MUSCATINE, Iowa – A successful furniture business is moving from Davenport to Downtown Muscatine and received a $25,000 Small Business Forgivable Loan (SBFL) from the City of Muscatine Community Development Department to help with the relocation effort.
“Flipped Out Furniture”, owned by Rebekah Despeghel and Josh Terry, will be closing their Davenport location and moving to 225 E. 2nd Street, Muscatine, with a Mid-October opening. Community Development Director Jodi Royal Goodwin and City Planner Lindsay Whitson presented the check to Despeghel and Terry Thursday (Sept. 5).
It is a move closer to home for the Nichols residents who also view Downtown Muscatine as the ideal location for their business.
“Flipped Out Furniture” will use the SBFL funds to rehabilitate the space to give customers a more historical downtown Muscatine feel when they walk into a shop that will showcase repurposed and reclaimed furniture with an antique old world feel.
“We feel the connection between our business and Downtown Muscatine,” Terry said. “It is historical but updated. We have walked up and down the street and talked with shop owners who have made us feel very welcomed. It is a great feeling.”
Despeghel said that the brick and mortar store in Davenport has been open for about four years but they have been repurposing furniture for five years.
“I remember driving down a street with my dad when we came across this old dresser lying by the side of the road,” Deseghel said. “We loaded it up, took it home, and began to tweak it. A neighbor saw what we were doing with the piece and wanted to buy it. A year later we opened the store.”
The store takes old pieces of furniture that still have “good bones” and repurposes them with a new, updated style.
“We offer unique home décor, antiques, and furniture to fit all décor styles and budgets,” Despeghel said. “We also build farmhouse tables, benches, sofa tables, coffee tables, etc.”
The goal and mission of the business is to keep good, quality future that has plenty of life left in them out of the dump.
“We believe our planet is a sacred place and that up-cycled furniture is the best,” Despeghel said. “We also take our customers outdated existing furniture and give it a makeover for them so they will love it forever.”
“Flipped Out Furniture” has built a large clientele in Davenport and an equally large customer base in Muscatine.
“Our Davenport customers have indicated that they will travel to Muscatine to visit our store just as our Muscatine customers did when they came to the Davenport location,” Despeghel said. “We are excited to have our customers come and visit our store along with the other shops and restaurants in Downtown Muscatine.”
Thompson Trucking, Inc., Skinny’s Barbeque, Bosch Pest Control, Bridge Side Pub LLC, and Wine Nutz have received SBFL funds so far this year.
SMALL BUSINESS FORGIVABLE LOAN PROGRAM - The City of Muscatine offers Small Business Forgivable Loans for building improvements and startup cost associated with the creation of a new business or to existing businesses significantly expanding into a new market, product or service. Businesses can obtain a loan for up to $25,000 at a term of five years with 20 percent of the original loan forgiven annually at the anniversary of the origination of the loan. Funds are allocated up to $15,000 for startup cost and up to $10,000 for code compliance.
The City has allocated $100,000 in funding annually. Funds will be awarded to qualifying businesses based on availability of funds.
For more information visit the SBFL page on the City of Muscatine web site.