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Family-owned Fort Myers business bounces back from Hurricane Ian with new showroom

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2 weeks ago

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When first opening G&R Construction Group with her husband Ricardo in 2015, Giselle Rattis began to understand the concept of what she wanted to achieve.

Now, following the opening of the business in its new Fort Myers location, Rattis is reaching her wildest expectations.

“What we have today was always my dream,” she said. “This was always my endgame from the beginning.”

Designing dream spaces

The business provides commercial and residential construction and renovation services. Their range of expertise covers remodeling, custom furniture design, home décor, property management and more.

Their showroom is a place where all their design possibilities can be seen put together. They intend to immerse clients in what their future home or office space could look like, helping them to pick out their favorite details in-person.

G&R Design and Construction Group’s new showroom, 4110 Center Pointe Drive, Unit 111, just south of Winkler Avenue, held its grand opening June 13. After days of downpour, Rattis was not expecting much of a turnout.

“All the streets were flooded,” Rattis said. “I didn’t think we were going to get as many people as we did.”

But friends, family and more of the Southwest Florida community came together to prove her doubts wrong.

“The place was packed!” Rattis said. “Everyone was amazed at how everything was decorated and put together.”

An unsolicited fresh start

This is not the business’s first showroom, though the new Center Point location is unlike any space the company has held before. Prior to Hurricane Ian, G&R called Metro Parkway home.

“We had a flooring and countertop showroom off of Metro,” Rattis said. “Because of problems with the roof, we lost that location. At the same time, we lost our house, so we had to start all over again.”

The family-owned business found the site of the new location in April 2023. That would, over one year later, become the grounds on which the family’s dreams come true.

“We wanted to have a showroom that wasn’t just a showroom,” Rattis said, explaining how she wanted to drift away from rows of tile and other flooring options. “We tried to create an ambience where people could walk in and feel as if they’re home.”

For Giselle and Ricardo, the showroom really does feel like a piece of home.

Bringing a piece of their home to your home

The couple hail from Brazil, which is where many of the showroom’s products are from. They carry Brazilian cabinetry, custom closets, some countertops and silverware.

And Giselle is quick to recognize the meaning this homage to her homeland holds.

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“Going back to my roots, going back to my country makes that bridge ― that combination of what we have here and what we have there,” she said. “You can’t forget your roots, you can’t forget where you came from. This is my way of saying thank you to Brazil.”

The G&R Construction Group showroom is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and by appointment Saturday.

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