Holly and Jim Lovell have successfully channeled their military family experience and love of art into a thriving startup business that showcases the talents of more than 65 area artists.
The Tiadaghton House (tie-a-dotten) features arts, antiques and American crafts. It is located within a two-story, turn-of-the-century red brick property in historic downtown Lebanon. The shop’s unique name stems from an Iroquois word for River of Pines and the small creek in central Pennsylvania near where Holly and Jim first met and grew up together.
Starting a business in a community where one lives is challenging enough. The Lovells upped the ante considerably by launching their new enterprise from the East Coast.
Jim, a career U.S. Air Force officer assigned to the Pentagon, noticed an ideal location for their future business had popped up for sale. The central Pennsylvania natives still owned a Metro East home from the period when Jim was stationed at Scott Air Force Base. With a strong desire to return to the area, the Lovells purchased the Tiadaghton House in late 2012 with a clear mission to be in business in less than 12 months.
Jim’s military training, combined with Holly’s corporate experience, helped the couple devise a detailed action plan focused on a successful launch. The plan included finishing and renting the second floor as studio space to artists, who would conduct classes, attract customers, and compliment the arts and crafts on the first floor gallery.
Holly and Jim found three local artists who matched their requirements: Nancy Young Spence (clay) of Columbia, Becky Ripplemeyer (soaps) of Belleville and Alicia Scolarici (oil and acrylics) of O’Fallon. With signed leases, the Lovells covered amajority of their monthly operating cost. This enabled the couple to dictate their own terms and style for the first floor consignment space.
“Those months after we bought what is now Tiadaghton House were extremely fast-paced,” said Holly. “The five of us (Jim and Holly have school-age twin daughters and a son) were still living in Virginia. Much of the planning and preparation took place remotely.
“Even our children’s spring break was spent in Lebanon sitting down and interviewing artists, who had expressed an interest in joining us on a consignment basis. We spent many days and nights envisioning how to convert an empty house into a successful shop.”
The Metro East Small Business Development Center, headed by Director Patrick McKeehan, played a prominent role in providing business start-up expertise to the Lovells, according to Jim.
“The SBDC shared detailed information on how to do business in Illinois, how to pay taxes, how to register our business, employee rules and other small business regulations,” Jim Lovell said. “Patrick met us here and walked page by page through our business model and business plan, listening and giving us lots of great advice.
“Maybe more than anything else, he gave me a lot of confidence that Holly and I were on the right track.”
The SBDC brought SIUE School of Business students into the shop to provide additional marketing recommendations.
“Patrick also connected us with a SIUE marketing research graduate student with new media expertise who critiqued our website,” Jim added. “All in all, working with SBDC staff was a highly satisfying experience. It has definitely contributed to our success thus far.”
Jim officially retired from the Air Force in late June 2013, and the Lovell family moved back to Illinois. Two months later, the Tiadaghton House opened its doors on Labor Day weekend.
Visitors can see and purchase affordably priced handcrafted creations, including photography, ceramics, watercolor, charcoal, woodworking, pottery, stained glass and jewelry along with many unusual antiques. Artists displayed at Tiadaghton Houserepresent a healthy cross-section of the St. Louis region, with 90 percent of them based in studios on the Illinois side of the river.
“As a career military family, we’ve always been drawn to art, American art in particular, that is being created by local craftsmen and craftswomen,” said Holly. “Having been stationed throughout the country and overseas, we have a personal collection of art that’s very special to us. Each piece reminds us of where we’ve been and the closeness we share with fellow friends, who were also serving in the military.”
The Metro East SBDC is funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to serve entrepreneurs and small business owners. The SBDC and its partners positively impact the Metro East by strengthening the business community, creating and retaining new jobs and encouraging new investment. It enhances the region’s economic interests by providing one-stop assistance to individuals by means of counseling, training, research and advocacy for new ventures and existing small businesses. When appropriate, the SBDC strives to affiliate its ties to the region to support the goals and objectives of both the SIUE School of Business and the University at large.
To learn how the SBDC can help your small business, contact the Metro East SBDC at (618) 650-2929 or sbdcedw@gmail.com.
Photo: Holly and Jim Lovell.