After 3 generations and 76 years, Springboro business closing its doors

For the past week, business has been busy at a Springboro furniture store as the owners decided to close after 76 years of serving the community.

David Edwards, third-generation president of Edwards Furniture on West Central Avenue, told employees last week of the decision to close the business by Dec. 23.

Edwards said the decision to close was not a business or a financial decision, but a timing decision due to COVID-19, supply chain issues and no succession to a fourth generation of family ownership.

The business started in 1945 with his grandfather and was originally located on Main Street in Franklin. When his grandparents saw that Interstate 75 was coming through, they bought land in Springboro for their store in 1961, he said.

“LaComedia (Dinner Theater) came after us,” he said.

Edwards said there are 13 employees and that many of them are close or are ready to retire. He’s also had four or five furniture stores contact him about hiring other employees.

The store has many 50% off sale signs on many pieces of furniture that’s left as well as sold tags on a number of times from sofas to mattresses on one end of the building.

Edwards said as of Monday morning, more than 650 people have come into the store.

“That tells you how much the community supported us. That makes us feel good and that we’ve done a good job,” Edwards said. “We thank the community for its generations of support.”

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