By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Habitat for Humanity of Wood County will soon be in the retail business in Bowling Green – with the goal of raising money to build and repair more local homes.
This will be the second attempt to launch a Habitat ReStore in Bowling Green – this time with a business plan designed for success, said Mark Ohashi, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Wood County.
This time around, Habitat is hiring a store manager, two other staff, and supplementing with volunteers.
“We’re very confident in its success because of the preparation we put into it,” Ohashi said. “We weren’t ready the last time. It really does need full-time staff.”
The new Habitat ReStore will be located in the former Bee Gee Rental & Sales store at 829 W. Newton Road. A parking lot expansion is planned.
“We looked around at several buildings in Bowling Green,” Ohashi said, noting assistance from Kati Thompson, Bowling Green economic development director. “This is perfect. It was ready to go.”
In a business Ohashi described as a cross between Goodwill and Home Depot, the ReStore will accept donated household appliances, furniture and building materials – then sell them at discounted prices to the public.
“We’re certainly looking for donations from the public,” he said.
The ReStore will also be accepting overstocked items that building supply stores need to get rid of, and excess building supplies from contractors. “When they finish a project and don’t need them,” Ohashi said.
Habitat officials expect to purchase the 14,000 square foot building for $950,000 in September, and hope to open the ReStore in early January.
The retail store is intended to provide more reliable funding for Habitat for Humanity in Wood County.
“The organization is looking to be more self-reliant. This will help with unrestricted funds,” Ohashi said, citing projected annual gross sales of $300,000 from the ReStore. “We’re hoping to grow from there.”
Habitat just completed the building of its 54th home in Wood County. Each year, the organization averages two to three new homes, plus repairs to several others.
“If we can increase that to four or five (new homes) and build up our repairs, that’s our goal,” Ohashi said.
“This will be an important funding mechanism for Habitat in Wood County, so we can build more homes, repair more homes, and help more families,” he said. “We want to make sure we serve the public.”
During a Habitat for Humanity event last year, the idea of a ReStore was introduced by Sue Clark, a member of the committee working on finding a site and funding for a ReStore.
Clark explained the average Habitat home costs about $150,000 in building materials. The organization benefits from corporate sponsors, reduced costs from vendors and occasional government grants. But those are dependent on the economy.
“When the economy goes south and purse strings are tightened,” Habitat is vulnerable, Clark said. A ReStore could provide some steady funding when times are tough.
“It is about becoming self-sufficient,” she said.
