Two of the most unlikely people have opened the most unlikely business, in the most unlikely of places… and it seems to be working. Tom Bate of New Orleans, USA and Dianne Heidke of Brisbane, Australia have teamed up to open ‘The Zapadora’, a unique design and arts center in the heart of Chiriqui, Panama which focuses on selling antique architecturals, exotic furnishings, lighting, ironwork and handicrafts from all around the world. Zapadora, an old Spanish word that roughly translates as pioneer, (usually a female pioneer), is the center of this unique enterprise. “You can’t imagine how many people said it would fail ‘ says Bate. ‘Who is going to drive all the way out to Potrerillos?, they said’. Luckily many people have made the trip out to see what we are doing out here. It didn’t start out so smoothly however. Finding the right place and atmosphere for such a venture was long and hard. “We had been out driving all over Chiriqui for months ,’ says Heidke, ‘We looked at tons of properties and nothing seemed right. We initially wanted to build our own place but we just couldn’t find the right property. We kept going past this old, ugly building in Potrerillos, and Tom suggested we go in and have a look. The exterior was so bad that even I was very reluctant. “I said no, I’m brave ,but not that brave. But it is one of those stories, once I was in there, it was love and I knew that this was THE place.” The home of The Zapadora was once a supermarket , entertainment center (with a complete working cinema) and gas station for the workers of the Citricos , a large orange growing and processing Company operating in Potrerillos. During his reign, Noriega took over the building and used it for his own private pursuits. After his ouster, the Citricos Cooperativa used the building for community purposes but the building languished and fell into disrepair. When Bate and Heidke took over the building, it had been abandoned for almost 12 years. Now renovated, The Zapadora is selling antique doors, shuttered windows, iron grills and lamps both old and new. The doors and windows are approximately the same age as most of the buildings in Casco Viejo. They range from the 1920's to the middle of the 19th century. Some of the doors are over 12 feet high, and range in style from French , Islamic, Colonial, Deco, Continental, and more. The Zapadora also carries Mother of Pearl and Arabesque furniture. It seems that thinking “out side of the box has really paid off as The Zapadora has sold to projects such as Valle Escondido, Cielo Paraiso , Las Molinas, Panamonte Estates and more in Boquete. The Zapadora has now attracted a wider audience and counts among its clients, designers and architects in Casco Viejo, Coronado and El Valle. But The Zapadora plans don’t stop at renovating and rejuvenating Panama. There are movements afoot to include new spaces for artisans and vendors alike, an outdoor market, a small cafeteria and sculpture gardens. Turning this building into a functioning space has been a full time labor of love, requiring a grand vision and total commitment. The Zapadora dream is to create an Arts and Design Center which showcases and sells outstanding work from Panama and all over the world. Ultimately, The Zapadora will be an exciting place where unique, high quality merchandise can be made, seen, bought and sold.