The Button Box will be moving to new commodious digs in a few months! Our long search for more space and convenient locale was secured just last Friday. Our plan is to do the renovations once the current tenants' leases expire this summer and complete our move by the end of August.

This new building is in downtown Sunderland (such as it is...) about 7 miles from our current place in Amherst and nearer to I-91, and will be large enough for both our store and shop functions on the ground floor. The shop side in particular will be considerably larger than we now have which will let us take on several more workers (prospectives please contact us!) to enable increased concertina production. There's also plenty of space to expand upwards into the apartments above and laterally as well.

I'll be posting more info on this as we get closer to the actual move. I expect that we'll have some sort of "Grand Opening" (Grand Moving?) bash yet to be determined. Suggestions? Big party? Massive jam? Maybe work it out to be the day before the Squeeze-In to let folks hit both events?

Congratulations!!

I think a massive jam would be fun, looking forward to visiting the new place!

Jay

Great new digs!

Glad you are moving closer to me.

Keep us posted on the grand opening.

Congratulations! I can't tell if you're closer to me or not; I tend to take 63 from Northampton as it's quicker to Amherst than I-91 and prettier, too. But I'm sure it will be a vast improvement over the tiny space you've had.

When you're in - LET'S PAR-TAY!

Congratulations on your new Concertina Factory . Sounds interesting with the Squeeze-in at the same time.

Brian.

Congratulations on your beautiful new place.

Be sure to let me know when you acquire your Ohio annex.

Helen

CONGRATS!!! YAY!!!!

I'm really getting to know Western Massachusetts...

I wonder if they'd move UMASS for me, now that The Button Box will be moving, so it's all in one town..?

Probably not. Oh well! I've got a map, and a cell phone.

Things are really moving along now that we're able to start the renovations. We're quite pleased that the building has turned out to be considerably more substantial and better built than it had originally appeared - a very nice surprise!

All the major work on the shop side is done with just a bit of ductwork to go. The cabinetry is finished and is just awaiting the competition of the built-in work benches before they get installed.

The store side just got under weigh. Demolition is done and the new walls are just going up with electrical roughing and the basic HVAC stuff. You can check out some photos of it here.

Hmmm ..... Sunderland, isn't that where Alice used to live?

Alice used to live in many places, but I don't think Sunderland was one of them. She's out for the next week or so on vacation (fiddling in Sweden!), so I can't confirm that just now. I've lived in Sunderland for about 16 years.

Being the "boss" and having the show move to Sunderland (my town) may seem a bit self-serving, but it's really more happenstance. We wanted a place that was affordable (Amherst is NOT), reasonble to get to from major roads (for folks visiting us), convenient for our current employees, and a nice place to be (nice environs, PO/library/restaurants/etc. nearby, easy parking...). There were only two towns that fit that bill: Sunderland and So. Deerfield.

A good point. It will especially nice to have easier parking -- you need a shoe horn to get in and out of the Amherst lot. But I for one will miss the very close proximity to at least one outstanding used book store and a brew pub!

Ah, but you'll be that much closer (while admittedly, still a drive!) to the Book Mill in Montague, and the People's Pint in Greenfield! Some time back, Rich mentioned their homemade root- and ginger beers, and I had to try them -- excellent! And they won't impair your judgment regarding that next concertina purchase...
-Andy

Alice used to live there 'cos I have read about "Alice in Sunderland".

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Yes I was a regular at the People's Pint (but usually couldn't resest the ESB) this past year. Definitely something I will miss about Massachusetts. But I get through there fairly often, and will check that bookstore. Cheers.