Internet businesses’ display a hot spot

Scott Dodson is a man who basks in heat, whether it’s from the stoves, fireplaces and grills he’s marketing or from the sun baking the sand castles he’s building.

Dodson is a partner in About the Home, a showroom for the products of Internet companies stovesdirect.com and gasgrillsdirect.com. The large showroom is in the former Payless Shoes building off the western end of the Post Falls outlet malls. Open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays and 10-5 Saturdays, the showroom is a small part of the two Internet businesses.

The companies offer 14 brands of gas grills and accessories and 13 brands of stoves, inserts and fireplaces, including gas, oil, pellet, wood, electric, indoor or outdoor. The showroom also has high-end kitchen appliances and is the Northwest distributor for Lenox products.

Although in the showroom just a few weeks, the companies have been on the Internet much longer and serve customers through their marketing and distribution center at 3840 W. Seltice Way. The combined companies have about 20 employees.

Both of Dodson’s “heat” interests have grown in storybook fashion.

As a kid on Long Island, N.Y., his main summer interest was building sand castles. He became such an expert that he continually was commissioned to build them as drawing cards for businesses or events. One castle was more than 35 feet tall. As a young adult, he and (partner then and now) Thomas Olphie had a taxi company.

In the early 1990s Dodson joined a brother in North Idaho and became an independent chimney sweep. This led him to an interest in fireplaces, then inserts, stoves, grills, etc. Before long, Olphie joined him here.

The sand castles? Dodson still builds them for special interests and events, including Art on the Green. He also has one at the new showroom.

Gibbs Center nearly full

Three new tenants have the renovated Gibbs Center nearly full to capacity in the 1500 block of Northwest Boulevard, Coeur d’Alene. Its attraction is its highly visible location on the west entrance into downtown and the 65 new parking spaces behind the building.

Cheryl Burchell Goldsmiths is open today in the west end of the building. With 30 years’ experience each in the business, Burchell and Jerry White specialize in custom gold work, sterling silver, platinum and gemstones. Their specialties are working with customers and special design.

Arriving in 1987 from California, where she worked in shops in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, Burchell started her shop on Fourth Street in Coeur d’Alene six years ago. One advantage of the new 1,400-square-foot location is that she can combine the workshop and showroom into one place

Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 10 to 5 Saturdays with special Ladies’ Day hours planned for Wednesdays. Phone 676-1645.

A door away, the Kootenai County Republicans will open an election headquarters in the space on Sept. 7.

The volunteers will offer candidate yard signs and bumper stickers as well as maps of precincts and districts, election/candidate information and opportunities to register to vote. Hours will be 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., possibly daily, until after the election. Phone 765-8259.

Featuring a single fee of $3,950 no matter the price of the house, Help-U-Sell has opened an office in the east end of Gibbs Center.

With details on the Web site of helpyouselllist4lessrealty.com (whew), the three licensed Realtors in the Coeur d’Alene office help with consulting, marketing, financing, paperwork and coordinating with engineers, appraisers, inspectors and other professionals.

With its headquarters in Syosset, N.Y., the 20-year-old company has about 600 franchises throughout the nation.

The Coeur d’Alene broker is George Kucera, a Californian who “discovered” North Idaho earlier this year after attending a wedding here. As a lawyer for 34 years and a Realtor, he intended to retire. However, his real estate interest was rekindled when he noticed the area had no fee-for-services real estate companies, he said.

The office opens at 8 a.m. daily. Phone 667-9595.