By Sarah Berthiaume
Special to the Pioneer Times
MERRILL — In a way, it all started with their great-grandmother’s rocking chair.
Cindy Bartman, who has owned and operated Bartman’s Upholstery with her husband Ralph since 1988, said the idea of restoring a family heirloom first piqued her interested in upholstery.
“I got started because I had this old rocking chair that had belonged to Ralph’s great-grandmother,” she said, explaining that she headed back to school to learn the craft mostly just because she wanted to learn to repair her own pieces.
Contributed Photo/Sarah Berthiaume
BARTMAN’S UPHOLSTERY — Cindy Bartman, pictured here at her sewing machine, has been operating Bartman’s Upholstery with her husband Ralph for over 25 years. Working from their home in Merrill, the couple offers vehicle restoration, including all types of upholstery for cars, trucks and boats.
“It really did start as a hobby for me,” she said. “And it turned out there was a need for it and so we started working at it.”
The Bartmans, who operate from their home on Route 212 in Merrill, originally started their upholstery business as a sort of partner with Ralph Bartman’s automotive expertise. And while the automotive side has evolved from its early roots in towing and auto repair, their upholstery business has continued. Together they transform all types of vehicles and have a strong background in antique auto salvage. Their business also holds a vehicle recycler license.
“The best part of this for me is when something comes to us all torn apart and we get to make it new,” says Cindy, who explained that her upholstery work can include everything from a vehicle’s seats, carpet and door panels while her husband’s automotive expertise covers just about everything else.
“The messier the better, we say,” she added. “I love making it look all new again and, in a lot of cases, be of better quality than a customer could buy if they went and bought something brand new.”
But it isn’t just cars and trucks they handle, the Bartmans also do boat tops and seats.
“We do a lot of boats,” Cindy explained. “We can completely restore them, as well.”
Like any small business owner, making the decision to launch their venture wasn’t an easy choice, but Bartman is quick to share credit for their success.
“We really do appreciate all our customers these 25 years,” she said. “There have been ups and downs, of course, the Lord has given us the ability to do this and stay in business.”
Bartman’s Upholstery is located at 1152 Route 212 in Merrill. For more information, contact them by calling 757-8411 or ‘like’ Bartman’s Upholstery on Facebook.
Contributed Photo/Bartman’s Upholstery
BEFORE & AFTER — These pictures show a ‘before’ and ‘after’ on the seats of a 1990 Volkswagen Cabriolet restored by Bartman’s Upholstery. For more information on the business and more pictures of their work, visit Bartman’s Upholstery on Facebook.
