River Cities Business Journal: Business Profile

Designers plan one-stop shop, Two businesses will provide everything from flooring to faucets

Special to the River Cities Business Journal

MOHAVE VALLEY - John Hoover, president of The Hoover Companies, chose for the design of the El Rio Professional Plaza to be based on the Longwood mansion located in Natchez, Miss., an antebellum southern mansion he visited on a recent vacation.

Hoover didn't know that the buildings' southern charm would draw three designers who would head up the planned Builders Design Center, a one-stop shopping opportunity for homebuyers and homebuilders.

Two of those designers Carrie Hemme and Chris Ehgoetz are owners of Lake Havasu's Michael Alan Furnishings and will open another shop at Hoover's professional plaza.

Colleen Hobbs will serve as design manager for Tradewind Interiors, the second design business located El Rio Professional Plaza. Tradewind Interiors will focus on home finishing's such as lighting, flooring of all types, countertops, plumbing fixtures, and cabinetry and window coverings.

The designers for Michael Alan Furnishings will provide all the accessories as well as the ability to help decorate homes. Their expertise includes helping homebuyers select their necessary furnishings from a well-stocked inventory.

“We will have a selection of the best types of furnishings that up until recently would only be available to customers who travel to a metropolitan area such as Las Vegas or Phoenix,” Hemme said.

The new plans to build an additional 15,000 square-foot building, which will be home to Michael Alan Furnishings and Tradewind Interiors, has increased the size of El Rio Professional Plaza. Located on Highway 95 just south of El Rio Country Club, the plaza will expand from the planned 30,000 square feet to 45,000. Architects Seabury and Fritz of Bullhead City designed the additional building, as well as the current buildings that are under construction.

Hobbs, Hemme and Ehgoetz are working together in preparation to stock the center. The Membership of Arizona Home Furnishing Representative Associations recently awarded its � Retailer of the Year” award to the owners of Michael Alan Furnishings for their dedication to the furniture industry.

Hobbs worked several years as an interior designer with a large financial institution where she traveled and designed a branch in American Samoa and Guam.

“Hawaii was also a beautiful place to work,” Hobbs said, “but now my assignment is to be part of the antithesis of a tropical island such as the Mohave Valley desert.”

El Rio Professional Plaza will include 45,000 square feet of office space and serve as the new corporate headquarters for The Hoover Companies. The plaza will also include: a bank, title company, mortgage company, Michael Alan Furnishings, Tradewind Interiors, O48 Realtor, El Rio Homeowners Association, and other support businesses for various property developments spearheaded by The Hoover Companies.