Paul Rich & Sons
April 1, 2021 // By Laura Mars
HARRY RICH opened the Berkshire News in downtown Pittsfield in 1932, when his son Paul was five years old. When Paul was old enough, he worked there in the shop, which sold newspapers, tobacco, candy, and greeting cards for more than 40 years.
Around the same time, Paul’s future father-in-law, Isadore Secunda, ran a business not too far away, selling furniture and delivering the goods by horse and buggy. He later moved locations, but Paul came back to that same spot at 242 North Street in 983 to open up what would become a Berkshire landmark furniture shop.
Pam and Tom Rich continue to successfully navigate through the region’s economic challenges. Their successful business includes an expansive showroom displaying quality furniture, rugs, mattresses, and more.
Paul Rich & Sons—founded by Paul, his wife Betty, and their son Tom—has been a cornerstone of top-quality furniture in Pittsfield for 38 years. The Rich family legacy not only goes back nearly 100 years and is closely tied to Pittsfield’s business community, its relationships run deep with its customers, with brands it carries, and with its dedicated employees.
Tom married Pam Cianflone in 1988, a Pittsfield native who worked in retail management and commercial real estate before joining the company in 1995. Together, they run the family business, with Pam being the store’s marketing director and showroom designer.
“She keeps us all going; she’s the boss,” says Tom with a twinkle. He’s quick to credit her for the showroom’s impeccable design. “She really cares, and it shows.”
The furniture store first sold moderately priced furniture, growing one relationship at a time. In the late-1980s, when Paul Rich started selling Shifman Mattresses, he not only became the exclusive Shifman retailer in the Berkshires, he set in motion a friendship between the two families that continues to this day.
“Paul Rich & Sons is a special place. They are committed to quality and their customers. You can feel it.” says Bill Hammer, owner of Shifman Mattresses, the 127-year-old, family-owned, handmade mattress company n Newark, N.J.
Also in the 1980s, the Riches introduced high-end outdoor furniture, coinciding with the growth of the second-home market in the Berkshires. Now it dominates seasonal sales. And the relationship that started in the 1990s with Manhattan rug company Marjan International is still a win-win. Tom takes one-of-a-kind, handknotted rugs on consignment.
“They know design, and they know the Berkshire market,” says Marjan’s director of sales Chuck Cashin. “We bring them 10 rugs, they sell four, we exchange six. It’s not a short drive up there, but it keeps inventory fresh.”
The original Paul Rich & Sons space grew from 10,000 to 30,000 square feet, mainly due to the closing of Pittsfield’s General Electric plant in 1987 and the opening of the Berkshire Mall in 1988.
“Eight tenants on the block closed one by one,” says Tom. The store expanded into the spaces emptied by Pal Joey’s, Sub ’n’ Beef, Kahl’s Jewelers, Pipe and Pack, and others, knocking down walls until their final renovation in 2007.
Today, the physical space is transformative—the dramatic change from sidewalk to store is unexpected. Highlights include the main corridor with unique pieces like a bananaleaf ottoman, the large skylit sunroom filled with rugs, and the inviting seating section facing the street. Says Pam: “We were the first area furniture store to display our pieces in fully accessorized settings, which set us apart from other furniture stores in the region.”
“In 2007, we were flying high,” says Tom. With four delivery trucks and 12 men serving a 200-mile radius, they considered additional locations, even moving from Pittsfield to Lenox, but are grateful they did neither.
Tom grimly recalls what happened next.
“The 2008 recession was an eye-opener. We dropped to two trucks and two delivery men,” he says. But—through the economic downturn in the 1980s, the 2008 recession, and now the pandemic, their philosophy of quality products and caring people has remained constant.
“Committed customer service is the backbone of our business,” says Tom. “Our employees—four with 30 years on the job—start in sales but grow to care about furniture and their customers. It’s our culture.”
Indeed. They work with a network of designers from all over the region. Their comprehensive design center is an exceptional place to pick the perfect fabric, create a family dining room, or plan a total redesign.
Tom notes other longtime businesses still thriving on North Street, like Carr Hardware and Steven Valenti menswear.
“They’ve survived because they run good businesses,” Tom says. “The new hotel, restaurants, and theater have all helped. Mill Town Capital’s investment in the downtown in recent years has made a huge impact. A ibrant downtown is critical to the success of any place.”
The pandemic has been challenging, but they are working through it. The Riches worked in the store alone for three months, answering phones, taking orders, unloading trucks.
“We consider ourselves very fortunate to be in this industry in this area right now,” says Tom. “People aren’t traveling or going out to dinner, but they are focusing on their homes. The upswing in the housing market includes folks from all over finding the Berkshires. It’s a testament to how special this area is.”