Small Business Owner Fights Eminent Domain Case Against The State

The business owner involved says giving up his property will put an end to a business he’s been running for 41 years. Kerry Hamblin of Hamblin Custom Furniture bought his warehouse in 1973 and has been there ever since.

A massive fire in 1983 came close to wiping out his business, but he rebuilt in the late night hours while making furniture frames off site during the day. This time he says there would be no rebuilding.

When Hamblin looks around his 8,000 square foot warehouse he says, “This is home- sometimes I visit the other place.” He fills orders for local upholstery shops making one of kind pieces. Hamblin says that his orders “at this point are 95% local.”

If his business folds it could put pressure on other local businesses, and at the very least make them order out of state and raise costs.

As for Hamblin he doesn’t know what he would do, woodworking is all he knows. He started his craft in junior high with his father, and if the state wins he says he’s “sunk.” You can hear Hamblin’s voice crack when talking about something he has seen coming for four years. Hamblin says it is emotional but he’s “been told by UTA there is no emotion involved.”