Albuquerque Journal (New Mexico)
April 22, 2004 Thursday
50 years and a 90th birthday party
Inside Retail Charlotte Balcomb Lane Of the Journal
A landmark Downtown store is celebrating an unusual milestone —
Knadjian’s Oriental Rugs is celebrating 50 years in business at the
same time as its owner, Bill Knadjian, celebrates his 90th birthday.
Knadjian’s birthday was April 16, which he celebrated in Las Vegas,
Nev., with family.
The business is celebrating its anniversary with a sale lasting
through April.
In 1954, Knadjian and his older brother, Jack Knadjian, opened the
store at 1418 E. Central, selling carpets, draperies and Oriental
rugs. The brothers, who had emigrated from Armenia, had sold rugs in
New Mexico for about 20 years before settling down in the location
east of Downtown near Presbyterian Hospital.
After Jack died in 1976, Knadjian’s dropped draperies and carpets to
concentrate on Oriental rugs. The store also repairs and cleans
Oriental rugs.
Knadjian is still active in the business. He recently told the
Journal he chooses every rug for the store. He buys only
hand-knotted, all-wool rugs. He said that, after 70 years in the
business, he can easily tell good merchandise from bad.
When asked recently if he wanted to retire, Knadjian said he would
stay in the business as long as his health remained good.
“There’s so much skulduggery in this business, I’d like to stay in it
and take care of my customers,” said Knadjian.
The telephone number of Knadjian’s Oriental Rugs is 247-0195.
OFFICE DEPOT ON CUTLER: A new neighborhood-size Office Depot is under
construction at 5001 Cutler NE, near the San Mateo Pavilions. It
should be open for business by early September, said the property
owner, Carolyn Mason of Carroll Ventures.
This office supply store will be about 13,046 square feet and is
being built on just one acre of land for about $920,000. The average
Office Depot is about 20,000 square feet, a company spokeswoman said.
The land was left over from the construction of the Home Office
Plaza, which was developed in the 1970s. Carolyn Mason and her
husband, architect Stan Mason, bought the Home Office Plaza complex
and excess land in 1983. They worked with Anthony Johnson, vice
president of Sedberry & Associates, to lease the property to Office
Depot.
Jaynes Corp. is the contractor and the architect is Gould, Evans,
Goodman of Kansas City, Mo.
Carroll Ventures specializes in urban infill development. The company
is also developing a 45,000-square-foot distribution warehouse in the
1000 block of First Street Downtown.
Carroll Ventures was founded in 1949 by Carolyn Mason’s father, Bill
Carroll, who is still chairman and semi-retired.
MORE AUTO SERVICES ON JUAN TABO: A new Meineke Car Care Center opened
early this week on Juan Tabo, in an area flush with car care and tire
businesses.
The new Meineke is at 1812 Juan Tabo NE and is the second location
belonging to John Rastegari, who also operates the Meineke Car Care
Center at 5705 N. Fourth. He has owned that franchise for 15 years,
he said.
The 4,120-square-foot building was built by Albuquerque Building &
Development Co.
Meineke does many types of automobile repairs, including exhaust
work, oil changes and tire rotation, brake and suspension work. The
business will employ three, said Rastegari.
NEW HOME FOR CHILI PEPPER: After 21 years in Winrock Center, The
Chili Pepper Emporium is moving to the Rio Grande Plaza.
The new address is 901 Rio Grande NW, next door to Starbucks.
The store, which specializes in products and gifts with a chile
theme, is closing in the mall Saturday and reopening in its new
location on May 1.
“We’re doubling our square footage and reducing our rent,” said Pat
Tenorio, who owns the store with his wife, Sherrie Tenorio.
The Tenorios bought the business in 1998.
Jane Pilger, Tim With and John Ransom of Grubb & Ellis New Mexico
handled the lease.
Know of a new store or restaurant or are you opening a business? Call
Charlotte Balcomb Lane at 823-3820 or e-mail
mailto:[email protected].
GRAPHIC: PHOTO BY:MARLA BROSE/JOURNAL PHOTO: Color Bill Knadjian,
owner of Knadjian’s Oriental Rugs, celebrated his 90th birthday last
week and is celebrating the business’ 50th anniversary this month.