At the young age of 23, AQHYA Reserve World Champion, Annelise Kimmel of Covington, Ohio, has already accumulated an impressive list of accolades and awards from her show career. In a very short time, she has also developed a reputation as a successful entrepreneur. In 2007, she created her furniture business, Wild West Furniture with her brother, Dustin Kimmel. In order to expand their family business, Kimmel recently acquired the furniture company, Carolina Moon, from Mike Clagg.
“We plan to merge the companies, so that they will complement each other,” Kimmel told GoHorseShow. “Both are well known names, and we offer several one-of-a-kind furniture pieces, old door pieces, coffee tables, main-line leather goods, corner pieces, end tables, and desks in a western-style theme. We are also proud that majority of our furniture is made from manufacturers in the United States.”
Kimmel says she will be attending the NRHA Derby at the end of June, NSBA World Show, and the Congress in October. Wild West Furniture will have their showroom trailer outside of the Celeste warm-up arena, while Carolina Moon will still have their booth in Congress Hall. Next year, be on the lookout for them at many shows.
“We welcome everyone to come and visit both the Wild West Furniture and Carolina Moon booths at the Congress,” Kimmel states. “We decided to keep the same spots at the 2012 Congress to make sure everyone knows where to find us.”
The young entrepreneur says that she is currently updating the Carolina Moon website, but that customers are able to visit the Wild West Furniture website and order pieces on-line.
Before each show, Kimmel mentions that she attends furniture markets around the US to find unique pieces to display in her showroom.
“It could be old door pieces, an oil painting, or upholstery items,” she says. “Also, the sky is the limit when it comes to designing custom ordered pieces—from embossed leather, custom hair hide, or a variety of tooling.”
After graduating with a Bachelor’s in Business from Urbana University, Kimmel has enhanced her ability to provide customers with a professional experience. Kimmel’s five year experience in the furniture industry and Business major has given her the advantage to help customers layout their entire homes, and interior design for all areas in need, whether it be your office, home, or barn. She also custom designs her own floral horns and accessories to enhance the major furniture pieces.
In the show arena, Kimmel is currently showing in the novice amateur western riding and amateur western riding with, I Like It In The Dark. Kimmel is under the guidance of Mike and Cheryl Hawkins in the western riding and Shane Pope in the western pleasure. In the past, she has shown such great horses as Radical Rumors, Best In The Dark, Inviting Rumors, Only Afraid In The Dark and Love It In The Dark.
Visit the Wild West Furniture website by clicking here or the Carolina Moon website here. Be sure to sign up for their mailing list by e-mailing Annelise at Wild West’s website.
Photo © Tonya Kiesewetter
