Scott Eckland is a sign maker and graphic designer, but he also sells tiles sandblasted with clever sayings and children’s handprints.
He plans to move his Chelsea Signs business into the Middle Square Professional Building this summer and give the tiles their own retail showroom in front. The new space, in the old Chelsea Glass building next to the fire station, has a couple of advantages over his current digs above Vogel’s & Foster’s on Main Street: it’s at street level and has a garage big enough for him to use to put company logos on customers’ vehicles.
The tiles are sold online under the name Chelsea Tileworx. The sideline started after Eckland remade a friend’s broken tile that read, “When in doubt, add more wine.” Inspired, he started making other message tiles as gifts for friends and relatives.
Some of his tiles promote Chelsea—and the Chelsea High Bulldogs. The biggest sellers, though, are tiles custom made with children’s handprints or signatures. These cost $28; the others are $20–$24. The tiles are also for sale at the Downstairs Gallery in Chelsea.
In addition, Eckland and his crew make a lot of signs—sandblasted ones, plastic ones, and yard signs. He does graphic and website design, too.
Chelsea Signs, 134 West Middle, Chelsea, 475–9704. Mon.–Fri. 10 a.m.–
4 p.m. Closed Sat. & Sun.
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When Phil Tolliver opened a power equipment store in Oak Tree Plaza, he had no idea he’d find his real passion right next door. But barely a year after opening Turf and Timber, he’s sold it and bought Backwoods Beef Jerky. He and his wife, Jen, also acquired Steve and Debbie Kelly’s “secret recipes” for making beef, turkey, and other jerky in fifteen flavors, from black pepper to hickory.
“I’ve made jerky at home out of my own deer for ten years,” says Tolliver. “It’s something I’ve always loved to do.” He plans to add cheese and curds, more hot sauces and barbecue sauces, and additional flavors of jerky, starting with an Italian beef and a “good cherry beef that I’ve always liked myself,” he says.
The Kellys, who opened the store in 2005, plan to go back to their previous careers—he’s a building contractor and she’s a nurse. The Tollivers sold Turf and Timber to Kevin Allison, who will run it with help from his mother.
Backwoods Beef Jerky, 12855 East Old US-12, Chelsea, 475–1300. Mon.–Sat.
10 a.m.–7 p.m., Sun. noon–5 p.m.
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Chelsea’s first Mexican restaurant, La Fuente, was planning to open in June in the Clocktower annex after a false start last fall.
The kitchen and bar area were being set up in late May. The bar will feature Mexican and American beers, says manager Vanessa Aguirre, and the place will serve about 135 people. La Fuente will serve the same menu of Mexican standards and appetizers as the family’s original La Fuente in Ypsilanti.
La Fuente, 350 North Main, Chelsea. Phone not available at press time. Mon.–Thurs. 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri. 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Sat. noon–11 p.m., Sun. noon–9 p.m.
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The Downstairs Gallery, which closed for the winter, planned to reopen in early June. Owner John Mitchell says he hopes to add some new local artists to the half dozen that showed there last summer and fall.
The Downstairs Gallery, 1051⁄2 South Main, Chelsea, 646–
3405. Thurs.–Sat. noon–5 p.m. (8 p.m. during Sounds & Sights on Thursday Nights). Closed Sun.–Wed.
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Several businesses hope to reopen this summer after a huge fire tore through a large section of the Chelsea Shopping Center in May. Discount chain Pamida will probably reopen sometime in mid-July, says manager Amy Justice. Aleko’s Carry-Out, which opened last August, also plans to reopen at an indefinite date, says co-owner Carl Leasch. The Chelsea Grille hopes for an opening by July 1, but it might be a month later, says general manager Rob Hohnke.
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Originally published in the Summer 2008 Community Observer, Ann Arbor, Michigan
