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Email Story to a Friend July 17, 2006 Lamont Ray of Closet Concepts fits a drawer in a cabinet. (Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli) New owner of closet company gets things organized Chicago man moves to the valley to take over closet business; often works with home-builders Editor's note: This is one in a weekly series of profiles on locally owned and operated businesses in Southern Oregon. What do you do and how long have you been doing it? I design, organize and install closets, pantries and garage storage. I bought the business from Jeff Henderson, who started it in 2001. Right now it's done by drawings, but I've got software on order so the work will be computer-designed. How long have you lived in the Rogue Valley? I moved here three months ago from Chicago; my wife is from this area. Advertisement What inspired you to go into this line of work? I was with United Airlines for 25 years and this seemed like something there was a need for and something I could pick up easily enough and become competent at fairly quickly. I saw an online ad for the business when I was living in Chicago and when the time came to close on the deal, I moved here. From the time I first saw the ad to closing was three to four months. What decision or action would you change if you could do it again? Jeff was doing this business part-time and I'm doing it full-time. It's probably too early to recognize if there are things I would do differently, but everything is going fine right now. What's the toughest business decision you've made? Leaving a job I had held for 25 years was the biggest decision. I was an aircraft mechanic at O'Hare Airport. Who are your competitors? There are a couple of guys: ORG-Rogue Valley and Cabinet Man. How do you define success for your business? To be successful enough to expand and generate enough work to hire another employee. What are your goals? I work out of a 1,400-square-foot shop, which will meet my needs for a while. I could probably double up and still work out of here, but I am considering a more visible location. I do a lot of work for builders. But for the most part, once people get their closets built, they're done until they move. There isn't a lot of repeat business from homeowners, although I do get word-of-mouth advertising from homeowners. What training or education did you need? I worked with the previous owner for a couple of months. I had most of the basic skills from being an aircraft mechanic. It was just a matter of using my skills to assemble and construct the individual pieces. In old houses you work on 31/2- foot closets, but in newer houses with big, walk-in closets there might be 30 feet of wall space. What's your advice for budding entrepreneurs? Take the leap. It may be scary to leave the old job, but so far I've found it's been well worth it. To suggest an idea for this column, contact reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4463 or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations --> online casinos news Send Flowers California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Entertainment Guide --> Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Ashley Furniture HomeStore Advertisements Advertisement