Every established business faces the challenge of balancing tradition while incorporating fresh ideas. Original Home Furniture on Woodlawn Road in Guelph is no exception. The renowned furniture showroom has always enjoyed great success since its doors opened back in 1948 to serve the residents of Guelph and the surrounding communities.
That excellent run is one of the reasons current owner Jon Macklin wanted to be a part of Original Home Furniture’s history. As the store celebrates its 75th anniversary, Macklin has found that groove that both celebrates a wonderful past and ushers in a new era.
It’s captured perfectly in the most recent company slogan – “An old name you can trust. With a new look you’ll love!”
“Original Home Furniture is a well-established, well-liked business in the community,” says Macklin, who took over the operation in 2016. “You’ve got this great clientele with excellent reviews. It’s about taking that foundation and asking what we can do to make it the best business possible.
“Some of those systems are now in place. We’re in the process of writing a store charter, which is our beliefs to live by. We’re also trying to be more embedded in the community and be that place where if someone wants to buy a sofa, they will come to us because they like what we do and what we stand for.”
Macklin knows his predecessors set the bar high. Original Home Furniture was founded back in 1948 by Max and Bess Rosenberg, who opened the shop downtown on MacDonell. The Rosenbergs eventually sold to Monty Albert, who moved the location to Victoria Road. In 1989, ownership changed hands again when Lynn and Darlene McClellan purchased the business from Albert. They, too, opted for a move, this time to the current location on Woodlawn.
Twenty-seven years later, Macklin got an insider tip from a colleague of his at La-Z-Boy – the McClellans were getting ready to retire and looking to sell. A native of Brantford, Macklin had extensive retail experience in the consumer electronics industry. Though the products are different, the idea of creating a top-notch experience for the customer is universal. Macklin, who also worked in the furniture industry for a few years after leaving the electronics world, embraced the idea of taking stores to new heights.
“I love marketing,” he says. “I love the challenge of taking something and trying to grow it to its potential. It was a perfect fit for me.”
While in the process of making a deal with the McClellans, Macklin also happened to fall for their daughter Emily. After having to postpone their wedding a few times during the pandemic, they were finally married on June 4th and now run Original Home Furniture as husband and wife, with five adult kids between them.
“It was a dream come true,” Macklin says with a smile about finding both a new partner and career.
The business he took over had an exceptional base. Macklin has made lots of changes to improve the customer experience, especially through the trials of the pandemic. One of the first moves was to streamline the number of suppliers. They also hired more staff and trained the new members well, so they could pass on their expertise in products and prices to customers efficiently. Among the new hires are three design specialists who can speak the language and even visit clients for free in-home consultations.
Macklin notes that 75 percent of the business is custom, so there are fabric walls and wood samples readily available on the sales floor. Original Home Furniture also has an in-store digital program provided by suppliers that enable the staff to create a customized visual presentation for prospective buyers.
“It allows you to go in and create a visual rendering of what the customer is looking for. Imagine seeing the fabric, leather, or wood on your custom piece and all the accents before you order it on a huge TV screen,” says Macklin. “It’s about investing in our business to continue to give the customer the best experience.”
The business has a tradition of being community-minded. And Macklin has expanded on that, as well. He has been a longtime Rotary Club member in both Brantford and Guelph, so he understands the importance of reaching out to help others. One example is Emily’s work with Food4Kids. She is a driver for the organization, dropping off packages to schools. Original Home Furniture also actively raises funds for this important local charity. They do this through a program called Maureen’s Marvelous Bags. Macklin’s Rotary friend Maureen Smith and her sister made bags from the store’s unused upholstery samples that were sold to raise money for Food4Kids.
In December, at the end of their bag sale, Jon and Emily helped raise $3,500 for Food4Kids by purchasing 70 of the bags that were left and donating them to Jon’s Rotary Club. Who in turn filled them with goodies and delivered them to local seniors in need for Christmas. Maureen sadly passed away in January after a battle with cancer.
Despite the pain of her loss, Jon, Emily, and Food4Kids are determined to keep the legacy going. “A little birdie tells me Maureen's sister has 70 bags made,” says Macklin. Plus, “Maureen’s best friend Sylvia was in recently, and it sounds like we have found someone local as well to keep making the bags." Stay Tuned!
“We have this vehicle, this great furniture store, that has grown exponentially. It’s the right thing to do.”
