Two J’ville businesses growing like weeds

by By Cristin Parker cristin@thecherokeean.com
Photo by Michelle Dillon
Citizens check out Harry’s Building Materials new Jacksonville location last weekend. Photo by Michelle Dillon
Citizens check out Harry’s Building Materials new Jacksonville location last weekend.

Two Jacksonville businesses are flourishing in today’s economic landscape.

Harry’s Building Material’s new retail store opened over the weekend and last week STS Electronic Recycling announced the company is expanding its facilities to include the building that formerly housed Discount City.

Harry’s Building Material-Jacksonville’s new 16,000 square-foot building, on U.S. Highway 69 N, is a retail showroom for home improvement items. Construction on the facility began in September 2018 and a grand opening is planned for April, business owner Robby Tosh said.

“We were looking to build,” Tosh said during opening day Saturday, March 2. “Our original store has been there since 1983. It’s just time to build another building. We were either going to build in the warehouse beside us that we had, or well, we got to talking to the city of Jacksonville and JEDCO (Jacksonville Economic Development Corporation). We talked to them and got to looking at the property next door to us and we really needed more room.

“So, we basically worked out a deal with the land owner. Now we’ve got from not quite three acres to a little over five acres. We’re going from a 9,000 square-foot building to a 16,000 square-foot building. We also have a dispatch building, so really we have 16,000 square feet, plus another couple thousand feet there.”

STS Electronic Recycling is also upping its floor space, as it expands into the former location of Discount City, on Bolton Street.

“We’d outgrown our original location, as well as the space we use at the auto salvage yard we have on 204,” STS owner Steve Norton said. “We’re rehabbing the building now and are looking forward to moving in as soon as possible.”

The former retail space adds an estimated 90,000 square feet to STS’s facilities, which will help as Norton said the company is planning to feature an Apple store at the new location.

“In order to be a registered refurbished Apple distributor, we have to have a store front,” Norton said. “We’ll be able to do that at the new location.”

Norton said he’s already got about 30 new employees hired and in training to man the new location.

“Not only are we able to add jobs for our local community, we’re also extremely pleased to be bringing new money into our area because most of our sales are out of state and out of country,” Norton said. “When you open a store or a restaurant all you’re really doing is recirculating that local money, which is important, don’t get me wrong, but when there’s new money coming in, it helps boost the local economy that much more. And right now, we’re seeing about $1 million coming through Cherokee County each month.”

Headquartered in Jacksonville, and with facilities in Miami, STS Electronic Recycling specializes in IT asset disposition for businesses and organizations within the continental U.S.

Industries STS services includes call centers and data centers; hospitals and healthcare services; schools and universities; courts, law offices and government entities; engineering, oil and gas and other industrial providers; insurance, banks and financial institutions; gaming, casinos, media and entertainment providers; and software and electronic OEMs.

“Productivity and mobility devices, such as Apple iPads, Android Tablets, and Surface Pros are constantly being made obsolete by ever improving replacements and upgrades,” the company’s website explains.

The company is an EPA certified technology asset disposal service provider and recycler that provides free computer, laptop and table recycling.

Other items the company recycles include cell and smartphones, monitors, server equipment, networking equipment, ink and toner, copiers and printers. STS also provides computer liquidation services.

“Benefits of using computer equipment liquidation services can help add space to your operation, provide a steady revenue stream from the liquidation of used equipment and reduce overhead and costs associated with space and warehousing of old computer related equipment,” the company’s website states.

Visit stselectronicrecyclinginc.com.