Milwaukee-based Office Furniture Resources Inc. has joined the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce to test the southwest Missouri market, according to Operations Manager Mike Gonzalez.
Office Furniture Resources sells used office furniture from showrooms in Milwaukee, Chicago and St. Louis. During a recent chamber luncheon, Gonzalez said he took a vacation to Branson this summer and discovered an opportunity in the used-office furniture market.
"I thought, 'There's no one doing this,'" he said. "We'll give it a shot."
The company's business model is built on saving businesses money by purchasing used office furniture.
"They're investing in the employee instead of in the furniture," he said of client companies. "When you're talking new, you could spend $2,500 for a desk; makes more sense to get it used for $300."
Trucking furniture from St. Louis would cost about $200, Gonzalez said.
"And if you're a 'green' person, you're saving it from going to a landfill," he added.
The company also sells items for home offices and schools, according to www.ofr-inc.com.
Among its services are office liquidations, relocation and warehousing, refurbishing and space planning.
More donations, but smaller amounts
Some business owners may wish someone was ringing bells to fill their coffers this year.
Salvation Army bell-ringers this holiday season will collect a good chunk of the organization's total annual budget. And people have not stopped giving despite economic conditions, said Capt. Jody Dalberg of Branson's Salvation Army.
"The thing we always see is that when things are hard, people know it's hard for everyone, and they continue to give," Dalberg said. "If it's tough for them, they know it's tougher for those who have less. What we're seeing is more people giving smaller amounts."
Bell-ringers started Nov. 6 in Branson and will end on Christmas Eve.
They're in 12 sites, but more are added on weekends when additional volunteers are available, he said. During the week, Salvation Army usually has to pay ringers. A prime location - such as a Walmart store - brings in $200 to $300 for Salvation Army in eight hours.
Law firm moves
Carnahan, Evans, Cantwell & Brown PC is settling into new offices in the Branson Financial Center, 500 W. Main St., Ste. 401.
The 30-year-old Springfield firm added a Branson branch in 2004 through a merger with the Law Offices of Russell Cook.
CECB attorneys practice in the areas of business litigation, corporate and environmental law, employment and employee benefits, estate planning, probate, trusts, banking, real estate, and tax and wealth strategies, according to www.cecb.com.
Cook, now a shareholder of the firm and member of the transactional practice group, said while the office serves large clients including the Branson Landing and Branson Hills projects, CECB attorneys also work with Branson-area residents on estate planning. One concern they hear is about Alzheimer's, he said.
"People are living a lot longer than 30 years ago," so they need help managing their assets in case they were to become incapacitated, he said. "We try to bring some certainty and clarity to that. It's a big part of what we do here."
Best Buy manager notices transient work force
Tim Ford, manager of the Best Buy that opened in April at Branson Hills, said he's noticed differences between Branson and other Best Buy stores he's worked. In filling his roster of 58 employees, he's found a more transient work force than in other markets, creating staff turnover, he said.
He's not sure how that will impact staffing this winter, when business slows in Branson and people go elsewhere to find work.
Also in other markets, the after-work drive time is busy.
"We're very much a day store compared to most stores," he said.
He speculates that Branson residents want to avoid heavier evening traffic when visitors head to restaurants and shows.
"If someone wants to shop in a nonbusy time, come at night," he said.[[In-content Ad]]
Kathryn Buckstaff, membership public relations manager of Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, can be reached at kbuckstaff@bransoncvb.com.
