WINSLOW - Fortin’s TV & Appliance plans to both consolidate and expand by spring in a new facility on the corner of U.S. Route 201 and the Carter Memorial Bridge approach, offering customers twice the showroom space of its two current stores combined.

Customers also will find a much greater selection of electronics, furniture and home furnishings to choose from, co-owner Mike Fortin said.

“We will definitely double or triple our furniture showroom and increase our appliance showroom and our electronics and bedding as well,” Fortin said.

Fortin, who owns and runs the business with his brother, Reggie, said the building now under construction will boast 24,000 square feet of floor space and be connected to the company’s existing 12,000-square-foot warehouse. He declined to disclose the cost of the building.

The move, Mike Fortin said, is aimed at creating greater efficiency and convenience for the company and customers.

Fortin’s currently has stores on Clinton Avenue in Winslow and College Avenue in Waterville. Mike Fortin said those locations will be closed when the new one opens.

The Clinton Avenue showroom is the original shop, dating to 1947, and initially had the name Fortin’s Hardware. Today the store is called Fortin’s TV & Appliance.

Fortin’s purchased the former W.A. Taylor home appliance store in Waterville three years ago and turned it into Fortin’s Home Furnishings.

The Fortin brothers purchased the land for the new building in 2004 after the performance of the furniture store in Waterville exceeded their expectations, according to Mike Fortin.

Mike Fortin said he and his brother decided to double the company’s showroom space at a new location long before Northern Mattress & Furniture Galleries last month announced it would close its four remaining stores, including ones in Fairfield and Augusta — those stores are expected to close by year’s end.

The decision to grow, Mike Fortin said, is based on his faith that Fortin’s reputation for providing good service will continue to attract customers.

Combine that with a greater selection of products, as well as having electronics and furniture under one roof, and the expectations go higher.

Mike Fortin said the demise of Northern Mattress should also provide a sales boost.

“I would have to think that all the furniture stores around here would get a little injection of business,” he said, “because, obviously, Northern Mattress did pretty good business.”

Fortin’s employs 20 full time and two part-time workers. Those numbers could soon go up.

“I’m hoping that we can do that and, actually, that is in our plans,” Mike Fortin

The Fortins plan to sell their College Avenue property — Mike Fortin said the building already has drawn interest — but the fate of the Clinton Avenue store has yet to be determined.

“The Clinton Avenue store has been with the family for almost 60 years,” Mike Fortin said. “We are trying to come up with a way of doing something with it, which we really haven’t decided on yet. That building has a lot of history and a lot of personal sentimental value to my brother and me.”

Colin Hickey — 861-9205

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