Larry Norris to open new furniture store in Fort Myers

NORRIS Larry Norris, a cornerstone name in the furniture marketplace, is opening his first store in the area in more than a decade.

Norris Home Furnishings will open by year-end in a 20,000-square-foot showroom at 14125 South Tamiami Trail in Fort Myers. He will also have a 36,000-square-foot warehouse to have most orders ready for quick delivery.

Mr. Norris first entered the local marketplace in 1983 when he opened a 3,000-square-foot wall-unit store on Cleveland Avenue. During the following 15 years, he focused on expanding the business. He grew the business to more than 100,000 square feet of selling space with three prominent locations in Naples and Fort Myers and more than 110 employees. He sold the business in 1998 and planned to retire.

Instead of retiring, Mr. Norris has spent the last 10 years in several business ventures with his wife Renee, including building and selling homes, creating a world-class private real estate development and maintaining a commitment to the Southwest Florida community by being involved in many charitable organizations.

"Even with all the changes in our area, there is still a void in the marketplace for high quality furniture and interior design at affordable prices," said Mr. Norris. "We are working with many manufacturers who are going to help us achieve this goal."

Mr. Norris will be hiring 20 or more employees who will be part of his teamwork philosophy.

"I am creating a team with a competitive edge," he said. "We will offer the absolute best customer service and we will exceed clients' expectations each and every day.