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Becker Furniture World
From a tiny building in a small town, to one of the largest stores in the state.
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Furniture Store Owners Persevere to Build Vision
They started as a 500-square-foot building on the outskirts of a small, unassuming town in central Minnesota. Population: 100. From there, Doug and Julie Huseby have guided Becker Furniture World to be one of the largest furniture stores in Minnesota.
This 23-year-old company began with Doug and Julie as the only employees, doing the loading, unloading, and selling by themselves. It is a small business success story that demonstrates the critical importance of the SBA 504 Loan Program and explains why the Husebys were selected by the MBFC Board of Directors as MBFC’s candidate for the 2001 SBA Small Business Person of the Year Award.
When Doug and Julie learned in 1978 that they needed to vacate their rented warehouse space in Minneapolis in just 90 days, the search began for a new facility for their newborn furniture business. The only area in which they could afford land was in Becker, Minnesota, a rural community located northwest of the Twin Cities. Logic could have ended this success story right then, when 11 bankers declined to provide a loan to Doug and Julie. They relied on their gut instincts, however, and persevered until they located a 12th banker who finally said yes.
Their operation initially focused on wholesale distribution and light manufacturing. It wasn’t long before everything was a problem with manufacturing, Doug said, and dealers bounced checks, leading Doug and Julie to establish a small retail store. Sales were $175,000 that first year. The store then grew exponentially. In 1997-1998, Becker Furniture underwent a major expansion and added a courtyard cafe and numerous small specialty areas. The Becker location now spans four acres under one roof.
Doug says their philosophy has been to visualize what they wanted, and to “gamble if you strongly believe in the project, even if people think you are crazy.”
The problems have been many, especially for a business that grew at 50 percent a year. They quickly outgrew their space, and they needed to attract labor from a further distance. The advent of technology lead to three computer conversions, “each a nightmare,” said Doug, and to the most expensive and state-of-the-art phone system — one that disconnected customers.
Problems, however, have always been looked at as opportunities. Problems with manufacturing advanced the company to new levels. The manufacturing lead to the retail business. The retail business has inspired the affiliation of health companies. Health care lead to a corporate wellness program that saved the company $200,000 in one year.
Today, the company has grown to be one of the largest furniture retailers in Minnesota, with more than 200,000 square feet of retail show floor display and an off-site 120,000 state-of-the-art distribution center. At the time of its 504 loan application with MBFC in 1997, BFW employed 72 people and forecasted creating 16 additional jobs with their expansion. Now the company employs over 260 people and projected sales of more than $40 million in 2000.
MBFC thanks Becker Furniture World for its vital role in building the Central Minnesota region and the economy!
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