of 10resultsAdd a New CollectionUpload a PhotoRemaining Characters: 100Remaining Characters: 500CancelDidn't find what you were looking for?magnifying glassFurniture RescueMisplaced OkieAfter surviving an F4 tornado, my grandmothers rocking chair and my mothers cedar chest were scratched, gouged, splintered and pulled apart at every joint. We took them to Furniture Rescue to see if there was any possibility they could be put back together and repaired enough that we could at least enjoy looking at them even if we could never use them again. Not only were they put back together, gouges and scratches were repaired, splintered arms and legs were filled in and repaired and put back on. They had to be stripped and restained ,which they called me to come by and choose the colors of stain before they did anything. The end result was simply unbelieveable, they were in better condition than they had ever been, and we use them daily!! Yes, it was costly, but with such extensive work being done on both pieces, the price was not unreasonable.

If you are looking for a cheap fix, this is not the place. If you are looking for top quality this IS the place. If I could give them a 10 star rating....Whom do people in southwest Missouri, northwest Arkansas, northeast Oklahoma and southeast Kansas call when grandmother’s rocking chair is broken, when the back on the recliner snaps or when the cat rips up that favorite sofa? Furniture Rescue in Joplin, founded by Dewey Sheets, Jr. and April Sheets. But whom did the Sheets call when their business was devastated first by the 2011 Joplin tornado then by a warehouse fire? The staff at the Missouri State Southern University (MSSU) SBTDC in Joplin. Furniture Rescue was founded in 2002 as a furniture retailer. With guidance from staff at the MSSU SBTDC, it grew into furniture repair and restoration and warranty work for furniture manufacturers. Then the May 2011 tornado hit the company hard; Sheets salvaged what he could and put equipment in storage in a warehouse on Fourth Street.

One morning Sheets woke up and saw a plume of smoke rising above downtown about 10 miles south. “Surely it can’t be us,” Sheets remembers thinking. “No one can be that unlucky.” The Sheets hustled to the warehouse. They were that unlucky. Before and after photos of wood furniture beautifully restored by Furniture Rescue. “We just stood there and watched it burn like we were watching a movie, because it didn’t feel real,” he says. The Sheets were not alone in their loss. Several devastated businesses had rented space there for equipment or inventory after the tornado. Calling in help from two neighboring towns, fire crews kept the flames from spreading to a warehouse next door, but the warehouse was reduced to a smoking ruin.A fault line opening up right under my feet?” Sheets was used to change. He had been a salesman with a less than fulfilling career until he opened an antique store on Main Street in Joplin. He had maintained booths at antique stores over the years and took that inventory to found Furniture Rescue.

Originally, Furniture Rescue focused on selling used and new furniture as well as unique antique pieces. With the assistance of the SBTDC staff, Sheets determined there was a market for furniture restoration and repair and decided to transform his business into such a company.Craigslist Rv For Sale Greenville Sc Kenneth Surbrugg and Karen Bradshaw, business development specialists, and Lisa Robinson, director of the MSSU SBTDC, began helping the Sheets with more effective marketing suggestions, writing a business plan, developing financial projections and applying for loans.Cardigan Welsh Corgi Puppies For Sale In Wisconsin “They [the MSSU SBTDC staff] have helped us work through every obstacle. Chromebook Rent A Center

The guidance I’ve received over the years has been priceless in developing and transforming my business. I’ve learned how to review my financials and manage expenses. I’m happy to say today that with everything we’ve been through, the business is housed in a building that we own, and I will continue to reach out to the SBTDC for assistance.” – Dewey Sheets, founder of Furniture Rescue After a few lean years, Sheets had increased his clientele, had a unit filled with furniture and had filled another with refinishing materials. Robinson and Bradshaw also worked with the Sheets on leveraging their financial information to make informed business decisions. A few years later, the SBTDC staff also worked with Sheets to analyze financial records, deposit credit card payments and use QuickBooks. Sales increased over the years. But when the recession hit, the company was forced to move to a smaller location and downsize. Then came the tornado. Ironically, the business had experienced some financial benefit from the tornado.

After moving, settling in and purchasing replacement equipment, the business was almost overwhelmed with customers looking to get furniture restored in the aftermath of the storm. Today, Furniture Rescue owns its building, staffed by six employees, and revenue has grown from zero to nearly $250,000 in 2011. Furniture Rescue also recently added warranty work for several large furniture manufacturers, including Nebraska Furniture Mart, and the company is considering a second retail location to sell mid-priced unfinished furniture and finishing supplies. “I have personally witnessed the growth of Sheets as a business owner, learning more and more each year he has been in business,” says Robinson. “At times, the business was barely surviving. Rising out of the rubble of May 22, 2011, and transforming Furniture Rescue into a stable, strong company has been heart-warming to watch. The hours we have worked with Sheets and his company have come together in the past year to show the community a transformation like no other.