Building relationships. Building business. Those two factors go hand-in-hand for two entrepreneurial rural Kansas women who are growing their upholstery and home décor business, thanks to connections and relationships that have been built through the years.

Kendra Riley and her mom, Rose Ann Riley, are the founders of The West Riley in Dexter. Rose Ann grew up in Winfield, met J.C. Riley in 4-H and, years later, the two married. They live on the family farm near Dexter and had a son and daughter, both of whom are now living nearby.

Daughter Kendra earned a bachelor’s degree at K-State, a master’s at Oklahoma State, and worked in the animal health division at the Kansas Department of Agriculture.

Kendra’s grandfather passed away at age 100. In 2019, she took the opportunity to move into her grandparent’s home and create a family business with her mom.

Rose Ann Riley was a lifelong seamstress. “The family joke is that I was born with a needle in one hand and a power tool in the other,” she said.

As a little girl she made doll clothes and then clothes for herself. In later years she produced dresses and even got into reupholstering furniture. “Fabric manipulation is what I call it,” Rose Ann said.

When Kendra considered moving back to join her in the business, they noted that downtown Dexter had historic buildings that needed saving.

“There was an old brick building that was beginning to fall into the street,” Kendra said. The Rileys acquired the building and restored it to become the storefront for their business.

In Dexter, the big annual community celebration is called the Dexter barbecue, held each year on the second Saturday of July. “We knew we wanted to have our business open in time for that,” Riley said. After long hours of remodeling work, they were able to open their doors in time for the barbecue.

“The entire community came out and supported us,” Riley said. “It was wonderful.”

Kendra lives in her grandparent’s house, which is one mile west of the house where her parents Rose Ann and J.C. live today. It was commonly referred to as the west Riley place. When the time came to name their new business, The West Riley seemed to fit.

“It’s a nod to the old home place and the work ethic and morals that our grandparents left us,” Riley said. It also reflects the western theme that they like to incorporate into their decor.

Today, The West Riley offers custom reupholstery and markets quality vintage and antique furniture and home décor items. Just as it was open for the barbecue on that second Saturday in 2019, the storefront has maintained the schedule of being open on the second Saturday of each month. Of course, the rest of the time, they are busy doing the work. Custom reupholstery has become a major part of their business.

“We can take an old, worn out piece of furniture and see the vision of the finished product,” Rose Ann said. They restore and, when needed, modernize the furniture.

“We let these pieces live on and that brings us joy,” she said. Rose Ann works with fabric and Kendra with the wood.

“4-H was a big part of our upbringing,” Kendra said. “Looking back, I realize that my dad was the woodworking project leader and my mom was the sewing leader.”

Those skills serve her well. She also credits her participation in the Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership program for building leadership and relationships.

Thanks to personal connections, The West Riley has done projects from Tennessee to California. It’s a remarkable accomplishment for a business in the rural community of Dexter, population 224 people. Now, that’s rural.

For more information, search for The West Riley on Facebook.

Building business and relationships. “So much of our business comes through the connections we’ve made throughout our lives,” Kendra said.

We commend the mother-daughter duo of The West Riley for making a difference with their creative craftsmanship. I hope others can relate.