Owner Ellie Reed wants people to know the business, which opened in December in a section of the former Kmart Plaza, sells much more than lingerie.

She and her husband, Justin, started JEM Construction about seven years ago, and she helps him run the business.

“I just wanted to have my own business as well. I would have opened a business a lot earlier in life if I could have decided what I wanted to do, but I couldn’t,” Reed said.

That decision came after a frustrating night of online shopping.

THE INTERIOR OF Flyvibez in Iron Mountain. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)

She was trying to buy bras and panties because locally they don’t have her size. The online stores were out of stock or wouldn’t work. “I shut the computer off and said, ‘That’s it, I’m opening a lingerie shop.’ It was my frustration of not being able to buy what I wanted which made me decide to do this.”

The merchandise in the store matches Reed’s friendly, eclectic personality. She decided to stock swimsuits because only one other place sold them in town. They also have jewelry, purses, sandals, scented lotions and sprays, and will be getting long boots.

They had a grand opening celebration at the store, 1822 S. Stephenson Ave., last week to highlight a new shoe collection and a fall giveaway for a four-day/three-night stay in Las Vegas, including airfare and $1,000 in fun money. Entries for the giveaway can be submitted through the end of the month.

Flyvibez is starting to offer more clothing as well, such as designer jeans and pants.

“My daughter keeps telling me, ‘Mom, get more basic stuff,’ but I’m trying to get things that you can’t get here (in town),” Reed said. They are starting to sell more nightgowns, too, and slowly introducing men’s clothing. Eventually she hopes to open a men’s shop next door, connected by a doorway through the wall. She will also soon have some Halloween costumes for both men and women.

THE EXTERIOR OF the Flyvibez store in the former Kmart Plaza on Iron Mountain's south side. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)

Reed seeks quality items but doesn’t want them to be too expensive so people can’t afford to buy them. They have sizes extra small to 4X, and she will custom order items for people as well.

Reed said she is constantly looking for new vendors and has even designed some items herself.

“When I first opened I was going to design everything and have my own clothing line, but it would take me a long time to fill a store with my stuff,” she said.

In the back corner, across from the dressing rooms, Reed hopes to host bridal parties, where groups can come in and try on lingerie. The area also is set up for photos and she has a photographer lined up. The dressing rooms have mirrors with LED lights that can be adjusted up or down or even change color.

It took a lot of work to get the store open, Reed said. The building had a lot of water damage, so a lot of repairs and remodeling needed to be done.

She had her husband and her children helping her. Her oldest daughter, Azaria Rame, who has her own marketing company in Utah, does all the marketing and advertising for the store.

Her son, Travis Mullikin, is helping with the store and the website. Youngest daughter Raegan Mullikin works at the store and helps with everything, Reed said.

Other store employees include Hailey Glenn and Marijane Worth. Her friend, Stephanie Ambrust, does all the accounting.

Before becoming a store owner, Reed served as a purchasing officer in the U.S. Air Force, then worked for companies that built oil rigs in Houston. She moved to the Upper Peninsula with her former husband in 2011and saidd she fell in love with the area.

Once here, Reed decided to fulfill a dream of becoming a pilot. She now is not just licensed, but a flight instructor as well. She flies for MJ Electric and Dish Network and she hopes to expand into doing flights for organ transplants.

She has many things she wants to do, Reed said, but this one has to be finished first.

“My whole thing is I want to give people an experience. It is not about coming to buy something. It’s the customer coming in and hanging out and hoping they feel better about themselves when they leave,” Reed explained. “Most women buy lingerie for their husbands and boyfriends, but I want them to buy it for themselves to feel better about themselves.”

“If somebody leaves and they can’t find something to make them happy, then I’m sad, because I want them to be happy,” Reed said.

She wants to inspire women of all sizes with the motto, “First love yourself and then let us love you.”