YouTube/HGTV Ben Napier on "Home Town: Ben's Workshop."
Laurel Mercantile Co., co-owned by HGTV stars Ben and Erin Napier, is selling a cherry butcher block under its flagship label Scotsman Co. Ben revealed on Instagram that the product is being manufactured in a new factory in Laurel, Mississippi.
“This week, a dream came true for me and our company,” the “Home Town” host wrote on December 20, 2021. “We are manufacturing products in the heart of Laurel. Less than 2 miles from my house, in an underserved part of town, a shuttered factory is buzzing back to life.”
He added that “The men and women working in our factory have so much pride in these. This will provide jobs and improve the neighborhood. We are still working out the kinks, but this is going to be huge, y’all.”
The butcher blocks run between $49.99 and $149.99 based on size.
Laurel Mercantile Co. was originally founded in 1901, closing its doors in the 1930s, according to the store’s website. In December 2016, the Napiers partnered with two other couples to reopen the historic storefront. They expanded with the opening of Scotsman General Store and according to People, a third storefront is in the works.
The Success of ‘Home Town’ Has Helped Revitalize Business in Laurel
The couple has become the face of small-town revitalization, ushering in a business boom in Erin’s hometown of Laurel, Mississippi thanks largely to the success of their “Home Town” franchise.
According to CBS News, in addition to their businesses, new stores and restaurants have also opened in once-empty storefronts.
Caroline Burks is the owner of one such store, Guild & Gentry. She told CBS News, “I jokingly tell tourists that Laurel had a ten-year plan, but the show helped compress that into, you know, three to four years.”
Guild & Gentry also features a barber’s chair. Ben told the outlet, “For me and my friends, the idea of having a shop in downtown where we could go and get our hair cut – nothing fancy, a regular men’s haircut – was, like, just the dream.”
As to why audiences have become so invested in the Napiers and their town, Erin told CBS News, “They feel invested in Laurel and the story here. And I think they see something universal that maybe applies to where they’re from, too.”
The Napiers to Help 6 new Communities in ‘Home Town Kickstart’
Their flagship show has spurred multiple spinoffs, the latest being “Home Town Kickstart.” The new series will focus on six new communities: Buffalo, Wyoming; Cornwall, New York; Winslow, Arizona; LaGrange, Kentucky; Thomaston, Georgia and Minden, Louisiana.
“Erin and I have renovated more than 80 homes in Laurel for ‘Home Town’ and we’ve seen how these improvements change a community for the better,” Ben told HGTV. “Now, with help from HGTV, we’re going to continue what we started and help more small towns across the country.”
The couple will serve in a supportive role, this time joined by some of HGTV’s biggest stars. They include Leslie Davis and Lyndsay Lamb of “Unsellable Houses,” Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt of “100 Day Dream Home,” Page Turner of “Fix My Flip,” Russell Holmes of “Renovation Impossible,” Joe Mazza of “Home Inspector Joe,” Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent of “The Nate and Jeremiah Home Project,” Ty Pennington of “Rock the Block,” Jasmine Roth of “Help! I Wrecked My House” and Alison Victoria of “Windy City Rehab.”
People will provide further coverage of the towns and their residents. “Home Town Takeover” is expected to premiere in 2022.
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