Family Matters

Family is a big deal at The Fort—it’s why we’re here. Our anchor tenant, Fortner, is a 90 year-old family business. It has roots in Columbus’ south side, when founder David Fortner operated from a nearby garage. In 2017, his family returned to the area, and bought the complex of buildings now known as The Fort. David’s great grandson, Justin McAllister, owns the furniture business today. You can find Justin and his family here every day, operating their showroom and workshop. With nearly 50,000 square feet of space, Fortner serves some of the biggest names in business nationwide, alongside their residential clients.

Below: a residential project, honoring family through heirloom furniture brought back to life. More about the project, from Fortner:

Recently, we had the pleasure of bringing new life into a chair that shared something in common with Fortner—the chair originally resided in south Columbus. Our customer inherited this piece after her aunt passed away and when she learned about Fortner moving back to the south side, she knew it was meant to be. If you have a piece of furniture that's been in the family for some time or if you have a space that's missing something, we'd love to be a part of the story.

Learn more about Fortner.