THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 2, 1994 TAG: 9410010127
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 16 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CAROLE O'KEEFFE, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Long : 102 lines
DAVID B. NELMS would like to be able to make a living being what he loves most: an artist. Recently, he made an important first step toward that goal.
Nelms opened N&B Custom Framing at 4324 Godwin Blvd. in a building formerly used by his father for auto repair.
Nelms, 33, is also a mechanic and spent the past 15 years repairing aircraft for the Air Force and as a civilian at the Naval Air Station in Norfolk.
All the while, he painted and dreamed.
At N&B, Nelms makes custom frames, specializing in ``conservation framing,'' which he says preserves valuable items such as limited-edition prints, important documents and memorabilia.
One day he would like the business to grow enough so he can ``sit back and paint, which is what I enjoy doing, and hire some people to help me with the framing.'' Nelms paints landscapes in acrylic.
While the retail shop is new, framing is not new to Nelms. He had done it for his own artwork and for friends for years out of his home.
Nelms uses half the 1,200-square-foot building for framing and the other half as an art gallery, where he shows his own work and has plans to show the works of other area artists.
``I'd like to highlight local artists,'' he said, ``give them a place to exhibit their work.''
Nelms has roughly 700 frame molding samples, and he carries a full line of mat board. He also cuts any size glass.
Conservation framing protects against acid, humidity and sun damage. Nelms also does shadow-box framing for such objects as medals and small collectibles.
Nelms named his business N&B for the car repair shop his father operated there until 1979.
``I kept the name for the sentiment. If it was a good enough name for him for a number of years, . . . it's a good enough name for me to use.''
N&B is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
AUTOMOTIVE EQUIPMENT CO., owned by Wendy W. Short, has expanded from a home-based business to a storefront operation.
The company is now at 568B E. Constance Road, in the former Darden Plumbing building. It sells service lifts for automobiles to dealerships, department store auto shops, chain-owned service centers and quick-lube centers.
Wendy Short owns the 3-year-old business and does all the accounting, while her husband, Daniel A. Short, sells the hydraulic equipment.
One of the reasons the Shorts moved the business from their home is to sell other items besides the automobile lifts. They also offer hydraulic hoses and fittings to a variety of customers. ``Anyone who uses hydraulics,'' Daniel Short said.
Hydraulic systems are used in such things as back hoes, air compressors and service shop tools.
The Shorts also sell hydraulic jacks and oil-dispensing equipment, the type that quick-lube shops use.
The Shorts now employ four other people, doing much of the work at night, Short said.
The retail store is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
LOCKER ROOM SPORTS is about ready to open for business. Again.
The store, which caters to the sporting interests of minority shoppers, opened Aug. 1 at 110 N. Saratoga St. - but it was burglarized soon after, said co-owner Chris L. Joyner. Most all the jerseys, T-shirts and hats were taken.
``My stereo was here, but they didn't mess with that,'' Joyner said.
He hopes to finish restocking within a couple of weeks.
Joyner says he opened the store because, as a sportsman, he wanted to make popular athletic clothing items available to Suffolk youth.
He said he can carry his merchandise at lower prices simply by not taking as big a markup as other retailers.
``I've been in sports all my life. I work a lot with Little League. I was looking for a business to get into.''
Joyner has been working with his father, who owns and operates Joyner's Car Wash on North Main Street.
Joyner, 31, is a Suffolk native. He played basketball at Coppin State College in Baltimore, and he coaches little league basketball now.
He owns the business with Mike Parham. Although their hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, they say they will open the store any time for customers.
They also offer silk-screen printing for T-shirts, on a next-day basis if necessary. That end of the business has kept them going since their stock was wiped out.
``We are practically starting over,'' Joyner said. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photos by JOHN H. SHEALLY II
David Nelms shows a sample of his work at his N&B Custom Framing
shop.
Chris Joyner, left, and Mike Parham are restocking their sports
clothing store, Locker Room Sports. The new shop was burglarized in
August.
Wendy and Daniel Short of Automotive Equipment Co. sell automotive
lifts from their new address, at 568B E. Constance Road.
by CNB