HOWELL — The one-time home of Freehold Lumber on Route 9 south in Howell is the new home of Orsini Dining and Leather. A grand opening for the 70-yearold family-owned business was held on April 23.
The business was previously located in Staten Island, N.Y.
Gene Landino, of Howell, has owned the specialty store for 20 years. He said he was searching for a perfect spot to move his business to in the Garden State.
“We saw it as an opportunity to bring our quality merchandise to Howell,” he said of the new location.
He said the former lumber operation had been vacant for a number of years. Over the past several months the building has been renovated and updated to reflect a more current style, he said.
The idea for the move from Staten Island came after Landino had a desire for a change in his business model and a hope to be closer to home.
“This is a new venture for us in Howell,” he said.
The specialty store provides customers with American-made and Canadian-made furniture that focuses on solid wood dining, iron and steel dining, leather chairs, recliners, counters, bar stools, sofas and sectionals.
Landino said he hopes to apply the knowledge and experience from the past 20 years to the new Howell location.
Landino has been a resident of Howell for more than 12 years and is active in the community as a football coach and a soccer coach. He sits on the board of Howell Pop Warner youth football and St. Veronica’s Church.
He said he hopes Orsini’s can become “more a part of the community we live in.”
The store will be open Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.