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Margie Pensak THE FACES BEHIND PRICE
BUSTERS FURNITURE
Twenty years ago, Price Bust-
ers Furniture was born. Over bigger plans. Today, they are fortunate day, to emulate that which we learned
the past two decades, it has to have nine independently-owned and from our respective families – to simply
evolved, diversified, and become operated stores. There is also a separate treat people, including all the employees,
a “household name” throughout warehousing facility as well as a deliv- how we would like to be treated our-
Maryland and even Washington, ery company. A few of the stores are in selves. For each of the partners, family
D.C. While many are familiar Baltimore City, some are located on the is the ultimate priority, and we consider
with the ubiquitous Price Bust- Maryland side of the metro D.C. area, and our employees to be part of our extended
ers print ads, come with me, as Steve some are peppered in Baltimore, How- family.”
Schuman, Ben Strauss, and Kalman ard, and Anne Arundel counties.
Finkelstein, take us behind the scenes of The men believe the key to the busi-
their growing business. The expansion of the company has ness’s success is continuing this prac-
created many job opportunities at vari- tice. The three desire to grow and see
Beginnings ous levels, including managers, assistant their past success and future hopes as
For years, Steve Shuman’s father and managers, a sales team, drivers, loaders, only possible through their employees.
uncle owned D & L Furniture, a Balti- customer liaisons, office staff, bookkeep- According to Kalman, “They work for us,
more-based company. Steve wanted to ers, and professionals (accountants and and we work for them. As they demon-
take what he learned from his father even lawyers). “While many of our hires come strate their commitment to our compa-
further and develop a new furniture re- from the local frum community,” say the ny, we want them to succeed. Our staff
tail business model not yet seen in Mary- partners, “we have employees from a va- are buying homes and cars and, baruch
land. After being introduced to Kalman riety of backgrounds and do not discrim- Hashem, have job security. The three
and Ben through friends, Steve teamed inate due to race, color, religion, sex, age, founders started with nothing. “We lit-
up with them to conceptualize his idea of disabilities, or national origin. erally had nothing, and it was a long,
launching a state-wide chain of discount hard path to reach where we are today.
furniture stores, and the three partners Recipe for Success But through our practices and methods,
formed what now operates under the “Running a company is very challenging, we have not only been successful, but – I
umbrella name of Price Busters. with ups and downs,” explained Kalman. hope – inspirational to our community
At one point, I even left the business, but as well.”
Although they targeted urban areas I missed it greatly and returned, know-
to open a few furniture stores, “At that ing that we will have great success due “We didn’t get MBAs from Wharton
time, we were just spinning our wheels. to the perseverance, creativity, and great Business School; we got our “MBAs”
We knew that we had something good, management of both Steve and Ben. The from the School of Hard Knocks. Ev-
but we hadn’t yet figured out how to company’s success is largely due to the erything we did, we learned by trial and
make it actually have traction,” Steve ex- personal relationships between us. Our error. Our advice? Work hard. Nothing
plained. “We decided to close the small- partnership was built on our friendship. comes for free. It’s the curse that was
er stores when we saw that they weren’t Although there was a lot to learn for the given to Adam Harishon, and we shoul-
really making it – not losing money but development of the business, despite the der that burden today. If you don’t work
not worth the investment of time and re- challenges, our friendship survived and hard, you cannot expect to make it. But if
sources.” our partnership thrived.” you do sweat, ‘…from the sweat of your
brow you will eat bread.’”
Close One Door, Another Opens Added Ben, “We attribute what we
Soon thereafter, an opportunity arose at have to the lessons and values we learned Giving to the Community
25th Street, and they began to visualize from our families, our peers, and our The three partners are philanthropic
community. We were born and raised in and community activists, who believe in
the local frum community and try, every “giving back to the community that has
34 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
Margie Pensak THE FACES BEHIND PRICE
BUSTERS FURNITURE
Twenty years ago, Price Bust-
ers Furniture was born. Over bigger plans. Today, they are fortunate day, to emulate that which we learned
the past two decades, it has to have nine independently-owned and from our respective families – to simply
evolved, diversified, and become operated stores. There is also a separate treat people, including all the employees,
a “household name” throughout warehousing facility as well as a deliv- how we would like to be treated our-
Maryland and even Washington, ery company. A few of the stores are in selves. For each of the partners, family
D.C. While many are familiar Baltimore City, some are located on the is the ultimate priority, and we consider
with the ubiquitous Price Bust- Maryland side of the metro D.C. area, and our employees to be part of our extended
ers print ads, come with me, as Steve some are peppered in Baltimore, How- family.”
Schuman, Ben Strauss, and Kalman ard, and Anne Arundel counties.
Finkelstein, take us behind the scenes of The men believe the key to the busi-
their growing business. The expansion of the company has ness’s success is continuing this prac-
created many job opportunities at vari- tice. The three desire to grow and see
Beginnings ous levels, including managers, assistant their past success and future hopes as
For years, Steve Shuman’s father and managers, a sales team, drivers, loaders, only possible through their employees.
uncle owned D & L Furniture, a Balti- customer liaisons, office staff, bookkeep- According to Kalman, “They work for us,
more-based company. Steve wanted to ers, and professionals (accountants and and we work for them. As they demon-
take what he learned from his father even lawyers). “While many of our hires come strate their commitment to our compa-
further and develop a new furniture re- from the local frum community,” say the ny, we want them to succeed. Our staff
tail business model not yet seen in Mary- partners, “we have employees from a va- are buying homes and cars and, baruch
land. After being introduced to Kalman riety of backgrounds and do not discrim- Hashem, have job security. The three
and Ben through friends, Steve teamed inate due to race, color, religion, sex, age, founders started with nothing. “We lit-
up with them to conceptualize his idea of disabilities, or national origin. erally had nothing, and it was a long,
launching a state-wide chain of discount hard path to reach where we are today.
furniture stores, and the three partners Recipe for Success But through our practices and methods,
formed what now operates under the “Running a company is very challenging, we have not only been successful, but – I
umbrella name of Price Busters. with ups and downs,” explained Kalman. hope – inspirational to our community
At one point, I even left the business, but as well.”
Although they targeted urban areas I missed it greatly and returned, know-
to open a few furniture stores, “At that ing that we will have great success due “We didn’t get MBAs from Wharton
time, we were just spinning our wheels. to the perseverance, creativity, and great Business School; we got our “MBAs”
We knew that we had something good, management of both Steve and Ben. The from the School of Hard Knocks. Ev-
but we hadn’t yet figured out how to company’s success is largely due to the erything we did, we learned by trial and
make it actually have traction,” Steve ex- personal relationships between us. Our error. Our advice? Work hard. Nothing
plained. “We decided to close the small- partnership was built on our friendship. comes for free. It’s the curse that was
er stores when we saw that they weren’t Although there was a lot to learn for the given to Adam Harishon, and we shoul-
really making it – not losing money but development of the business, despite the der that burden today. If you don’t work
not worth the investment of time and re- challenges, our friendship survived and hard, you cannot expect to make it. But if
sources.” our partnership thrived.” you do sweat, ‘…from the sweat of your
brow you will eat bread.’”
Close One Door, Another Opens Added Ben, “We attribute what we
Soon thereafter, an opportunity arose at have to the lessons and values we learned Giving to the Community
25th Street, and they began to visualize from our families, our peers, and our The three partners are philanthropic
community. We were born and raised in and community activists, who believe in
the local frum community and try, every “giving back to the community that has
34 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
