Hartzell happy being ‘Busy as a Bea’

Business started with correspondence course in 1970

by R.L. Furse

The old adage, “Busy as a bee” should be adapted in Aurora to, “Busy as a Bea.” The proverb then would refer to Bea Hartzell of Hartzell Upholstery.

Bea has been busy upholstering over 2000 chairs, or couches, since 1970. And she has no intention of slowing down in her shop at 512 G St. in Aurora.

“I really like what I do. As long as I can do this and people continue to bring things to me, I’ll continue. I have no plans to retire. I like to keep busy,” she says.

“Busy Bea” has been going steady since taking a correspondence course while living in California.

“I originally took the course to learn how to upholster my own furniture. My husband saw an ad in the newspaper and even though I didn’t have a sewing background,  I enrolled. However, I ended up after completing the course not having enough time to do my own furniture because I was so busy,” she recalled.

In Aurora, Bea began her upholstery shop in her  home at 320 16th St.

Later she moved the business out of her home and to a building that once housed Harold Wanek’s Gunshop near the corner of 13th and N streets. In the late 1970’s the business moved to its present site on G Street.

Ironically, her son Phil, who specializes in custom upholstery for car interiors, as well as boats and airplanes, is now located where Bea originally started her business.

“When Phil got out of high school he worked with me for about a year. He then started his own business and ‘flew’ from there,” Bea said.

“He still calls Mom every now and then with a question,” she laughed and then added, “but I just returned from his place so he could fix my air stapling gun.”

 Bea finds lots of satisfaction in plying her trade. “I love to see the finished product and especially I like finishing antique furniture,” she noted.

On the downside she doesn’t particularly care for tearing down old furniture, regluing and fixing springs. “That sometimes can be a problem.” There might be a mouse nest and there’s not much wealth found in-between the cushions of a couch or chair.

“Once I found a neatly folded five dollar bill, but also I’ve found such things as knitting needles, scissors, pocket knives, a crochet hoop and other stuff,” she remembered.

Just like all businesses, there have been changes over the years.

Bea begin her career using tacks, a hammer and a hand stapling gun, as well as a sewing machine. Now all equipment is air driven, except the sewing machine.

“You’re having a bad day when you break sewing machine needles one after another,” she said.

Material costs have changed dramatically, according to Bea. Fabric prices have increased and as Bea says,” Foam prices are outrageous.”” Still, she attempts to absorb much of those costs herself  by not raising her labor charges accordingly.

Bea can upholster a chair in about a week and on the average, a couch takes 10-days when no unusual problems arise and materials arrive on time.

Speaking of materials, Bea observed customer trends see colors change about every two to three years. “Blues and greens were popular, but reds seem to be in,” Bea said. ‘But, in Nebraska we seem to be a little slower to the national change.”

Repeat business has been a key to success at Hartzell Upholstery.

Over the years Bea has upholstered the same pieces of  furniture as many as three times for the same customer.

Distance doesn’t seem to be a factor either for one of her repeat customers. The client from New York, who has roots here in Central Nebraska, brought her African animal hides that she had purchased. “Busy Bea” reupholstered a love seat, couch and several chairs with zebra skin and other African leathers.

That customer told her she could “make a fortune” doing  upholstering work back in New York.

Even though this past year has been a little slower than usual, Bea has no intention of leaving Aurora.

“I think the economy has tightened a little and people can put off furniture reupholstering on a back burner right now,” she observed.

As for that future, we  have no doubt business will again rebound and the adage at Hartzell Upholstery will continue “Busy as a Bea.”