When defining his role in the renaissance of downtown Jackson, Stan Leflore, 56, feels he is as much a pioneer as his great, great, great-grandfather, Louis LeFleur, the French-Canadian explorer who discovered the bluff that would later become Jackson.
With more than 35 years in the retail clothing industry, Leflore is taking retail to an extreme level. With business partners Hal and Linda Parker, Leflore owns The South, an 18,000-square-foot, 1920-era warehouse.
Originally established in 2001 as a European antiques market in Pear Orchard Village on County Line Road, Leflore has moved the business into the warehouse located at 627 E. Silas Brown St.
Leflore is taking the business "extreme" in how he chooses to display and sell the antiques. Although The South also is one of Jackson's newest event venues, he does not remove his showcase when he hosts an event such as the JFP 2010 Best of Jackson party. The antiques remain on display and for sale: 14-foot French and German doors become backdrops for photographs; conversationalists surround a Belgian butcher table; lamps provide ambiance.
"Shopkeepers, for the most part, sit in their shops all day waiting for customers to come in. With what I have chosen to do, I have a captive audience of up to 1,600 people at one time on the weekends," Leflore says. "This is a retailer's dream building."
Asked what motivates him to compete with the Convention Center, King Edward and other event venues, Leflore says his Christian faith is what makes him believe in the city and its renaissance.
"I felt like I was being called to do this. My faith is by far the most important part of my life. Without it, I would be a train wreck," Leflore says.
He also knows that for downtown to thrive, more people must live there. Leflore currently resides in Vaughn, Miss., a 50-minute commute to The South, and downtown is definitely calling for more of his time. In addition to his own residence, Leflore is planning eight loft apartments in The South. He hopes to complete construction by year's end.
This added entree on his plate should make things interesting for his wife of 22 years, Jan, and their six children, four of whom Jan homeschools in addition to working as an international flight attendant.
So why is he doing all of this now?
"You have to get there at the right time. The wrong time can make you broke," Leflore says firmly. "The timing in us is saying, 'we believe,' not waiting to see what will happen. It's saying we are going to make it happen."
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