Retailer Spotlight

Barry French
Acadian Millwork & Suplly

In 1981, Barry French and Denny Perschall filled a much-needed niche when they opened their store, Acadian Millwork & Supply in Mandeville. French and Perschall began their partnership building high-end condominiums during the ‘70s.
“We were having problems getting the quality of materials needed for projects and that sparked the idea to open the business,“ says French.
Acadian Millwork does stock and custom millwork; sells doors, windows, columns, shutters, hardware (locks), mantels and casework. French says the biggest misconception people have about the company is that it only does custom millwork.
“Many are surprised to find out we work on apartments and tract houses,
and that we are very competitive in cost,” says French. “We are the closest thing to a full-line millwork company in Louisiana that I know of.”
Acadian is one of the only pre-hanging operations in St. Tammany Parish. Pre-hanging is putting a door in a frame before sending it to a home site for installation. The advantage of this is that it saves time (10 minutes at Acadian versus what could be five hours on site) and allows a precise fit, insuring a consistent quality.
French says the company considers itself regional, rather than just local, with clients in the Florida panhandle and along the East Coast. Perschall’s brother, Don, and French’s son, Stephen, also work in the company. There’s an expansion planned as well.
“We strive to provide for our customers … our focus is on high-quality service behind every sale and we stand behind our work,” says French. •

Retailer Spotlight
Ted Anthony
Anthony’s Landscaping

After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, Ted Anthony returned home and started a business doing basic lawn maintenance. Ten years later it has grown into a full-service landscaping company.
“I took my passion for horticulture and pursued it more and more,” says Anthony.
Anthony describes his type of business not as retail, but more of a service-oriented company. “We are an exterior designer for the outside … paving and patios, brickwork and flagstone, drainage and irrigation, and landscaping with trees, shrubs and such,” he says. Some people believe that mowing the lawn and planting a few flowers does a yard justice, says Anthony, but that doesn’t allow it to be used to its maximum capacity.
“When someone walks into their yard and feels like it is their yard—not something I sold them—and it fits their personality, lifestyle and family, then our goal is accomplished,” says Anthony.
Another role played by the staff is that of problem-solvers. “People will come to us with certain situations—such as drainage or screening in an area. Those are clients we meet with frequently, as well as work with ones on newly constructed homes,” says Anthony. The staff treats its clientele on a personal level, striving to find out what their client’s needs are. The business also does floral arrangements, both fresh and silk.
Anthony is a member of various associations, such as the New Orleans Horticultural Society, and says they promote camaraderie between those in the industry. “I like to keep the bar raised and am always competing against myself,” says Anthony. This is what drives Anthony and his team to create and maintain landscapes in harmony with client’s homes. •

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