Page 31 - BusinessWest March 20, 2023

HOME IMPROVEMENT >>
The Surge Continues
Businesses Look to Ride Momentum at Annual Home & Garden Show
BY ELIZABETH SEARS
A‘COVID bump.’
That’s what some in the home-improvement industry
call that surge in business
that accompanied the pan- demic nearly three years ago now.
“It’s been kind of amazing; I think the industry had a sort of bump when, sadly, people stayed home and conserved their money and their time outside of their home,” said Deb Kelly, staff designer at Modern Kitchens in Agawam, which spe- cializes in start-to-finish kitchen and bath- room renovations.
“Then, maybe they looked around and thought their home was a little shabby, and they could pick some things up,”
she went on. “Since they weren’t taking cruises or going out to dinner as much, they said, ‘let’s do these projects that we’d really love to accomplish.’ We’re still feel- ing the effects of that; we’re going into a strong 2023.”
Yes, the COVID bump, or whatever one chooses to call it, still has some legs to it, and this bodes well for area businesses across the very broad spectrum of home improvement, many of which are gear-
ing up for the 68th Western Mass. Home & Garden Show on March 23-26 — and expecting to come away from that event with more prospective customers.
Tony Witman, owner of property-man- agement company Witman Properties in Holyoke, said he recognizes that, despite these beneficial trends in this sector, services are not necessarily going to sell themselves — which is where the Home Show comes in.
“Many of the services we provide are same-day or next-day, whether it’s plumb- ing, electrical, HVAC ... and I don’t think homeowners get that level of service by just flipping through the internet calling people,” he said, noting that the event offers an immediate response to their
“Since they weren’t taking cruises or going out to dinner as much, they said, ‘let’s do these projects that we’d really love to accomplish.’ We’re still feeling the effects of that; we’re going into a strong 2023.”
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Dave Coyne (right) says the Home & Garden Show has been beneficial to his business.