Ippolitos brothers selling store

MEREDITH — There’s a certain satisfaction that comes from a life in the furniture business, according to Chip Ippolito. You’re not just selling a couch or table, you’re helping a family build a home, he said.

That’s what he and his brothers have been doing for most of their adult lives. Ippolito’s Furniture, located near the Meredith Traffic Circle, has been helping local people put together their homes since 1978, which Vincent Ippolito Sr. split from the Massachusetts furniture store he operated with his brother and started fresh in Meredith. Chip, who began his career as a welder after service in the Navy, joined later that year.

Forty-seven years later, Chip, as well as brothers Rick and Dave, are now bidding farewell to the furniture business, and to the store which has born their family name. Ippolito’s is in the process of being sold — final papers are expected to be passed next month.

Chip wouldn’t disclose the buyer.

The Ippolitos decided to sell because there wasn’t a family member in the next generation who wished to take over the business, and attempts to hire an outsider to run the shop were “nothing short of a disaster,” Chip said.

The brothers, all at or approaching retirement age, agreed unanimously to accept an offer to sell, as it meant their store could continue, albeit under a different name and ownership. They feared non-family leadership would ruin the brand name, and brothers were unable to continue working at the necessary capacity.

Chip, for example, has recently undergone treatment for leukemia, a result of a congenital blood condition.

“I am blessed I am in remission. That has a lot due to, for me in particular, to just move on,” Chip said. “I am going to be 72 years old, it’s time to enjoy the back half of my life.”

American classics

When he joined his father in the business, Chip recalled, there were essentially three brands that mattered in the industry: Thomasville, Pennsylvania House and Rowe, which all had their factories headquartered on the same stretch in North Carolina.

Around 1990, Chip said, all of those manufacturers decided to move their production to Asia.

“I’ll never forget the furniture market I went to when they made the change,” Chip said. The furniture designs seemed the same, but the quality just wasn’t there. “I almost got sick looking at it.”

Ippolito’s couldn’t abide by the change. Instead, the store made the choice to keep using American-made furniture, even if the major American distributors were selling something else. That meant working with small families, generally Amish, who were still doing things the old-fashioned way. It took an extraordinary amount of legwork, negotiating with dozens of families to fill their store, but they found it to be worthwhile.

“We searched far and wide. We call it American-made furniture, but honestly it’s Amish furniture,” Chip explained. “Then five or six years ago, we added Ashley for the price point.”

The Ashley brand was brought in so customers on a tight budget could find something. Ippolito’s also made a market for themselves by developing their own proprietary mattress, the Visco 3000. On the strength of that product, mattresses account for 25% of their overall sales.

The new operators, who have a much larger network of stores, are expected to make some changes, Chip said. They will re-brand the store sometime before the close of the calendar year, and will likely increase the representation of Ashley among the brands offered.

“For the people of the Lakes Region, it’s going to work out very good,” Chip said. Because of the incoming ownership’s larger network, customers will be much more likely to find the piece they want in stock and available for immediate delivery, instead of having to wait for a special order. They might even be able to get their furniture at a better price due to economies of scale.

A new dawn

As the date for the closing nears, Chip is considering the change the sale will precipitate.

“I’m sad that the end is near — who wouldn't be? I was sitting here this morning, we’ve got four weeks left. It hurts, but it’s a good hurt because we’re going out on top. Business is as strong as it’s ever been, when you can go out on top there’s no better way to do it.”

Still, said he’s going to miss the connections he’s made with his customers.

“It’s rewarding to sit with people, help put their homes together and see how it affects their life. This is what’s hard about moving on, you’ll miss that,” Chip said. “That was rewarding, and I could speak for all of my brothers in saying that.”