Valentine business celebrates three generations, five decades

VALENTINE, Neb. — A downtown Valentine furniture store is celebrating a milestone few small businesses reach: 50 years and three generations of family ownership.

Nelsen Furniture and Floor Coverings is now operated by Annie Bailey and her husband, Sam, continuing a business that has been part of the community for decades.

Bailey remembers spending time in the store as a child when her grandfather ran the business.

“My grandpa would have a special drawer with candy. Back then, candy wasn’t something you got all of the time,” said Annie.

The company’s longevity is uncommon. According to the Family Business Institute, about 30% of family-owned businesses survive into the second generation, and only 12% make it to the third.

“Having the opportunity to continue it on was pretty special,” Annie said.

Bailey’s parents, David and Joanne Nelsen, ran the store before her. The business traces back to David’s father, who managed Watt’s Furniture in the same building. In its early days, the business sold both furniture and caskets.

“The mortuary business was a lot of times accompanied by a furniture business because if you go way back in the old days, the morticians would build caskets out of wood. If they weren’t busy building caskets, they would build furniture,” said David.

David joined the business in 1972. A few years later, he and his parents purchased it and renamed it Nelsen Furniture.

Over the years, Joanne said helping customers create comfortable homes has been one of the most rewarding parts of the job.

“It brings you a lot of joy to help people furnish their homes, and it makes them happy. It makes them comfortable. There are so many health benefits to furniture now. It makes you feel good. We’ve had a lot of people come back and say, ’Thank you for selling me that bed,’” said Joanne.

Today, Annie and Sam are continuing the family tradition, helping customers choose furniture and flooring that fits their homes and lifestyles.

“People come in wanting to have their home feel a certain way, and we try to facilitate them and guide them in that direction the best we can. It’s pretty fulfilling when we get it right,” said Sam.

While running a small business can be challenging, especially in the digital age, the family credits their success to customer service and the support of the surrounding community.

“I don’t know if I know the secret, but we wouldn’t be here without our community. We wouldn’t be here without Valentine, but it goes beyond that. We service a large area of the smaller towns around us. If they didn’t make the effort to come here, we wouldn’t be here,” Annie said.

After five decades in business, the family says those relationships continue to be the foundation of their success.