Life as a Yowler

This is not an easy blog to write. I tend to be very sentimental. After a 32 year business partnership with Art Van Furniture, the news is official. They have filed bankruptcy and they are closing all their stores. It is honestly because of Art Van, that Gascho Furniture exists(I’ll tell the story later on in the blog). My heart is breaking, not only for us, but also for the 3000+ people who have lost jobs. A lot of which, we know personally. After partnering with them for so long, we have established a lot of friendships and relationships. It really is a heartbreaking situation.

We have known that bankruptcy was most likely coming for a little while. As soon as we heard it officially, it really felt real and really set in. It has been a tough week for us.

When Brandon started with Gascho Furniture(our family business) Art Van was around 90-95% of our company’s business. Today it is much less than that, thank goodness. Brandon has been very focused on growth and expanding the last several years. He knew we shouldn’t place all our livelihood in one account. God has used his gifts, talents, strong will, drive, and desire to sell other accounts. That’s the whole reason we have been traveling as a family. We tag along with him as he travels around the USA and sells to other furniture accounts. It’s because of this calling that God put on Brandon’s life the last few years, that our business will be fine. Even though we feel sad that we lost a great partner, we know God will continue to bless our company and help us to thrive. All the glory goes to God alone.

I’m so thankful for a hardworking husband, brother, and parents who are invested into Gascho Furniture. My brother and parents work hard overseeing the shop and office every day. Brandon works hard traveling, selling, meeting with new buyers, and maintaining current accounts.

Art Van has been huge in our business’ history. My dad, a conservative Mennonite chicken farmer, also had a talent for woodworking. He built several pieces of furniture, but his claim to fame came when he built tables for a local restaurant. An Art Van executive, was passing through the small town of Pigeon(way up in the Thumb of Michigan) and sat at one of my dad’s tables at the restaurant. He inquired about who made the tables. He looked up my dad(Lyle, the Mennonite chicken farmer) and the rest is history. Art Van wanted my dad to make tables for them. My dad made his first shipment of tables alone. He slowly started hiring employees as business took off. Other than my mom, Redford Maust was the first Gascho employee to work alongside my dad. He is a close family friend. Gascho Furniture experienced huge growth. Then, when Michigan’s economy tanked, Gascho Furniture experienced some hard years. It was around this time, I met Brandon, the crazy spontaneous dreamer. Brandon’s history was a little different than my dad’s that’s for sure. But God got ahold of Brandon’s  heart. He changed Brandon. And Brandon got ahold of my heart and asked me to marry him. After a couple years of marriage, Brandon joined the Gascho team. Soon after, my brother Trent was finished with college and also joined the team. The two of them have worked so hard at expanding and growing the business.

With the news of Art Van closing, we know why God placed the calling of growth on our business. While we are sad, we are not hopeless. While we know we will have a couple of hard months, we know we will be fine. God will provide. I’m so thankful for our hardworking team of employees. They are committed. They are faithful. They are the reason we sell quality furniture. Every member of the Gascho team, we can’t thank you enough! Thank you for your patience as we navigate through these unknowns. Thank you for your commitment. Thank you for your diligence. Thank you for your hard work.

Art Van employees, we love you. We are praying for you during this truly difficult and tragic time. Praying for provision! Praying for peace! Praying for hope! Praying for joy, even in the midst of difficult circumstances!

I’m even more sentimental about this guy right here. My dad bought this from an Art Van store and gave it to me for my 3rd  birthday. I pulled him out of storage a few months ago. You can see how much use he’s gotten. So far he has withstood the Yowler 4. I want to get him Re-Upholstered.

This is my parents and siblings, although we’ve grown quite a bit since this picture.

Here is a picture of my dad with his three brothers and his mom. My dad is on the far right.

We held a special event at the shop for our 25th anniversary partnership with Art Van. Several sales associates and buyers came to the event.

Some of our Amish suppliers came to the event, also.

During the event, my dad demonstrated the strength of Gascho chairs. You can see how much weight they can hold.

We launched a bedroom program with Art Van August 3rd, 2012. I’ll never forget this date….the reason….let me tell you. August 2nd, I went to the hospital, pregnant with my firstborn. They discovered I had HELLP syndrome(this is even more severe than preeclampsia). They immediately induced labor. The doctor told me I would most likely be in labor all night, since it was my first. Brandon had a meeting scheduled the next morning with the Art Van buyer to launch bedroom. I’ll never forget what Brandon said in response to the doctor. He said “that won’t be possible. My wife will have to speed it up and beat the odds. I have to leave first thing in the morning, for one of the most important meetings of my life.” Luckily for Brandon, and Gascho Furniture, I had Joah 4.5 hours after the first drop of pitocin was given. He was born at 9:20pm.  Luckily for Brandon, I forgave him for his stupidity. I know him well enough now to know that that boy is as business minded as they come. He is so driven and so focused on doing the best thing for Gascho Furniture, whether or not that means abandoning his sick wife and newborn baby at the hospital.

I’m so thankful for Art Van. Like I said previously, if it weren’t for them, Gascho Furniture would not exist. While I hate to see it end this way, I have a lifetime of memories and history with some great people. I’m 32 years old. We partnered with AV for 32 years. So they have literally been a part of my entire life. I cherish these memories. I cherish these relationships. I’m praying for all involved!