By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
As people gathered for the grand opening of the Habitat for Humanity of Wood County ReStore on Thursday, some shoppers were undeterred by the ceremony.
Dakota Blattner and his wife, of Bowling Green, had their arms full with a vintage wall clock, macrame mirror, painting of an octopus, two glass dolphins, and one candlestick holder.
“We like the ReStores in Maumee and Findlay, so we came to check out this one,” Blattner said. They were pleasantly surprised with the “weird assortment” of merchandise they scooped up.
While the Blattners were focused on smaller items, others were checking out the couches, coffee tables, kitchen tables and chairs.
“I love a good thrift,” Megan Young said as she ran her hand over a table that looked perfect for craft making in her basement.
“This is my favorite thing to do,” said Young, a representative of Habitat for Humanity International, who attended Thursday’s grand opening.
Justin Spangler, of Bowling Green, had a cart loaded with electrical and roofing materials. And a family of five was eyeing the homemade ice cream maker.
After years of building houses across Wood County, Habitat for Humanity finally has a home of its own for a ReStore in the former Bee Gee Rental & Sales store at 829 W. Newton Road, Bowling Green.
“This is a historic day for Habitat for Humanity of Wood County,” said Mark Ohashi, executive director of the organization, who said he first talked about a ReStore when he came to Wood County in 2014.
“We knew this was going to be a huge project,” Ohashi said. But the group knew the undertaking would be worthwhile since it would enable the organization to build and repair more homes in Wood County.
“Every couch sold, every sink, every appliance, every gallon of paint will help us build another home,” Ohashi said.
This is the second attempt to launch a Habitat ReStore in Bowling Green – this time with a business plan designed for success, Ohashi said. This time around, Habitat hired 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. He credited the ReStore Committee led by Kim Brummel.
As he looked out over the crowd gathered for the grand opening, Ohashi said the moment was a long time coming.
“It feels a little surreal,” he said.
“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 accepts donated household appliances, furniture and building materials – then sells them at discounted prices to the public.
The ReStore also accepts overstocked items that building supply stores need to get rid of, and excess building supplies from contractors.
Habitat officials purchased the 14,000-square-foot building for $950,000 in hopes that the ReStore will 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 built its 54th home in Wood County last year. Each year, the organization averages two to three new homes, plus makes 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.
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. A ReStore will provide some steady funding when times are tough.
“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 the ribbon cutting ceremony, Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Mary Hinkelman said the ReStore is a great addition to the city.
“This is a great way to help our community,” she said, referring to the store as a type of recycling center.
Mayor Mike Aspacher echoed those sentiments.
“Do what you can do to support this business, because it matters,” Aspacher said to the crowd.
Habitat ReStores serve several purposes in the community, according to Ed Metzger, a member of the ReStore Committee.
First, they provide inexpensive items for homes. “People who are looking for anything from furniture to appliances to building supplies can get them for much less,” Metzger said.
Second, the stores offer a place where items that still have life in them can be repurposed in other homes. “It keeps these things out of landfills,” he added.
And third, the money raised at the store goes to repair and build new affordable homes in Wood County, Metzger said.
“It brings in more income for building and repairing homes in Wood County for people in need,” said Beth Genson, a member of the ReStore Committee.
In addition to accepting items from people’s homes, the ReStore also offers a place for businesses like Home Depot to get rid of extra merchandise, or local builders to get rid of unneeded supplies.
“It’s a great place for people to shop,” Genson said.
The ReStore staff offers free pickup of furniture items, exercise equipment or other large items.
During its “soft opening” last week, the ReStore staff was pleased with the number of shoppers and the number of donated items. The big sellers at the store were sofas, said Robin Swanson, the store manager.
“We’ve had a lot of people just show up – that’s been exciting,” Swanson said. “And the quality of the furniture is higher than I expected.”
Swanson praised Ohashi for supplying the dream for the ReStore. And he credited Swanson for “transforming the place.”
“I truly believe we were all called to this to serve our community,” providing affordable housing, sustainability and hope, she said.
The store can be reached at ReStoreWoodCounty.org or 419-572-1324.
