Top 100 retailer Clive Daniel Home is constructing a showroom in this location even though it already has a warehouse and corporate offices there as it works to assist its hometown in recovering from Hurricane Ian.
A year after Hurricane Irma devastated the area, officials hope to open the 48,000 square foot showroom in space 200 of a former grocery store at 8650 Gladiolus Drive in September.
“It’d be a nice one-year anniversary of Ian hitting us, something nice coming out of those shadows,” CEO Daniel Lubner told Furniture Today.
For the brand, it’s also a kind of homecoming. Lubner has lived in Fort Myers for a long time, having moved there in 1978, along with his father, Clive Lubner, who is the chairman of the retailer and design brand.
“I live about four miles from my childhood home. I graduated six miles from my home. My children are going to school here,” Lubner said. “Fort Myers has always been home for me and still is home for us in addition to having our warehouse here and corporate address in Fort Myers.”
Lubner claimed to have experienced a number of hurricanes, but claimed that Hurricane Ian hit in a unique way. As a result, it increased the need following the storm.
“Normally a hurricane is a wind event. (This time) the water did an incredible amount of destruction,” he said. “We had clients who came to us four or five days after the hurricane looking to begin the replacement process, then scores of clients over the next two to three months and as many working with us waiting for the insurance checks to come in. Most of those are past clients, with some new ones. With this hurricane, there are so many homes that are deemed uninhabitable that they’ll need to be rebuilt. Ian affected Southwestern Florida differently than any of the other ones.”
Furthermore, Lubner noted that although a three- to five-store model has always been the goal for Clive Daniel Home, no deadline has ever been set for opening. “It had to be accurate. Post-Ian, it felt like now was the opportunity to have a positive impact on our existing clients and hopefully earn a few new ones in addition,” he said.
In addition, Clive Daniel has always operated a sizable hospitality business, and that channel desperately needs furniture as well. Having a location in Fort Myers makes it convenient for both residential and commercial customers.
“A big reason we wanted to do this was we have a big hospitality business. My father was working on the islands when I was in kindergarten. I’ve continued to do work on the islands,” he said. “Now, the reality is what we’ve accomplished as Clive Daniel Hospitality over the past 11 years. hospitality team have never had problems making it to the barrier islands. Allows both sides to have a base camp that’s in everybody’s backyard.”
Because it is close to the bridge leading to Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island, Lubner claimed that the location is ideal.
“As we started to look, we paid attention to this road because it sits off the bridge for Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel,” he said. “We’re the first retail and design studio you see. It’s about convenience and ease for clients. The location is ideal.”
The Fort Myers location will provide an exclusive selection of furniture, lighting, rugs, window treatments, and more, just like the existing Clive Daniel Home stores in Naples, Boca Raton, and Sarasota. Since a grocery store once occupied the space, the showroom will keep some of its original features, like a chef’s table for special events.
“We’re treating this with the same attention to detail we’ve put in Naples, Boca and Sarasota. No shortcuts and nothing halfway here,” Lubner said.
News source: furnituretoday.com
