An economy on the downside does not always mean there is no room for growth. Hope is expecting two new businesses to open on North Hervey Street in March.

 The Mattress Store, a spin-off of the Nix Home Center in Stamps, and Lovelis Refrigeration, a store currently in operation in Nashville, have leased properties and begun work to locate additional businesses here soon. Although the businesses are unrelated, they are both heading this way.
 Thomas Nix, owner of the Nix Home Center, said he has been in the furniture business for 27 years. He has a full line of furniture, appliances, electronics, and satellite TVs, in his Nashville store. Nix said they have a very large trade area in Magnolia.

 The Mattress Store will carry Serta, and Corsicana brands, according to Nix. They will have headboards, metal beds, and some used furniture. He said he will be able to offer next day delivery on 80 percent of beds, or customer pick-up.

Nix’s wife, Nancy, will operate the store.
Hope/Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce President and Manager of Ivan Smith Furniture, Becky Williams said, “it is great for Hope.
“I am very glad both will be coming to town. Even with the economy being down, our town is continuing to grow,” Williams said.

Williams also said the more stores that choose to locate in Hope keeps the community from having to going elsewhere to meet its shopping needs.
“The more choices we have here means more people will stay in Hope to shop and the economy will be stronger in Hope,” Williams added.
Nix said the demographics in this area seem to really fit.

“We have been looking at opening a mattress store for over a year now. We like the market size that Hope is. The demographics, income levels and housing levels seem to fit the type of business we want to open,” Nix said. “And everybody has been super nice to us.”

The Mattress Store will be located where the previous Factory Connection store was located at 210 North Hervey. Lovelis Refrigeration will be located at 1110 North Hervey near Yocum Body Shop.