Business Spotlight: Country Road Collection

Pat Jenkins found it was impossible to have a career while her husband Joe Jenkins was in the Army. As a military spouse, she spent most of her time moving from one duty station to the next.

Now, the roles have reversed. Jenkins' husband is supporting her career as the founder and manager of Country Road Collection, which sells European antiques and reproductions and offers upholstery services.

Jenkins founded the company in 1978 while the two were living in the Sierra Vista, Ariz., area. When her husband retired from the Army a year later, she sold the business, and the two relocated to Springfield.

Jenkins, meanwhile, had transitioned from being an antique dealer to being a painter.

"I painted everything," she said. "Walls, furniture, rugs, you name it."

Interior design firms in the area soon began using her on a variety of projects. She also developed close relationships with several of her clients, who looked to her for advice when redecorating their homes.

By 1995, painting had taken a toll on Jenkins' body, so she decided to get back into the antique business. Later that year, she opened Country Road Collection on Kentwood Avenue.

Initially, the store only provided merchandise to interior design firms and Jenkins' long-time customers. In 1997, however, she opened the business to the public and moved into a 3,000-square-foot store on East Grand Street.

During this period, she transitioned out of her career as a painter and began working full-time at the store, which grew to more than 7,000 square feet. As the store expanded, so did Jenkins' inventory. Before long, she was renting 12,000 square feet of space in two warehouses.

In September 2000, Jenkins opened a second store called Patricia's in the Brentwood Shopping Center. Shuttling between two stores and two warehouses grew old quickly, however, and she began looking for a building that would allow her to put all of her inventory under one roof.

After searching for a year and a half, Jenkins and her husband purchased the building at 1929 E. Bennett St., which previously had housed Mellers Photo Lab. She then began remodeling the facility by gutting the interior, painting the brick exterior and putting in windows to add more natural light to the store's showroom. In all, the project took six months to complete, and on July 17 Country Road Collection held its grand opening.

"More than a thousand people came to the store during the week of our grand opening," she said. "I couldn't believe it."

Jenkins credits media consultant Jay Nicholson, of Jay Nicholson and Associates in Springfield, for helping make the grand opening a success. Nicholson also helped Jenkins expand her customer base by placing ads for Country Road Collection on six TV stations and a number of local cable TV stations.

Joe Jenkins also has done his part to entice customers to visit Country Road Collection. In fact, he writes all of the store's newspaper ads.

"He's witty and funny, and his ads really work," she said. "He's always coming up with something."

What really draws customers, however, is the store's broad selection of European antiques. Jenkins' interest in antiques was sparked while she and her husband were stationed in England and Germany. Now the two visit Europe two or three times a year so they can shop for high-quality antiques to import.

In addition to selling European antiques, Country Road Collection sells case goods, reproductions, lamps, prints, accessories and gifts. Shoppers also can find items such as antique doors, mantels and many other fine architectural pieces. Rounding out the mix are a broad selection of fabrics and wallpapers.

"We have things for every room in the house here," said Jenkins. "We decorated a model home for a builder awhile back, and the only thing we had to buy was a shower curtain for the bathroom."

Country Road Collection offers upholstery services to its customers, and the store employs an in-house upholsterer. In addition, the store sells antique reproductions that are custom-made from reclaimed wood.

Although Country Road Collection mostly stocks mid- to high-end pieces, Jenkins said customers can find household furnishings ranging in price from $2 to $30,000.

The store currently employs nine people, including a number of designers who visit customers' homes and give decorating suggestions. Jenkins said the store offers design services because most people like to get a second opinion on things like furniture placement, as well as other decorating details.

"During the 20 years my husband was in the Army, we moved 21 times," she said. "I've decorated everything from an old World War II barracks to a fine European home. Believe me, decorating is an art."

Currently, Pat and Joe Jenkins are gearing up for a trip to Europe, which will see them purchase many more antiques for the store. Pat Jenkins said she's also looking forward to adding an exclusive line of new walnut furniture to the store, which she believes will be hit with her customers.