UFS (Used Furniture Store) Unites Bozeman Three short years ago, the Used

Furniture Store-or UFS as many would locally recognize it-put its roots down in Bozeman. Situated just off of Main Street in the heart of town, UFS is owned and operat-ed by an intimate group of four Montana natives whose commit-ment lies solely with the community and in the assurance every cus-tomer has a welcome experience. "This is the first place we've ever been," Owner Eric Kummerfeldt, says, "everybody here is from here- from Montana. We've got a really small crew and we work hard." The interior of UFS possess-es no shortage of evidence to sup-port the efforts of the staff in coop-eration with the public, each item meticulously polished and displayed to simulate the ambiance each piece could bring to the homes of the locale that is our corner of Southwest Montana. "I don't think a lot of people have \ een used fur-niture in that before," .he notes- a UFS' warm reception in our commpnity.

The four-man team at UFS is driven by its intention to\stay local by putting their into cus-tomer and quality of service as an alternative to the geo-graphical takeover business model so prevalent among corporations and other so-called local enterpris-es. "We want to take care of Bozeman, Livingston, Manhattan, Three Forks, Belgrade, Big Sky, Paradise Valley, and a little bit out-side of that," he says, "but we're really trying to keep our footprint

small. We want to take care of peo-ple closest to us-people we see at the grocery store or at a restaurant, our neighbors, our friends. We're trying to take care of our commu-nity." A noble endeavor considering the growth of the area in the last decade plus. Kummerfeldt says the community has embraced UFS thus far--a fruit of the company's labors, adding, "Our goal is to always be consistent with the com-munity, treating people properly and doing things the right way so that everything works out in the end. We're not trying to make a bunch of money, we're just trying to do the right thing for our com-munity because we love it here."

The idea to open a store that had some panache and would effec-tively eliminate unwarranted myths regarding the condition of and the limits posed by sellable used furni-ture came after consideration of what Bozeman had to offer. Prior to UFS opening their doors, Kummerfeldt says, "We kind of wanted to find a business we could help bring quality furniture to peo-ple for affordable prices. We felt like everything was either high-end or felt like everything was super low-end and there wasn't anything in between." UFS has since found its niche in a region particularized by its residents' unique sense of domestic sophistication. UFS does not promote an agenda or definite lifestyle of their own making, but encourage individuals and families of the community to create their own with those items sourced local-

ly and made readily available thanks to their fellow Montanans. "It's nice to be able to just buy it

\

from community members-which is really huge for us," he says, "We keep a very small footprint. We don't contribute to any shipping--we don't order anything. One hun-dred percent of our sellable prod-uct is purchased from people in our community. For every dollar we spend in our business, we're spend-ing it on community as well. Ninety-five percent of our purchas-ing is us going to people's homes in a fifty-mile radius. We'll go to their homes and offer them a quote that's good for thirty days and if

that quote works out for them with-in that timeframe, we'll buy it out-right and pick it up." As though UFS houses a vast, rotating

inventory of items, colored by the old and new, vintage and contem-porary, rare and one-of-a-kind, hid-den treasure or basic necessity. A customer could come in only twice in a matter of weeks, even days, and have an entirely different index to choose from the second time around. "We always want to have something for everybody, whether

you're a student or in the Yellowstone Club," Kummerfeldt says, "We've got things in here from $5 to $3000-the common

Though UFS' presence contin-ues to evolve within our ty, the store has no major plans for expansion. "[We want to] continue to grow the store and the store's reputation. We're not trying to go crazy, we're trying to do a good thing and have something to be proud o( Three years in, we're lucky to be where we're at. We're going to keep doing what we're

I doing well." Kummerfeldt con-cludes, "We might hire some more employees so we can have some

denominator being that [the 1 pieces] are in good quality. It does-

n't have to be fancy, just in good shape." The diversity in the store's catalogue of merchandise comes from the great variety of local homes visited in its accumulation. No home or its contents are the same as the last, and UFS has

more time off-that would be our idea of expansion right now." Everyone deserves some time to enjoy this place we call home.

made some unexpected discoveries I in their short tenure. Still- even

their central location is not accessi- with the surplus and yet undiscov-ble enough, the mobile staff at

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ered cache of worthy items- UFS UFS makes the whole selling has quickly found its footing process as smooth and straightfor- through the commitment and ethic ward as possible. "If you don't have I of its affable team of four mem-the physical ability to carry some- hers. "People walk in for the first thing, or you don't want to, or you I time and can't believe how nice don't have a truck or a trailer, or everything is," he says, "We want maybe it's just something you don't people to know they can come want, we'll come take a look," here and buy with confidence Kummerfeldt mentions, "You don't because its quality stuff--we've even have to empty our your draw- looked it over, we've done the ers for us to look at your dresser. research, we make sure you can't The power is in the hand of the find it cheaper anywhere else, we customer the whole time, because professionally clean all of our they don't have to say yes and sell it upholstered furniture. We make to us, but we tell them what we can sure things are shored up, make do. All they have to do is be there sure we can stand by things we did-to answer the door. It's pretty sim- n't even make [because] we look it pie." The UFS trucks spotted at all over so thoroughly." random throughout town on any Kummerfeldt adds, "Everything is given day-week or weekend- done in-house. Even though there attest to the availability of the busi- I are only four of us, we wear many ness' services, not to mention its different hats, we're just all working general successes. hard to do it right."

UFS is located at 1921 West Main Street next to CVS. For more information, buyers and sell-ers needn't hesitate to call or visit their website at http:/ /ufs-bozeman.com/. •