House Of Stars "Where Buildings are Sold and Stars are Found" By Patti Stokes - As Featured In The Northwest Observer     It started in 1988 and unless you've been there, you might not connect the name of the  business to what it offers. With its walls adorned with photos of movie and television stars, "House of Stars" is actually in the business of selling storage buildings, garages, carports and gazebos,. So what's with the name?      Owner Donald Key found his business niche over twenty-five years ago when he created a mail order business to sell photos and posters of movie and television stars. His company, Empire Publishing, later began publishing books about some of the stars, and eventually a newspaper called the Big Reel. As with the rest of his business, the paper grew tremendously and was distributed worldwide. Because of the growth and demands of his publishing business, Key later sold the Big Reel. Soon after the sale he found himself in the market for a storage building. He contacted a company in Georgia, but after getting prices, he thought, "Why don't I just buy a couple of storage buildings, keep one for myself, and sell the other two?" His publishing office was situated in an ideal location, on approximately two acres of land just off of Highway 220 North, with ample room to display the buildings.       Just as in publishing, Key experienced success in the sale of storage buildings. His initial inventory of three buildings grew to several, varying in size and design, and all in demand. Sales in each of the last twelve years have grown "by leaps and bounds". Dubbed early on as the "House of Stars", the name stayed with the storage building business because  "it's unique". "From Roanoke, Virginia to Greensboro, NC everyone knows who we are. We sometimes play up on that", states Key.       As House of Stars grew, Key eventually lured J.C. Weeks out of retirement to work as a part-time sales manager. "My wife was getting tired of going to work everyday while I headed out to the golf course", laughs Weeks. With the continuous rise in sales, J.C's part-time job approached full-time , however, which left too little time to focus on his golf game. That's when Key decided to create a full-time general manager's position and hired a "local boy", Pete Beene, to fill the spot.      Pete grew up in the Stokesdale/Madison area. Prior to joining House of Stars, he spent 19 years in the retail hardware business. He had known Key for several years and was open to a change. However, with a wife (who he's been happily married to for over 20 years) and two children, he thought long and hard about switching companies, and industries. "Sure , I had some reservations about leaving where I was... I'd been working on the same street for almost 20 years". But the opportunity to manage the House of Stars was too appealing to pass up, and in January 2000 he accepted the position of General Manager.       Since it's beginning, the House of Stars has steadily expanded its product line. Beginning with a couple of storage buildings, the company now offers metal carports, outdoor furniture, gazebos, and a wide variety of outbuildings. Up to 40% of the company's sales are from custom orders. "We can, and often do, custom size buildings as to size, color, window and door placement, and building style," states Pete. Every thing the company sells is delivered and setup. "It's not uncommon for us to be able to deliver within 2-3 hours, but we normally promise 24-48 hours."        According to Pete, the company's success is attributed to a high-quality product, reasonable prices, and taking care of the customer. Their commitment to customer service is displayed on a sign found on the office wall: (3) Rules for a Successful Business: 1. Take Care of the Customer. 2. Take Care of the Customer. 3. Take Care of the Customer." Owner Don Key adds one more reason he believes the company has succeeded - " This is a Christian owned business... I believe if you put God first, good things will happen."