Who knew that in the early 1900's you could buy a new Ford at Vander Bergs? Or that each year our designers have a great excuse to meet TV stars? This week we wanted to tell you a little more about our story. Here are 5 things you may not know about Vander Berg Furniture & Flooring (make sure to check out #5):
1. The Vander Berg family originally opened their doors in 1919
as a Ford dealership with John E. Vander Berg at the helm. He later sold out to Mouw Motor and started
selling pianos in 1941 when Dave (Dad) started tuning pianos as a junior in
high school. In 1968 Dave Vander Berg took over the piano business and
hired a few Dordt College students to sand and finish the pianos. They
would cut down big upright pianos and transform them into smaller ones by adding
a mirror on the top and re-shaping them to modernize their look.
2. Vander Berg Homes was started in 1984 when Doug and Jeff
were looking to get rid of carpet remnants from the furniture store. Initially, they would buy mobile homes, fix
them up and put in carpet remnants. That
opened the door for new mobile home sales, which were sold until 1991. People appreciated the craftsmanship and
wanted a nicer home than what mobile homes could provide, so in 1991 Vander
Berg Homes made the leap to selling fully customizable Stratford Homes.
3. In May of 2007, Gladys retired from running the furniture
store. There was a big retirement sale
and everything left was donated to Dordt College and Hope Haven—a local
non-profit. The store was emptied, re-carpeted,
and a new storefront was added.
4. Each year, our designers head to the biggest furniture markets
in the country to see what trends are coming to the world of interior
design. Somehow they also always manage
to run into a few of their favorite HGTV stars.
Our designers handpick every piece of furniture, accessory, and blind
that makes it on to our showroom floor and into your homes. They’re heading out again next week, so be
sure to stop by the store in early March to see what they’ve come back with!
5. Our designer service is complimentary for any furniture,
flooring, blinds, or accessories purchased from our showroom. There is no catch. There are no strings attached. We’ve found that our customers are most
satisfied when our designers are in their homes and making recommendations
based on their homes’ layout and style.
