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Talk of the bay: For Burgess, it's the end of the Ethan Allen line

By Times Staff Writer
Published September 29, 2007

Ending a 35-year relationship, Burgess Carriage House is dropping its exclusive license to sell Ethan Allen furniture and switching to the Drexel Heritage brand. The "as-is" liquidation sale of mostly floor samples at Burgess stores in Pinellas Park, Lakeland and Sarasota begins Oct. 9. Drexel furnishings will begin appearing in mid October, but the goal is to stay open except for a few days during a transition that will be complete by January. Family-owned Burgess is switching to what it sees as a broader selection that includes the more upscale Heritage line and amid concerns Ethan Allen's retail future seems directed more to company-owned stores such as those serving Naples and Fort Myers. "We've had a very productive run with them, but we're just not compatible anymore," said Scott Burgess, 47-year-old president of the Pinellas Park company founded by his parents that generated sales of $14-million in 2006. Ethan Allen will continue to havelicensed stores in Tampa, Citrus Park and Brandon.

Development chief takes La. position
It's back to Cajun country for Don Shea. After more than six years here, Shea is leaving as head of the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership to direct the Shreveport Downtown Development Authority in Louisiana. It's a smaller town (75,000 people) and the development group there had to stretch to approach Shea's compensation here. But Shea says his wife, Dianne, wants to be closer to family and friends in Louisiana. Shea starts his new gig on Nov. 5.

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GAS WATCH 

The price of a gallon of regular unleaded gas in the Tampa Bay area:

Friday: $2.788
Thursday: $2.789
Month ago: $2.626
Year ago: $2.311

Record: $3.095*

* Record set May 24

Source: AAA/Oil Price Information Service

To find the cheapest gas where you live, visit money.tampabay.com

[Last modified September 28, 2007, 23:54:06]