Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Huth.
Ben , let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
We were dairy farm kids from central Wisconsin. People always ask us where the name came from, when we were young like single digit young on into our teens we would pick wild mustard weeds in attempt to eradicate them from the hay fields and we were paid one penny for each plant we pulled from the ground but only if we got the root with it so it could not re-grow the following spring. I know some summers we picked 6 to 8 thousand weeds each. It did not take long to appreciate the value of a dollar at a penny per weed.
My older brother, Arvid got a job at a furniture store in Eau Claire, Wisconsin while going to college. For me, I wanted nothing more in the world than to be a farmer just like my Dad and Grandfather had been. A few years into college, Arvid decided he wanted to open his own furniture store and after his first pick for a business partner got cold feet and backed out. My oldest brother, Charles convinced me to approach Arvid about becoming his new business partner. I figured if it did not work out, I could always go back to farming.
So, we went for it, with Arvid only 21 and myself 19 we dove into the big city of Milwaukee as scared as could be and leased our first showroom in the summer of 1993. Since then, we have stayed the course dedicated to quality and customer satisfaction. Today, we have 5 showrooms across Chicago and 3 in Milwaukee with plans of continuing to grow at a fair pace.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Some of the initial struggles were finding the money to get a showroom open, we sold our snowmobiles, I sold 7 cows, an ATV and put everything we had on the line. It made it or go bankrupt!
Of course, at our young age, it was hard to be taken seriously by realtors and banks but all eventually went well and we were able to grow and show we had what it took to survive.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Penny Mustard Furnishings story. Tell us more about the business.
We specialize in locally made furniture. In fact, 94.20% of our furniture is made in the USA with most of that being made in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Indiana. We partner with small hands on craftsmen that take pride in what they build. We bring them the designs we want making and they take it from there and craft amazing furniture. We offer furniture for every room in your home.
What sets us apart from other companies is the quality of people we employ. We have hand chosen them to have the same values and ethics as we carry so that even if we are not helping the customer, we know that they are being helped we would help them.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck is usually a combination of determination and effort.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.pennymustard.com
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