Mark and Monika Clodius are several months into a major expansion and remodel of their Rockford, IL, store, Clodius & Co. Their goal is to hold their grand opening celebration in September, and they’ve laid the figurative groundwork for the project, even if laying the foundation to the addition still seems a ways off ? particularly so with the events and setbacks of April. INSTORE presents its monthly update of the project.
TIME FRAME: From the events of April, Mark Clodius estimates a new time frame for the remodeling project: We’re still going to be pretty much on time, he says, or we’ll be way off.
SETBACK 1: Asked if anything went right at Clodius & Co. during April, Mark and Monika are silent, stumped for something optimistic in the project to which they’ve been devoting the lion’s share of their time. Umm … yes! Monika remembers, finally. Sales were up 25 percent over last year. That’s a number most would be thrilled with and wouldn’t have to think so long to recall, but the Clodiuses have a lot on their minds. Thus far, the architectural drawings have been delayed by three weeks. That prevents the project from being bid out for construction estimates, which prevents the ordering of structural steel, other custom materials, lighting fixtures ? pretty much everything. That also prevents the project from getting the final approval from the bank for the loan.
SSETBACK 2: While the architect isn’t done, he did discover that the plan would require an extra support pillar in the sales floor. This comes a month after the Clodiuses believed their interior layout was complete. Mark spent 15 to 20 hours totally reworking the floor plan, in the end eliminating one island. That was a lot of fun, let me tell you, Monika says.
SETBACK 3: While the Clodiuses have been so focused on running the store and the store project, disaster struck at home: a leak in a downstairs bathroom, necessitating a remodel there as well. Monika says they are becoming quite familiar with the staff of their local home improvement center, where she has been trying to plan out the color scheme of the store interior when not choosing tile for the bathroom at home.
PROGRESS AT LAST: Mark has made strides with the lighting plan for the store, which was his goal for the month. And they shot a television commercial for an upcoming renovation sale they are planning.
TO-DO LIST FOR MAY: Inventory analysis, Mark says. With a bigger store, they’ll need more merchandise, and May is the time to figure out what they’ll be looking for in Las Vegas. Additionally, when the architect does come through, they’ll be finalizing the loan, getting specific estimates based on the drawings and beginning construction.
SUMMING IT UP: If I can make it to June 30 without winding up in a rubber room, I’ll be doing OK, Monika says.