Skehan Home Center celebrates 20 years

Harvey Emerson came with the place. He was working for Earnshaw Lumber in Center Ossipee when the Skehan family bought the business in 1985. He's now 75, still working part-time, and is regarded as part of the family himself.Skehan Home Center is celebrating its 20th anniversary with two weeks of specials and giveaways. The big day is this Saturday, May 7, with free food, free balloons, free items such as yard sticks and nail aprons, pony rides for the kids from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., live radio broadcast by WHOM from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and door prizes with $300 to $400 worth of gift certificates from various businesses. The door prizes will be given away every half hour from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m."You don't have to buy anything to enter the drawing," says Jim Skehan. "It's all free. You just have to take the time to fill out your name, address and phone number."Jim Skehan and his wife, Ann, purchased the lumber and building-supply business from George Earnshaw in February 1985. The business itself actually goes back to the 1940s, when it was Nelson's Lumber Yard."There's been a lumber yard in this location since World War II," Skehan says. "Same land, and some of the buildings are the original buildings. We've built two new buildings since we've been here, but three buildings that are here today were here in the 1940s."The Skehans had four employees, including Harvey Emerson, when they bought the business. They now have 20, many with 10 to 20 years experience.Jim Skehan has 33 years in the business. He is chief executive officer for the company. Ann Skehan is corporate secretary; their daughter, Michelle, is president; and Jim Skehan's brother, Joe, is vice president.Jim Skehan describes Skehan Home Center as a "friendly, warm, caring, family-run business where people know your name and treat you with respect." Judging by the growth of the company over the past 20 years, it's an approach that has been well received."A lot of our customers are repeat customers," Skehan says, "so we must be doing something right."In this day of the big-box retailer, Skehan admits that the prospect of a Lowe's or Home Depot coming to the area is "always a concern." But he's confident that Skehan Home Center could withstand the competition."What I've found in 33 years is that people like to buy local," Skehan says. "It's just the nature of our business. When you go to buy a kitchen, or paint, or hardware, you like to go someplace local so that if there's a problem with a product, we can treat the problem as quickly as possible."Skehan says small companies such as his can't always compete price-wise with a Lowe's or Home Depot "because we don't have the buying power they do." But, he adds, "We try to stay away from those products, and be successful in products and lines we feel we can be. A lot of it is just knowing your customers' needs and the products you can provide for those customers."Skehan Home Center adopted the theme "hard-working low prices" several years ago."Everything we have here has to be shopped," Skehan says. "We're constantly looking around to find out where we can get the best deal, so we can pass those savings onto our customers."Skehan Home Center also offers free delivery and can make most of its deliveries the same day the order is placed, or the next day. Delivery range is about a half hour in any direction, including Rochester, Conway and the Center Harbor/Meredith area.Skehan Home Center is located on Route 16 in Center Ossipee. Hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Phone number is 539-5971.