Jessica Lima, owner/President of Unfinished Furniture Outlet, Inc., began her furniture career in 1989, working alongside her father and brother building and selling unfinished bookcases and accessories. This experience, which included supplying local stores in the Triangle area, led her to meet her husband, Marco. After a stint managing Real Wood Furniture in Cary, NC, Jessica and Marco began finishing furniture as a side business. In 2003, they opened their own store in Sanford, NC, with Jessica managing the store and homeschooling their daughter Melissa, while she and Marco finished furniture at night. Marco later joined the business full-time as a finisher in 2010.
After nearly 12 years, the business outgrew its original location. In 2015, they purchased and renovated the former “Top Notch” Building Supply facility on Hawkins Avenue in Sanford, expanding both their showroom and finishing operations with the help of their daughter. Today, Unfinished Furniture Outlet is one of the largest and oldest unfinished furniture stores in the US, offering a wide selection of unfinished furniture, Amish-made hardwood dining and bedroom furniture, and outdoor furniture. They provide custom finishing services, free design consultations, and on-site finishing advice. They also offer local delivery to Sanford and surrounding areas, including Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Durham, Chapel Hill, Pittsboro, Southern Pines, Carthage, Pinehurst, Aberdeen, Fayetteville, and Fort Liberty, NC.
