CullmanTimes.com, Cullman, Alabama

Local News

October 13, 2007

REAL ESTATE: Retailers report little impact

By Noah Chandler

Despite a nationwide housing slump some Cullman building suppliers and retailers say they have not been affected.

When local builders or residents need appliances for renovations, Handy-TV salesman Jason Young said they come to him.

Young has worked four and a half years at Handy-TV. He said this year has been one of the best.

“I haven’t noticed a decline. It seems like business just gradually goes up,” Young said. “I currently have five builders that I deal with on a normal basis. Each spends roughly $5,000 a month.”

Walker Brothers manager Reggie Hesterley said business has slowed a little in the past few months, but overall the year has been one of the best.

“This year has been good. We have been blessed with good business,” Hesterley said. “This is the perfect time to build a home. Lumber prices are down. There are people in our area that our skilled craftsman who are available.”

Local marble fabricator Russ Fox of Precision Cultured Marble, said business in the Cullman area has been slower then he would have liked, but business in the Huntsville area is booming.

“We have a couple of builders that use us locally. We may do two or three re-models per year in Cullman,” Fox said. “From our point of view it (marble business in Cullman) has not done as well as we thought it would. Huntsville has been impervious to the national home problem.”

Maria Schultz of O.F. Richter and Son said business over the past few years has been steady. She said most of the business O.F. Richter receives is from residents remodeling homes, but they do have several builders who purchase on regular basis.

“It generally slows in the winter,” Schultz said. “But last year we had a mild winter and business was good. This year has been about the same as last year.”

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