Location in downtown Kalamazoo good for Paw Paw Upholstery

Chris King grew up in the family business, went on to buy out first her uncle's share of the business when he died and then her mother's as she retired. For the past 10 years King has owned Paw Paw Upholstery and now she is growing the business in downtown Kalamazoo.

Business has been good enough for her to expand her staff from six to 8 in the past year. 

 

The business has been gradually moving east in recent years. With its roots in Paw Paw, the upholstery part of the business first moved to Mattawan. When King opened a retail space in downtown Kalamazoo she says she found herself zipping back and forth from Mattawan to Kalamazoo. 

 

She decided to move the upholstery business to Kalamazoo, too. Now she has a 1,500-square-foot retail space in the Mall Plaza and a 1,500-square-foot work room on the lower level. 

 

Retail and upholstery are two sides of the multi-faceted business. Paw Paw Upholstery not only upholsters furniture at customers' request, it also does the same for furniture King finds in a wide variety of places. The latter is sold in the retail space along with accessories such as lamps, cushions and other pieces to help decorate the home.

 

Other aspects of the business are creating window treatments and sales from its large fabric collection. For the window treatment business, Paw Paw Upholstery visits the home in order to make recommendations.

 

King says she participates in almost all the Art Hops on the first Friday evening of each month and many of the Downtown Kalamazoo, Inc. events.

 

"When we moved the retail business to Kalamazoo we didn't know what it would do for the upholstery business," King says. "It's a lot better." 

 

Source: Chris King, Paw Paw Upholstery

• Paw Paw Upholstery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m Monday through Frinday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.