News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Cookeville’s Franklin Fixtures celebrating 50 years of business this year.
The company designs layouts and bookshelves for libraries, museums, and independent bookstores. Franklin Fixtures originated in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and was on the cusp of shutting down until Co-Owners David and Lisa Uhrik bought the business.
“One statistic that really moved us is that when we were looking at businesses and bringing this here as an economic driver, we saw that 300 small manufacturers were closing every single week in this country,” Lisa Uhrik said. “Because they didn’t have anybody who cared about manufacturing that wanted to take it forward.”
The Uhriks bought the business and relocated it to Cookeville in 2014 as part of an economic development initiative. David Uhrik said that he and Lisa moved the business to Cookeville so they could help out a place they love.
“You know I’m not a native to here but I fell in love with it 25 years ago,” David Uhrik said. “And we wanted to bring jobs to this area, at the time it was an economically depressed area for jobs.”
Lisa Uhrik said that celebrating 50 years of business would not be possible if they did not have a great workforce.
“The workforce has changed really dramatically,” Lisa Uhrik said. “We feel privileged to work with folks who really value doing something with their hands.”
Franklin Fixtures bookshelves appeared in the movie “You’ve Got Mail.” The movie included a replicated store called Books of Wonder in New York. Now, the company is designing a new book store for Books of Wonder.
The Uhriks also own a non-profit bookstore in Cookeville called PLENTY Downtown Bookshop. Lisa said she is very thankful for Cookeville.
“It’s lovely to walk down the street and have so many friends and live in such a great community,” Lisa Uhrik said. “We really live in a place where people want to do good things.”
