by DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. — Steinhafels Furniture will move into the former Art Van Furniture store later this year as the Top 100 furniture retailer pushes deeper into the Chicago market.
The Downers Grove Economic Development Corp. announced this week the retailer’s plans to open a 112,000-square-foot showroom at 1021 Butterfield Road, after making improvements to the exterior and interior. The store, occupied by Art Van before its slide into bankruptcy and later shuttering last year, is slated to open this fall.
It will be Waukesha, Wis.-based Steinhafels 11th Steinhafels Furniture and Mattress Superstore and 17th location overall. The retailer expects to do $21 million there in its first year and plans to hire 50 employees with the move, according to the release.
“As an employee-owned company, we know our associates are our greatest asset,” Steinhafels President Andrew Steinhafel, said in the release “We look forward to providing the residents of Downers Grove and surrounding communities with the area’s finest selection of furniture and mattresses along with an unsurpassed customer experience.”
Steinhafels currently has 16 stores, 14 in Wisconsin and two in Illinois — the latter two in Vernon Hills and CrystalLake. Earlier this month, the Steinhafels family announced it had sold its shares to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), making the company 100% employee-owned.
“Steinhafels is a great addition to Downers Grove, and to the Butterfield corridor,” said Downers Grove Mayor Robert Barnett. “They are an 87-year old company with a long tradition of serving their customers and the community, and we’re looking forward to welcoming the Steinhafels team to Downers Grove.”
