Behind The Counter - Detroit Small Business

In this episode of “Behind The Counter,” Andy Didorosi and Annamarie Sysling sit down with Christa Sarafa of Public Lumber Company. Before taking an active role in her family’s business, Sarafa says she practiced law, sold pharmaceuticals, advertising and helped to organize and launch the Detroit Electronic Music Festival. It wasn’t until her father passed away that she became involved in the family business. “I was really only supposed to do it for six months and it’s been five and a half years,” she says of her time at Public Lumber. Established in 1927, it's one of the last remaining lumber yards in the City of Detroit. Public Lumber shifted away from being a traditional lumber yard in the 1990s, and currently specializes in custom millwork for historic homes throughout the city. In 2015, the company was awarded the Detroit New Economy Initiatives NEIdea’s $100,000 Challenge grant. Throughout this conversation, additional topics include Carl Craig, Kevin Saunderson, Tallulah Bankhead, pseudonyms, dollhouse