A long-lasting downtown business in Grande Prairie will be shutting their doors as their owner declares retirement.
Co-Owner Bob Stevenson opened up Midwest Furniture Rentals in 1985. A year later, he split the company into two, creating Midwest on Main.
Stevenson says that after being in business for 41 years, they still have some of the same families from the start, that still deal with them generations later.
“To this present day, we still have some of those original people that delt with us back then, their kids are dealing with us, and their kids, kids have came back to deal with us.”
“Back in 1985, you knew a lot of people like you made a lot of good friends with people.”
Stevenson started at Midwest in 1976 as a temporary worker. Months later, he was promoted to manager. He added that since 1976, Grande Prairie has changed a lot during that time.
“Back then, we didn’t have the problems that we have now, with you know the homelessness, political unrest, tariffs and all that.”
According to Stevenson, one of the lasting impacts that the store has left him will be the friendships he made along the way.
“Grande Prairie has been a wonderful community. When things get tough, Grande Prairie comes together and everyone gets together and supports a common cause.”
“If it wasn’t for them [Peace Region] we wouldn’t have had the success and the joy that we’ve had.”
Currently, Midwest on Main is hosting a retirement sale, with all the items needing to go.
“People have been coming in this last week saying oh my god Bob, sorry to see you go and congratulations and all that.”
“Its hard, we have a market here that we loved and that we’ve serviced, and hopefully someone carries that on.”
More information about the sale can be found on Midwest’s Facebook page.
