Rural Iowa Business Purchased by Georgian Company

Recently, in Keosauqua, Iowa, a small-town business is under new ownership. Barker Company Ltd., which has roots both in Keosauqua and Centerville, Iowa, was purchased by Hill Phoenix, Inc.  Barker’s creates and produced many items, from specialty merchandise that are shipped to grocery stores, to similar products that appear in convenience stores and numerous food service stations. 

The company will now become part of Hill PHOENIX’s specialty products division. Hill PHOENIX officials say they plan to continue operations at the manufacturing facilities in both Keosauqua and Centerville.

Hill PHOENIX is based in Conyers, Ga. The company manufactures commercial refrigerated displays and other refrigeration systems.

Upon news of the purchase, Bill Burch, President of Commercial Resources, Inc. who manages over a dozen businesses in the Centerville area, stated, “Purchases of businesses like this are a common and expected part of industry.  As with all change, it will understandably be met with concern and speculation.  I trust that the quality, work ethic, and attitudes of the community will speak for themselves if Hill Phoenix ever chooses to assess the operation of Centerville’s plant.  Our companies will be excited for any opportunity to work with or support Hill Phoenix in their efforts here.”

Members of Commercial Resources, Inc. and other businesses owned/managed by Burch [such as The Shoppes at Bradley Hall, The Columns, The Continental, Mystic Publishing, and the Exline Country Store] are also excited for the growth of business in the small Iowa town.

Exline Old Country Store and Antique Exchange – 6th Anniversary

Exline, Iowa – The Exline Old Country Store and Antique Exchange (www.exlinecountrystore.com) celebrated its 6th anniversary of the store opening on October 31st. About 7 years ago, local native Morgan Cline suggested that his hometown have an “old country store with all the good stuff” that he remembered when he was a boy. Locals rallied and supported the effort with the opening of the store coming about a year later. Now, six years later they had their 6th birthday party! Local entertainment was provided by Rodney Randall on the harmonica and Jim Traxler playing his guitar and singing. A good time was had by all. Since the anniversary falls on Halloween each year, a pumpkin carving contest was held. This year there were 12 entiries, which is a record! Special sales were offered within the store and door prizes were given at the end of the day to thank the community for the support and business they have given us throughout the year.

The Exline Old Country Store and Antique Exchange was only the beginning of a number of projects developed by Morgan Cline in Exline. In addition, Cline moved a one room school house to the main street area and renovated it as a replica of the original schools. Then there was the tiny E.E. Withrow building which he did the same thing making it the community betterment office. The list goes on to include renovation of local homes in poor condition, the development of Ponds and Prairies (www.pondsandprairies.com), Coal Miners Commons, and the Exline Hose Company No. 1 Museum.

There is much more than meets the eye in the area. Many are unaware that Brigham Young was named the head of the Morman Church about 1 ½ miles south and east of Exline at a place they called , “The Ring of Rocks.”

Thanks to Cline’s investments and his vision, The Exline Old Country Store and Antique Exchange is now on the map and drawing tourists from far and wide.

Southern Iowa’s Top Shopping Destination

Antique treasures and modern conveniences await the customer of The Shoppes at Bradley Hall in Centerville, Iowa. As soon as one enters the Shoppes through spacious glass doors, one’s eyes cannot help but move from one object to another. From gift items to collectibles (in my opinion, the Jelly Belly booth is worth checking out) there is something for everyone at The Shoppes at Bradley Hall—from the young to the old.

The site of the historic Shoppes is located on an equally historic house to the Centerville district. Completed in 1909, the house was completed for D.C Bradley on 519 Drake Avenue, the same location as today. The house was considered a social center of Centerville, complete with a ballroom on the third floor. When vacated, the house housed many different venues; for instance, a private residence, a nursing home, classrooms for college and elementary students and administrative offices for the Centerville Community Schools. In 1998, Morgan Cline, an East coast advertising executive with local roots, with the help of Commercial Resources, Inc., also located in Centerville, purchased the house from the public schools. January through August of 1999 was the renovation stage. Partitions and fluorescent lights came down, the woodwork cleaned, the wood floors refinished, walls were painted and papered, and carpet scraped off the tile flooring. In addition, the ceramic tile roof was removed, repaired and in some areas, replaced. Mr. Cline’s philanthropic vision of Bradley Hall was to preserve it indefinitely and in a fashion that would allow it to be enjoyed by all, thus evolved the Shoppes at Bradley Hall.

With 10,000 square feet of usable space on the premise, The Shoppes at Bradley Hall in Centerville hosts enough space to contain quite a large amount of collectibles. With an impressive three floors, the onlooker may be intimidated by the size of the beautifully constructed Bradley house, but once inside one may find that the space is used effectively—every bit of space available is used to its fullest, from the items inside the kitchen sink, to items inside a closet in the hallway.

Bill Burch, a local entrepreneur to the Centerville area, had this to say about the delights of shopping at The Shoppes at Bradley Hall: “Of the over two dozen projects we have developed, Bradley Hall is one of the most gratifying and still the regions #1 shopping destinations.”

So, there you have it. “There’s a lot more business out there in small town America than I ever dreamed of.” Sam Walton spoke these words, and proof exists in Centerville, Iowa and The Shoppes at Bradley Hall. Small town reliability and reasonable prices coupled with big city products and ambiance, The Shoppes at Bradley Hall have every service to meet every need. With three floors of collectibles, there’s enough paraphernalia to suit each individual’s needs. Check out http://www.bradleyhall.info/ for more information regarding the historic site.