The journey for Beiter's Home Center began in 1966 when Bob Beiter began selling used appliances out of his parents' garage on Hawthorne Avenue in Williamsport.
As time went on, Beiter's entrepreneurial skills brought several locations and a family legacy to be proud of.
Today, Beiter's family of stores is home to six locations and more than 150 employees, according to John Grant, company president.
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Coming off of decades of expansion projects, the company is spending most of its focus on expanding the selections for customers.
In 1970, the store relocated to a larger facility at 1704 Warren Avenue in Loyalsock. Some things were changed and moved around. In 1974, Beiter's reorganized and moved to 544 E. Third Street, where East End Lumber is today, according to Grant.
Three years later, that building was sold and another one was built at 485 E. Third Street, adding more space.
Fact Box
Beiter?s Home Center in Williamsport has 170,000 square feet with 85,000 of that in floor space full of furniture, appliances, electronics, bedding and flooring.
However, due to the success of the business, even that facility ran out of space.
In 1981, Beiter's moved to another building after purchasing the assets to Wolf Furniture Co. at 322 West Fourth Street.
The new building housed 40,000 square feet and added more than 30,000 square feet the following year. But, that wasn't the end. The business needed to expand the space again. Once again, the facility was moved to accommodate the need for more space.
In 2003, the Williamsport store moved one more time to the former Ames building in South Williamsport, which allowed for more retail space, according to Grant.
The total Williamsport facility has 170,000 square feet with 85,000 of that floor face full of furniture, appliances, electronics, bedding and flooring.
While the Williamsport store expanded and moved up to various facilities, other locations were also popping up in other areas. Today there are six locations in Williamsport, Mansfield, East Lewisburg, Sunbury, East Smithfield and Lock Haven, according to Grant.
Sales have been pretty steady as well. In fact, the Williamsport location just hired two additional employees this year, according to Grant.
Although 2008 was a tough year economically for the country in general, Beiter's was able to move forward with profits and did not see a dip in units sold. Sales in 2009 even surpassed 2008 sales, according to Grant.
In fact, the furniture store has seen an increase in sales every year for the last five years.
"Furniture and bedding has seen an increase. Appliances were slightly weaker and although t.v. prices decreased, the units sold were well up," Grant said.
The biggest challenge over the years has been having the right product at the right price at the right time, according to Grant.
However, they are constantly price shopping to ensure they are providing the customers with the best possible prices.
The store also keeps a steady inventory to ensure product is available.
Beiter's also belongs to a warehousing buying group where they are able to get products within 24 hours, according to Grant.
"The greatest reward is the satisfaction that our customers feel," Grant said.
Those interested in visiting the store, may do so from noon to 5 p.m. Sun. and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mon. to Sat. The store may also be contacted at 326-2073.
