Fred’s Beds to receive up to $10,000 to help give business facelift
MADISON, WI. JAN. 27, 2022 – Fred’s Beds in downtown Mayville has been named the winner of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s (WEDC’s) annual Main Street Makeover Contest.
Janine and Jeff Andes opened their furniture shop in downtown Mayville in 2015. The business is housed in a historic building previously owned by Jeff’s father, Fred Andes, for whom the business was named. Since the opening, the business has grown from a part-time operation to a full-time business, with Janine taking over as full-time manager.
The dramatic increase in home renovations during the pandemic has helped make Fred’s Beds’ expansion possible, but it has also created challenges in display and merchandising as the range of products and amount of inventory have increased.
The business hopes to use the makeover to reconfigure their shop to be more accessible to customers, improve storefront and signage visibility to downtown visitors, better showcase the variety of products available and enhance the shopping experience.
Fred’s Beds will receive personalized technical assistance and up to $10,000 to implement changes identified in the makeover process, which could include both interior improvements as well as exterior enhancements. The goal of the makeover is to update the space and reflect the quality products and services offered by the shop.
A team of WEDC staff and professionals from Retailworks Inc., a Milwaukee-based interior commercial design firm, will work closely with the Andes family and stakeholders from Main Street Mayville over the next few months to develop the shop’s new look. The improvements will be made during a 48-hour makeover event later this spring.
“A vibrant downtown is critical to the overall economic health of a community,” said WEDC secretary and CEO Missy Hughes. “The Main Street Makeover program is one of the ways we support thriving communities throughout Wisconsin.”
“We’re thrilled to hear that one of our core downtown businesses is this year’s Main Street Makeover winner,” said Dawn Gindt, executive director of Main Street Mayville. “Their dedication to restoring one of Mayville’s oldest buildings is a benefit for the entire community and we are proud to have them in this district. The community will be so excited to follow the transformation of a building that has held a prominent place in the community for generations.”
Now in its sixth year, the Main Street Makeover Contest is an initiative of the Wisconsin Main Street Program, a comprehensive revitalization program overseen by WEDC and designed to promote the historic and economic redevelopment of traditional business districts in Wisconsin. The makeover contest has also spun off several smaller related programs, including the mini-makeover and the place-makeover, each of which provide a combination of technical support and funding to help businesses and communities transform underperforming spaces into appealing and attractive places.
Multiple nominations from a wide variety of businesses within Wisconsin’s 34 designated Main Street districts were received as part of the makeover contest this year. All eligible applicants will receive outreach and technical assistance from WEDC community development staff and their local Main Street program to help them achieve their business goals.
Communities selected to join the prestigious program receive the technical support and training needed to restore their Main Streets to centers of community activity and commerce. The Wisconsin Main Street Program, part of a nationwide program of the National Main Street Center, has been recognized nationally for its participation, initiatives and outcomes.
Past winners include:
- • 2018, Annie’s Fountain City Café in downtown Fond du Lac
- • 2019, Anthony’s 511 Barbershop in downtown Watertown
- • 2020, Ted’s Pizza Palace in downtown Menomonie (celebrating the restaurant’s 50th anniversary)
- • 2021, Moores on Main in Ashland
For more information on the Wisconsin Main Street Program, visit wedc.org/MainStreet.
