Speedy Furniture is coming to North Franklin Township
Business moving into old Sears building
The former Sears store in Washington Crown Center in North Franklin Township will soon be welcoming shoppers again.
Speedy Furniture will occupy the space that once housed the longtime department store.
Canonsburg natives Devin Reed, Regis Nairn and a third silent partner are bringing the business to the space adjacent to the Crown Jeep dealership at the mall.
“When we were looking for an opportunity to start a business, Speedy met what we were looking for from an owner-operated business standpoint,” Reed said last week. “On top of that, it’s Washington. Crown Center needed to be revitalized. There was a little bit of pride there. I would be lying if I didn’t say we weren’t excited to go back into the store where I used to get Craftsman screwdrivers with my dad. That Sears sat closed since 2019, but it had a rich history. There is nostalgia just being in the Crown Center again.”
Reed’s goal is to have the new store open by the end of March, with a grand opening targeted for May. At nearly 9,000 square feet, it will be one of the largest Speedy Furniture stores in Western Pennsylvania.
“Everything seems to be working,” Reed said Thursday as crews worked to get the building ready. “We’ve had every contractor that you could possibly think of. We’ll have the most updated designs. We are unique in a lot of ways.”
To retain some nostalgia, Reed said he plans to keep the merchandise sign that adorned the wall outside of the old Sears where it has been.
“I thought it was cool, so we kept it,” he said. “I’m trying to get it lit up once we replace these lights.”
Extensive renovations include new sprinkler and heating and cooling systems, new piping and ductwork and roof.
According to its website, Speedy Furniture’s roots go back more than 50 years servicing Western Pennsylvania, with 13 stores currently, including locations in Belle Vernon and Uniontown.
“It was founded in Kittanning by two brothers that have over 80 years of furniture experience,” Reed said. “We’re the largest Ashley Furniture retailer in the Pittsburgh area, but we carry many other lines too. It’s franchise owner-operated. The important thing is for us not to be known as a discount furniture store. We’re carrying the top brands. We’ve just done a good job of cutting out all of the overhead. We don’t carry the inventory. It ships here and we get it to you.”
Reed pointed to the partnership that has been formed with Kolton Saunders and Buffalo PFE, owner of the property, and the Crown Jeep dealership.
“Those guys talked our language and were just as motivated as we were to do a renovation and really helped carry the torch for it,” Reed said. “When you have the partnership we have with Kolton and you have the contractors that we have, there wasn’t much that we couldn’t overcome.
“This town really needed this,” Reed said. “So we’re very excited.”