Page 41 - South Mississippi Living - February, 2017

ridal and Formal Boutique & House of
Tux was originally opened in Gulfport in 1984 by Jimmy and Martha Hollingsworth. They sold the business to their daughter and son-in-law, Sonya and Greg Kidd, who later retired and sold the business to the
current owners, Chavus and Adrian Holland, in May 2006. The Hollands, who were newlyweds at the time, immediately
began rebranding the dated business and began the long, exhausting task of remodeling and upgrading the 60-plus- year-old building that housed the original business. Investing countless hours of sweat equity and piles of cash immediately proved to be a great investment for the young entrepreneurs. After approximately 10 years of hard work and dedication to their customers, employees, and the community, the Hollands, along with a solid team of zealous employees, had grown their business beyond the available square footage of the original structure.
“We began searching for options to suffice the demanding growth,” Adrian said. “After months of searching and viewing available local commercial real estate listings, we settled on an abandoned, dilapidated warehouse just two blocks west of the original location.”
The demolition and construction of the new location proved to be the biggest challenge the ambitious couple had ever endured. “The new location started out as a 15,000-square- foot pile of crap. It had been a community eyesore for many
years,” Chavus said. “It was infested with all kinds of rodents and insects and had obviously housed some less fortunate humans over the years. We had a dream and a vision and set out on a mission to make it a reality.”
The Hollands hired locals as architect and general contractor, and negotiated an agreement
to use as many local vendors
and contractors as possible throughout the massive project. “We encountered every obstacle you could imagine — and even some you could never imagine
— throughout the build. From unforeseen, very expensive asbestos removal to the multiple permitting issues with the city
of Gulfport, we wondered if we would ever get the green light for construction.”
Finally, in July 2016, permits were released, and construction began. The general contractor, Vision Constructors Gulfport, kept on schedule and handed the keys of the new building to the Hollands in mid-November 2016.
When entering the new building — located at 1720 Pass Road, Gulfport — you’ll immediately notice the hi-bay warehouse roof and the industrial chic feel. Many
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February 2017 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 41