gmhTODAY 16 gmhToday Sept Oct 2017 | Page 47

In the age of online shopping and big box stores , family run businesses have to be creative and persistent to keep up with the competition . Jaime Rosso , co-founder of Rosso ’ s Furniture in Gilroy and Morgan Hill , along with his wife Evelia and brother Anthony , has been keeping ahead of the competition for 39 years through a commitment to “ bend over backward to please our customers and take care of them ,” Rosso told gmhTODAY .

What they can offer that IKEA or Amazon cannot is the local touch . “ We can provide the local service that a lot of those places can ’ t do . And we ’ re competitive because we will match prices .”
Rosso followed in his parents ’ furniture store footsteps back in 1978 when he and Evelia opened the first Rosso ’ s , a modest storefront on Church and First streets . They continued to expand to several other locations in Gilroy before eventually settling in their current 30,000 square foot storefront in Gilroy and a 40,000 square foot storefront in Morgan Hill .
Rosso has also been an active member of the Gilroy community where he lives , as a long time member of Rotary , a nearly eighteen year stint as a Gilroy school board member , and numerous other events and organizations . “ This has been a great community for a lot of reasons ,” he said . Both Gilroy and Morgan Hill , he said , have “ a culture of serving and community service and engagement that has been right up our alley .”
Now , the obvious next step to stay competitive , is “ transitioning to the next generation to break new ground for sustainability for our company .” His oldest daughter Sarah Rosso-Bent will be stepping into the management role for the company . “ It ’ s a tall order when you ’ ve got a young family and a relatively complex business to operate ,” he said .
This past year , he said , has been “ a big transition year .” His wife Evelia recently retired from teaching thirty years in Gilroy . She also stepped down from her role as chief spokesperson for Rosso ’ s , and is now handing over that torch , as well , to their daughter Sarah . Rosso is looking forward to retiring soon so he can travel and spend more quality time with his eight grandchildren , all of whom live in the area , his elderly parents , and his three grown children .
Handing off the business to Rosso-Bent is part of a larger process to streamline and reorganize the business “ to make it easier to run and not as overwhelming a proposition .” Rosso ’ s has definitely felt the pinch of the change in people ’ s buying habits as they move to online shopping .
“ It seems like everybody in South County , and probably the entire Bay Area , is struggling to hire qualified people and be able to pay competitively ,” he said . “ Dealing with the healthcare issue and having to address that in the high cost of living is a big challenge for a lot of people .”
He muses on the changes in affordability of the South County . Back when he and his wife were looking to buy a home in the 1970s and early 1980s , home prices were in the $ 40,000 range . “ Today those houses are $ 700,000 ,” he lamented . And yet , his business model has not significantly increased prices on furniture along with the inflation of the times . He recalls selling sofas as a teenager in his parents ’ shop for $ 399 or $ 499 . “ Today we ’ re still selling sofas for [ the same price ],” he said . “ Think about that . How many things can you say that about ?”

For Sarah Rosso-Bent , mother of four children ranging in age from eighteen to seven , who spent her childhood steeped in the process of her parents ’ business , taking on the mantle of the family business is a natural fit . “ I have some tough shoes to fill ,” she told gmhTODAY “ But I ’ m excited for the challenge . I ’ ve had a passion for the business since I was young .”

She will be focusing on “ how to set us apart from everyone else .” This will include interior and exterior facelifts to the two stores , which is in the brainstorming phase . With a background in interior design , she hopes to bring on more staff who have design backgrounds themselves . Since many of the long term staff are retiring soon , she has an opportunity to invite fresh energy onboard .
She will also help bring Rosso ’ s more into the digital age and give their website an overhaul , adding e-commerce options . Of course their ultimate goal will remain the same , which is “ bringing them to the door and providing them that white glove service ,” she said .
Rosso said she feels “ truly blessed ” and “ extremely fortunate ” to be part of a family business and hopes her kids may be interested in it too , someday . “ We care about our community and we love to give back .”
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017 gmhtoday . com
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