S P E C I A L F E A T U R E Furniture store offers a variety of handmade Mexican pieces BY KELLY HILDEBRANDT LMTBusiness writer Walk inside the bright orange and yellow painted building of El Encanto Mexicano and explore a variety of rustic Mexican furniture pieces. El Encanto Mexicano, which means “Mexico’s charm” in Spanish, is on San Bernardo Avenue and sells a variety of handmade Mexican furniture ranging from entertainment centers to living room sets and bedroom pieces, said Gavin Turner, owner. In addition to solid wooden furniture, they also sell ornamental iron pieces. Customers can also have either wooden or ornamental iron pieces custom made, Turner said. Turner opened the store two years ago when he moved to Laredo with his wife – a native of the city. He said he opened the business to offer Laredoans more variety when choosing their furniture. “I just didn’t see the quality and the variety,” he said. Growing up in Mexico City, Turner got into the import/export business while working for a company called Herman Miller, which imports business furniture. It’s during that time that he said he learned the ins and outs of the business. “I was kind of forced into it,” Turner explained. Working on the retail side of the business, Turner said he was asked to take a position in the operations department that handled imports and exports. “I really didn’t know anything about it but I learned the hard way,” he said, explaining that he learned through experience. Moving to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in 1998, Turner said he and his wife drove through Laredo and attempted to buy new furniture. “We were looking for furniture here and we didn’t find any,” he said. When they moved back to Laredo about a year later to be close to his wife’s family, Turner said he decided to open the store. Since opening the store two years ago, Turner said business is good and getting better. Business doubled the first year El Encanto Mexicano was open, Turner said, adding that from 2000 to 2001 it doubled again. For now he runs the 2,500 square foot 8 LMTBusiness Journal December 10, 2001 store by himself, although he said as business grows he’ll have to hire help. Although some retailers fretted a breakdown after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Turner said his business has actually increased over the past few months. Although it’s been more of a hassle to cross items from Mexico, he said that some of his competition recently went out of business, bringing more customers to his store. While Turner sells furniture to residents here in Laredo, he said about 50 percent of his business is wholesale – selling to companies up north and as far away as California. Many American companies find that Mexican wholesale companies will try to take advantage of them, Turner said. So instead of trying to import items themselves, they opt to buy from a wholesaler, such as Turner, on the American side. Turner said people enjoy the rustic furniture because it‘s a style that fits into almost any living room. “You really never get tired of it,” he said. “It’s not just one style … it mixes and matches with just about anything.” Popular items include entertainment centers and dining sets, he said. Although Turner said it’s difficult to select pieces to display in his store that will sell, he said he tries to display a little bit of everything to get an idea of what was popular, especially since he admits, “My taste is not everybody’s taste.” But although some pieces might not sell as fast, sooner or later every item finds a home because everyone has varying tastes, he explained. Turner said he likes the business because each day brings a new challenge. “It’s always different,” he said. “The fun thing is finding it for them and having it made for them and just meeting their needs.” Turner’s plan for El Encanto Mexicano is simple: “Grow and grow and grow.” He said he hopes to offer more styles in the future, including more colonial pieces. Typically, he has about 50 pieces in the store, but he added that a catalog is also on hand for customers to peruse through. (LMTBusiness writer Kelly Hildebrandt can be reached at 728-2547 or by e-mail at [email protected]) Clockwise from top left: A multitude of wooden furniture pieces crafted in Mexico is on display in cozy settings at El Encanto Mexicano, such as this one for the dining room. A barstool sports a cow skull carved in wood as a unique backrest. A traditional favorite at import stores, painted wooden crosses and metal ones are also available at El Encanto Mexicano. Dining sets made of sturdy, rustic materials are graced by colorful Mexican dishes, also for sale at the import store. (Michael D. Amici/Laredo Morning Times) LMTBusiness Journal December 10, 2001 9