Re-Nu Receives Small Business Award

Steve has always had a passion for refurbishing and refinishing, starting with vehicles and motorcycles when he was a teenager and progressing into restoring furniture later in life. When it came time to close their 46-year-old family business Fiffe Liquor and figure out what to do next, Steve went back to his love for refurbishing and refinishing and RE-NU came to be.  He and his wife Shirley purchased the building at 7 South Main and spent an entire year refurbishing the building – including restoring the original tin ceiling, taking the walls back to the original brick, and re-vamping the entire upstairs for vintage pieces.  It was a true labor of love and RE-NU officially opened to the public in May of 2014.  In 2018, Steve and Shirley purchased the building at 800 E. 4th originally for additional storage for RE-NU and called it The Warehouse.  Over time this space has evolved and is now open to the public with limited hours, giving his customers the opportunity to also shop the items they have in storage.  

At RE-NU they always try to carry unique one-of-a-kind home décor items that can’t be found anywhere else in Hutchinson.   Steve is a master at repurposing items completely out of materials the piece wasn’t originally made for and between his creative ability and detailed perfection, Steve is great at making beautiful one-of-a-kind pieces. Not only can customers come to Re-Nu to find refurbished items, beautiful antique and unique retro pieces, and hard to find mid-century modern furniture, RE-NU also carries Pappardelle’s flavored pasta, a private label line of “7 South” flavored olive oils & balsamic vinegar, along with several seasoning lines.  In addition, customers are also able to shop at THE WAREHOUSE Friday’s from 1pm to 6pm and the first Saturday of each month from 10am – 4pm for that vintage one-of-a-kind cabinet, an old door for your home, vintage trunks, dressers, doorknobs,  and so much more!    It can be hard to put into words all Re-Nu has to offer, which is why Steve encourages everyone to experience RE-NU and THE WAREHOUSE for themselves! 

Operationally, the major issue Steve has is finding enough hours in the day to complete all of his one-of-a-kind pieces, as they can be very labor-intensive.  However, the end result is always worth it, and it makes both Steve and Shirley smile when they hear the wonderful comments from their customers.  Another recent issue they ran into was being able to find enough unique and vintage pieces for The Warehouse.  Typically, they would rely on auctions to find items, however, COVID has had a major impact on the ability to conduct auctions.  Luckily, by word-of-mouth, their name has reached people who are looking to sell, so they have been able to keep their inventory up by increasing their range of purchase areas.  

Both Steve and Shirley believe strongly in giving back to the community.  Steve is a member of the Downtown Antique Association, and he also donates to many community organizations that are looking for items for fundraising events.   They are always happy to donate to the many worthwhile local organizations that help the community.

Thank you, Steve and Shirley, for all you do for our community.