Ashdown’s Furniture & Interiors has changed hands in Moose Jaw, and new owner Eleisha Lanz is excited to be joining the ranks of downtown business owners in Moose Jaw.
Lanz has taken the reins from previous owners Scott and Graham Harvey, who owned and operated the well-known furniture business on High Street for over a decade.
“It just seemed like the right time. The current owners were looking to retire and I was looking for an opportunity,” said Lanz. “My long-term goal was to own my own business, and I've always kind of been in the furniture industry and I always had an interest in interior design, so this is just the right fit for me.”
Lanz has worked in the sales and marketing industry for a number of years, including several years as a sales associate at McKarr’s Furniture and at Golden West Radio here in Moose Jaw, as well as at Paradise LeisureScapes and Rawlco Radio in Regina.
She even previously worked at Ashdown’s for a while, which helped solidify her interest in taking over the local business.
“[Ashdown’s] is a really great business, and it's been a long-standing business in the community so it’s great to take over,” said Lanz. “We're very happy to take over and I do have fantastic staff and I just appreciate the community and the warm welcome that I've gotten already.”
Lanz said she is happy to see all of the staff stay through the transition, as most of them have been around for many years at Ashdown’s.
She is also impressed by the warm welcome that Moose Jaw has shown her over the past few weeks — including flowers from High Street neighbour Evans Florist and many congratulations from visitors to the store.
“It's a great city and I really like the fact that it's that ‘shop local’ mentality and that businesses support businesses,” said Lanz. “The amount of people that have come in just to say congratulations, hi, stuff like that, it’s just been really nice.”
Lanz is looking forward to becoming a part of the Moose Jaw community, and she is excited to bring her own spin to Ashdown’s in the future — which includes expanding the store’s merchandise.
“Ashdown's has always kind of been known as a higher-end store and we do still have some really good quality brands like La-Z-Boy and Palliser, but we're also bringing in a lot of new brands, new products, so that there's something for everybody,” said Lanz. “There’ll be a new owner, new look, new product.”
It’s an unusual time to be a new business owner on High Street, between the ongoing pandemic restrictions and the City of Moose Jaw’s water main replacement project closing the street, but Lanz is feeling very good about the future at Ashdown’s.
Parking is available at the back of the building during the street construction, and Lanz said that customers and staff have been very good about following physical distancing protocols during COVID-19.
“I think we have a really good clientele that respects each other and understands that everybody's going through the same thing,” said Lanz. “We’re trying to do our best to keep our customers safe, as well as my staff. We appreciate all the prior patronage and I look forward to all the repeat customers and the new customers, too.”
Ashdown’s Furniture & Interiors is located at 38 High Street West and, although the street is closed for construction, the sidewalks are still open for visitors to stop by the store.
