Spirit of the Entrepreneur: Furniture Express Beds for Less

Published 1:00 pm Sunday, June 17, 2018

VALDOSTA — Being an entrepreneur isn’t always easy and everyone does it a little differently. Some open online stores, while others open brick-and-mortar storefronts.

Some go all in and invest their lives into a new venture, while others start a new business as something to do on the side. Regardless of the type, entrepreneurs help drive the local economy.

Chad Van Namee, owner of Furniture Express Beds for Less, is a third-generation retail worker.

His grandparents owned a furniture store when he was a child. When he was about 10, he helped load and unload the trucks for the store in upstate New York.

At about 17, Van Namee moved to his parents’ furniture store to help with the warehouse and sales.

At 23, his parents were living in Live Oak, Fla., and told him about jobs he could work in Lake City.

So, he moved across the country and got a job selling mattresses in Lake City.

In 1999, after about a year of being an employee, Van Namee moved to Valdosta and opened his store.

Since opening, the business has grown.

Around 2013, Van Namee expanded his business from a 5,000-square-foot building to a 20,000-square-foot building.

“The building came available, and we felt it was the right time to expand,” he said. “With all my furniture expertise, it made sense to expand.”

In his almost 20 years owning a business in Valdosta, Van Namee has advice for new entrepreneurs.

“Have a financial plan, stay strong, try to come up with something unique that the area needs and have a good support system — that’s very important,” he said.

In his experience, Van Namee has had a few managers work with him on and off for the last 18 years, he said. Having employees you can rely on is critical.

“It keeps everything running smoothly when you have employees that can handle stuff on their own,” he said.

Furniture Express Beds for Less, 808 N. Patterson St., is open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call (229) 293-0040. 

Jason Smith is a reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be contacted at 229-244-3400 ext.1257.