CORONAVIRUS  |  2 MIN READ

It’s Time to Move Along

Written by Paul Strack
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It’s time to move along…

Statistics tell us that the average homeowner moves between 5 and 11 times during their lifetime. Usually, the need for the move is a result of a positive change – a larger family, a dream home we’ve had our eye on, a new opportunity. My personal household move count, including childhood moves, stands at 7. Ironically, none of those moves have involved travelling over 15 miles.

While the anticipation of the newness that lies ahead is exciting, the act of preparing for the physical move is often filled with dread.  For me, packing, discarding, loading and lifting are necessary evils. So, doing this 7 times seems like plenty, but statistics tell me I may have a few more moves ahead of me. Relocating a family is one thing, but what about moving a family business?  And one that has been accumulating stuff for 54 years??

Early shot of 1724 Pike Ave. location.

As if we didn’t have enough to deal with during 2020, we recently moved our operations from our longtime home at 18th & Pike to 7th & Main Street in North Little Rock. (And in keeping with my short distance move history, this one was less than 5 miles!) This was supposed to happen in March, but if you recall, things began to get weird back then.

In mid-September, the move finally became a reality. We were leaving a location where I have spent some amount of time since the age of 4. A place that not only allowed my folks to comfortably raise 5 kids but, at one time or another, employ all of them. A place that so many wonderful people enjoyed as their first job; while for others, it was their last. We currently have a team member that is in his 41st year with us and is thoroughly embracing the new location.

New location at intersection of 7th & Main in NLR.

On paper, it seemed simple enough. We were going from a sprawling 11,000 square foot facility that almost encompassed a city block, to an ultra-efficient 2400 square foot location. Yes, that’s correct! Our new location is less than one-fourth the size of our previous facility. So how did that work out? Well, we had a lot to leave behind. Old files, old equipment, old furniture and yes, some old habits.

Our new location has so much freshness about it. The décor is fresh, the Argenta Arts District is fresh, even our team has a new freshness in their step! While we’ve always been a nimble organization, we are becoming so much more efficient in our new digs.  The pandemic has caused us to pivot numerous times, and as a result, we are becoming more responsive, with new ideas and new products coming to light. Our equipment is much smaller and more digitally oriented, while at the same time more user-friendly. It may be a cliché, we are truly learning to do more, so much more, with less.

While we may have left behind some history at Pike Avenue, rest assured that our traditions, our values and our commitment to helping you market smarter made the move to Main Street. I invite you to come see for yourself

(And if you need to purchase an 11,000 square foot warehouse, I know a guy!)

Stop on by, say hello, and check out our new showroom!