Collier’s Breaks Ground For New Building
July 23, 2019 at 12:18 a.m.
By David [email protected]
Monday, Collier’s held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new building at 2315 N. Shelby Drive.
Joe Collier, co-owner of Collier’s, said he never expected the business to grow so much when he co-founded it over 30 years ago.
“I had no idea. I had no forethought to how large this company could be,” he said.
Collier’s currently is at 2365 N. Shelby Drive after moving from 2499 E. Winona Ave. in the past year due to the roundabout going in at the intersection of Winona Avenue, Argonne Road and Kings Highway.
Collier’s Fireplace Shoppe, which opened about 19 years ago, remains at 2499 E. Winona Ave., but once the new building is completed in October, both businesses will be at the 2315 N. Shelby Drive location.
“It’s going to be nice to double our showroom from about 1,000 to 2,000 square feet for our fireplaces,” said Collier.
He founded the business with Ken Diekhoff, who retired in 2017. Diekhoff’s shares were sold to Kevin Lehman and Chuck Ault, who came in as junior co-owners, according to marketing specialist Rachel Stephen. When Collier retires – and he hasn’t yet – Stephen said Lehman and Ault will buy Collier’s shares and become the owners.
The new building provides Collier’s a lot more space.
Collier said, “We’ve increased our square footage from about a 5,500-square-foot building to an 8,000-square-foot floor plan footprint with an extra 1,000 square-foot office up above. So it’s going to give us about 9,000 square foot of useable space, and we should be in it in early October, could be mid-October. ... And we’re looking forward to having all of our fireplace products on display, outdoor products, inside pergolas.”
He said Collier’s will have a cooking demonstration area with an overhead exhaust hood so grills can be demonstrated. They also may have some guest chefs come in and conduct cooking demonstrations.
“We’re going to have a full line of gas inserts, gas fireplaces, gas stoves, wood stoves, wood inserts, gas logs, tools, accessories, barbecue accessories, grilling accessories, outdoor living products, fire pits, fire tables,” Collier said.
“It will definitely be the regional home for fireplace and grill equipment, especially gas-based,” said Stephen.
Collier said they also will continue to fill propane tanks. “We can fill RVs, we can fill gas grills. Just like when the fair guys were here, we must have filled 30 or 40 LP tanks during the fair,” he said.
Located near the intersection of U.S. 30 and Ind. 15, Collier said it’s a good place for the company.
“We’re right in the middle of everything,” Stephen said.
Collier said besides Kosciusko County, the heating and air conditioning company services several surrounding counties, including Wabash, Marshall, Fulton, western Whitley, southern part of Elkhart, part of Miami and some Noble County.
Ault said they try to keep business within 30 miles, but they do have some outlying areas beyond that.
“This is being built really for the heating and air, although The Fireplace Shoppe is a small part of our full business package and it’s going to have about 2,000 square feet. The rest is all centered around the heating and air,” Collier said.
Down the road, he said, “Our vision is to have probably a pergola, outdoor grilling and outdoor display. But that’s probably a year or two down the road. And we are putting solar on the building because we do sell solar so ... we’re going to move it from our other building onto this building.”
Collier’s does rooftop and ground-mounted solar panels. “Not everybody does both,” Stephen said.
Stephen said Collier’s just added three full-time and one part-time position. Collier said they have about 30 employees “and we’re always growing.”
Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce President Rob Parker said, “It’s just another great example of growth in our community; and it’s great when businesses can see opportunity and grow and help provide greater services for our citizens.”
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Monday, Collier’s held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new building at 2315 N. Shelby Drive.
Joe Collier, co-owner of Collier’s, said he never expected the business to grow so much when he co-founded it over 30 years ago.
“I had no idea. I had no forethought to how large this company could be,” he said.
Collier’s currently is at 2365 N. Shelby Drive after moving from 2499 E. Winona Ave. in the past year due to the roundabout going in at the intersection of Winona Avenue, Argonne Road and Kings Highway.
Collier’s Fireplace Shoppe, which opened about 19 years ago, remains at 2499 E. Winona Ave., but once the new building is completed in October, both businesses will be at the 2315 N. Shelby Drive location.
“It’s going to be nice to double our showroom from about 1,000 to 2,000 square feet for our fireplaces,” said Collier.
He founded the business with Ken Diekhoff, who retired in 2017. Diekhoff’s shares were sold to Kevin Lehman and Chuck Ault, who came in as junior co-owners, according to marketing specialist Rachel Stephen. When Collier retires – and he hasn’t yet – Stephen said Lehman and Ault will buy Collier’s shares and become the owners.
The new building provides Collier’s a lot more space.
Collier said, “We’ve increased our square footage from about a 5,500-square-foot building to an 8,000-square-foot floor plan footprint with an extra 1,000 square-foot office up above. So it’s going to give us about 9,000 square foot of useable space, and we should be in it in early October, could be mid-October. ... And we’re looking forward to having all of our fireplace products on display, outdoor products, inside pergolas.”
He said Collier’s will have a cooking demonstration area with an overhead exhaust hood so grills can be demonstrated. They also may have some guest chefs come in and conduct cooking demonstrations.
“We’re going to have a full line of gas inserts, gas fireplaces, gas stoves, wood stoves, wood inserts, gas logs, tools, accessories, barbecue accessories, grilling accessories, outdoor living products, fire pits, fire tables,” Collier said.
“It will definitely be the regional home for fireplace and grill equipment, especially gas-based,” said Stephen.
Collier said they also will continue to fill propane tanks. “We can fill RVs, we can fill gas grills. Just like when the fair guys were here, we must have filled 30 or 40 LP tanks during the fair,” he said.
Located near the intersection of U.S. 30 and Ind. 15, Collier said it’s a good place for the company.
“We’re right in the middle of everything,” Stephen said.
Collier said besides Kosciusko County, the heating and air conditioning company services several surrounding counties, including Wabash, Marshall, Fulton, western Whitley, southern part of Elkhart, part of Miami and some Noble County.
Ault said they try to keep business within 30 miles, but they do have some outlying areas beyond that.
“This is being built really for the heating and air, although The Fireplace Shoppe is a small part of our full business package and it’s going to have about 2,000 square feet. The rest is all centered around the heating and air,” Collier said.
Down the road, he said, “Our vision is to have probably a pergola, outdoor grilling and outdoor display. But that’s probably a year or two down the road. And we are putting solar on the building because we do sell solar so ... we’re going to move it from our other building onto this building.”
Collier’s does rooftop and ground-mounted solar panels. “Not everybody does both,” Stephen said.
Stephen said Collier’s just added three full-time and one part-time position. Collier said they have about 30 employees “and we’re always growing.”
Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce President Rob Parker said, “It’s just another great example of growth in our community; and it’s great when businesses can see opportunity and grow and help provide greater services for our citizens.”
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