DirectBuy Brings Discount Home Products to Tri-Valley

By George Walsh, Hacienda Network Staff Writer

Recent Hacienda Arrival Leases 24,000 Square Foot Facility for Showroom

DirectBuy, a wholesale club store that specializes in brand name home furnishings and home improvement products, will open a 24,000 square foot facility this month at 5925 West Las Positas Boulevard in Hacienda.

The new DirectBuy franchise in Hacienda will provide a large showroom where members can shop for home furnishings, window treatments, carpet and flooring, kitchen and bath cabinets, electronics, lighting fixtures, appliances, countertops, plumbing fixtures, and home items. Owners and operators Ronnie and Dorothy Bertagna and their family believe that their members can substantially reduce the amount of money they spend by offering savings via its membership program.

"We've been DirectBuy members for about two years," says Dorothy Bertagna, co-owner of the new Pleasanton location. "My husband and I were remodeling a home in Texas and needed to furnish it. We were introduced to DirectBuy by a friend and called to take a tour. We found out that we could have saved $11 a yard on the exact same carpet that we put in the house. We joined DirectBuy and estimated that we could have saved one-fifth of the price of remodeling if we had been members prior to remodeling."

After realizing that DirectBuy could offer members substantial savings, the Bertagnas decided to investigate franchise opportunities. Discovering that California had locations available, they decided that the Tri-Valley area was an attractive place to set down new roots and start a business. "We like Hacienda because it offers a central location that makes our business available to a lot of people who might benefit from membership. It's close to BART as well as the freeways."

Families who join DirectBuy of East Bay have access to merchandise from over 700 brand-name manufacturers and their authorized suppliers. "Not only are you able to make purchases at discount (plus shipping and handling), but you can buy items in a number of different price ranges based on your needs and resources," Bertagna says. "Someone who's doing minor remodeling or even building their home from the ground up can save a lot of money by becoming members. In addition to home consumer memberships, DirectBuy now also offers a new program that will be available for builders and remodelers."

DirectBuy was founded in 1971 and currently has over 115 locations and hundreds of thousands of members throughout North America and Canada. The company's corporate headquarters is in the Chicago metropolitan area. Each DirectBuy location is owned by franchisees who operate the facilities under the guidance and support of the parent company. Initially, the Pleasanton location will have 14 employees, with a target of adding an additional 16 in the near future.

An introductory "Insider's Guide to Buying Direct" and a visitor's pass that allows potential members to learn more about the company is available at the corporate web site, www.directbuy.com.

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