Growing a Legacy of Success
Family-owned and operated, by Michelle Beery and her husband, Nick, Mili’s Fine Furnishings in Parsons, KS, is a shining example of a company that is part of the ongoing revitalization of downtown Parsons. Milli's offers high-quality furniture, along with mattresses, appliances and electronics, for residential and commercial customers.
The company originally opened their store at 2106 Crawford in Parson in 2020. However, they felt that Main Street in downtown would be a better fit for their business, and the building they had in mind was 1707 Main Street, due to the foot traffic and energy the location offered.
The building had previously been purchased by the Community Development Corporation in a cooperative effort between the City of Parsons, Labette County, and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. As part of its redevelopment over a two-year period, the roof of the building was replaced, the interior was remediated for mold and asbestos and the building was painted.
Working with the City of Parsons, the building’s price was favorably negotiated, and the Beery’s purchased it, relocating to the new address in January 2021. The new building allowed only a small area for appliance sales and within four months, they realized they needed to expand, and the couple purchased the space at 1705 on Main Street as well.
Ms. Beery stated that being downtown has made a great difference to their business, and they appreciated the assistance provided by Parsons’ Director of Economic Development. “Jim Zaleski is awesome. Give him your ideas, and he’ll help you do it. We’re lucky in Parsons, not every town has a Jim Zaleski,” said Ms. Beery.
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Jim Zaleski is awesome. Give him your ideas, and he’ll help you do it.
Michelle Beery, Co-Owner
Winning a Business of the Year Award from the Parsons Chamber of Commerce in 2021, Mili’s Fine Furnishings’ philosophy is “to make people fall in love with their homes again.” The company achieves this by providing exceptional customer service, competitive prices and price matching and white glove delivery service. The company is also proud of their in-house design services that help their clients with their home’s layouts.
Ms. Beery’s advice to other potential retailers looking to move to Parsons is “Treat your customers good. Always evaluate the market and be competitive.”
Expanding to a Second Location
In 2023, the company expanded again, opening a second Mili’s Fine Furnishings store at 17 North Main Street in Miami, Oklahoma. Future plans for Mili’s may include additional locations, and Michelle and Nick Beery hope that one day their children will carry on their legacy and take over the family business.