Hartville’s locally owned Eaton Place, a full service home furnishings and accessories store located at 465 W. Maple St., will host the Lake Township Chamber of Commerce’s next Business After Hours networking event for chamber members and guests from 5:30 to 7 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 24. Co-hosting the event is Hartville’s FirstMerit Bank.
Celebrating 30 years of business serving customers in Lake Township and northern Stark County, Eaton Place sells fine furniture ranging from dining room sets and sofas to rockers and recliners, as well as a wide array of light fixtures, mirrors, lamps and framed, ready-to-hang pictures. Owners Cheryl and Patrick Eaton attribute the longevity of the business to several factors. “We have prices that are discounted 30-50 percent, we offer free delivery, and I have a great staff that provides excellent service. We help our customers in any way we can, by helping with rewiring purchased items, or selecting and finding items both in the store and in our catalogs. Customers also enjoy our small town atmosphere,” said Cheryl. Currently the Eatons retain eight employees, two of whom are Lake High School students.
Cheryl described a recurring seasonal selling pattern she’s observed in the store. “Right now, through February, we offer a picture sale, with an extra 10 percent off our framed, matted prints. After the holidays when the decorations are taken down and put away, people think their houses look plain and want something to decorate it.”
“In the summer, people buy outdoor lighting, and in the fall, they’re looking for furniture - sofas, dining room suits - to get ready for the holidays and entertaining,” she said.
Through the years, the store’s biggest selling items have continued to be discounted lighting fixtures and furniture pieces.
Having grown up in the furniture business, Cheryl is knowledgeable about all aspects of her job, but especially enjoys selecting and buying new merchandise for the store. “It’s really fun looking at new products, seeing new colors and fabrics, and reading about the latest trends in industry magazines. And, buying for the store helps me avoid spending too much on myself,” she added with a laugh.
Cheryl hopes many first-time visitors will stop in to see Eaton Place during the Business After Hours event to see the merchandise, go on a tour, and enter drawings for complimentary door prizes. “A lot of people don’t realize this is a furniture and home accessories store - when they come in, they’re surprised and say, ‘We’ve never been in here before!’” she said.
The phone number for Eaton Place is 330-877-1111.
Complimentary food will also be available for the February After Hours event, compliments of both Eaton Place and co-host FirstMerit Bank of Hartville. FirstMerit Corporation is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Akron, with assets of $11.1 billion as of Dec. 31, 2008, and 160 banking offices and 182 ATMs in 25 Ohio and Western Pennsylvania counties.
FirstMerit provides a complete range of banking and other financial services to consumers and businesses through its core operations. Principal wholly-owned subsidiaries include FirstMerit Bank, N.A., FirstMerit Mortgage Corporation, FirstMerit Title Agency, Ltd. and FirstMerit Community Development Corporation.
Jana Weaver is the branch manager at the office located at 832 W. Maple St. in Hartville, and Joan Peacefull is the small business banker. They can be contacted at 330-877-1812. Both managers invite new or current customers to stop in to learn more about Reality Checking at their branch, or to ask about it during the upcoming networking event.
