In 1928, Irwin Kerns opened BILTRITE’s first location at Third and Garfield in Milwaukee. Ninety-four years and four generations later, the business is still family-owned and operated. Irwin’s grandson Marty Komisar runs the store alongside his wife Gail, their children Randi and Brad, and his daughter-in-law Sarah. Randi and Brad have both been involved in the business since they were children.

“I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a part of the family business,” Randi says. “I went to High Point University in North Carolina for an interior design degree, and then came back to work full time.”

BILTRITE has grown considerably since that small storefront. It now operates out of an expansive 45,000-square-foot showroom in Greenfield, plus an additional 42,000-square-foot warehouse that keeps thousands of items in-stock, including 500 mattresses and affordable, better-quality furniture.

“We’re the largest local, family-owned furniture store in Wisconsin,” Randi says. “We’re hands-on and we care about our customers. We don’t skip steps. We want the customer to have the best experience possible. That’s the family-owned mentality.”