Meet Ed & Rindy Jerue

July 22, 2009

Ed and Rindy Jerue, owners of The Lowcountry Store on St. Helena Island, have a knack for creating unique business ideas and making them successful. In 2009, the Dataw Island residents Ed and Rindy, originally from Hawaii and California respectively, made their Lowcountry Store, one of Home Accents Today’s “50 Retail Stars” with the help of their innovation of the Lowcountry Chair.

After starting a company that provided all of the retail image photography, printing and distribution for NASCAR, Ed and Rindy ran their company by splitting their time between their western Massachusetts home and a home in Pinehurst, N.C.

In 2002, the couple opened offices in Charlotte and in Daytona Beach, both at NASCAR Speedways, and decided that Dataw Island was conveniently located between the two locations and would be great place to call home. In 2005, the Jerues’ moved to Dataw Island and sold their company in 2006 after deciding to embark on a new business challenge.

While visiting the Museum of Modern Art, the Jerues’ were intrigued by the Reitveld Chair, originally developed by an early 20th century Dutch architect, and used architect’s idea as inspiration for their own masterpiece. The Jerues’ constructed a chair for their old Victorian house in Massachusetts and were so excited about the structural comfort of the chair and the ability to move the lightweight chair anywhere, that they decided to produce the “Lowcountry Chair” for national distribution.

Similar in appearance to the famed Adirondack chair, but with a unique spin on the coastal classic, the Jerues’ nicknamed their chair the “Not an Adirondack” chair because it offers seating comfort that is easy to sit in and get out of.

In 2007, the Jerue’s purchased the former Tomato Packing Plant on Sea Island Parkway, formerly an antique store, and spent an entire year renovating the building which had fallen into disrepair. The Lowcountry Store opened its doors on July 24, 2008, and the couple introduced the fine local products of the Lowcountry to area natives and tourists alike. The quaint shop features Gullah angels, art from local artists, sweetgrass baskets, jewelry and island spices for gumbo and other home-grown recipes.

“We are committed to working with the talented people in the local community to produce two-thirds of the products that we purchase,” said Ed. “While we offer many home-accent products, we also have a mix of historical products, floral and foods from local producers. Our Gullah Angels are only available at The Lowcountry Store and at the Penn Center, and our local artists represent Lowcountry arts and crafts at its best.

“Our Lowcountry Chairs offer a simple design that is transferable to an outdoor chair,” remarked Ed. “Each Lowcountry Chair is produced by hand by craftsmen who are the best in their field. The chairs are light and easy and allow you to easily move them anywhere in the lawn or garden. We sell the chairs nationally with every state in the United States featuring a Lowcountry Chair dealer. In January of 2009, we introduced of our new Lowcountry Wing Chairs and the Lowcountry Pew at the popular Wren Bistro in downtown Beaufort, which will mark our entry into a high-end product line using natural reclaimed wood.”

Recently, the Lowcountry Store was named one of Home Accents Today’s “50 Retail Stars for 2009.” The editors of the premier magazine for the home accents industry selected the Lowcountry Store as one of the 50 national, independent specialty, home accent or home furnishings stores because they have demonstrated successful marketing, merchandising, advertising and have a positive presence in the local community.

While the Lowcountry Store does take up a good amount of their time, the couple also shares a passion for golf – which is a popular activity when living on Dataw Island. Recently, the coupled placed second in the Keyserling Cancer Center Benefit on April 5, hosted by the DIWGA. The benefit raised more than $10,000 this year for Beaufort’s Keyserling Cancer Center and approximately $100,000 since the tournament began in 2002.

“Ed played when he was young and then stopped for 30 years, while I started golf just a couple of years ago,” said Rindy. “We both love the variety offered by the two Dataw courses which you can play every day without getting bored with the course layouts and designs, which always present a challenge. We play golf to have fun as it is a game that we try not to take it too seriously. We have also seen a great transformation in the quality of the courses and look forward to the next stage of course renovations. We both enjoy the quiet and peacefulness of the Dataw community but mostly we treasure the friendships that we have developed during our time living on Dataw Island.”

When not playing golf or working in the store, the Jerues’ enjoy going to the beach, traveling, cooking, and spending time with their children and grandchildren and enjoying life on Dataw Island with their neighbors. The couple involve themselves in the local community and participate as much as possible through the Chamber of Commerce while Ed is also a member of the St. Helena Island Community Preservation/Cultural Protection Committee.