Route 4 property sold for $2 million, new owner plans office furniture showroom
A local business that handles office furniture liquidations for big companies across the nation — and in the Albany region — is getting a much more visible showroom to sell used desks, chairs, cubicles and more.
Turnkey Workplace Services is in the midst of renovating a 15,000-square-foot building at 375 North Greenbush Road next to the former Yonder Farms nursery.
In a way, it's a return to what the building used to be — a family-owned furniture store known as Ken Feiden Home Furnishings that closed in 2006 after nearly 70 years in business.
Turnkey Worksplace Services is owned by a different family, headed by Mike Paris, and will be selling much different merchandise in a building that's getting a top-to-bottom remodel.
That includes a garage-style door opening onto a patio with a fire pit.
"This is going to be an experience coming here," Paris said. "We want people to look forward to coming here."
Turnkey Workplace Services will open a used office furniture showroom this fall at 375 North Greenbush Road (Route 4) in North Greenbush.
Paris, 64, has been in the office furniture industry for more than 40 years, handling national accounts that include office liquidation, furniture installation and office moves.
He and a previous partner from Philadelphia started their own company, National Project Group, in 2007.
"I was very well recognized on the national side," Paris said. "On the local side, no one knew us."
Eight years later, they bought a former Grand Union supermarket on Pawling Avenue in Troy and started selling used, commercial-grade office furniture.
The partner wasn't interested in that aspect of the business, so they parted ways in 2021 and Paris formed Turnkey Workplace Services, which he runs with his son, Ryan Paris, and daughter, Brie Bermas.
Turnkey has $10 million to $11 million in annual revenue, with about 35 employees, including 25 furniture installers. The company can extend its geographic reach much further through affiliated groups that provide additional staffing.
The company liquidates 100,000 to 200,000 square feet of office furniture in the U.S. every month.
Many national companies that had invested in new office furniture in the years leading up to the start of the pandemic have been downsizing their space. That resulted in a bevy of almost-new furniture that needs to be liquidated.
Paris wanted a bigger showroom and a more visible location than Pawling Avenue in Troy. North Greenbush Road (Route 4) is a busy commercial corridor that has had considerable growth over the past two decades.
Paris was aware of the old Feiden Home Furnishings store and the adjoining Yonder Farms, but wasn't able to put together a deal until last year when he called the owner of Yonder Farms.
The business, owned by the Chiaro family, had closed the North Greenbush location. The family also owned the Feiden building.
The former Yonder Farms property in North Greenbush was part of the real estate deal. The greenhouses and equipment will be liquidated. There are no immediate plans for the property.
Paris Property Group paid members of the Chiaro family $2 million for the Feiden building and the adjacent 1.6 acres where the Yonder Farms greenhouses sat.
"I was in the right place at the right time," Paris said. "Route 4 is a huge corridor for us. We live in Rensselaer County. Our employees live in Rensselaer County. We were impressed with this location."
At this point, Paris has no plans for the former Yonder Farms land. The greenhouses, sheds and farm equipment are being sold by the Chiaros. Everything will be removed by the end of this year.
The renovations for the new showroom will cost $1.2 million. Community Bank NA provided a $2.2 million loan. The Rensselaer County Industrial Development Agency approved sales/use tax exemptions worth $60,000, a mortgage recording tax exemption worth $22,000 and property tax exemptions worth $20,000.
The new showroom will open by October. In addition to businesses seeking barely used furniture, customers include people with home offices who want to upgrade what they have.
The business is easy to find when people search Google for used office furniture because of a big investment in digital marketing over the past two years, Paris said.
"These guys have sold me on that digital marketing," he said of his son and daughter. "We get so much traffic, your head would spin."