The move may have been just a mile down the road, but Colecraft Commercial Furnishings has some big plans for the city of Jamestown.
Mayor Sam Teresi recently toured the new Colecraft building on Allen Street, the former site of Crawford Furniture and just down the road from its previous location.
The move - which largely took place over the summer - now places the business in Jamestown, formerly of Falconer.
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Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi tours the new Colecraft Commercial Furnishings location on Allen Street in the city. Colecraft now occupies the former Crawford Furniture location. Pictured below, a worker constructs an office desk.
P-J photos by Eric Tichy
"This is a long-term commitment to the county and the city," said David Messinger, president and chief executive officer of Colecraft. "We found this building was a sound structure. It really suits our needs."
Hoping to show off the new location, Messinger invited the mayor for an in-depth tour. Teresi was happy to oblige.
"It does my heart well to see this place filled with machinery," Teresi said from the 1021 Allen St. location, the long-time site of Crawford Furniture, which closed its doors earlier this year before liquidating its assets in April.
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"This is amazing what you have done here. We're thrilled," the mayor continued. "Obviously this is bittersweet. Crawford couldn't hang on, but the sweet is that it created on opportunity for you folks to come in to do what you are doing here." Teresi toured the company's plant, currently producing and shipping desks and office furniture to numerous clients.
The Colecraft brand can be seen throughout the northeast, but none more prevalent than in Chautauqua County. Custom-built furniture can be found at Prendergast Library, Jamestown Community College and Fredonia State University.
"Jamestown is our showroom," Messinger said. "We can bring our clients here and show them what we have done and what we can do for them. It's a great tool for us."
Messinger said the building's structure - which was purchased at a bankruptcy auction in May- needed some attention before Colecraft could move in. Crews worked throughout the summer updating electrical work, lighting and building repair. A fresh coat of paint replaced the iconic blue left from Crawford Furniture.
"It's an investment, and we felt it was important to go to the next level," Messinger said, noting the opportunity to expand the company's footprint in the future with a larger infrastructure.