Business Profile: Vacant building creates new opportunity

June 29--ANDERSON -- The Junktion, located downtown at the corner of Harrison and Church streets, has a little bit of everything for everyone.

"The customers say it reminds them of the way stores merchandised in the past, and they look forward to driving by to see what is new," said Tony Johnson, who owns the store along with his wife, Bobbi.

Wicker loveseats, antique rockers and end tables line the sidewalk and wrap around to the opposite edge of the building, providing a glimpse of the treasure found inside. Pinterest followers and collectors can spend hours in the store's three rooms filled with merchandise.

The resale store carries furniture, household items, giftware, jewelry, tools, hardware, books, albums, sporting goods, antiques and collectibles.

"If The Junktion doesn't have what you are looking for, we try to find it for you and let you know when it comes in," Johnson said.

He had not planned to open a business in downtown Alexandria, but owning an older building here proved to be something of a challenge for the couple. The building had originally been rented to a tenant, but the business -- like so many other former downtown businesses had -- moved to Indiana 9.

"It is hard to rent an old building downtown for the prices you need to keep up with high insurance costs, property taxes, upkeep. ... Virtually no one wants to buy property downtown," he said.

The couple had two choices, Johnson said. Let the building go to tax sale and take a chance it would be torn down, or take a leap of faith and start a new business in the building.

The problem with starting a business, however, was it had to generate interest, have low overhead and not require many changes to the current structure.

"We chose the resale and re-purposing business because it met the criteria and we love taking existing things and maintaining a use or purpose for them," Johnson said. "Because we also carry vintage and antique items, it is fun watching the young people coming in and seeing old items for the first time and others coming in going down memory lane about what their parents or grandparents had."

Time and money are the biggest challenges, the new entrepreneurs said, and an old building needs constant maintenance and upkeep. Johnson said he eventually plans to upgrade, but patience and balance are required to maintain their success.

"We have wonderful family and friends who have helped support our efforts and put in countless hours of help, and we couldn't have done it without them," he said. "We are very thankful to God for this business opportunity and for the friendships and blessings we have encountered continually along the way."

If you would like to see your business featured here, contact Traci L. Moyer on Facebook, send a message to @moyyer on Twitter, email traci.moyer@heraldbulletin.com or call 648-4250.

The Junktion Location: 201 North Harrison St., Alexandria Phone: 273-5606 Opened: July 2013 Owners: Tony and Bobbi Johnson Products and services: Resale and re-purposed furniture, antiques, gift ware, housewares, collectibles, jewelry, books, records, sporting goods, toy, tools and hardware. Hours of operation: Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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