Farrey’s journey from general store to lighting, bath and kitchen resource | Archive

From its beginnings as a small general store that sold hardware, linens, lighting, china and fishing gear, the company now known as Farrey’s Lighting, Bath, Kitchen and Hardware still serves the Miami-Dade community today and is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

Founded by John J. and Emily Farrey in 1924, Farrey’s first location was on Collins Avenue (exterior shown above). After a hurricane swept through the area in 1926, John Farrey was appointed Miami Beach’s chief building inspector with the mandate to write a building code for the city so that it would never see that level of destruction again, the company said; that document became the South Florida Building Code.

The company relocated its showroom in 1934, and then expanded into the kitchen and bath categories during the 1950’s housing boom, which complemented its foundational lighting business, the company said. In 1980, Farrey’s opened its current location in North Miami – which now has more than 130,000 square feet of showroom and warehouse space – and then added its Coconut Grove location in 2002.

Third-generation family member John “Bud” Farrey now runs the company as CEO and chairman. Bud’s daughter Paige Farrey heads purchasing, while his son Kevin Farrey oversees operations. In addition, many of its employees have long tenures with the company – its on-staff consultants currently average 24 years on the job, and offer assistance in English, Portuguese and Spanish.

The company now carries more than 180 brands, including Schonbek, WAC Lighting, Lutron, Toto and Axor. It will have an event in April to commemorate its milestone anniversary.

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