the furniture store is an extension of Clarks Hardware and Wendy Weaver will oversee it.
He explained that the hardware store started selling mattresses and recliners in 2019.
“Ashley Direct was at one of our United Hardware buying shows, so we decided to give it a try,” Schaeuble said.
From 2019 to 2021, their furniture sales quadrupled. The current display area is 200 square feet in what used to be the back office and near the electronics in the store.
With the increase in sales, it was decided to build a new building between the hardware store and the grocery store that the Plendls already owned.
“Construction began in early fall 2021 and the building is approximately 2,600 square feet. We’ve had a few setbacks, but we’re looking forward to opening in early March,” Schaeuble said.
“Currently, we sell furniture from Ashley. I should clarify that we are not an Ashley Homestore and are looking to buy other brands,” he said.
Plans call for items such as recliners, lift chairs, sofas, loveseats, sectionals, kitchen, space, end tables, bedroom sets, pillows, cushions and blankets , lamps and more.
“Once Wendy is on board, we will be bringing area rugs, wall hangings and other accessories. These items will need a feminine touch,” Schaeuble said.
They have been stockpiling since September 2021 and currently have over $70,000 in inventory on hand.
Hardware’s website is kingsleyhardware.com. On the website, customers can search for furniture available at Clarks Hardware Hometown Furniture. Not everything on the website is in stock.
Schaeuble said it was important to bring a business like the furniture store and keep the grocery and hardware store in a community the size of Kingsley.
“Progress strengthens and ensures the survival of a small community like ours. The furniture store will bring new people to our community. They will buy other businesses in our community.
“I imagine families moving to Kingsley once they see what we have to offer. Kingsley is a great place to raise children and we have a great school, golf course, swimming pool, lots of businesses and medical care, such as a new pharmacy, eye doctor, chiropractor, dentist and family medical center MercyOne,” he said. noted.
Having community support is also a good reason to invest.
“Our city’s mayor and council have been very supportive of all the improvements we have and others have made.
“If you look at other communities like ours, you see what happens when they lose a business like a grocery store, other businesses will close. We all feed off each other. The fewer businesses you have, the fewer people you have coming to your town. A small community must be proactive and build its own future. That’s what Kingsley does. We refuse to become a city that once was. We also try to support neighboring communities that support ours,” Schaeuble concluded.
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