Mark James and Connie Maier celebrate 10 years of ownership with larger space, new showroom located at 8151 Mechanicsville Turnpike
MECHANICSVILLE, Va. — Throughout its 30-year history located in the heart of Mechanicsville, within a stone’s throw of the landmark windmill, Hearth & Home Shoppe has remained relatively unchanged — until now.
Since taking ownership in 2009, Mark James and Connie Maier have seen both revenue and their number of employees double at the business. Now, they have set their sights on something larger; something about 10,000 square feet, and located directly across the street from their longstanding storefront.
Starting in mid-March, Hearth & Home Shoppe began to move from its original location of more than 30 years at 8154 Mechanicsville Turnpike. Conveniently, the shop has relocated just across the road to 8151 Mechanicsville Turnpike, into the former Hopkins Gun and Tackle building. James and Maier are very excited about their new space, which includes a new warehouse as well as a kitchen, conference room, and other new amenities for their teammates.
“Our team is an amazing assembly of smart and caring people, and we are very excited to provide the upgraded workspace they deserve,” said James.
The new location also provides added visibility on Mechanicsville Turnpike, along with better signage and an overall more prominent location, situated between Cold Harbor Restaurant and Cold Harbor Antique Mall.
“We pride ourselves on bringing our wide variety of products and stellar service to Mechanicsville and the greater Richmond area,” said Maier. “We firmly believe this is the best hearth team in the area, and we hope to establish our new store as a destination location.”
The majority of the 10,000-square-foot space is taken up by a new showroom , which the team designed and built themselves. With more space for displays, the team aims to create an interactive experience for shoppers.
“We want customers to imagine our products in their home, so we like to show them the big picture,” said James. “While folks might come in looking for a new fireplace, they often purchase the entire wall including a mantel and stone surround after they see our displays.”
Fortunately, the move happened during the off-season for the hearth industry.
“In the fall, most hearth dealers are successful,” said James. “But staying busy from spring through August is the challenge. Focusing on fireplace makeovers and replacements, from base grade to upgraded fireplaces, is how we stay profitable through the spring and summer. We look forward to hosting customers in our new space.”
James and Maier hope to be completely set up in the new location by mid-June. The new showroom is already open for business, and the old location has closed.
About Hearth & Home Shoppe
Since 1987, Mechanicsville’s Hearth & Home Shoppe has been serving greater Richmond, Virginia with a wide variety of hearth products and services. Owned and operated by Mark James and Connie Maier, Hearth & Home Shoppe strives to be the “Friendly Experts” of the hearth industry in greater Richmond. Learn more at hearthandhomeshoppe.com