The Southern Illinoisan
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
Friday, February 25, 2011
For nearly three decades, these West Frankfort stores have worked together for one powerful purpose: To better serve the people of the region they revere BY JOE SZYNKOWSKI FOR THE SOUTHERN
On a snowy Saturday morning in early February, Jim White sits patiently in the softly lit showroom of BFJ Interiors in West Frankfort, waiting for the day’s first customers to walk through the doors. He is relaxed and reflective, explaining how his staff’s attention to customer satisfaction has kept his furniture business running smoothly since the 1920s. “We do everything we can to help the community of West Frankfort,” he says. Then, as if on cue, it happens. White jumps up from his wooden chair, switches on the rest of the building’s main lights and alerts his staff: “We’ve got customers.” After taking a few seconds to knock the snow loose from their shoes, two customers enter BFJ. Yes, even as the winter weather hampers visibility outside this historic building, the identity of West Frankfort’s storied downtown is easy to see. E.R. Brown Furniture Co., West Frankfort House Furnishing Co., and Coleman-Rhoads join BFJ as the four main businesses that comprise “The Furniture Capital of Southern Illinois.” They are clustered together on Main Street, making furniture shopping a geographically convenient experience for consumers. Each possesses unique characteristics, but it is what they all share in common their genuine regard for the people of West Frankfort that turned competition into collaboration nearly three decades ago. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6F