Kush continues to expand his seven-store RTO chain, RK's Rent To Own, with an eighth unit coming soon.

Rod Kush

Rod Kush's Furniture, a retailer that has competed with Nebraska Furniture Mart for 18 years, is closing. Owner Rod Kush, a former professional football player, will shut the four-store business about July 1 after a retirement sale.

He "will still contribute to his rent-to-own, cash advance, furniture on consignment and real estate investments," the company said.

Kush said several furniture retailers and others have expressed interest in buying the stores in Omaha, Freemont, Norfolk and Lincoln, Neb. He said he hasn't decided yet what he'll do with the property.

"The last 18 years have been good to me," Kush said. "However, retiring from the retail furniture side of my business will allow a little more privacy for my family and the ability to be more involved with them and their interests."

Kush's, which also sells appliances, electronics and carpeting, is believed to be Nebraska Furniture Mart's largest promotional furniture competitor in the state. The stores did about $30 million a year, and about $27 million of that was in furniture, Kush said.

Asked if NFM was the reason he decided to close, Kush said no. The giant retailer owned by Berkshire Hathaway actually was "pretty easy competition," he said, in part because it kept other retailers out of the market and created a lot of spillover business.

"They really were a huge asset for us all those years," he said. Kush said he was just tired of being in the spotlight, and that he's working on another project he wouldn't disclose. He continues to expand his seven-store RTO chain, RK's Rent To Own, with an eighth unit coming soon.