5th Generation Takes Over Family’s Brookings Furniture Store
BROOKINGS, S.D. (AP) — A fifth generation is taking over a family-owned furniture store in Brookings that has been open for 134 years.
Husband-and-wife team Alfred and Deanna Rude are paring back their involvement with Rude’s Home Furnishings, the Brookings Register ( ) reported. Her nephew, Nick Hanson, is stepping in.
Nick “has been assisting me closely in the last two to three years,” Alfred Rude said. “He’s well-liked by our vendors, and he’s got quite a talent for merchandising. We hope to see things continue into this fifth generation.”
The furniture store was opened in 1881 by his great-grandfather, George Rude. It has been at five locations in the downtown area, including at its current spot since 1977.
Alfred Rude said he and his wife are trying to cut back and enjoy life more, but that they’ll still be involved in the store’s management and ownership.
They have a 19-year-old son, Conor, who is finishing his freshman year at South Dakota State University. But he likely won’t follow his parents in their involvement in the store.
“Conor has other interests,” Rude said. “He’s mechanically inclined and plans to pursue a mechanical engineering degree. His real interest is in cars.”
The couple plans to travel both inside and outside South Dakota with their newfound extra time. They purchased a home in Lead around a year ago.
“We like to go out there for a few days each month, so now it’ll be a little more possible to do that,” Rude said.
The family business serves customers within about a 50-mile radius of Brookings — north to Watertown, south to Sioux Falls, west to De Smet and east to Marshall, Minnesota.
“We try to be very competitive every day,” Rude said. “We try to provide good service for the customer, which has helped in the business continuing all these years.”
He added that the loyalty and dedication of customers and staff has helped keep the business afloat.
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Information from: Brookings Register,
