Veteran furniture retailer expands

The Bell family, operators of Reno Gallery of Furniture, Rush-A-Bed and Mattress World, has opened an 18,000- square-foot furniture store at 3405 Kietzke Lane.

The store, which is across from Jones West Ford, previously was occupied by The Bedroom Super Store.

The bedroom store closed after its parent company sought bankruptcy protection.

"We've looked at the building as a store for us for many years," said Claudia Bell, who founded the company with her husband, Dick.

"We felt that the time is now."

Picking up the pieces after competitors leave is nothing new for the Bells.

The company, launched in 1986 in a store on Gentry Lane, in 1988 moved within 25 feet of a Levitz Furniture store in the Sierra Marketplace Shopping Center.

When the Levitz store closed again, its parent filed for bankruptcy protection the Bell family took over the vacant space to create two stores totaling 70,000 square feet.

In fact, since Reno Gallery of Furniture opened its doors, Dick Bell said 46 furniture and mattress stores have gone out of business in Reno and Sparks.

Claudia Bell said the company plans to open a childrens' furniture store on Kietzke Lane.

The Bells are joined in management of the business by their three children Mark, David and Jennifer.

The Bells came to Carson City from Southern California, where Dick Bell was a furniture store manager, in 1972.