Page 3 - Locally Owned Business Guide March 2015

Advertising Supplement Tri-Lakes Edition of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Sunday, March 15, 2015 • 3TT
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JOHN STON 'SHOMECEN TER STOREHOURS
1423MilitaryRd •Benton,AR72015•501-315-6697 Mon-Fri9-6,Sat9-5
w w w .john ston shom ecen ter.com
Clo sed S u n d a y
JOHNSTON’S HOME CENTER
Store’s product lines surge into computer age
Johnston’s Home Center has offered sewing machine sales and service to Benton and the surrounding areas since 1979.
After working in a Singer sewing- machine store in Magnolia for a few years, owner Joe Johnston and his wife, Kristin, saw an opportunity when Benton’s Singer store went up for sale. The couple bought the business and have expanded to include home appliances as Johnston’s Home Center, but the sewing-machine side of the business is going strong.
“In our sewing department, we have one of the largest displays of software and machines of any store, probably, in the state,” Kristin said.
Joe and Kristin’s daughter, Billie Jo Cooper, manages the sewing department. The store stocks sewing machines, embroidery machines and quilting machines, as well as software
for the latest models. Kristen said the store’s staff has worked hard to keep up with changes in the sewing industry and in computerized sewing machines. The store carries sewing-machine models from Brother, Babylock and Bernina.
“The machines have gone to where you do a lot of your work on the computer and then take it to the machine to stitch it out,” Kristin said. “The technology has just grown with the computer age.”
In addition to sales, the store offers several classes during the week on sew- ing machines, techniques and software. The store also has three sewing-machine technicians to perform repairs.
Johnston’s Home Center is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
1423 Military Road • Benton 501-315-6697 • www.johnstonshomecenter.com
Arkansas' LARGEST SELECTION of Outdoor Furniture & Grills
19650 I-30 Benton, AR 1-(800)-421- 4447 • Mon - Sat 8-6 www.congofp.com
LARGEST SELECTION IN THE MID-SOUTH
CONGO FIREPLACE & PATIO
Business keeps tradition aflame
It’s hard to imagine the retail land- scape of Saline County without the pres- ence of Congo Fireplace & Patio. The specialty retailer has been around since 1920, when it was started by general man- ager Bryan Maertens’ grandfather as a mercantile store.
Since then, the business has sold a variety of merchandise, including hardware, groceries, lumber, feed and wood stoves. Now, Congo sells fireplace and gas logs, gas grills and outdoor furniture.
“We have a service department and we strive to service what we sell,” Maertens said. “There are still a lot of consumers that want to buy from a dealer that stands behind their products and is able to ser- vice them.”
Congo Fireplace & Patio strives to provide customers with good-quality products at reasonable prices. Also, as a specialty retailer, the business always
has unique and up-to-date products. It is important to the 17 staff members, who collectively have more than 50 years of ex- perience, to be very knowledgeable about the store’s products.
“This is what sets us apart from other retailers,” Maertens said.
Maertens also said he believes it’s im- portant to know the customer’s needs and for employees to fill those needs in the best way possible.
Congo Fireplace & Patio carries an extensive line of wood and pellet stoves and inserts, and has the largest selection of gas grills and outdoor furniture in cen- tral Arkansas, he said. Additionally, the store has 30 live burning displays.
The business is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
19650 Interstate 30 • Benton 501-316-4328 • www.congofp.com
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