BRIAN:..FIRST AT FIVE -- THE
CHANGING FURNITURE INDUSTRY
CLAIMING A BIG VICTIM IN OUR
STATE.ART VAN ANNOUNCING IT
WILL CLOSE ALL OF ITS STORES.
3
SUE:..THERE ARE SEVERAL SPREAD
OUT ACROSS WEST MICHIGAN --
EMPLOYING HUNDREDS.7 ART VAN
STORES AND 6 PURE SLEEP STORES.
LIQUIDATION SALES START
TOMORROW.BRIAN:..THE CLOSURES
ENDING DECADES OF MEMORIES
SINCE THE FIRST STORE OPENED
ON GRATIOT AVENUE IN DETROIT
IN 1959.
3
WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE.LYNSEY
MUKOMEL IS LOOKING AT THE
IMPACT THE STORE HAS HAD ON
WEST
MICHIGAN.SUE:..BUT WE START
LIVE WITH DONOVAN LONG AT THE
28TH STREET STORE IN GRAND
RAPIDS.
3
DONOVAN:..THE ANNUNCED CLOSURE
MET SEVERAL CUSTOMERS HERE
WITH SURPRISE. MANY OF THEM
TELLING ME IT'S BEEN THEIR
PRIAMRY SOURCE FOR FURNIHSING
THEIR HOMES--FOR DECADES.
3
ARDY FREY, CUSTOMER00;14;49- I
DO NOT LIKE THATTHE DAYS WHEN
ARDY FREY (FRIE) COULD SPEND
HOURS AT ART VAN FURNITURE ARE
COMING TO AN END.00;14;51-
(DON) HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN
SHOPPING HERE? (YOU'RE KIDDING-
OH MY OSH, WELL AS LONG AS ITS
BEEN HERE)A SPOKESPERSON FOR
ART VAN SAYS THE COMPANY WILL
CLOSE ITS DOORS FOR GOOD. THE
REASON? FINANCIAL TROUBLES AND
AN INABILITY TO KEEP UP WITH A
CHALLENGING RETIAL
ENVIRONMENT. (DIANE CHARLES
PHONER GRAPHIC)00;02;51- THIS
IS A VERY SAD DAY FOR ART VAN
IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, FOR
DECADES, WE HAVE BEEN IN
PEOPLE'S HOMES AND NOW WE
WON'T BE.THE CLOSURE IS
IMPACTING THIRTY ON HUNDRED
EMPLOYEES AND COUNTLESS
CUSTOMERS LIKE FREY (FRIE).
00;15;04;01
3
(SIGHS) I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT
TO SAY. IT'S SO SAD!(KIM
LIVINGSTON)00;17;34- I GOT A
LOT OF MY ADULT FURNUTURE HERE
KIM LIVINGSTON MAY BE GETTING
MORE. AS IT BECOMES A THING OF
THE PAST--ART VAN STORES WILL
HOLD A LIQUIDATION SALE
STARTING TOMRROW--GIVING
CUSTOMERS A FINAL CHANCE TO
SHOP. (LIVINGSTON)00;17;40-
(DON- YOU THINK YOU'LL BE BACK
FOR THAT?) UH, PROBABLY. MAYBE
SOME NEW PATIO FURNITURE.ááUSE
WIND BLOWING THROUGH ART AN
FLAGAS MEMORIES OF ART VAN
START BLOWING IN THE WIND,
SHOPPERS REFECT ON THE
COMPANY'S INLFUCNECE ON THEM
AND THEIR HOMES(ADRY DREY)
00;15;37- I LOVE THE FUNRITURE.
3
DONOVAN:..
3
AS OF NOW--ART VAN FURNITURE
OPERATES 200 STORES IN SEVERAL
MIDWEST STATED AND IN IOWA,
PENNSYLVANIA, VIRGINA AND
MARYLAND. THE MAN WHO FOUNDED
THE COMPANY--ART VAN ELSLANDER
PASSED AWAY--TWO YEARS AGO.
LIVE IN GRAND RAPIDS D LO NEWS
8.
3
SUE:..
3
IN ADDITION TO STORES AROUND
THE STATE -- ART VAN INVESTED
INTO WEST MICHIGAN
PROJECTS.BRIAN:..NEWS 8'S
LYNSEY MUKOMEL CONTINUES OUR
COVERAGE WITH A LOOK AT THE
COMPANY'S PHILANTHROPIC IMPACT.
3
LYNSEY:..EVERYONE LOOKS
FORWARD TO THE ART VAN SANTA
PARADE IN GRAND RAPIDS DURING
THE HOLIDAYS.THE COMPANY ALSO
HAS NAMING RIGHTS TO THE ART
VAN SPORTS COMPLEX IN
PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP.IT'S NOT
YET CLEAR WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO
BOTH STAPLES OF WEST MICHGAN.
3
áSANTA PARADE NATSáFOR 10
YEARS -- ART VAN HAS SPONSORED
THE SANTA PARADE -- WHICH
KICKSTARTS THE HOLIDAY SEASON
FOR THE GRAND RAPIDS AREA.NEWS
8 HAS HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF
BROADCASTING THE SPIRIT
INJECTED INTO MONROE AVENUE
DOWNTOWN EVERY YEAR. THE GRAND
RAPIDS JAYCEES HAS ORGANIZED
THE WEST MICHIGAN TRADITION
FOR AN ENTIRE CENTURY -- BUT
ART VAN JOINED AS A TITLE
SPONSOR IN 20-10 TO BRING EVEN
MORE HOLIDAY SPIRIT TO THE
EVENT.
3
THEN IN 2014 -- THE FURNITURE
COMPANY ENTERED INTO A NAMING
RIGHTS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE
WEST MICHIGAN SPORTS
COMMISSION FOR THE ART VAN
SPORTS COMPLEX IN PLAINFIELD
TOWNSHIP.010205 WHEN THE
FAMILY OWNED IT WAS WHEN WE
ENGAGED IN HAVING THEM COME
ABOARD THEY HAD BEEN DOING
SOME WORK IN WESTERN MICHIGAN
AND CONNECTING WITH THE
COMMUNITY AND REALLY SAW THIS
AS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO BE
PRESENT IN WEST MICHIGANSPORTS
COMMISSION PRESIDENT MIKE
GUSWILER TOLD NEWS 8 IT'S NOT
YET CLEAR WHAT THE CLOSURE
MEANS.010421 FIRST OF ALL WE
HAVE TO SEE WHERE OUR
AGREEMENT GOES WITH ART CAN IN
LIGHT OF THEIR BANKRUPTCY AND
LIQUIDATION AND ONCE WE
DETERMINE THAT WE'LL START TO
MAKE SOME DETERMINATIONS ON
WHERE WE MOVE FORWARD 36 THE
COMPLEX ITSELF -- 41 IT WON'T
BE IMPACTED BY ART VAN'S
CURRENT DECISION AND WHERE
THEY'RE HEADED 50 IT'S A
COMPLEX THAT'S AN ASSET IN THE
COMMUNITY AND YOU KNOW SHOULD
WE BE IN SEARCH FOR ANOTHER
NAMING RIGHTS PARTNER IRS
SOMETHING OUR BOARD WILL
DETERMINE AND THEN WILL MAKE
STEPS TO MOVE FORWARD TOWARDS
3
LYNSEY:..
3
I REACHED OUT TO THE JAYCEES
TODAY ABOUT THE IMPACT THIS
MAY HAVE ON THE PARADE --
UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE NOT HEARD
BACK.GUSWILER DIDN'T THINK IT
WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO SHARE
HOW MUCH ART VAN INVESTED INTO
THE SPORTS COMPLEX -- SO WE DO
HAVE A REQUEST INTO THE
COMPANY -- BUT ALSO HAVE NOT
RECEIVED A RESPONSE.