by David Chapman
Staff Writer
It might have been hard for Mike Halusek to pick out a favorite chair, but he has one.
As owner of the longtime patio furniture store Palm Casual, there’s a 5,000 square-foot showroom full of chairs and lounging comforts to choose from, but his is simple in structure and reclines.
It’s also made of PVC pipe.
“It’s one of the things we’re all about,” he said.
Halusek took over the Beach Boulevard store — the only one in Jacksonville — in 2000 after running two Palm Casual stores in the Atlanta area, but he didn’t found the family-owned and operated company. Instead, it was his good high school friend Kroy Crofoot, who along with his parents and fiancé opened the first store in Orlando in 1979 and has since expanded to 11 stores across the state.
“His whole body bleeds PVC,” said Halusek, regarding his friend, Crofoot.
Halusek grew up in Orlando, but joined the Air Force where he served for 22 years before joining the business and eventually coming to the Jacksonville store.
Since then, he’s helped expand what once was a small showroom and attached factory that made cushions and the furniture itself into a 5,000 square-foot viewing area full of PVC and as of the past few years, wicker and aluminum furniture. The attached factory still constructs and repairs the furniture onsite — one of the better selling points for customers, he said — but the cushions are now made in Orlando and shipped across the state.
The biggest clientele for the furniture, especially PVC wares, are people who use it on or near the water.
“It really is the best thing on the ocean,” he said, referring to PVC furniture. “Saltwater and the air can mess up furniture, but it holds up well and there’s a lifetime service guarantee on repairs.”
Business as a company is up across the state, said Crofoot, while Halusek said the Jacksonville location remains steady from last year despite the economy. Unlike other stores that have steady business throughout the year, Halusek said February through May tends to be busiest, though he is hoping to see additional holiday traffic.
One reason for the success as a whole is the factory structure, which allows them to manufacture and sell directly to the public to keep prices the lowest possible and actually attracts customers in a down economy.
“We don’t have sales,” he said, “because if we had a sale, we’d have to mark everything up to have it.”
Additionally, Halusek believes the level of service the company offers is key, something Crofoot has always believed in.
“It’s about doing the little things,” said Crofoot. “We give everyone personal attention and do things the way we did it 30-40 years ago.”
The model and structure has paid off and at the local level, Halusek believes another Jacksonville store in Fleming Island could be on the horizon.
The competition for such goods has declined in recent years and Crofoot said the company is in the process of advertising more to capitalize.
As for the Jacksonville location, he knows it’s in good hands.
“I’ve known Mike and Holly (Halusek’s wife) for more than 30 years,” said Crofoot. “They’re great people and do a great job.”
356-2466