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Fireplace firm to rise again from its ashes
CARLISLE fireplace showroom which closed down suddenly is rising from the ashes and will reopen next Saturday.
Ben Nicholson’s showroom on the Kingmoor Industrial Estate was stripped last month and suddenly closed after four years of trading leaving staff in shock. Stock was taken to its sister store in Dumfries.
Former assistant manager Shaun Sheckley pledged to reopen the Carlisle showroom after helping to build up the business from scratch.
He got permission to form A Fireplace For You Ltd, a new company, with 24-year-old Corgi registered engineer Jonny Wise, of Thursby.
He also struck a deal with the site’s landlord to take over the site.
Customers have still been visiting the shop as the pair have worked to get A Fireplace For You ready for a gala opening next Saturday.
Mr Sheckley, of Currock, said: “Jonny is a Corgi registered engineer and we’ve worked together over the last few years. We’ve gone into this 50-50.
“I was a sales manager at House of Fraser for 15 years and have a career in retail stretching back 30 years so I think we compliment each other greatly.
“I’ve been making money for other people for so long that it is nice to be able to do this for myself. We’ve worked so hard over the last four years. I wasn’t going to see that go.”
The pair have been visited by all of Ben Nicholson’s old suppliers and Mr Sheckley said each one is backing the new venture.
“We’ve been dealing with these companies for four years so they know us,” Mr Sheckley said.
“Customers have still been coming in too which has been great and they have been loyal when we’ve been asking them to give us more time to get the showroom ready.”
Mr Sheckley was determined not to wipe out the customer base and trade that he helped build up when Ben Nicholson’s first opened four years ago.
He said: “I was approached four years ago when the place was an empty shell of a building. There were no windows, nothing. We came up and built this up from scratch.
“I still can’t believe that a month ago I was unemployed and now I’m running my own business. It’s like a dream come true. I was heartbroken when I came in on that Sunday and found it as it was.
“Now we’ve been able to personalise the place. It’s homely and nothing like any other showroom.”
Mr Sheckley has employed colleague Joy Benson, who also lost her job when Ben Nicholson’s closed down.
He added they are still waiting to receive redundancy settlements from the directors of the previous company.
Sent: 28/04/2007 09:51:00
Email us direct at: repairs@londonheatingservices.co.uk
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