Tres Amigos, the Tucson-based furniture company, is moving to a nearly 30,000-square-foot location on East Speedway to accommodate its growing wholesale and Internet business.
The location at 4443 E. Speedway, near North Swan Road, will provide a central hub for the business with a retail showroom, corporate offices and a large warehouse for wholesale and Internet sales, said Tres Amigos president Keith Kramer.
The furniture company is moving from its 15,000-square-foot site at 3616 E. Fort Lowell Road and consolidating that operation at the new location.
Kramer said he expects the move will take place in March.
As the economy lagged and consumers closed their wallets, Tres Amigos turned to Internet sales and the wholesale market, supplying furniture and accessories to resorts and restaurants, Kramer said.
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"Our Internet and wholesale business has exploded in the last year," he said.
The company was started in 1999 and specializes in Mexican, Tuscan and Spanish colonial furniture and accessories. It has two additional retail locations, at 5975 E. Broadway and 6431 N. Thornydale Road.
With Tres Amigos leaving its Fort Lowell location, that signals another departure from the Fort Lowell furniture district, which lies roughly between North Tucson and North Dodge boulevards.
The economic downturn, fueled by the collapse of the housing market, hit the furniture industry especially hard, retailers and economic observers have said.
Kramer acknowledged that business closures in the furniture district have had an impact on consumer traffic on Fort Lowell, but he said the primary reason for the move was the need for a larger site.
"We've outgrown our Fort Lowell location," he said.
David Roseman, the owner of Alexander's at 3525 E. Fort Lowell Road, said that when businesses in the furniture district shut there, it does eliminate choices for consumers, but those that remain are stronger. The Fort Lowell district still offers many options, with modern furniture at Copenhagen, light fixtures at Illuminations and more classic furniture at Alexander's, Roseman said.
"It's still the place to shop for furniture," Roseman said.
Alexander's did have to manage inventory and expenses to get through the recession but Roseman said customer traffic and spending have begun to pick up.
Mary Lynn Goebel, who owns Wicker & Weaves at 3640 E. Fort Lowell Road, said she had the option to leave the furniture district when her lease expired recently but she chose to stay. Many commercial areas in town have high vacancy rates, she said.
While it's always good to have businesses nearby, Goebel said, she wasn't sure what impact the departure of Tres Amigos would have on her company because her market is specialized.
Kramer, of Tres Amigos, said the Speedway location is a better fit for the company's emphasis on Internet sales and furnishing restaurants and resorts.
The company foresaw the crumbling housing market and shut its stores in Phoenix a few years ago, but it is expanding again. In addition to the retail, corporate and warehouse space, the new Speedway location will have a 5,000-square-foot pottery wing and will cater to designers and contractors with an area that features architectural pieces such as doors and archways.
Kramer said he expects the high-profile location on Speedway will benefit his business.
"When you're going across town, you're going to pass us," Kramer said.
Contact reporter Dale Quinn at 573-4197 or dquinn@azstarnet.com