Health & Fitness
Pinewood Furniture to Celebrate 59 Years in Business
The business was started in 1955 by Morris and Ann Firestone and is currently owned by their son, Ed.
Started in 1955, Pinewood Furniture will be celebrating its 59th anniversary in the fall.
My parents, Morris and Ann Firestone, opened the doors to their unfinished furniture store at Pinewood’s first location, 379 East Center St. in Manchester. Both do-it-yourselfers and discriminating decorators soon discovered the pride and joy of personalizing their furnishings with ready-to-finish furniture.
In 1967, my father suffered a massive stroke and I, while still in high school, took over running the business alongside my mother. I continued to work full time at Pinewood and attended Manchester Community College and the University of Connecticut, where I earned a degree in accounting.
Pinewood continued to grow, and in 1970, Pinewood opened a second store in Canton. In 1976, my father passed away at the young age of 65. I was planning on being an accountant, but stuck with the business after my college graduation. After my father passed away, I bought the business from my mother, and have now owned it since 1978.
Pinewood remained strong throughout the 80’s and early 90’s, and the Canton store was enlarged in 1992. Then in 1995, the Manchester store moved to 1115 Main St., which more than tripled its showroom size and warehouse. The building is one of the oldest buildings on Main Street and has actually housed furniture stores since 1890.
This is where I feel the business really became part of the community, and I got involved with the downtown.
I’m involved in a lot with the town, including the Downtown Special Services District. I’m also involved with MCC on Main, and feel very attached to the school. I’ve also been a Rotarian for the past 10 years and will be the president for the 2014-15 fiscal year.
I also started Cruisin’ on Main 14 years ago, hoping to bring 100 cars to Main St. We now average over 900 cars and 30,000 spectators. It’s become a signature event for the town – not just the downtown.
It’s been a really rewarding experience to give back. I thank everybody in the Manchester community for your support over the years.
