THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 19, 1994 TAG: 9408170115
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JANELLE LA BOUVE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
JAMES KIRBY was out of work, having been laid off as a department manager for Sears Roebuck and Co., when he and his wife, Dolores, decided to open an office supply store in Great Bridge Shopping Center in 1976.
They had only $3,000 to invest in the enterprise and neither had much experience in running their own business.
``But it worked,'' Kirby said.
``My background was in retail. And I like retail,'' he said. But it seemed that every time he applied for a job, he heard the same responses: either he was overqualified or underqualified for the job.
``My wife was the personnel manager for Omni International,'' he said. ``She encouraged me to open our own business.''
During the next 18 years, the store, Kirby School & Office Supplies, has occupied three different locations in the same shopping center.
As entrepreneurs, the Kirbys have experienced highs and lows.
``There have been some really rough times,'' Dolores Kirby said. ``We are one of the few survivors of the recession. We're older and wiser now.''
It was in 1988 that the recession hit.
Three years ago, they rented an adjoining store, expanding their floor space to 3,100 square feet. They added supplies for teachers and students to their inventory.
``I love children,'' said Dolores Kirby, who works with children at her church. ``There were never enough resources to chose from.'' She had long wanted to bring educational products into their store, but her husband was reluctant.
``He pays the bills. I do all the ordering,'' she said. ``I'm always anxious and excited about new products. He is more cautious. To me it's like Christmas all the time. I get to open all these boxes. When all these teachers come in August and September, it's like I'm having a party.''
Before she orders supplies, Kirby does her homework. She equips herself with a magnifying glass. Then she spends hours pouring over countless catalogs looking at school supplies.
The Kirbys say that the incorporation of office and school supplies has been a good blend.
``I want to make sure that the materials will be interesting to teachers and students,'' said Dolores Kirby. ``If the faces within the books aren't cute, I know they won't appeal to anyone else.''
Among the items in the store that appeal to children are fun bookmarks, stickers galore, funky erasers, odd-shaped pencil grips, plastic rulers decorated with abstract characters, pencil boxes and a large variety of rubber stamps with images such as the Peanuts characters and angels. There are animal hand-puppets and greeting cards.
Aids and supplies for teachers include brightly colored bulletin board paper and posters on topics like the human body, science, the weather and how plants grow.
Storage boxes, ceiling hooks and poster boards in neon colors are available, too. There are finger paints and tempera paints and craft supplies, including Popsicle sticks and what were once known as pipe cleaners. One line of heavy-duty magnets marked with the slogan ``Noseman magnets `nose' how to mind your business.''
They offer a variety of certificates and eye catching grading seals that proclaim the student as ``Excellent,'' ``Neat,'' ``Good,'' ``A plus,'' ``Cool'' or ``Looking Great.'' And there are packs of award certificates that say things like ``Joe Smoe gave 100 percent today.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by STEVE EARLEY
James and Delores Kirby own Kirby School & Office Supplies in Great
Bridge Shopping Center.
by CNB