It’s been a year since Mark and Monika Clodius gave the green light to a project that would double the size of their Rockford, IL, store, Clodius & Co. It’s been a long year, and the construction that was to be wrapped up for a September grand opening is not over yet. Compounding the frustrations that accompany any project of this sort, the Clodiuses have struggled through numerous personal crises. Both are now resigned to the fact that the expansion will finish when it’s finished, and that they’ll be stronger individuals for having weathered the process. 

BUTTERFLY EFFECT: An architect draws a floor plan not to scale. A contractor, seeing an architect’s drawing, has no reason to question it. A carpet salesman, asking a contractor for a floor plan, logically wouldn’t bother to take measurements. And a carpet layer informs Mark and Monika they’re 100 square feet short. It was one of these amazing chain of events, Mark says. More amazing is that in the time between ordering the carpet, the manufacturer retooled its equipment and no longer makes the same size or color. The temporary fix A sort of two-tone patch installed while the manufacturer produces a custom lot to finish the job. It looks a little like cool jewelry store meets hotel lobby, Monika says, adding that she hasn’t cried more than at any other time during the project than she did that week. 

OUT OF SEASON: Did you know glass companies have a busy season Neither did Mark and Monika. Apparently a lot of building sites want to button up their projects for the winter months, and the added orders cause a backlog at glass suppliers. The crux at Clodius & Co.: We have this beautiful island, Monika says, with no glass or jewelry in it.

PROGRESS: While the cabinetmaker won’t be installing their custom work until January, there has been notable progress on the construction front. The trailer that housed temporary offices is gone, and staff members are in the process of moving into new office space. The construction crews have begun packing their tools. The new metal halide lighting is magnificent, according to Mark. And the new paint scheme looks good on the walls, according to Monika. So we’re getting that wow’ factor we were looking for, Mark says. 

 FAMILY FRONT: Throughout the project, the Clodiuses have been beset by personal crises. The latest occurred just days before Thanksgiving, when Monika’s father, the store bookkeeper, received word that a donor was available for a kidney transplant he’d awaited for three years. The surgery a success, it helped put the store’s construction delays into perspective. Life’s too precious to fret much about it, she says. 

 REFLECTIONS: Who would have anticipated all this would have happened Monika says. This was supposed to be easy and smooth-going. You never know what life brings you. Now, we’re just waiting to find a new normal.